The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1904-09-14
"A A A a "A A A A A hssA a A IA A A a A A a a A n
Jobs PATIENCE. '
A STORY OF BRAVERY AMONG THE WELSH MINES.
BY JOSEPH KEAr1SG Of Judah"
By JOSEPH xFAnxc. author Of "son Of J0dah."

the steel wedge OH tho cog. Sometimes
n falling stone hit the lamp and made
II swing TO aud fro Hut soon II
steadied itself. and shone on calm
ly TIL II got another rock. The wedge
held firm.
After a time the looscning earth
came no more than the mere patter-
ing of ralndrops from n tree after n
storm. Small fiat pebbles fell inof-
fcnsivcly upon the heap with sounds as
II they were dropped into water The
dust slowly rolled mp ON the air-cur-
rent from the upper to the lower side.
IL passed through the cut down there
and gradually disappeared frcm Jobs
stall, 80 that the lamp frightened up
and shed clear circle of light upon
the situation.
Job opened his eyes when instinct
told him TO do so. lie Immediately
closed them again. when bunch Of
rubbish Unexpectedly fell over his
head. lie felt blood trlckling from his
forehead. lie would have wiped II
away: but he could not move his arms.
Broke. I s'pose," thought job.
Once more he opened his eyes; and
he smiled as he saw the lamp shin.
ing scrcnely where he had hung II.
THE best steel wedge ever had"
said he.
Then by the hopeful light he looked
upward: he rolled his eyes from side to
side. lie did everything slowly. At
last he tried to rise; failed: tried
again; found the effort had lodged him
into n tighter NJ than ever. lie tried
again and found he could not move an
inch.
SO job quietly submitted. lie saw
that he was laying on his back. Noun
tainous stones lay across the lower
part of his body; his legs were buried
under the big part of his fall; and
around his head were grouped the
stones that had rolled down the side OF
the heap. They squeezed upon his
cheeks. lie bore the pain OF It calm
'ly.
He looked straight up into the hole
over his head
"Lo6s very ragaid." thought Job.
more is comm down. Done for, ]
s'pose l am now, whatever"
lie raised his voice, trying to at
tract the nearest neighbor, who worked
in the upper STALL
"Davith, hoy!" shouted Job.
No answer came.
"Hoy-y-y!" job shouted again.
But he got no response.
This old fall is dead'nin my voice."
said Job.
But the truth was that poor Jobs
voice had lost its lustiness, owing to
the weakening OF his suffering body.
Drip-drip-drip, came the little
stones out Of the black hollow above.
Wonder II that boy'll soon come
back?" thought job. "Hoy-y-y"
He waited for an answer, but none
came
We'll. mus do somethin' for my
self, s'pose," said he.
Again he tried to move his body out
of its prison. He felt the stones shift
ing; in the light from the cog he saw
great stone sliding down.
"Ah!" said he, satisfied "P'raps /
can manage by myself. after ALL"
But he stopped suddenly. As the big
| stone slid away from against the cog,
it set free the loose top which It had
held up. With clatter more stones
fell down around the mans head, cut
ting him again, and completely cover
ing him.
When the sliding and rafting of the
! stones ceased, and the dust cleared
away, Job could only open one eye; the
other was held fast by the angle of
stone upon his face. And with the
one eye he could barely get glimpse
of the light.
The rubbish was piled up over him,
and but a faint CLEAN came to him
through the crevices.
But It was because of the crevices
that Job was still breathing. The
stones crushed one another, and there
fore could not properly get at their
victim.
His agony increased; the danger was
even more terrible than before but
the moral fierce Of the man left him
as calm as ever.
Better not try that game, | can
see," he said. "If ! move one stone
down comes 20 more.'
He lay quite quiet. Another man.
frantic with the pain and terror of it
would struggle. His struggle for life
would be his death.
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 beer
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 it was vicious. 1t resent
ed the exposure of breaking loose ant
bringing down with 1t all the top up tC
the edge of Jobs firm cog. This goot
pillar cut off the breakage, and pre-
vented more of the roof coming down