Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-03-10

VII III ~ kNNA lGNNAE -
| out OF earshot toe.
There Bill stopped.
-Hark we. what was that? he said
abruptly.
Ii was the signal he and Joe had
agreed upon, aud as he spoke a dark
figure sprang from the ground n tried
to throw something over Toms race.
As he did 40 Tom staggered backwards
and the lantern which he had In his
hand was dashed from him against the
black wall.
There was a crash and then utter
darkness. and Tom felt himself hung
| suddenly, savagely 70 the floor. He fell
blindIy. with a stunning crash. agaiast
a hard T. and Immediately every
thing grew confused. He was conscious
OF n dull rush OF falling coal-instinct
made him spring 10 his feet, and Their
a sudden blackness swept down upon
him.
When he opened his eyes IL was 10
look round upon utter darkness. he
drew a deep breath and tried TO lift
his head, but IL was curiously heavy
and ached maddeningly. He tried TO
cry out and could not. His lips were
percbed; his throat was dry ana even
to swallow Was painful.
He lay still for a minute or two, and
then made another effort and sat up.
Where was he? Ills eyes strained
through the darkness and could dis
cover nothing. He put oat his hands
and CROPPED blindly until they came IN
contact with a rouga. dusty surface.
Coal,
He caught his breath. He remem-
bered now, and his heart began TO beat.
He remembered the struggle at the
mouth OF the cave--he remembered BIZ
and the face OF Joe, who had sprung at
him suddenly out of the darkness. lie
remembered the rush of coal before ne
had become unconscious, n 9 sudden
fear seized him. He was still in the
mine, but where?
with an effort he raised himself to
his knees and began cropping painfully
and blindly along. He crawled for
ward, his eyes trying to pierce the
blackness ahead and seeing nothing.
He went on-on and on-his hands
and knees bl1ndering painfully over
the uneven floor, and his heart throb-
bing-throbbing until il seemed TO him
that a thousand machines We're at work
within it.
How long he went on he did not
know. but he fell exhausted at last with
blackness still around him and ma
chimes still hammeriEg at his head.
a fall of coal in the mine and some
men reported buried underneath.
A crowd of people stood at the pits
mouth, waiting with anxious faces for
some further news. No n could tell
as yet who had lost a husband. father
or brother in the cruel pit, and they
We're waiting.
The report cam. o o enough. A fall
Of coal had completely blocked up the
mouth OF a small cave and part of a
shaft. and men were required at once
to set to work to force a way through.
There We're plenty of volunteers ana
they worked all night through, without
success. The fall had been heavier
than had been supposed and it seemed
almost hopeless TO find an entrance
through the dead weight OF solid coal.
But they worked hard and pluckily
and they were stil %chopping at the
black blocks when the men went down
again next morning.
Joe and Bill were among them, Bill
staring down into the black depths az
if he were afraid. and Joe with, AN odd
light in his eyes.
They were to work in a different place
his m~orning-in a shaft at some dis
tance away from h one in which the
lLli il10 M Pl0SNGNtid OpSY ~ ASNohf
was relieved.
He and Bill were side by side, and
they had been working for some time
with the other men at a short distance
from them. when a sound made him
look up il was a sound like the shut
fling of feet on h coal.
The sound came on, slowly, hesitat-
ingly-serape, scrape, over the rough
floor. 1T made a weird accompaniment
TO the chip OF the mems picks further
down the corridor. and a strange thrill
ran down Joe's spine. Bill shrank back
against the wall. He was afraid
JOE stood, lantern in hand. waiting.
And as he waited, peering into the
darkness IL seemed TO him hat there
was an echo somewhere--a whisper
that was carried from side to side OF
the shaft
He drew a deep breath and something
cold and clammy broke out upon his
forehead. The light Of the lantern be-
gan to shake and dance upon the shin
Ing black walls as his hand began to
tremDle, and there came to him a wild
longing 10 scream.
Still he stood, and slow shuttle OF
footsteps came earer Bill retreated
backwards as IL anne. Then suddenly
Joe dashed his lantern to the ground
and turned.
His face was livid, his eyes were
starting from his head.
He had seen the ghost OF Tom Dash
wood
He turned and ran, shouting as he
went. The other man who had been
working with him ran. too-back to the
entrance n shouted wildly up the
mouth OF the pit.
When they got them up at last Bill
was insensible and Joe WAS mntterinc
something incoherent about Tom Dash
wood-that he was lying buried under
meath a heap OF fallen coal--that he
himself had pushed him in with his
own hands and hat his ghost was
walking the minci
The news circulated like wiidfre-
that the mine was haunted, and foi
some time none OF the hands would
venture down. A panic threatened. and
then at last came a cage full OF mer
bearing two NOTES.-The unconscious
one of VIII W4dwin. and the haif-faint.
ing n Of TomDashwood.
VIII was carried straight TO tile hos
pital i've miles away and Tom went
10 be tended by Bessie.
He was not hurt seriously, and in &
day or two he was himself again, bui
with Will IL was different and FOL
weeks he hung between life and death
When at last he was able to speal
things became clear. He had been sus
picious and afraid OF Joe and he set Il
work 10 watch him. and when he saw
him make for the cave he had followed
him and lain in walt and watched.
When they had sprung upon Ton
he a sprung, too, dashing the Lantern
TO the ground with the result that II
the confusion o pushed him In TIT