The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1903-01-16

ana MS nerve completely gone. He
could do nothing
Perhaps she's coming up suggested
Blakesly.
Another useless remark. for Allie
could not have climbed the ladder if
she had tried. Rlakcsly leapcd on the
platform to look down. but Fritz had
already swung the OK hide orc bucket
over the shaft. had kicked the coil of
rope into the depths and had gripped
the strands convulsiveIy.
II was time for action. not for
words. How many seconds of the pre-
cious l2O had already slipped away?
The climbing OF the ladder, the walk
guy, the backward rush--it seemed as
though all that must have consumed
| the time to the uttcrmost second.
shes not coming oop"' cried Fritz.
and as lie spoke lie sprang into the
bucket and dropped from sight.
One glimpse of his wild. terror strick-
Ell face was all they caught. and then
came the swirl of the rope and the
shrek Of the unoiled sheave. In
bucket at the bottom of the shaft and
the rope leaped upward and hung limp
and shaking.
Boom. came from below. puff of
BLUSH smoke curling upward above the
platform plankS.
'Ona." whispered Blakesly, drawing
away from the choking powder.
Boom.
Two gasped Higgins. holding his
hat over his mouth and kneeling To
peer downward.
"Do you see anything any
thing" demanded Kingman hoarsely
Higgins turned a despairing face to-
ward Kingman and shook his head. 1
Boom
From under them came a sOddcn roar
which seemed to rive the earth aSun-
der. Kingman was thrown from his |
feet. and the others on the platform |
flung out their hands in an attempt tn
grasp something and support Them |
selves Up from the blacknesS rolled Il |
hillow of sulphurous fog.
Fritz WAS mad to 20 down there"
said Kingman. They're both lost. |
What are you doing, Blakesly:'
Rlakesly had jerked off his coat and |
was wrapping it about his head
If they're not both done for now"
he replied in muffied tones, they soon
will he il we don't get them up. Stand |
ready to man the within rope when | !
shake it,"
He crawlcd grOpingly to the ladder
and lowered himself. All watched the
rope hreathlessly. Finally. after a wait
that seemed hours in duration. the sig
nal was given. and stout hands drew
the bucket to the surface.
A little head lay against the buckets
rim, and Il white childish face met the
eyes Of the men. Allie! Kingman took
her out Of the bucket. She was uncon-
scious. but the miracle was that she
did not appear to he hurt. Not Il stone |
OF all that flying debris had struck her
She WAS given into the eager, trcm-
bling arms OF her father. who started
at a run for the boarding house.
Meanwhile the bucket had again
been lowered. The signal from BlakcS-
ly was longer in coming than the first
had been. and when the bucket was
drawn up a second time it was found
to contain FritZ-FritZ. bruised. torn
and bleeding, his clothes all but
stripped from his body. Tender hands
lifted him to the platform and stretched
his mangled limbs out on the rough
planks. They thought he was dead,
but his eyelids quivercd unexpectedly
and partly opened.
81 vas between Allie und der rocks"
he whispered weakly. "She vas in my
arms und nOdding touched her. 1t vas
my mistake, und it's all right, all
right"
His spirit fickered and went out
even as the "all right faded from his
lips.
Blakesly had to he helped to the sir
face for his work in the nOisome va
pOr had told upon him. A few breatlls
Of fresh air were all he needed. ard
when he had revived sufficiently he
told how he had CROPPED his way along
the tunnel and had found Fritz lying |
among the splintered rocks, Allie
clasped in his rigid arms. her body pro.
tected by his own.
That afternoon Andy and BIakcSly |
found battered silver watch. an old
Docketbook containing 81 and gold
nugget. all on the floor Of the fifty foot
evel.
THAT is exactly where Fritz and Al.
lie were lying" said Blakcsly
'Sh-h-h-h" whispered the foreman.
slipping the purse with its contents and
he watch and nugget into his pocket
Not word about this. BlakesIy, to
my living man. Leave me to deal with
he matter
The following morning Baker WAS
to discover that his twenty
dollar nugget was back in his trunk.
ind Higgins. when he put on his best |
Iuit to go TO Fritz'S funeral. found the
,Ockethonk with the 81 securely slowed
lway in the breast Of his coat.
blamed ir dtdn't haul over every
hin: in my trunk dozen times look
nc fer that Chunk Of gold remarked
Saker. IF il had been u snake it would
AVE bitten me
Il went through the pockets OF all
he clothes I've got hunting for that
PURSE spoke up Higgins. And 10
hink that we ever suspected Fritz" ,
Think nothing but good Of the dead. .
,oys." said Andy. with feeling Come
IN! The minister is ready"