The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-10-21

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Job merely took his bearings. He
locked at the cog, and saw around its
top ragged and soft rubbish. This
part, he knew, must then have been
only held by contact with the remain
der of the roof down towards the low
er side. But, in order to get at the
top seam of coal, the roof Down the
lower side had to be exposed tempo
rarily. But 1t was vicious. 1t resent
ed the exposure of breaking loose and
bringing down with 1t all the top up to
the edge of Jobs firm cog. This good
pillar cut off the breakage, and pre-
vented rc~e Of the roof coming down.
Dut it had not been able to prevent
Job from going down. He had been
a step below it, and sudden stone had
disabled him. With this in his brain,
Job quietly planned how to get out.
For he saw that even the services of
the cog might not hold good fer
long.
eff on'y it'll hold up till somebody
shall come" said he. Wonder how
long that boy'll be again?"
Resigned, he lay still, listening to
the ceaseless patter of the dripping
pebbles.
IF on'y it'll held" said he. "Just
move Of bit O. dust might bring it
all down worse than ever"
Jobs interest then became centred in
the build of the cog, wondering
whether he had built it with true art
the putting up of one Of those square
pillars to hold up the earth took as
much skill as the decoration of a pill
lar in the Coliseum. Job rarely fat
tered himself. Only now, when he saw
that the firmness of the cog kept it
from slanting, did he feel satisfied
with himself. The slightest disturb
ance to the stones as they now lay
would bring them solidly on the face
of the man; their displacement would
bring down tons of loose earth upon
them; and the human head underneath
would be crushed into pulp.
Wonder how long that boy'll be?"
thought Job. mo use tryin' to shout,
l s'pose. Might shake the stones"
The ghost CT smile grinned grimly
in his brain; it could not get as far as
his lips.
He lay quite quiet. Drip-drip, fell
the little stones upon the great heap
Jobs eye looked through the crevices
to the lamp. Hope never looked
brighter.
Selves a splendid light" thought job
can that steel wedge is the best
ever had. Holds we'll. Coed old cog,
too. Wonder if it'll hold till I'm tcok
out. If is slants any, down every
thingll come on me; an then-so
long, whatever"
That very fact-that the turn of
hair meant death-that fact would
be the enc to set weak nature roar
ing for safety. In the crisis a mans
real nature shows itself If the folly
is there it will come out 1t is only
when you strain a man to the breaking
point that you see his weakness. But
Jobs strong nature allowed him to
act with the simple quietude that
suited the fix he was in. He lay still,
with his plan for safety in his brain,
waiting coClly for death or rescue.
His eyes were fixed upon his lamp:
his brain working out the problem of
how it might be possible for anybody
to get him out safely. To touch a sin
gle stone would be the worst thing
that could happen. But if he didn't
get the stones away, how was he to be
freed? Not only himself, but the one
who tried to rescue him might be bur-
led, too.
Where's that boy?" wondered job
Thinks I'm all right, | s'Dose. Playin
in the lockin' place, mos likely
Thinks I'm 81 right, l spose-young
monkey"
He heard dull report.
Somebody comm through the door,
said Job.
Soon came shutting footsteps
through the dust. and a most unmelo-
dious whistling. The minstrel boy
was returning. Evidently his good hui
NOR was high. The whistling was
sometimes broken off to allow the per-
former to sing and dance along the
roadway.
Good lad" commented Job. "Wcn-
derful boy that"
The concert came nearer. 1t stopped
at the spot where the boy usually took
off his coat.
Hoy, there, wassy!" called Job.
"Hoy!" returned the wassy
Come here bit. I'm fast" Job
said quietly.
The lad ran up tc the sound OF the