The record-union., 1897-09-19

piece of loosened slate dropped.
We picked up our steel bar, the only
tool we had of any use for such work,
and went to the foot of the shaft. AS
far as we could see it was packed full
of broken slate and timber. But it
was absolutely the only exit from the
tunnel. We could not possibly tell to
what hight it was filed up; it might be
to the very mouth, it might not be so
very many feet after all. All the frag-
ments that fell would slide down to the
bottom, and there might be many feet
to clear shaft above that pile of de-
bris that imprisoned us Anyway,
there was no way out except through
it, and nobody to dig through it but
u.s.
We saw what we had to do and were
comparatively cool in our action, while
our judgment was preternaturally
sharpened as to the exact method of
going to work most quickly and effect
lively. The only word that passed be-
tween us was Henry's short, Let me
take the bari am stronger" He was
much the younger man, and I gave him
the bar without word
out were about one in ten thousand.
We knew our candle could last only
about four hours with the closest
economy. Our greatest want was wat
er; we knew none could be had until
We reached the surface
We began removing the debris from
the foot of the shaft, and piling it back
in the tunnel. We worked as fast as
we could-not a word was spoken, not
movement wasted. The water
streamed from our bodies with the heat
and exertion; the air was becoming
more foul every moment, and we had
difficulty in breathing The candle had
burned freely at first, and we sprinkled
dust on it to keep it from burning away
too fast; but now it would give only n
faint spark Of light when 1 cleaned it
off. But we worked silently on, as
only men with their lives in their hands
can work; the effort to breathe was as
exhausting as the labor.
At last we had cleared the foot of the
shaft next the slate wall-the upper
side-and began to work up. The in
cline of the shaft was enough to make
it possible for us to do this, without
bringing down the debris above on our
heads; and the caving had left little
houows into which we worked as fast
as We could remove the fragments and
pack them under our feet. Now and
then more slate would cave, and sharp
edged pieces would fall about us. Our
hats were cut through, and we cut our
sacks in two, and folded it in them
to IT dc A fal of loose
rock might kill either of us at any
moment.
Henry was in the most dangerous
place for he tok the lead. 1 could not
do much to help him, for I had now to
hold the candle in my hand, and use
the greatest care to keep it from going
out altogether; 1T had burned SO low
that it heated the candlestick, and
made it melt the tallow The air was
so foul that the hight was a mere spark,
| and l had to hold it as close as l
could to the bar to make it possible
for Henry to work at all. But some
how he made his way up. pulling away
the fragments of slate and broken
tinlbers, and packing them one side.
If it had not been for the timbers the
rock would have settled together so
that he could not have pulled out pieces
without bringing it all down, but they
CROSSED in the debris in every direction,
and held it a little apart and loose.
.Eenry's strength was like a giants;
he tore away at the debris madly, and
yet he was careful in every movement.
Sharp bits of slate would fall from
overhead and cut him till the blood
came in a good many places. l protect
ed him all l could, but it was poor
protection, and l had to nurse the
light with the closest attention. 1t had
burned almost out and we had not
reached the first station, twelve feet
from the lower tunnel.
The candle burned out. Henry
groaned, and again prayed a little in
German. For my part, I felt sleepy,
and ready to drop my head down and
die. Henry leaned his hand on my
shoulder to rest a moment, and I could
feel in the dark how fearfully he was
painting.
Presently Henry said, BOSS, light the
other candle if you can, and let's go
ahead"
We had now only one candle left. 1t
had been broken when the temblOr
threw it down; a piece about two inches
long remained in the candlestick and
another somewhat longer hung by the
wick. I cut off the longer piece and
put it in my pocket and after trying
several times 1 got the bit in the can
dlestick to burn; it only gave spark
of light
Henry went to work with fresh Wig
or, but with still greater care, for the
mass of rock overhead seemed loose,
and the danger was greater from fall
ing masses. We worked up gradually,
but the candle burned lower and lower.
and at last burned out, and only the
piece in my pocket was left.
We rested again in the dark; Henry
groaned from time to time, and both
of us painted horribly for want of air;
we could scarcely breathe, and it really
seemed as though the end was very
near. I reckoned it was about 3
o'clock. Henry said it was almost
night, and the boys would not find US.
We were very quiet. ThensHenry said,
Light up, Boss
1t was very hard to get the wick of
the candle to take the fire at all, and
1 burned nearly all my matches in
lighting it; and it took all my atten-
ton to keep it from going out I hol-
lowed my hands, and kept the least
movement of air from it. When that
was gene, it would be the end; we
could not work an inch in such a place
without it. Henry kept at work care
fully, getting out the chunks of rock
from overhead, and putting them un-
der our feet. Our backs were pressed
hard. against the broken hanging wall.
We did not try to clear more than just
enough space to struggle up through.
Suddenly the whole mass overhead