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

black pile The boys hand was sticl
ing ont from the bottom Of it, clutcl
ing conyulsiyely at nothing, / san
down and watched, in q sort of drear
fascination, as old jim, utterin
strange cries, tore at the mass in
mad frenzy. God help him! jim wa
the only thing he had in the world (
love, I'm less than five minutes he ha
dragged him ont, aud sat down to hui
him in his arms, Dead? No; he coul,
just open his poor Justified eyes il
answer to his fathers whispers: bu
We knew at once that he would nevei
again make the galleries echo his pierre
ing whistle
''For whole hours, I suppose
neither Of us attempted to realize on
situation We sat on in the dead 81
lence, waiting for something to hap
pen. Once or twice we saw young
Jims blackened lips move feely, and
each time his father would muttel
brokenly 'Ay, my precious boy, Wen
look after her.' Once the old man
broke out, guaveringly, into the hymn,
"Abide With Men but he got no fur
Their than the third line That, per-
haps, was about 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? I'm afraid to go on. I've
been a goddess man all my time.
That reused me. 1 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, anl our lamps would
burn, say another five or six hours;
while the breathing air, hot and gas
9ous already, would probably become
lnendurable before the evening came.
That was our situation, aud let any
nan conceive a worse, if he can. One
bender chance of escape at the best
eft; perhaps the entire passage was
lot blocked, and we might force our
way to the main gallery. [ was not
traid of death in the way that it comes
o most people, but I was afraid to
leet and struggle with it there. We
prang to the task, wild at the thought
hat those few hours Of stupor might
ave made all the difference.
"Hou can guess what happened, and
ny, after a long spell Of fighting to
reaA through that horrible wall. old
i'm threw himself down with a groan
adj refused to go on. As fast as we
'osened one mass, another crashed
own in its place; at the end of our des-
crate attempt we were half choked
Id blinded with dust, our hands were
w aud We had made scarce any head
ny. Barely, too, had we given up
e work as hopeless when my lamp
ckered out; half an hour later, old
ms followed suit.
Total oblivion As l sat and con
mplated our fate, faintness Of
lngIed hunger and despair crept over
e. Young Jim, quite still. was
opped up against the wall close by.
thin few feet of me sat his father
times he would start up and Shrek
t in namcless terror-at others he
'uld catch up his pick aud hack al
walls with the fury Of maniac.
ld worse was to come.
81 think I must have tainted. I do |
t seem to recollect any more until {
moment when | became conscious /
my mates hard breathing over me.
d Of the fact that his hand was feel 2
Cor, 50 it seemed-for my throat.
dashed away, painting under the 9
)ck of this new horror.
Jim, 1 gasped, FOR Heavens q
.e keep sane! Ii we're to go, let us
like menr
No answer; I heard him crawling
ly, and that was all. The dead Il
nee was only broken by faint I
killing sound. Tricklingl Yes: ! G
my hand TO the level, and found a
{ an inch of water--aud hotter and h
ling grew the atmosphere. Pray S
hard to myself, Irealized now that, |
uld no help come, only few hours p
Id live betwixt us AID the end. p
1 then-old Jim might 90 first. and "
Mould be left. Nay, J was already 0
ctically alone; the fear that was 1
Wy whitening my hair had turned u
Jim's brain. s
He suddenly sent MP a peal OF fl
rious laughter. Water! Who o.
s water? Why, mates, I'm swim a
.g in it! Here a gon
Presently he began creeping round
ind me. ] could hear him coming.
his labored respiration. and the j
shing Of the oozs az he moved h.
md and round the space we went RI
.lthiiy, until At last ne made a cum "
rush and caught me by the ankle. m
{ him! He yelled il with a clee b,
was unmistakable. 81
More words could .nsreT- convey b,
sensation Of that moment Half b.
ocated, past all ordinary fear, 7 ~
ed with my poor Oh mate, and we D..
t staggered TO aui fro across cur tll
on, uuiil a. Lass managed 10 throw a,
50 that his head struck heavily IN