The Opelousas courier., 1899-12-02

loved my wife with all my heart,
! but even l wouldn't have believed she
had the pluck to face death, and such
q fearful, lingerin' death, so quiet al
she did, and so cheerful like.
Why, she never grumbled nor
cried, apl we strong men did-yes,
we did, that's a fact, special aftei
The food give out, and we begun ia
feel the hunger workin' Oh us.
l tried to slip some of my share OF
the food while it lasted, into Bessie'a
portion, and so did the 'ther men,
bless their kind hearts! but she was
too sharp for US, and wouldn't touch
a grain beyond her proper share.
We cut up our shoes and leather
belts, and after soakin' EN- in water.
chewed on 'em. It wasn't Of much
use, but it was better thar nothin'.
II it hadn't been for Bessie, 1 do. be-
lieve we'd have gone out Of III minds,
waitin' there in the pitch dark, for Of
course our candles had soon burnt
out, and that last was the only thing
that gave me any hope Of bein'
rescued, for / noticed that the candles
didn't flicker nor pint at us at all,
but just burned steady aud clear till
they was burnt out.
My Bessie, she set herself to cheer
us up, talkin' about God and the
beautiful homes He had made ready
for those who repented Of their sins,
and up to the fifth day she prayed for
us, and sung hymns; but after that
she was too weak to do more than
talk q little, still quiet and cheerful,
and tryin' all the time to make us feel
resigned.
The sixth day had a watch, and
kept it wound up, or we couldn't have
told q thing about night or day-we
was all lynn, weak and still, on the
rough coal-bed, when on a sudden
Bessie jumped on her feet and raised
her hands for us to be quiet. 1 thought
at first she'd gone deliris, as Baxter
was nigh doin' but in a minute we all
heard what her quick ears had caught
first.
A faint knockin', that sounded like
blows on a wall. All. that was the
cheeriest SQUAD that any Of us ever
heard in our lives!
The blood rushed to our baggard
cheeks, and we leaped to our feet,
with hope in our hearts once more.
We knowed hal knockin' was from
the blows of picks batterin' down the
wall that held US.
"There's a couple of picks lynn
says Bessie, quickly. "Get
them, wait till the knockin' stops a
minute, and then strike together on
the wall. Then they'll. kaow that
one is yet alive here, and the
sound will tell them where as WE'LL"
It was the most sensible thing to do,
and we did it. We thought we heard
somethin' that sounded like a faint
shout, and then the knockin' came
a~g'in--three big blows. 1t stopped |
then, and we give three blows in an
swer. Then came three more
Knocks to show we'd been heard; aud
:hen the blows began ag'in and kept
N steady, stoppin', night or
except now aud then to strike
he three signal strokes and get our
We knowed they was gettin' nearer
o us by the noise gettin' louder; but,
Il spite of the hope that held us up,
We was gettin' weaker and weaker now
very hour.
Baxter went clean out of his mind,
nd nothin' could quiet him but Bes-
les voice, and she, poor soul, could
ardly speak at all.
It was terrible, that long waitin' for
hree days, but we knowed they was
with might and main to get
t us; and all We could do was to pray
rod to give us strength for a few
ours longer.
Nearer and nearer, louder and loud
T, came the noise of the picks and of
allin' bits of rock, and then all at
nee the noise stopped, and we heard
more for several hours.
Then we felt that for some reason
le attempt to reach us had failed. and
well, the change was too much to
ear, q 1 suppose we tainted, for
lat's how they found IS when at last
lie break gas made in the wall. I
card afterwardthat the noise stopped
ause some fire-damp begun to creep
on the miners, and they had to fee
II their lives.
Bessie was months gettin' over her
lferin's in hat awful time, but We
en- soon picked up ag'ip.
How about the two trap-boys and
70 three miners my candle-fame .
inted at? They was drownded, of I
'urse, just them and no more, poor 6
The fame knowed what was t
'in' to happen, though we didn't. i
We found their bones, a year after t
ards, when they got the mine drained t
It paltial-like; and then's when I t.
It hold of my lamp ag'in, just where o
left it on the car. But it'll never be II
never! 4