Cañon City record., 1904-06-09

TWO Kafir boys employed as helpers
missing. For several hours no plan of
rescue was possible because the mud
oozed out of the mouth of the mine like
mucilage out of bottles mouth. At
the first sign of Its subsistence a gang
was put to work digging out the mire.
and when an afternoon. a night and q
morning had passed the surface OF the
mud lay about foot below the roof of
the mine.
mo use in trying to save those Kaf-
fir kids" said veteran miner. "If
they were caught they're dead"
But there is one place where the
roof is extra high" said Brown. "Per-
haps they have hid there. where they
could keep their heads above the mire."
They're dead, all right, never you
fear" said the superintendent.
I'm going to find out. anyway" said
Brand. and the words were hardly
spoken before Brown clasped his hand.
and the two plunged into the black
river of ooze. Too thin to support
them, yet too thick to swim in. the
young men could only force their way
ahead by scooping out the mud with
their hands and walking on tiptoe. II
was impossible to carry light. SO that
they could only feel their way in the
lnky darkness. Now and then the roof
would descend so far as almost to
reach the surface OF the mud. and here
they were only able to prevent suffoca-
ton by blowing the mud away from
their noses At another time the mud
..Ix hn.r to rtp nj hnr xxsnF-
horrified with the fear they were about
to be engulfed In another rush.
There was no answer to their shouts
until they reached place where the
roof began TO slope upward. the place
where the boys were II they were still
alive. Then low moans met their ears.
A moment later and the kaffir boys
were in their arms. They had only es-
capped death by clinging to a crag and
thus keeping their heads above the
river OF slime. Yet with the subsistence
of the stream they had no means OF
knowing II 1t had sunk enough to per-
init them TO wade out. They were still
blinded by an utter darkness But
Brown and Brand led them back to
daylight and safety.
According to the English societies
which seek to honor the heroes OF
peace. there are as many women as
men who defy death in n supreme
emergency. At the time of the queens
jubilee the women's roll of honor. com
piled by f. Donald Mackenzie. showed
list of SIS leroines who had achieved
deeds consplcuously brave In the Vic
toriap era One case. for example. was
that of Mrs Dorothy ID. Pumphrey Of
Crowborough Sussex county. On n
May afterno IN Mrs. Pumphrey was In
her house sweeping when her boy
dashed in with the news that neigh
boris child had fallen down an old
well. BY the time she reached the
scene there were several women
around the well. from which could be
heard intermittently the pitiful cries OF
q little girl. Though OF slight physique
and nervous disposition. Mrs. Pun
phrey told the other housewives to
grasp the rope, and Herewith she
stepped into the rickety bucket. which
had stood out in the sun until It had
nearly fallen to pieces. They lowered
her to the bottom, where she found the
child hanging to ledge. The little
one was 80 weak that her rescuer just
reached her In time to prevent her
from slipping into the water. Holding
both herself and the little girl above
the water. she ordered the bucket