The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-03-25
PART II.

PART III.
Rufus Hinton raised his hand with an
imperative gesture as he shouted his
order TO the man standing by the en-
vine. For a few seconds the silence
was appalling. At length there came
clang. The engineer had pulled the
lever.
The sound affected the crowd like
some external force; the people rocked
and swayed With trembling hands
pressed TO their heavipg breasts. the
women tried TO check their sobs. The
men compressed their lips and clenched
their hands, and some of the more nerv-
Gus groaned as an outlet to their torture.
The great drum, about which the
cable wound, began TO revolve, with n
slowncss that was maddening. The car
dropped down. Rufus Hinton cried out:
Don't lose heartl" And raised his
hat to the women bending over the
shaft. The last face he saw, as the car
dropped into the depths, was the one
for which his eager eyes We're searching.
He felt stronger. IL not braver. for the
presence of Kate, and it comforted him
to think that her heart was with his eff
fort though her love might be another's.
Although the full power of the engine
was used and the throttle full open, it
seemed an interminable time before the
putting stopped and the drum ceased to
evolve.
"The cars got to the first level!"
"The boss'll reach 'em!"
l.. 49,
tonight"
'We'll soon know the best!"
"Or the worst"
: These whispers blended with the
prayers of the pious and the others of
the profane, though the oaths did not
seem like profanity tonight.
The awful news had spread through
the lean board shanties along the hill
side. Women, half-clad and with
streaming hair, burst through the
crowd Of well-dressed dancers. They
were followed by crowds of barefoot
children. frightened beyond physical
feeling, ignorant of the calamity that
threatened
Room was made for these women.
About the mouth of the shaft they
gathered. and shouted down the names
of their loved ones, then listening, but
no response came back.
To the awed people, Time crawled on
crutches. The strongest was helpless
and tho bravest cowed. At length, and
when IL seemed that even the gallant
rescuers were doomed, a signal came up
from the first level.
what does it mean?" shouted Dick
BNdfortb to the man at the lever.
1T means Hoist away!'" was tho 10
sponse.
"Then hoist Tor your life!" roared
bradford.
Tho engineer had regained confidence
by this time. He braced himself, pulled
back the lever, and looked up at the
drum to see that the flexible steel coil
fell into place.
Puffs OF su1phurous smoke shot
ahead of tho car, and even the frantic
women fell back. Up and up, Mt the
engines greatest speed, yet 1T seemed
but . snsil's pace to the trembling
watohers.
AT length the black car with ten black
occupants came in sight, and a great
shout went up from the people. Among
those ten there was not a man who had
gone down with Rufus Hinton.
Don't bother about u.s." gasped a
stalwart, brawny miner, as he was lifted
out, 'but send down the car! Send down
the car! The boss and the boys is
dvin'!"
The blistered and blackened menwere
carried into the store near by, and again,
The great wheel groaned, and the empty
car dropped out of sight.
There was another weary wait-a
wait that tore the hearts of the watch
ers. Kate, during all this time, except
that which she tried to comfort the
women whose husbands had not come
up. remained. white-faced and calm,
near the mouth Of the shaft.
A second time the signal came to hoist.
Up again the car rose, and the sulphur
Gus smoke puffs shot ahead. This time
there were fourteen men in the car