The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-10-06

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labors diligently, and when the "dri!.
measure" tells him that the required
depth is reached he puts the powder
into the hole, and prepares to fire
coal.
fuse that is to ignite the powder, and
then hastens away to sale distance
to await the expected explosion.
One, two, three moments pass, and
the explosion does not take place.
The miner thisaS the fuse must have
gone out ere it reached the powder,
but he waits a moment longer. He is
no quite sure that the fuse has fail.
ed, and he returns to examine 1t. He
is but few feet from it when there is
a binding fash. followed by a terrific
explosion that seems to shake the
earth to it's foundation, and the same
instant a mountainous mass OF coal,
rock and earth descends upon him.
He is crushed to earth, but not Kill
ed outright, for a fallen prop that
chanced to lie near where he fell sup
pots the mass somewhat. He strug-
giles desperately to free himself, but
the effort is useless. for he is hell
down by weight that no one could
move. Air cones through tie Crac"s
about him. and he thanks God for that,
for, with the blind infatuation that
prompts the drowning man to catch at
a straw. he yet hopes to be saved.
There seems little grounds Tor hope.
and as the time drags on. and no res
cuer comes to his aid terrible des-
pair takes possession of his heart
"Oh, Cod" he cries, spare me,
spare me for the sake Of my helpless
family"
But no one comes. and he thinks
that he is doomed to die alone in the
darkness OF that living grave.
The clock strikes six, and Mary,
John Faynes wife looks anxiously
forth from the window of their cot,
hoping to see the welcome form Of her
husband returning from the mine, but
sight of him does not gladden. her
eyes. a half hour passes, and the
waiting wife begins to fear that some
danger has come to the absent one.
Another half hour is gone, and now
the expected one is an hour late.
For the last few moments the terrible
fear that had arisen in the mind of the
miners wife has become almost a
certainty.
At last she can wait no longer and
throwing a shawl over her head she
hastens to the neighboring hamlet
and rouses a party of miners to go
to the old North Mountain mine, to
search tor tne missing one.
"Oh, hasten! hasten!" she cries, as
she fees over the ground at the head
of the rescue party. Love seemed
to give her new strength, and speed.
The mine was soon reached, and the
very pillar beneath which John Fayne
had been buried was found. Tney saw
that he had been at work here and
they also saw that an extensive cave
in" had occurred. These men were
experienced miners, and they shook
their heads gravely when the almost
frantic wife asked them If there was
any hope.
mo, there is no hope for poor John
Fayne! 1t would take days to remove
that mass CT coal and rock, and he
would then be dead, as he no doubt
now is, Tor think he must have been
instantly crushed" said an aged miner
to a companion.
The work Of removing the fall
was commenced. and after time the
bereaved wife was induced to return
to her babe. She had not gone far
when a boy gave her a letter which
had arrived but an hour before. She
opened it, and found that 1t was from
her father, and it contained a sum OF
money that seemed almost like wealth
to her; but what was better, her faith
er asked her forgiveness for his cruel
conduct, and implored her to come
with her husband, and cheer his de-
clining years by making his home
her own.
"Too late! too late! Oh. If John
were only alive to share my Joy! Oh,
God! he is lost to me, and life is but
sorrow now; no wealth can bring me
happiness!" she exclaimed.
She had now reached her own cot,
and had opened the door, when sud-
denly she reeled back and uttered the
name:
"John!"
No pen can describe the thrilling
joy. the heart and soul Of gladness
that she threw into that cry. The
next moment she would have fallen
fainting to the ground, but the strong
arms of John Fayne, alive and In the
flesh, caught her to his breast. In
moment she recovered, kissed back to
consciousness by the husband she
mourned as dead.
How did he escape? How came he
here? He had, as we have said, given
up all hope of escape, when he felt