Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1897-09-08

miners, who were chatting with wives
and sweethearts around the opening of
the shaft, suddenly grew silent.
1t was a moment of suspense, for the
boy in the gloomy caverns, 20 feet under
ground. was then engaged in lighting
the slow match.
The men who were to turn the crank
grasped the handles firmly. and no
n spoke.
"Ah!"
1t was with a sigh of relief that An
| person in the crowd saw the rope jerked
twice.
The match had been applied. John
would be with them in a few moments,
and all would near the muffled, rum
bling sound of the great explosion in
the depths of the earth.
A flush of color rose to Annie Bar
tons cheek and Hiram Adams felt his
heart beating rapidly and his breath
coming in short gasps.
The men at the crank worked with q
will, when they heard a dull, mufied
sound, the rope s~lackened, and
"Oh, heavens"
Annie Barton started forward, her
face blanched and a look of horror glaz-
ing her ~wide-open eyes
Hiram Adams staggered as though
shot. Then a man spoke:
SgT1o H-ol1nx ha. o.vxod-cf-ro fhn
partition. The boy has fallen out!"
Women tainted, strong men grew
weak and shuddered, a. they thought
of the explosion that was now ex-
pected every moment
The suspense was terrible. A boy,
perhaps mangled and helpless, was ly-
| ing at the bottom of the shaft, and the
fuse was burning slowly toward the
mass Of powder.
Courage, Annie! I'll save him!"
It was Hiram Adams who spoke In
q second he had regained his presence
of mind, and now, running his arm
through the loop of a lantern, he leaped
over the box which surrounded the
opening of the shaft, crying to the ter.
ror-stricken miners:
"Hold tight till l reach the bucket,
then lower me like lightning to the
bottom!"
He grasped the rop twined his legs
around it, then slid downward The
rough rope cut his hands, but he did
not feel the pain.
Down, down, like a flash he descend
ed through the darkness-down to his
helpless friend and to the match which
was slowly but surely burning its way
toward the powder.
Thank heaven! He has reached the
bucket! Another instant he has
reached the bottom of the shaft! Is hs
too late? 1t is time for the explosion
hush!
A cold p~erspiration broke put OF
every brow. There was an awful 81
lence down below and silence up above
Annie Barton tried to pray.
The agony of suspense was terrible
Men could near each others hearts beat
in the awful stiffness. Would the enc
never come?
How was it with Hiram Adams?
AS he reached the bottom, one glance
told him all. His friend was stunnet
and senseless.
He leaped from the bucket, and th&
light of the lantern showed him the
place where the fusee had been laid.
The glimmering little line Of frs
was within an inch of the train of pow
der!
Another second and there would be
flash, an explosion louder than thunder
and then the walls round about woulG
be shattered into a thousand fragments
One little inch of the fusee stood be
tween two human beings and a fright
full death.
With a cry the boy sprang forward
He pressed his smarting hands upon the
last particle of the burning match, ana
he lay there for a moment with clenchet
teeth and suspended breath. Then ht
arose.
Huzza! The fusee was extinguished
anud he and his friend were safe.
He lifted the insensible formo of JohI
Barton into the bucket and gave the sig
nal to be drawn up.
What a thrill of joy ran through every
heart when the watchersi in the sunlight
saw that welcome sign. How the mel
worked at the crank! How long ths
seconds seemed, while the buckets as
cended up, up, up! until a cheer such a,
men never before uttered burst from
the assembled miners, when they saw
rising out of the earth, the figure Of
Hiram Adams supporting his insensibl<
friend.
HE is not dead-only stunned" were
the young hero's first words, when gen,
tie hands relieved him of his burden and
men crowded around him with loud con
gratulations and women kissed him il
the exuberance of their joy.
But when Hiram saw the glad light
leap into Annie Barton's eyes, and the
warm, red flush suffuse her cheeks
when he marked the silent look oi
speeches. gratitude ST gave him-he
felt more than rewarded for his act o.
heroism in rescuing a friend fromdeath
The sequel to my story is a simpleone
Besides a broken arm and q few ugly
bruises, John Barton sustained no seri-
Gus injuries, and In . tsw days he wa
once morc himself.