The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-01-16

and sulifn man. but years aeo be la
set Dts heart npon that glri. before
I 3im Carroll ever knew her. Ru- she
VAS young and De- not orer-c1nfdenf.
lie mad waited too long. for Jim Car.
roil stepped Ia and now they were
married Black Jake set bis teeth and
breathel hard when ie beard IT, He
said nothing. but bis old father watch
ing him knew thar CAROLS life sras
IN danger. Considered from M ab-
siraet point of view. the old man Iad
10 particular objection 10 bis SON puf-
tins Carroll ont of the way but some
strange and deep-hidden bond held
these two men together Had such .
I possibility ever arisen. OH Murphy
would readily have laid down his own
life 70 save thar Of his son. He
watched him then lest b. should d1
that which might neces dta5a lis ID
parture from this world at the hands
0f the sheriff Ills watching brought
him great uneasiness Black Jake lad
changed He did not seek al oppor.
fmity 10 revenge his defpsr III open
fight Rather be avoided Carroll. and
when they were together. and. work
Ing ia the same shaft they could not
keep apart De was quiet and fair
spoken. This was not Black Jakes
nature and the old man feared for
what was 70 come.
Sitting at his post looking down AZ
the three men below him. old Murphy.
IN the fickering light OF Tie miners
lamps. caught a glimpse Of his sons
face and a terror fell oD him. Some
thing told him IN those set and sullen
features and eyes that seemed 10 burn
with inward hre that the time had
come
With a rattle and rlsa the heavy
iron bucket plunged down through the
darkness and touched the water ere
Il stopped, slowly turning with tie
twist Of the rope that. ike a thin line
OF black. disappeared 10 the blackness
above
Jake Murphy gripped It and spraug
inside. Only two men could 90 up IN
it al once.
Come Jim he cried, @gst in." and
looked at Carroll
Old Murphy's tongue was loosened. |
Hold on. jim" he called out Il /
want yer to help me tx this valve |
afOre yer go up"
Jim turned irresolute. In that mo-
ment the other man jumped In the
bucket
All right" he cried. -Let her gorf
Carroll saw that the bucket was
filled. He must wait. and grasping the
lever be cave the signal TO the engin-
eer on top. There was a momenfs
pause and then. with a strong and
sudden rush, the bucket and its occu-
pants vanished IN the darkness.
On top II was a calm. still summer
night Above the heads Of the two
men as they stepped out OF the swing
ing bucket rose the framework OF mas
sive timbers that supported the huge
sheave wheels. Twenty yards away
stood the Ell sine-house. the steam uDl
curling from the exhaust pipes. A.
they left the bucket Black Jake lid bis
companion a suriy good night an1
started on as though for home. But
once out Of sight he turned and swiftly
and silently crept back. He passed
the mouth Of the shaft. and dlsap.
Deared in the shadow VI the engine
house
Within the engine house Tom Allis.
D? engineer. stood at his post Re
fore him was the huge conlcal drum
sixteen feet IN diameter, round which
the snake-like cable was coiled in
grooves. On each side Of him were
hose mighty engines whose gigantic
power could. when the time came.
snatch the carriage and loaded car up
hose twelve hundred feet Of depth IN
fifty seconds With one haul Oh ihe
throttle be waited for the signal 10
over. ID came The bell clauked. the
hr0tflc shot open. the steam rushed
at0 the great cylinders. and down /
lr0pped the bucket Ike stone
lr0pped down q well With steady /
.ye Allis marked the cable as L reeied
witty OF the drum. He never no.
iced the si0wiy-revoiving dial that
old Of the buckets descent For his
lracticed eye a bar of white paint
laubed on the cable was a better
,uide. In another instant that white
marx was or tie drum. when the
hrofile was closed. The reversing bar
hot back with a crash. again Tie
team rushed info The cylinders. ard
be engine, with n few short pants.
stopped. The bucket swung af the
anne depth within half an inch that
{ had when Jack Blake climbed OF
be board. IL was Tom AIlis's boaEt l
1at = he knew man's exact height
e could drop that lckef On IFS head
without doing more than smooth out
is hair
He knew there was one more man 60
0me up The pump runners shift
Foull not expire Tor f0rr hours yet
I'd al fhe sinkeTs but one were un. 7
With BIS hand On fhe throttle lever b. I.
.aifeG Tor the signal % holsf a
iinuie passed and two bnf le sc11