The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1902-02-18
BY PERcIvA


Mortified. The air current had chang
ed. He was in an outtake, but the air
was rushing inward, and it was bring
ing the smoke. But why should it
come into the outtake? If-but as he
asked himself the question Paddy
knew what had happened. Some one
had left the door open, and the divert
ed air current was sweeping into the
workings, carrying the smoke with it,
Billy pulled at the restraining hand,
but again they dashed forward, and
again they stopped, for Paddy was
crying:
'The shift, Billy-the shift They
is in there. They don't know, Billy
They'll all be killedr'
Far up the gangway and at one side
in remote working the inside fore
man and thirty men had gone in the
early morning to block an old opening.
Paddy knew what that meant They
were isolated, and the smoke would
not reach them until the very last. By
that time the surrounding chambers
would be SO full of it that escape
would be impossible.
This flashed through Paddy's mind
before he could bring Billy to a stop.
Almost without thinking he had deter
mined what to do. There were two
things-he could in a moment or two
reach safe place or he could go back
into the smoke and warn the men. He
might be overcome before he could
And nd irrb+ IND ~
to die in their company, but he did not
think of these things. With pull he
turned Billy around.
you've got to help me, BillyF' he
cried. Il can't reach them alone" Bill
ly shivered and whinnied
Clinging around the mules neck, he
choked and gasped for breath. 1t seem
ed that with each inhalation liquid fire
poured down his throat, while his eyes,
though closed, were like balls of fire.
How it was faring with Billy Paddy
did not know. He felt the mule gasp
as he stumbled along, and once when
Billy stopped, trembling, and moaned
out his agony in a long despairing
scream Paddy had all he could do to
smother the sobs in his own throat and
urge the mule on. At last, and it
seemed an age, the smoke grew lighter,
for they were outracing it, and the
farther they got from the entrance to
the gangway the lighter it became.
Then they reached the spot where the
side working commenced. Billy dash
ed down the narrow opening and, with
a long gasp, drank in great gulps of
the comparatively untainted air. Then
on they sped until Paddy knew he was
close to the working in which the men
were. Could he find them? Much
their lives and his-depended on his
quickness.
He slipped off Billy's back and dash
ed from one opening into another,
straining his eyes to see any faint
glimmer of light. He found himself
coughing and knew that the heading
was gradually filling with the smoke,
yet he had not found trace of the men.
He cried in his vexation and then
shouted in the utter vainness of his
efforts. His eyes and his throat were
beginning to smart again, and his
OACdtu d6 I1G LIS
handkerchief in his mouth, but the re-
lief was slight. Once or twice he had
to stop and lean against the rough rib
of the heading, but he stumbled ON
again. Then almost as he fell into an
opening he saw light. Gathering all
his strength, he raised his voice in a
long shout. There came an answer
Hurry Dangerr
Then they came with a rush. There
was no need to ask questions. The
workings were already filling WITH
smoke, and the men dropped every
thing and ran. One by one they passed
Paddy. AS the last one passed the boy
he shouted back:
'gTell the bossr'
Tell the bossr' TELL the boss!'
The words rang in Paddy's ears Ike
Che roar of a waterfall. All at once
cold and inquiring nose was thrust in
to his face. 1t was Billy. With the
touch Paddy's senses returned, and he
knew what the words meant. Evan
Jones, the inside boss, the man who
was to discharge him on pay day, was
somewhere inside, ignorant of the dan
ger which in a few moments would
overtake him. Even now there might
not be time. Paddy said nothing to
Billy. Breath was too precious. In
stead he grasped Billy's name and
swung himself on the mules back
again. Then straight down the pas
sage they went until, after some min
utes. they came upon Evan Jones.
"She's-afirey' gasped Paddy.
The boys face told the foreman
there was no time to ask questions,
but as he swung himself up beside
Paddy and laid his head low on Bill
ly's back to avoid humping against the
low hanging roof he cried;
where are the others? Do they
known"
'They ran when told 'emr' gasped
Paddy.
'Cowardsr' muttered the foreman.
The working was rapidly filling with
smoke. but Billy CALAMITY breasted it
beneath the double load, and so they
came to the opening upon the gang
way. In the darkness they dashed in
to it. only to recoil the next moment.
Its full of smoked" cried the fore
man.
Billy, terror stricken, shook them of
and would have plunged back down
the passage but for Paddy's restrain
ing hand
ITS our only chance said Jones.
eve must make it. Give me your
hand"
But BillyT questioned Paddy.