Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-12

as If to mock them. After few moments
Lucy arose.
Eff Tom was In dat tunnel he sholy mus
hear me" Then, cycling with renewed sus-
picion the boy who had sought her aid,
she said:
81 don't b'lieve Tom cher been inside dat
place. You's tellin me monst'us lie, you
is and she fourished the poker above
Bob's head, who shrank back out OF harm $
way, but held stoutly to his story.
Il saw him go in, indeed l did; and he
hasn't come out. Oh, he must be deadr'
Just then sounds came from the depths of
the tunnel, sounds faint but unmistakable.
In an instant there was a hush among the
crowd. each one pressing closer to the open
ing to catch the slightest whisper. Again,
from the bowels of the earth, the muffied
noise proceeded 1t might have been a cry
for relief or the groan Of one overcome and
helpless
Hear that? Hear that?' exclaimed Bob.
Hes calling for help. That's him; that's
Tom. Hold on a minute, Tom, were COM
ing; We'll get you OUT
Aunt Lucy had also heard Doubts gave
way to intense concern and she became
even more excited. Kneeling again, she
stuck the poker deeply into the opening, as
II with its aid Tom could be reached and
dragged from his place of concealment. But
seeing the hopelessness of such efforts, she
turned upon the nearest boy:
GO In alter i'm. you Sam: git right down
on yo stummick an crawl trough dat
place, an cotch i'm by de legs: when ye
got I'm, pull hard-pull i'm right out inter
de daylight
But the youngster squirmed out OF her
grasp, frightened and trembling. That aw
full hole yawned too black and threatening.
Not for all the world would he venture into
it. Lucy grew desperate.
Amt none o ye got de spunk ter go
In an fotch dat chile out2 Is we gwinter
let i'm sufcate befo' yo' berry eyes?" and
she glared upon those about her as they
moved uneasily to a safer distance
you're a wuthless lot" she said, cycling
J. lr,,
which she endeavored to do. But she could
not squeeze her portly form into the open
ing and at last gave up the attempt.
I'VE might smoke i'm out" suggested
James, who had been Offering aimleSs
sistance that showed he was badly ratified.
Lucy gave him look of utter disgust.
Smoke I'm out" she repeated, scorn-
fully. "You's de bigges' fool l cher sot
eyes on; de berry bigges'. Amt he smoth-
erin dis minnit, widout addin' de smoker"
Then. as II moved by a sudden resolve. she
jumped up and seized the luckless James
by the arm, dragging him to the entrance
''Git in dar. we wuthless Niger; git in
quick
Deed. Aunt Lucy, 1 amt gwine In
dat"
I'm wild ye, 1 say" and despite his cries
and resistance, she forced him to the
ground and pushed and showed him Into the
drain where he stuck fast Neither could
he be made to advance, nor was he able
to extricate himself. and his cries, though
muff1ed, were so terrified that Lucy became
alarmed at what she had done.
Pull i'm out" she yelled, somebody
near one. Nows de time-pull But
James could not be moved. Stopping for
breath, and taking a firmer grip of the
leg she held. Lucy once more entreated:
Now, put de power In yo' ans, an
pull
This time James body came out of the
hole but so suddenly that Lucy tumbled
backward. Slowly regaining an upright posi-
ton, she sat in the snow, the picture of
misery and baffied effort. As she realized
tears ran down her chicks and she rocked
to and fro, moaning and sobbing. The
others looked equally helpless.
II don't see what we can do remarked
one of the men, unless we get shovel and
pickaxe and dig him out; but that would
take time
'.'Tain't no use. 'Tain't no use." moaned
Lucy Hes pas de help OBJ shubbels an
pIckaxes" And her tears flowed more
freely who's gwinter brek de monful
news to he mar" she asked. appealingly.
AZ jes' can't do 1t nohow. An ter think
it all come bout trough dat nc count
chicken, dat wuthless Pete, a-leadin i'm
inter de lonesome toom under dis here
miss 'im." and she sohbed as If her heart
would break. Eff he'd only come back ter
he Aunt Lucy. he could hab al de
But a shout arose that drowned her voice
"a Shout that might have been heard a
mile away-and men and boys threw their
hats In the air, cheering wildly. as they
rushed to the other side of the road. Above
the opposite bank a head appeared. quickly
followed by the figure of boy. His clothes
were dusty and torn; his face scratched and
bleeding but wreathed In happy smiles;
I'm his ewes was a merry twinkle, ana IN
his arms held lovingly. a bantam rooster
And Tom and Pete stood thus revealed.
(To be continued next saturday.