The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-07-07
the INTRUDER
BY m. n. Justice.


hollow reyerberation, which told that
another blast in the mine had beeh
set off. The engineer in the niue
sharthcuse above raised his head
and listened 1t was not the usnai
hour for bias ting. It being now little
after four, and not quite an hour tliI
he day shift should come off duty.
Almost at the momeat there was
signal given, frantic but weak, ana
the man sptang forward to the hoist
ing ENGINE. Gripping he lever firmly
he cooked ont through the door to see
he hosting cage go down the shaft.
Ills daughter Mile burst into the
sHafthouse,
What is 1t. father
Don't know" he replied, with a
shake of his head.
Mother and were sewing when
we heard it. | have felt wrong all
lay. Dave is down there today
father"
Yes. let him down last one, near
noon"
The uuwound cable showed that
the cage had reached the bottom,
But there was no signal given to hoist
it again
Something is wrong Mile"
But the girl had rushed out the
door and was bending over the shaft
hole. There's been an explosion,
father" she called See here!" and
she pointed to the thin spirals of blue
smo&e rising out the shaft in snake
like tendrils. 1T was no blast, | tell
You"
Just then came faint signal on
the cable. The engineer brought the
cage to the top as quickly as he
could.
When il came to the top one man
was the sole occupant. himself hang
ing Imply over one side, with black
ened face torn clothing and shat
tered arm.
The girl bent over him, Sam
Blake she cried, Immediately they
had him out of the cage and on the
ground. lie had been a handsome fel
low. big dark and strong, and had
come into Colorado six months before
from nowhere.
Sam" she called What has hap
pened?" Shaken out Of his semi
consciousness. he spoke: 1T was an
explosion at the third level; they're
all dead"
Dead" Mile bent over him &c
catch every sentence. Is Dave
Smith down there"
Al mention of the name the in.
iured man shuddered, and half
sheer came over his features.
"H'ain't any fire damp down there
whispered sam; you can go down
and get your lover"
Father, oh, let me go she
pleaded, springing into the bucket
But old Sullivan shook his head. u
am not afraid, and I've been down
hundred times" She threw him her
little ginrham apron Wet 1t in the
trough there can keep it over my
head promise | VIII not go into
the tunnel Think Of Dave, father"
At last the brave girl won. but not
until the shril whistle In the shaft
house told the nearby mines tha
there had been an accident at the
Pigeon Blood mine AZ the bottom Of
the shaft she had foun% them lyina
in the sitting smoke and dynamite
fumes. but the dampened apron had
kept the most Of it from her lungs
The fourth man she brought up was
Dave. After that, men who had come
a. The signal of the whistle went on
with the work The miners were not
dead. and once more in the fresh air
Dave revived and was able to stagger
to his feet Some dog set trap for
u.s." he exclaimed. "A blast was set
off right In our midst"
There was one who needed all their
attention, however II was Sam
Blake lie was dying.
Il done, it, Millie," he whispered
u wanted to catch him-Dave.
know he loved you, and there was
no other way TO clear him out"
sam, oh, Sam! When you knew I
loved him"
Yes he smiled wanIy. but where
| came from we put rivals out Of the
way. But fell down-on-this-
I'm going"
Never mind. Sam" said a mans
husky voice. and Dawes strong hand
grasped that Of the dying man, Still
you might have thought of the 9th
ers"
Sam shook his head with the same
mysterious emile Sometimes you
have to kill the whole army to catch
the general-I-only wanted-the
girl" His head fell back, and
Sam Blake was no more
Silently the little party stepped
back with lifted hats, respectful OF
the grim presence Then with his
arm around Miles shoulder Dave
and che UaIkpd SLOWLY JoWn tho vat