The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-04-09

out. and sat down 10 hug him IN his
arms Dead? No. be could just open
his poor dust-hlled eyes in answer 10
bis fathers whispers but We knew al
once that he would never again make
the galleries echo his piercing whistle.
For whole hours, / suppose, neither
Of as attempted 10 realize our situation.
We sat on IN dead silence. waiting for
something % happen. Once or twice
we saw young Jim's blackened lips
move ieebly. and each time his father
would mutt+r brokenly. 'Ay. my pre-
cious boy. we'll look after herr Once
the old man broke out. Quaveringly, into
hymn. Abide with Mer but he got
no further than the third line. That,
perhaps. 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,
elasplng his burden. In all probability
Il was morning above ground before at
last he spoke
How long can we hold out, Ne
Carscn7 I'm feared to 20. I've beS
n 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 Goa
blocked our path to the outer world
As the bore ran level with the foot o
the north shaft we were about forty
feet below the clear surface. We haze
no food. and our lamps would burn
say. another i've or six hours.
Il think I must have tainted. Dc
not seem 10 recollect any more until
the moment when / became conscioui
Of my mates hard breathing over me
and OF the fact that his hand was feel
lng-or. 20 Il seemed-for my throat
l dashed him away. painting under TIT
shock OF this new horror.
"Jim. gasped. for heavens sake,
keep sane! II we're TO 90, le, US die
like men,
NO answer: ! heard him crawling
away. and that vas all The dead ST.
lence was only broken By faint trick
ling sound. Trickling! Yes. ! put my
hand to the level. and found half an
, inch OF water And hotter anc
I more sitting grew the atmosphere
q Praying hard TO myself, ! realized nov
/ that should no help come. only a few
, hours could Ne betwlXt us and the end
I And thon-old Jim might 20 arst, an'
a I should be left. Nay. ! was ALREADY
% practically alone: the fear that wa
a slowly whitening my hair had turne'
o old inns brain.
a HE suddenly sent up a peal OF de
L llrious laughter. Water! Who say
L waterl Why. mates. I'm swimming II
i ~ Here's a gor
= Presently he began creeping roun'
a 20 End me. / could hear him coming
r By his labored respiration. and th'
q swishlng OF the ooze a. he moved
y Round and round the space we wen
o stealthlly. until at last he made Gun
I ming rush and caught me BY the ankles
Got h'mr he yelled Il with a glee thai
r was unmlslakable.
i Mere words could never convey tn
e sensation OF that moment. Hall suno
i Gated. past all ordinary fear. closed
y with my poor old mate. and we wen
a staggering 10 and fro across our prison
Z until at last managed 10 throw hin
: 90 that his head struck heavily agains
d the wall. AFTER that he lay quite still
q I believed at the time that had killeS
him, but We knew afterwards that q
was that blow which preserved his rea
. son.
= THE rest can be told In a few words
After that lay there like one In
dream. while the postilenilal air slowll
ala rs work Sometimes iancied
could feel cool brcezes blowing dowi
on me. and 40 others heard some on
telling me 10 wake up, Tor that thU
whistle had sounded at the pits How
long lay so ! can only conjecture.
really knew nothing more until ! va
reused by the sound OF that coal barrie
crashing down before the picks am
spades OF dozen rcscucrs. and the hub
bub from a dozen Threats as they brok
into our tomb.
"Only Just IN time. Ola inns fac
was only Jus, out 90 the water. am
they said that no human being coul
have lived IN that atmosphere for an
other two hours. And young JIM
we'll. there was Jus, enough lie left 4
him to last three days
N It'll the end OF that third day kop
= 10 my bed. and then they sent to "a
y, , that he was going. but that he wishe
= 10 see me hrst reached the hous
y Just In time 20 catch his last whisper.
~ 'You-you'll take her. mattel Mari
y her-no one else only-only YOU
let my rlnS stay there. Promise
that
!" What could I 40 but promlse1
!, had not thought then OF marrying nj
- sweetheart but Il was his dying visl
y and Tor years Jim and had been lik
- brothers
~ "Iust a year later asked her n thei
=. was room IN Ner heart for me. and
y and-wel. that's enough. Now 80
- know Why my wife wears two weddln
~ | gs."-llondon Tit-nits