The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1903-01-16


though all that must have consumed
the time to the uttermost second.
shes not coming oopy' cried Fritz,
and as he spoke he sprang into the
bucket and dropped from sight.
One glimpse of his wild, terror strick-
en- face was all they caught, and then
came the swirl of the rope and the
shrek of the unoiled sheave. In a
breath there followed the bump of the
bucket at the bottom of the shaft. and
the rope leaped upward and hung limp
end shaking.
Booml came from below, puff Of
Blush smoke curling upward above the
platform planks.
"Onew whispered Blakesly, drawing
away from the choking powder.
Boom!
''Twow gasped Higgins, holding his
hat over his mouth and kneeling to
peer downward.
do you see anything-hear any
thing?" demanded Kingman hoarsely.
Higgins turned despairing face to-
ward Kingman and shook his head.
Boom!
From under them came a sodden 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 to
grasp something and support them
selves. UP from the blackness rolled a
billow of sulphurous fog.
Fritz was mad to go down there"
said Kingman. They're both lost.
What are you DOING Blakesly?"
Blakesly had jerked off his coat and
was wrapping 1t about his head.
IF they're not both done for now"
he replied in mufiled tones, ''they soon
will be If we don't get them up. Stand
ready to man the within rope when
shake It,"
He crawled gropingly to the ladder
and lowered himself. All watched the
rope breathlessly. Finally, after 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 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 stone
OF all that flying debris had struck her.
She was given into the eager, trem-
bling arms of her father, who started
at run for the boarding house.
Meanwhile the bucket had again
been lowered ne signal from Blakes.
ly was longer III coming than the first
had been, ana when the bucket was
drawn up 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 quivered unexpectedly
and partly opened.
Il vas between Allie ind 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 fiickered and went out
even as the "all right faded from his
lips.
Blakesly had to be helped to the s1r-
face, for his work in the noisome va
por had told upon him. A few breaths
Of fresh air were all he needed, and
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 Blakesly
found battered silver watch, an odd
pocketbook containing So and a gold
nugget, all on the floor of the fifty foot
level
"That is exactly where Fritz and Al
lie were lying" said Blakesly.
"'Sh-h-h-hv' whispered the foreman,
slipping the purse with it's contents and
the watch and nugget into his pocket
mot "a word about this, Blakesly, to
any living man. Leave me to deal with
the matter"
The following morning Baker was
surprised to discover that his twenty
dollar nugget was back in his trunk,
and Higgins, when he put OH his best
suit to go to Fritz's funeral, found the
pocketbook with the $5.securely slowed
away i'm the breast of his coat.
BLAMED If didn't haul over every
thing I'm my trunk dozen times look
ing for that chunk OF gold" remarked
Baker. III it had been a snake, it would
have bitten me-"
81 went through the pockets of all
the clothes I've got hunting for that
purse" spoke up Higgins "And to
think that we ever suspected Fritzv
-Think nothing but good Of the dead.
boys" said Andy, with feeling. "Come
on! The minister is ready"
Aided by Lincoln.