The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-21

"You can guess what happened, and
why, after a long spell of hghting TO break
through that horrible wall, old Jim threw
himself down with groan ana refused 10
go on AS fast as we loosened one mass.
another crashed down in its place; at the
end of our desperate attempt we were
half choked and blinded with dust, our
hands were raw, and we had made scarce
any Roadway. Barely, too, had we given
up the work as hopeless when my lamp
niCkered out; half an hour later old jim
Total oblivion! AS l sat and contem-
plated our fate faintness of mingled nun
ger and despair crept over me. Young jim,
quite still, was .propped up against the
wall close by. Within few feet or me
sat his father; at times he would start up
and shrek out in nameless terror-at oth-
ers he would catch up his pick and hack
at the walls with the fury of a maniac. Ana
worse was to come.
Il think l must have tainted. | do not
seem to recollect any more until the mo-
ment when | became conscious OF my
mates hard breathing over me, and of the
fact that his hand was feeling-or, so 1t
seemed-for my throat. l dashed him
away painting under the shock OF TINS new
horror.
keep sane! If we're to go, let us die like
men!
mo answer; heard him crawling away,
and that was all. The dead silence was
only broken by a faint trickling sound;
Trckling! Yes; put my hand to the level
and found half an inch of water.
And hotter and more sitting grew the at
mosphere Praying hard to myself,
realized now that should no hep come,
only a few hours could lie betwiXt us and
the end. And then-old Jim might go
first, and / should be left. Nay, J was
already practically alone; the fear that
was slowly whitening my hair had turned
old Jim's BRAIN
laughter Water! Who says water
Why, mates, I'm swimming in it! Here
co. ,o a.oo,,,,o ground 70
find me. l could hear him coming, by MS
abored respiration, and the swisnlng or
the ooze as he moved. Round and round
the space we went stealthily, untll az last
he made a cunning rush and caught me
by the ankles. Got himT lie yelled IL
with a glee that was unmistakable.
Mere words could never convey the
sensation of that moment. Half suffocated
past all ordinary fear, ! closed with my
poor old mate. and we went STAGGERING
to and fro across our prison., until at las :
| managed to throw him so that his head
struck heavily against the wall. After
that he lay quite stilii belleved at az
knew afterward that II was that blow
which preserved his reason.
THE rest can be told in a few words.
After that lay there like one IN dream
while the pestilental air slowly did its
work. Sometimes | fancied ! could feel
cool breezes blowing down on me, and az
others heard some one telling me to wake
up, for that the whistle had sounded at
the pits. How long ! lay so | can only
conjecture. really knew nOlnlng more
until was reused by the sound of that
coal barrier crashing down before the
picks and spades of a dozen rescuers and
the hubbub from dozen threats as they
broke into our tomb.
"Only just in time. Old Jim's face was
only just out of the water, and they said
that no human being could have lived IN
that atmosphere for another two hours.
And young Jim?-well, there was Just
enough life left in him to last three days.
IT'LL the end of that third day ! kept
to my bed, and then they sent to say that
he was going, but that he wished to see
me first. ! reached the house just in time
to catch his last whisper.
(" 'You-youll take her. mate! Marry her
no one else! Only-only you'll let my ring
stav there Promise-me-that
"What could J do but promiseY / mad
not thought then Of marrying his sweet
hoart-but Il was his dying wish, and for
wears Jim and ! had been like brothers.
Just year later / asked her u there
was room in her heart for me, and-and-
we'll that's enough. Now you know why
INV wife wears two wedding rings"