The daily Alaskan., 1905-02-21
HIS LITTLE
 MESSENGER
GorlgInaLl

get his expression, which said plainly: I'm caught. Do please release me"
 Niles Hickman, miner kissed his young wife and baby one morning and, going to the mine, was told there was trouble on the third level and he was to go down and investigate. Entering the carriage, he was lowered to the re- Guired depth and walked along the gangway till he came to the entrance of a chamber. Going to the breast, he was looking about him when suddenly, behind him, there was a deafening noise. A mnss of rock had fallen and shut or egress from the chamber.
 Hickman had two things of value with hlm-oue lunch can, the other his lamp. His first terror was that no air could enter the chamber, but there was a small stream running through 1t, and this reassured him. There was nothing to do but wait till he was missed, and even then no one would know where to look for him. How ever, there was nothing for 1t but to begin patient walt for release or death, and, blowing out his light to save oil, he sat down despondently, with his head between his hands.
 Presently something ran over his foot. Hickman lighted his lamp, and there before him was a rat looking at him as though delighted to see him. The living thing, though only a rat, was companionable, and Hickman wished to keep 1t by him, so he picked it up, fondled 1t and gave 1t a bite from his lunch can. 1t occurred to him that possibly the rat might be made available in carrying a message. Tax Ing from his pocket a bit of an old let ter. he wrote on it that he was impris oned in Brinton's chamber, on the third level, and, tearing strip from his clothing, tied the message about the rats neck. Then he hunted about for a hole, but didn't find any, so he let the rat go its own way, and It went to n corner lying In shadow, where there was hole, and disappeared.
 It was then that Hickman remem- bered that few people ever see a rat without killing it. and this took away from his expectation that his device would be effective. Still, the rat hay ing been killed, the message tied to Its neck might be noticed.
 The hours passed, and there was no change, only the darkness, not a sound. Hickman opened his lunch can and ate sparingly. Then he lighted his lamp and took ont his watch to note the time. II was o'clock. He had been imprisoned nearly ten hours. Putting out his lamp, he continued his waiting in darkness. He had only so much oil, and that might be necessary to save his life. His ears were constantly strained to hear some sound to indicate that hlS comrades were digging him out. There was nothing to disturb the stiffness.
 For five hours longer he waited, then lit his lamp again and looked at his watch. It was 8 o'clock. Going to the wall. he put hls ear against 1t. There was sound of many picks, faint, but unmistakable. What did 1t mean? The mine was not being worked at night. These picks must be worked for spe- cial purpose.
 Turning he saw his friend the rat looking up at hlm. In his joy at see ing the creature he took 1t up to pet it. and his fingers became entangled in q thread. An end was tied about the rats neck. and the thread extended Into the darkness. He followed it to the hole through which the rat had gone out-und of course had come in and began to pull on 1t gently. After pulling in more than q dozen yards Of thread string followed, which was joined to twine. 10 the farther end of the twlne was tied dozen feet of lampwick, saturated with oil, and be yond this q roll of cotton cloth the shape of bologna sausage containing food. There was also contained in the roll a note stating that the prisoner would be dug out, but that it would take long while to do 1t.
 Negcr did mans heart go out to ony of the brute creation as Hlckman'S went to this rat. Though to divide his provisions with it might cndanger his life. he took out bread and meat and fed his little messenger. Then be put his ear again tO the wall and lis tened to the music of the picks.
 Hickman had no knowledge of th, volume that had fallen between him and the shaft and was not prepared for the slow advance his rcScucrS were making. Every few hours he would put his cur to the wall, but twenty four hours passed without any uppreci able increase in the sound. He Rep! his little preserver by him, dividing his scanty provisions with it, fearing that 1t would go away for food and not return. Two days passed before the prisoner could detect any consider able increase in the sounds of the picks, but after that they suddenly grew louder, indicating that the dig gers had broken through one barrier and had come to the one next hls chamber.
 Three days passed, and Hickman and his little messenger had eaten nearly all their provisions, when suddenly onC morning Hickman could hear the picks striking on the wall and soon after