The Opelousas courier., 1898-09-24

"'Yes, it's the rats, Jim! There
look there they're leaving the mine!
J lie screamed. And as he spoke I saw
a great furry gray rat pass the breasI
like a streak of light, and then two
came by on the jump, and then
bunch of q dozen, more like sperrits
than rats except for their Bloodhound.
ling squeals. Something's happened,
Timmyl Save yourself!' I shouted,
starting for the gangway, but he flew
past me with a single bound, yelling
The pillars! The pillars! I've been
robbing them for weeks!'
81 used to be pretty good on the
sprint before I went to Harrisburg
and got fat, and the way I ran along
that gangway was a caution; but
Lazy Tim went by me like q cannon
ball, and an eighth Of a mile away he
met a car and a mule standing still,
where the driver-boy had left them
when he heard the rats coming. Tim
tore the traces loose, jumped ON the
mules back, and started for the foot
of the slope, q mile distant, yelling
like a lunatic, beating the beast with
his big fists, and kicking her with his
heavy boots, all1the while lying fiat
kver her neclp his head wouldn't
Niks~~ On they went, the
m6lo tearing Though the darkness
with never q stumble, splashing
through sulphur water, leaping over
mudholes and shaking with fear.
Now and then one of her heavy hoofs
would come down soft on a rat
there would be a single dying squeal
and the next second her shoes
would strike sparks from the rails.
AS for Jimmy, his head was giddx
with terror, and he prayed and swore:
as he chung to the mule, his eyes shut
so as not to see the dancing shadows
cast by his lamp, or the sleek rats as
they skipped by him, or the white
moss on the sides OF the gangway that
looked like streaks of snow, so hard
was he riding. Halfway to the slope
he clattered by the driver-boy, and
then by other miners who were run
ming for their lives; and before he
knew it the mule came to a dead
stop, so sudden that he pitched over
her head to the ground. He jumped
close to the signal-bar, and by good
luck an empty car was waiting there!
grasped the bar and sounded the
danger-signal, and got his answer
from the engine-room far above. Then .
he crawled into the car and shut his
eyes as he went whirling up toward
the surface. He tried to think what
he should do and couldn't. All he
knew was that he had robbed the pill
lars near his breast; the rats had
fed; the surface was about to cave in
at that very minute IN excursion train
with five hundred children was due to
pass over the spot, and among them
we're his wife, and Johnny, and little
Cripple Mary.
"No wonder he was half crazy when
car reached the surface; but his
faint feeling had gone, and with tho
strength of desperation he vaulted to
;he ground and raced down the rail
'oad track, waving his coat above his
head and yelling with all his voice.
But just as he got in sight of the spot
,ver his breast there vas a cracking
and then a rush and roar like
thousand thunder-storms. Trees by
he rail trembled and swayed and
over, as they and a great body
# earth and the tracks for a hundred
ards dashed down into the mine.
"We picked Tim up from the
round where he had fallen and car
led him home, and when he opened
is eyes that night Johnny was play
ng on the floor and little Mary sat in
.er basket-chair holding his hand,
nd his wife was cooking supper. The
ast section of the train had Just got
y and around the curve before the
ave-in occurred. And I'm glad to
ay that not a MAI on the surface or
Glow was killed or even hurt.
"But there's one curious thing I'd
Ike to ask you about" Colonel Fo-
arty continued, rising from his chair
nd glancing at the hotel clock.
How do you suppose those mine rats
ould know an accident was coming,
ing before any of the miners knew it
and they do, every time?"
81 haven't the -'ightcst idea. What
your belief?"
"Well, mine rats are not witches,
ut their ear are SO sharp that they
IN hear the coal and rock grooming
Id grinding and commencing to give
ay long before they do cave in, and
ng before the sounds reach the ears
us humans. That's my theory Of
:" ,
"And 1 guess you're right" I said.
New York Post. .