The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1897-06-12

jim! and staggered forward TO tina
black pile. The boys hand was sticl,
ing ont from the bottom Of it, clutch
ing conyulsiyely at nothing. I sanl
down and watched, in a sort Of drear,
fascination, as old jim, uttering
strange cries, tore at the mass in
mad frenzy. God help him! Jim wa
the only thing he had in the world t.
love. In less than five minutes he hat
dragged him out, and sat down to hug
him in his arms, Dead? No; he could
just open his poor dust-flled eyes in
answer to his fathers whispers; but
we knew al once that he would never
again make the galleries echo his pierre
ing whistle
Tor whole hours, I suppose,
neither Of us attempted to realize our
situation. We SAT on in the dead 81
lence, waiting for something to hap
pen. Once or twice we saw young
Jim's blackened lips move feely, and
each time his father would mutter
brokenly Ay, my precious boy, Wen
look after her!" Once the old man
broke out, quaveringly, into the hymn,
abide With Men but he got no fur
Their than the third line. That, per-
haps, was about s o'clock, but we
could keep no count Of the time, as my
watch had stopped. Hour after hour
must have gone by and still old Jim
sat with rigid face and staring eyes,
clasping his burden. In all probability
it was morning above ground before at
last he spoke.
" How long can we hold out, Mr..
Carson? Tn afraid to go on. I've
been a goddess man all my time
That reused me. / examined our
position carefully. The passage was
about eight yards wide at this point,
and measured about twenty PAGES from
the end to where that solid wall of
coal blocked our path to the outer
world. As the bore ran level with the
foot Of the north shaft, we were about
forty feet below the clear surface. We
had no food, and our lamps would
burn, say, another five or six hours;
while the breathing air, hot and gas
eous already, would probably become
uncomfortable before the evening came.
That was our situation, aud let any
man conceive a worse, if he can. One
slender chance Of escape at the best
left; perhaps the entire passage was
not blocked, and we might force our
way TO the main gallery. [ was not
afraid Of death in the way that it comes
to most people, bat I was afraid to
meet and struggle with it there. We
5prang to the task, wild at the thought
that those few hours Of stupor might
have made all the difference.
lyon can guess what happened. and
why, after long spell of fighting to
break through that horrible wall. old
Jim threw himself down with q groan
md refused to go on. As fast as we |
oosened one mass, another crashed |
Town in its place; at the end of our des-
oerate attempt we were half choked |
md blinded with dust, our hands were |
aw and We had made scarce any head
way. Barely, too, had we given up
he work as hopeless when my lamp
lickered out; half an hour later. old
inns followed suit.
'Total oblivionl As I sat and CON
emplated orr fate, a faintness of
Mingled hunger and despair crept over
ne, Young jim, quite still, was
ropped up against the wall close by.
Within few feet Of me sat his father;
t times he would start up and Shrek
ut in namoless terror-at others he
'ould catch up his pick and hack at
he walls with the fury Of a maniac.
md worse was to come.
81 think ] must have tainted. I do
OF seem to recollect any more until
ne moment when [ became conscious
t my mates hard breathing over me.
nd of the fact that his hand was feel
lg-or, so it seemed-for my throat
dashed away, painting under the
hook Of this new horror.
Jim, 1 gasped, ior Heavens
IKE keep sauel Ii we're to 60, let US
lie like menl
"No answer; heard him crawling
way, and that was all. The dead
lence was only broken by faint
ickling sound. Tricklingl Yes; /
ut my hand to the level, and found
llf an inch Of water--aud hotter and
fling grew the atmosphere. Pray
g hard to myself. Irealized now that,
lould no help come, only a few hours /
'uld live hetwixt us and the end.
nd then-old Jim might 90 first. and :
should be left. Nay, J was already {
'actically alone; the fear that was
owly whitening my hair had turned I
i Jim's brain.
He suddenly sent MP a peal OF I
lirious laughter. Water! Who c
Us water? Why, mates, I'm swim q
ing in It! Here a gor
Presently he began creeping round
find me. J. could hear him coming.
his labored respiration, and the
ishing Of the oozs as he moved. b
,und and round the space we went r
'althily, until At last he made a cum \
lg rush and caught me by the ankle. n
ct him. He yelled il with a glee b
It was unmistaaable. q
More words could .nevey- convey b
sensation Of that moment. Half b
located. past en- ordinary fear, 7 II
sed with my Door old mate, and we b
Mt staggered to eud fro across our Il
son, until 81 last managed to throw q
D 80 that bis head struck heavily il