The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-05-16
THE EVENING STORY
At the End of the Lower Level.

AT the End of the Lower Level.
(By Azi1e Aidyl.)
MY heavenr' said old Sinclair as he |
rose impatfently from the table and |
reached for his hat. "If only / was
strong enough to work it, I'd risk the
cave-1n. put up drill there at the end
OF the lower level and bore through
that COMPOUNDED rock myself. and the
timber gang ed go to"
The door slammed and his daughter
heard him stride on down the trail
leading to the mine.
Helen did not wonder at the outburst
OF temper. Her father had sunk his
last dollar In this mine, and now with
r1ches-as he confidently believed-al-
most within his grasp the timber gang
refused to work without their last
months pay.
1t was impossible to drift" without
them. The mine was unsafe and liable
TO cave without the support OF the big
| timbers. Sinclair was confident that
once through this wall Of slate which
they had struck in the lower level he
would ind again the rich ledge which
had suddenly stopped 200 feet above.
Then wages would be paid with in
| terest.
ing mine, he had said: Amy darn fool
knows that a high-grade, four-foot
| ledge isn't going to stop off short, as
though cut in two with a saw, unless
old natures had a spasm, and, in twist
ing things about, given this slate
chance to wedge itself In
! And now, as he swung on down the
steep trail he met Mason coming up.
] Things have come to a crisis there,
hear" said the latter, nodding his
head In the direction of the mine, land
I'd like to talk to you about 1t before
you go down.
1.-THE miners will not work without
the protection Of the timbers. believe
! you are nearer through that slate than
you realize. I was down in the drift
today, and the character Of the rock is
changing. It's quite possible that one
more days work would bring you to
the quartz, but the men have quit and
you are helpless. What want to pro-
pose is, that you let me go down there
and work for two or three days. No.
/ no. as Sinclair raised his hand to pro-
i test TITS all right; there is less dan.
ger of a cave-in with only one drill at
work. Let me try 1t for a couple OF
days, anyway" -
ITS exactly what I would do my
self if was equal to It," said Sinclair,
.'but it's big thing for me to accept
from you, Mason. II anything went
Nonsense! 1t won't go wrong, it's
only giving me a chance to prove am
right. I'd a little rather you would
not speak Of it. particularly TOTO
Helen. Just a notion. And now I'd like
n
Sinclair simply grasped his hand.
then together they strobe down to the
mine.
Everything was quiet. The pounding
Of the stamps had ceased. The only
sign of activity was IN the engine room,
, where the engineer was as usual pump
ing the water out Of the shaft.
Sinclair motioned to him. The huge
"bucket'' poised at the mouth Of the
shaft, they stepped well on to the CEN
| or IN
!; descent. Down, down, past the differ
ent levels, which were swallowed up in
, inky blackness. the bucket glided noise
lessly on, the only sound being the
drip, dripping OF the water as 1t per-
. colated through the timbers lining the
shaft.
At last they came to a standstill, 1,oot
feet below. Sinclair reached over and
: pressed a button at the side of the
shaft, and the entire tunnel was ablaze
with electric lights, stretched along Its
. roof.
; The two men traversed the entire
length Of the tunnel to the end Of the
"stope," where the miners had ceased
helped Mason to get the Burieigh into
! position, and then saying he himself
would remain at the engine through the
night in case Mason wanted help he
walked through to the SHAFT and sig.
nailed to be hoisted above.
:, Mason worked until early morning
set Off his blasts and went home fol
, a few hours rest. Returning at
O'Clock in the afternoon. he saw tha'
: his work of the night before had un'
= covered rich, gold-bearing quartz. HI
: Clipped off a piece and put 1t In hi
. pocket, and then. intensely excited, M
q pushed the car, filled with the worth
+ less slate, along the track to the eros
cut, where an enormous bulkheat
4 support was being built with tn
waste"
Mason deposited his load on thu
dump and turned to push back
when he heard an appalling roar, ou
ionly for a fraction OF second-ther
la tremendous crash. and he Eel
!. :, himself hurled with terrific forc'
: against the bulkhead-and all wa
, blank.
Up on the hill, at the Sinclair cot
: tage, Helen had just returned IRON
: her ride, but she fingered, chattinl
with her father and feeding Sultal
4 his usual Jumps of sugar. suddenly
= thew heard a dull, muffled booml
Sinclair turned ghastly white as NJ
= exclaimed:
my God! A cave!"
. "Oh, dad, thank heaven the mel
2 louit work! There's no one in tn
: mine"
q "But there is Mason's there!'
It lcried Sinclair as he rapidly tigntene'