Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-12

ed down the main road Of No. 8: the
three waiting heard his heavy mine boots
catch and stumble on the ties.
With the instinct that serves some men
for prophecy. Mikol felt the nearness of
danger. Still. orders were orders. He
opened the door crack. yielding more
the first six inches he checked the motion
long enough to snatch his cap with his
left hand and blow out the light.
Sudden as a storm wind. lamp and cool
swept down. The woman's lights gut
tered ard smoked unevenly In the sud
den draught. Maukas came running
down the track toward them: they heard
saw. the ruddy smudge Of his lamp
streaming before him tassel-wise. now
bright. now dull. He was some fifteen
yards away from the women when the
improbable happened.
The roof was low at that point, irregu-
lar and somewhat pitted with bowl-shaped
hollows. In one of these a jet Of gas
ignted from his lamp. In an instant the
rocky way was lit with the pure flame.
Malukas lodged ducked past, then re-
covered himself and laughed.
-.
The jet Jared. waned. fared, grew and
dropped again. magical frond Of fire.
feeding itself upon thin air.
Look" cried Grandma Zuius, all at
once.
Malukas and Maryte turned. but SIR
delis had seen before they did. A fringe
of flame was dancing eastward. riding up
the wind advancing. leaping, retreating.
1t Tapped the roof rock; Il was not fed
from the single jet. but bounded free.
The danger of the few is as nothing
when weighed against the safety of 200.
That is the unwritten law OF the mines,
we'll and loyalty held by every soul who
worth hnSSnS m
Mikol threw his whole strength against
the expected conclusion: the heavy door
banged shut and iatched. That he had
shut himself in upon the fiery side was a
mere detail; he knew we'll enough what
was coming In the fraction of a second
which remained he hurled himself toward
the Two women.
Down. Down. On the ground"
he check of the Wind operated to
spread the floating gas. diluting Il with
the utmost mailman of air. The dane
ing fiame-cloud became a sheet a wall,
a living world of fire. The explosion
stunned and deafened one. Great tim
bers flew from their places like autumn
leaves in a gale. Lumps slabs, nuggets
of coal and sandstone rained from walls
and ceiling.
Szirdelis had caught at a cotton gown
Scarcely conscious Of his own purpose, he
had thrown his body across as much of
the light infammable stuff as he could
hair and soft round neck and met to
shield them he could. The girl, like
himself, lay face downward
Jumps of rock rained down, bruising
him.
Then the falling stones ceased. The girl
groaned and stirred. Mikolss. lifting hts
face cautiously. looked about. Stories, the
advice Of the experienced men at his
boa riding house. came back to the green
horn in a rush. and his brain cleared. He
knew what was to come
My ann. my arm!' cried the girl.
With infinite difficulty. Szirdelis raised
himself on an elbow. Crawl over to the
right-into the ditch.' he ordered. 1.-The
timbers are on fire down there. and the
gas comes back. There will be another
one YETI
The girl shifted herself into the runnel
beside the track. The water was cold. but
she cried out only once and lay down
without 1inching. The man shielded her
as before. He drew his coat up over his
head and hers. They waited.
An unnatural hush lay through the
chambers and passages. Once in the
silence they heard a man groan. A
moment later. an iron bar ciattered upon
staple. A wooden door banged open.
'Malukas.'' Mikol explained. He must
have got out But he ought not to open
the door. He will draw the fire into the
rest<of the mine. Hurry hurry. and shut
it! God. God. the loop is full Of gas!
Does he not know that?"
He is coward. spoke the girl In the
ditch. He will not shut it."
1.-The gas will suck out from"
Again the roar. the shock. the unbear-
able furnace.
The second explosion was many times
more violent than the first. Yet as they
were prepared for 1t, Mikol and his charge
suffered less than before. Twice her dress
caught fire. only to be beaten out in the
wet rubbish of the roadbed. The WOODEN
felt of Mikors bootlegs smoked before the
heat abated. but the pair took no alarm.
The rock. it fell there by the door.
Perhaps Jonas got away, though
What do We do?