St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1897-05-15

i
fuse was burning slowly toward the
mass Of powder.
| Courage, Annie! I'll save himl"
1t was Hiram Adams who spoke. In
second he had regained his presence
of mind. and now, running his arm
through the loop of . lantern. he leaped
over the box which surrounded the
opening of the shaft, crying to the ter
ror-stricken miners:
Hold tight till reach the bucket,
then lower me like lightning to the
bottom!"
He grasped the rope, twined his legs
around it, then slid downward. The
rough rope cnt his hands, but he did
not feel the pain.
Down, down, like . fash he descend
Cd through the darkness-down to his
helpless friend and to the match which
was slowly but surely burning it's way
toward the powder.
Thank heaven! He has reached the
bucket! Another instant he has
reached the bottom of the shaft! Is he
too late? It 10 time for the explosion
hush!
A cold perspiration broke out on
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 hear each others hearts beat
in the awful stiffness. Would the end
never come?
How was it with Hiram Adams?
As he reached the bottom, one glance
told him all. His friend was stunned
and senseless.
He leaped from the bucket. and the
light Of the lantern showed him the
place where the fusee had been laid.
The glimmering little line Of fire
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 would
be shattered into thousand fragments.
One little inch Of the fusee stood be-
tween two human beings and a fright
full death.
With q cry the boy sprang forward.
He pressed his smarting hands upon the
last particle Of the burning match, and
he lay there for . moment with clenched
teeth and suspended breath. Then he
arose.
Huzza! The fusce was extinguished,
anud he and his friend were safe.
He lifted the insensible form Of John
Barton into the bucket and gave the sig
nal to be drawn up.
What . thrill Of Joy ran through every
heart when the watchers in the sunlight
saw that welcome sign. How the men
worked at the crank! How long the
seconds seemed, while the buckets as
cended up, up. up! until a cheer such as
men never before uttered burst from
the assembled miners, when they saw,
rising oueof the earth, the figure of
Hiram Adams supporting his insensible
friend.
HE is not dead-only stunned" were
the young hero's first words, when gem
tie hands relieved him of his burden and
men crowded around him with loud con-
gratulations and women kissed him In
the cxuberance 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 of
speechless gratitude she gave him-he
felt moro than rewarded for his act Of
heroism in rescuing friend from death.
The sequel to my STORY is a simple one.
Besides q broken arm and few ugly
bruises, John Barton sustained no seri.
Gus injuries, and in few days he was
once more himself.
Both he and his friend received lucra-
tive clerkships in the Office of the COM
pany, and . few years later, pretty An
ME Barton became the wife of Hiram
Adams, the preserver Of her brothers.
life.
And so it happened that neither Of the
two friends had reason to regret the
fearful peril they encountered when,
on one memorable April day, they were
brought face to face with death down
in . coal mine.-Golden Days.