The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-12

gerous to strike one. There may be more of the gas than at first; you cannot tell. Still, am sure it is early. You may think it is a long time, but know 1t cannot be an hour. They would have found us in an hour"
 "Where was this house you saw?7
 Her gentle readiness to humor him touched Mikol to the soul. His laugh drew unaccountable tears after it, to sting his eyelids, and he could not speak. Lethal weariness fastened anew upon them; they were silent Later, Szirdelis aroused him. self by a determined effort.
 Wake Wake, Maryte!'
 She lifted her hand and brushed the hair from her forehead. little sob, curiously like the grief of a child, spoke her despair.
 'Win they take us out before we are dead, Mikol? My head aches; the dark Is so heavy on the top of my head. I am afraid sometimes. It seems as if my breath would not go in far enough'
 'The air is bad. That does it
 But I think it gets worse" "Yes; a little worse"
 What will happen then. big Mikol?'
 Nothing will happen. Our heads will ache, but we must sit up as high as we can from the floor and last till they get us. Do not fall down. The air is worse at the bottom"
 We've are going to die, I think" said the girl after a long pause. q am afraid; l am such a coward, you know. You must not die first, Mikol, an1 leave me alone in the dark. Your lips are cold, but you st not die before l do. Promisep'
 Thus I warm tn em. Yes, I can prom ise; I am a very strong man. Further, we will not die, we must last till they get us. Tell me what kind of dlshas we will buy to eat off of. Blue ones? Or all white?'
 The girl wept softly.
 "I am afraid to die, Mikol. I am not fit for paradise. I wish we had priest"
 q wish that had pick, rather,' he returned sturdily "I would be more use. No, 1t is not tha at I am afraid of dying, nor that I am anxious about paradise. Only I love living. I do not speak against holy things. Christ for bid it!-but life is what l want. My 1 life and yours"
 The silence grew longer, the words fewer, after that. Presently a sound several times repeated, faint, but each tim the same forced his attention. Listen, listen, girl What is that like to you? I think I lear something" q hear. Like an iron button dropped in teacup, I should say. What makes it? What does 1t mean?"
 "MeH digging make it. That is our fellows, Maryte, hammering with picks on the rock. Did I not tell you?' They listened again. The blows were faint, evidently very far away; the fall must be many yards through. l Call to them. They may think we are not here and go off, Mikol shouted, Knowing while he did | so that the rock would not transmit voices, whether In appeal or answer | The tapping strokes went ont; then presently ceased.
 "They are going!" gasped the girl Mikol was on his feet; she sank be- side him, clutching at his knees. DO something! Do somethingl Hammer on the rock Something! I cannot have them gol'
 | With a madness that was more despair 1 than hope, Szlrdelis caught up a rough stone and smote the broken rock-face The blow made little noise The stone slipped from his fingers. On his hands and knees he groped for 1t gain, scraping hic burned hands mercilessly. The stone was gone; not to be found. Something else met his touch. He grasped an iron ! rail-end, projecting some 10 inches from the shattered rock.
 "Gerair' he called. "All right!'' With a small fragment he drummed upon the rall. A single tap came back. He struck a dozen more blows and was answered by a jubilant salvo. The picks flew at the rock again. Mikol beat ill march time, and a march answered him; ( wild tatto brought back a wilder.
 Life had not forgotten him, after all The glory of brotherhood surged within A.a1 l..f.1 .lx.... he cheered and shouted for the good fel- lows outside. Aaryte, crouched y.on the track listened almost in fear to this wild welcome, yet dimly conscious that a man might understand. For a woman, tears and prayers were natural to the emer gency.
 Blows began also upon the side toward the loop" then, later, upon the fall at the upper ei l. Rising courage strength ened the prisoners; the girl, at Milkols | direction, crawled to the eastern end and heat upon the rails, signal for signal. After period-long or short the cap- tives never knew-a faint rumble of voices came through the barrier at Marytes end of the passage MIlSoi shouted again, put ting his mouth to one crevice after an- other faint hail came back. The picks | could not strike faster for they had been doing their utmost since the first signal; l but the blows came nearer with every | five minutes.
 Words could be heard and orders. Never had man loved his mother tongue as Mikol craved that English. He lis tened, every nerve alert. | "They are setting timbers as they go. hear the orders. Now heev urr, he said then. That is Jim Owens, our inside boss | I know the way his voice squeaks up and down.
 1 "Hello in there! You all right9" l Szirdelis put his mouth to the crack and roared Justify again. "All right. Sure. No good air.
 How many in there, John? Hey? You verstand? One O you boys try him in Polish, will you?'
 Me no Polander!'' came the triumph ant shout Speak English. In this place one man, one girl. No got MalliSas. or woman no got"
 'All right. Stand back, now.
 How well you talk it, Milxol! What cid they tell you:'
 "They said stand back, because the rock might roll in and hit us. They are almost here now. Godl But we should
 have headaches if they were much | longer!'
 Martye laughed and cried, cinging to his arm. They waited while the first stone crushed inward, and the secon> An open ing appeared near the roof, luminous in
 the blackness from the dull glow of safety
 lamps outside. Mikol seized her elbow.
 All right. Wait minute. You take
 girl" he called.
 The picks stopped. Maryte struggled
 through. He followed Willing hands 1 pulled him by the shoulders, drew him 0 ,,,,I md -fa fe1 l,s ho et., J