The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-08-29

ing stranger The child stood far away
at first and merely looked. then he
slowly came nearer, till at length he
stood upon the dump and watched.
eager eyed. His stunted, dwarfish goat
ne led with a rope. and the funny little
LhlnE crept behind him, looking wise,
and chewed at mis- skirts.
Want to ride. little mani" said Mr.
Nicnoi one morning. well. l guess
You can" He placed the tiI1lid and
doubling child in the hold Of the car.
WITH the goat, and let him try the mo-
ton for the length of the dump. Then,
aiach Ter oy appetites, the youngSter
mad 70 ride all the time.
Wen. ne might as well commence
at mining now said the father, and
permitted his son to ride all the way
IN and out of the tunnel
sIhe trial week was up. The night
would tell the decision Was it stay
or so, Warren questioned to himself. a
Store or more of times. Not a word
Of encouragement yet had he heard.
The work was hard on lingo, he ad-
Matted, but lingo was happy and was
daily growing stronger.
Wnere'd you get your burro?" Mr.
Nlehol inquired as he placed his little
son and the goat in the empty car
He used TO belong to Chinese
wood chopper" Warren replied. s'but
the Chinaman abused him, so 1 couldn't
bear to see 1t, SO l sold my gun and
bought aim
"Ah, I thought he'd been very
roughly handled. All the snap and
vitality are knocked clean out of all the
burros those wood choppers have
These were ominous words, thought
Warren, dispirited, but he waistled
cherrily. and all Of them entered the
mine.
Come with me for a moment said
the man, When the ear finally stopped
at the station, till we see how we
stand"
The child was safe in the deep iron
car, and Jingo, turned about again, was
sleepily hanging his head in the dark
ness.
The mine owner led the way to a
branch tunnel near, that wound about
for dozen rods, on crooked line and
terminated at a heavy wooden door.
This he opened and entered, Warren
following closely his heart excitedly
humping.
They found themselves in large
sized room-the cooling and dressing
room for the miners. where clothes
and tools were plentiful, and water to
drink was handy in a tank a lamp
made it light and cheerful.
The surprise of Warren. thus to come
upon this unexpected apartment,
seemed to please or amuse Mr.. Nichol,
who smiled to see the earnest, ques-
| tioning face.
Then he sat at table and began to
ask long. methodical line of ques-
tons
In the midst of this, while the boy
was still merely puzzled. there came
abruptly the distant, muff1ed sound of
the bell, changing twice.
A sudden pallor overspread the whole
face Of the man who owned the mine.
Man! Mani he cried. "A blast
MY baby"
With one mad impulse the man and
the boy rushed headlong TO the door,
Just as they reached it a weight out
side was hurled against the planks,
and it swung rudely open, bowling
them sprawling on the floor, while four
racing miners dashed swiftly in and
quickly slammed it shut.
Here here!' yelled the owner. Let
me out! Let me outl' and, diving for
the door. he threw himself against it
heavily.
BE jabbers. mon. ye're crazy loike, .
roared q great, burly miner. DO yez
moind the blahst-the blahst, Misther
Nicol-We've put in an extry wan. We
moind." He fell with his weight on
the door in a second.
Great heayensr' screamed the other.
Let me out. 1 say"
Mon. feminist yer death?"
The boy! The boyw cried Warren,
struggling wildly to the door. ''Hurryi
Hurry! Hurry! Let me out! Let me
outI The boy-the boy-in the carr
"Aouw-murtherr roared the miner,
and fiinging wide the door, he started
with the father and Warren and all
the others. on the terrible race.
They had gone but ten feet when q
gathering, deafening explosion shook
the earth and Numbered through the
tunnels with force of conclusion so
terrific that owner, miners and all were
hurled to the ground in a struggling,
thrashing heap.
Stunned and injured, young Warren
and the father tottered to their feet
and dashed on ahead by the glimmer
of the lanterns on the walls.
With horror and dread at their
hearts they came tearing to the sta
ton.
Baby, car and burro were gone.
On, on, down the tunnel raced the
father and the boy in breathless
haste, but now in the keen delirium of
hone.
Out on the dump in the sunlight, safe.
untouched and standing sleepily to
wait, was lingo, the burro; and there
in the car. hugging hard to his goat,
was the blue-eyed child. with a beam
ing smile of welcome for pale and
haggard man.
Two bells, remember had Warren
told and repeated to the burro, and at
the strokes he had Gathered out-away
from the jaws of death, like a mouse
from q monsTous cat.
If a traveller pause in Nevada some
day at the Cornucopia mine, he will
still find a happy little burro, rolling
fat and full of comfort. enjoying the
sunlight of long, sweet retirement
from active service. And up at the
mine viii be found a keen-eyed fore
man who cheerfully answers to the
name of Warren.
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