The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-12
By CASPER DAY.

That he had shut himSelt In upon the fiery side was a mere detail; he knew well enough what was coming. Tn the fraction of a second which remained he hurled himself toward the two women.
 "Downl Down. On the groundi'
 The check of the wind operated to spread the floating gas dilrting it with the utmost maximum of air. The dan cling fiame-cloud became a sheet, a wall living world of fire. The explosion stunned and deafened one. Great tim bers flew from their places like autumn gets of coal and sandstone rained from walls and ceiling.
 As the shock threw him from his feet Szirdels had caught at a cotton gown Scarcely conscious of his owD purpose, he had thrown his body cross as much of the light inf1ammable stuff as he could gather in. His hands found the coi1ed hair and soft, round neck, and met to shield them ss he could. The girl like himself, lay face downward.
 The coat upon his back was thick and of woolen stuff protection good enough, had he but time to wrap his head in 1t. Yet hands extended mohonless, Mikol lay and bore the fire. The gas burned high, as usual: put twice the flame swept him, hands and ears and head. Half of his air was burned away; his
 
 Lumps of rock rain ed down, bruising him.
 Then the falling stones ceased. The girl groaned and stirred. Mikolas lift ing his face cautiously, looked about. Stories, the advice of the experienced men at his boarding house, came back to the greenhorn in a rush. and his brain cleared He knew what was to come.
 My arm, my arm!'' cried the girl The Lithuanian words fell into a soft moan.
 With infinite difficulty Szirdels raised himself on an elbow. Crawl over to the right-into the ditch!' he ordered. 'The timbers are on fire down there, and the gas comes back. There will be another one yet!'
 The girl lifted herself into the runnel beside the track. The water was cold, but she cried out only once and lay down without flinching. 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 si- lence they heard a man groan. mo- ment later, an iron bar clattered upon a staple. A wooden door banged open. "Malukas,' Mikol explained. He must have got out. But he ought not to open the door. He viii draw the fire into the rest of the mine. Hurry, hurry, and shut itl God God, the loop is full of gas. Does he not know that?" He is a coward" spoke the girl in the ditch. He will not shut it'
 '"rhe 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 it, Millol 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 woolen felt of Mikol S bootlegs smoked before the heat abated but the pair took no alarm.
 At an interval after the flash a second concussion followed, but this time with out light. splntering crash and roar beat back from walls to roof. 'The rock, It fell there by the door. Perhaps Jonas got away, though" What do we do?'
 'Lie still and wait; there may be more rock to come down, and here is as safe as anywhere
 You are not hurt? Did the fire touch you?"
 Well, my hair can grow again" averred Mikol briefly. q will not have to get it cut this payday" "Skalsa." (Economy.) "No doubt. Listen! An, it sounds so far away! That was the gas again; he has let 1t get up almost to the shaft, by the sound. The draugh sucks it out of the chambers all the way along, wherever there is a little. Lord, but I hope they had warning, those othersv
 How dark 1t isl. All the sticks are blown out now those that were burn Ing"
 "The better for us. Gas can come again in half a minute. Now 1t will not kindle for want of a spark Let me sit up. This water is cold, | cold, so shiver in it and swallow my | breath"
 Mikola crept upon the track. The | light iron rails were slipped somewhat | out of place as he felt for them with l his stiffening fingers. The girls wet | skirts brushed the rub bish of the road I His ears caught the sligh test sound of her movements in the darkness. She l seated herself beside him. l Another crash of falling rock fol-
 lowed. Milkol sat still, knowing a hor- | rible helplessness; the girl caught al | his sh oulder, clinging to him.
 Shall we be killed? Will the rock | fall on us too? Is there nowhere to go 1 man? And where is the old woman?- dead, you think?"
 "The roof Is soft, on this road. Il | rots in the air. Where the props are | knocked out it may fall. The props are not fallen here where we are; put out your hand and you can touch them 1 those logs against the coal. Do you 1 feel them? So this place is as safe as | any"
 But we must get outr cried the gir l in terror.
 | "Yes; you wait here. I will walk UT l and down and feel with my hands fol I hole. Perhaps we can run out easily | just like Malukas, now the fire is past. l Szirdelis spoke with a courage he did not feel. The air was dead, thick motionless, no draught stirring in ii anywhere; and rock fall which couc | block the air would scarcely leave pas | sage for a man. Still, one must try. Not six steps from his starting pon l Mikol's fingers, all stiff and tender iron
 the fire, encountered broken, jagged edge!
 of rock, standing ED and down at dsor
 derly angles. He stopped and felt along
 the floor; the splintered points were here
 too, and inch by inch across to thu
 broken prop on the ditch side. Rising
 he felt for the roof, and cut an ugl.
 scratch along his forehead
 Mkol returned and seated himself ii
 his old place.
 Tt is strange. but I cannot find her,
 he remarked
 "Find what?"
 "Of course, Grandma Zulus Still, sht
 was little and light; hope the wind blew
 her to safety. Let us think so. Strang,
 things happen in the mines"
 "Can we get out? Why do you sit dowr
 like this? Speak it!"
 "Well, no. Not at once; indeed. 1t vii go slowly. They will have to do som, l md