Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1904-02-18
SEVEN BELLS

DelnE put 10 uritl SIn.H !ialuett IN tine
snnil,er depths of dead work Tho
shift had been changed that day and
it shrugged lis sixty shoulders i'm sNl..-
pathetic measure when The h,>s took
serted shaft
Sixty staring eyes watched the ris-
ing and The falling of the twin lislls.
LOST one moment behind ll,t hulN ot
the boss or the miner, then again that
VAIN glow chping upon fllc niurky walls
a strange yellow tide
Eleven twenty" said - hollow voi,p.
Long tim" before tally" some o,,,.
replied.
Tell l'ippin we've started for the
No. Il breast
Several of the men moved OH dow,
the incline Their lights were brighter
and moved more hriskly thau those.
just missed In the vague atmosphere.
of the deserted drift The tones Of the
boys came back la brokt, syllables
and noM and then gliding laugh. The.
resonant baritone ~ nmc WAS giving lo
tAe Stloine cfttkS.
Maid of Athens en-. we part
G'N.. oh. give ME back my heart,
My heart heart art was dashed
wildly from wall Ia wall. shrinking
until IL waS mere smoit,ertsl n,errilnent
to the twenty ears that listened for the
shift boss i" pui them at their work
Several pipes We're lighted. bringing
into life from the uncertain candle
glow strong. interesting faces and
stealing away the suspicious OF ancient
gloom rlat had clothed the indistint.l
figures just before
Going ,u shake your itoof tomorrow
night, Bill
I'm h,udocd on thai if don't lay
OFT" WAS tue reply.
This ere graveyard deaf ix Il ter.
ror.' interrupted a deep bass.
Tell the boss got cold and went
on int" the hole called a gawky he
ing. drhlching itself from the crowd
and beginning the descent, Might us
we'll keep from freezing To henth"
Say Mike. tell Pip we quit shift
early
Say. Mike. tell the old man Christ
mas coming.
Say Mike. tell Pip thai tho breast
OF No. , ;tin'i going into the mountain
by itself
Say Mike. tell Pip them Cousin
Jacks down their'il ,lo him if he don't
git Il moyn on
Say, Mike. tell The old man no, Ia
git playing too high Il hand With that
bad air in the old drift"
Every message from the chain of fire
dots was followed 10y pcalS OF laughter
which became Il mass OF underground
iargon. disturbed now and then Ivy II
weird scream from, helow
The big Irish ''tramncr~ was alone.
Tn" Very earth WAS slumheriny now
MOI !, human inkting came from the 81
lent drifts
The pattrr OF the underground rain
was ceaselcss, small drops and largel
ones keeping perfect harmony in THEN
;nonnfDnoiS music
The big lrammet''s watch joined the
miscrere like Il leader Will, rrmorselcss
baton. mcnSuring oil tile time of the
wild orchestratiuii until eternity.
Through infinite ages of rock there
came witha shock the faint, regular tap
of the hammer. like the chiscling OF the
surgeons Instruments into poor, bruiS-
ed bones. II PM the teeth upon edge
and sent 4 shmdd"r through The soit;..
ry traihtner MI OF thS iniddcning
regularity OF sound vas like the pulse
throb ut creation.
The tramncr could not shake off the
oppression borne in upon him by the
joke OF the last lnn,l. Tell the boss not
To II, playing loo high Il hand Will,
that bad air In the old drift :
The .'rreeps'' cumc FROM The slolo
face OF the hnnging wall and seized
him until he shvrrtsi Drops stood
out upon his forehead like those upon
the wall against which IN. leaned. dizzy
and trembling
something's got me- he whispered
hoarsely. Aud the sound rasped in the
stope above and fell about him again
in an inhnman sigh 1'hrrc was some
thing CHASTITY In his feeling. He could
only listen, listen notlonlcSs, helpless.
A vague inr shook HE workings al
most ilnperceptibly. the strained ear
caught solemn boom. and some sec
ondS after Il belch OF foul ;,ir from The
deserted drift putled ont his light
startling him from his stitiine lelliar
sy Ilnrrindly lighting the candle he
jerked out his watch
Twelve nifty The boss had been alb
sent IN hour in the deserted drift The
blastthe mir filled with lurking death
that had come hundreds OF feet to him
the horror that awaited them ut the
breast OF the dead work. Ii all dazed
him like the beautiful sun when he
came out of earth into the dawn He
sprung To the bell rope and. swayins
his whole weight upon 1t. counted the
pulls which rang out seven loud peals
in the engine room upon the surface
Seven bells. the most terrible warn
ing in all the sharp category of mine
signals Harsh, insstent, they clang,
ed. shrill and uuivcring were the seven
shricks from the tally whisllc, alarm.
Ing the camp.
The graveyard shift found the mine
boss halfway up the deserted drift
with the body of the miner, which he