Albuquerque citizen., 1908-04-30
DAILY SHORT STORIES
THE INTRUDER.

hollow reverberation which told that
another blast in the mine had been
set off The engineer in the little
shafthouse above raised his head and
listened. 1t was not the usual hour
for blasting, it being now a little after
and not quite an hour till the day
shift should come off duty
Almost at the moment there was a
signal given, frantic but weak. and
the man sprang forward to the hoist
ing engine. Gripping the lever firm
ly he looked out through the door to
see the hoisting cage go down the
shaft His daughter Millie burst in
the shafthouse.
What is It. father?"
Don't know" he replied with a
shake of his head.
Mother and 1 were sewing when
we heard it. | have felt wrong all
day. Dave is down there today, faith
err"
yes, let him down last one, near
noon"
The unwound 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
smoke rising out the shaft In snake
like tendrils. 1T was no blast | tell
you"
Just then came faint signal from
the cable. The engineer brought it
to the top as quickly as he could
When it came to the top one
man was the sole occupant, himself
hanging Imply over one side, with
blackcned face. torn clothing and
shattered arm.
The girl bent over him. sam
Blake!" she cried. Immediately they
had him out of the cage and on the
ground. He had been a handsome fell
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 to
catch every sentence. "Is Dave Smith
down there"
At mention of the name the injured
man shuddered and half-sneer came
over his features.
H Haint any fire damp down there"
whispered sam, you can go down and
get your lover"
Father, oh. let me go" sne plead
ed, springing into the bucket. But
old sullivan shook his head II am
rot afraid and I've been down a hun
dred times She threw him her lit
tie gingnam apron. wet it in the
trough there. | can keep it over my
head. | promise | will not go into
the tunnel. Think of Dave father
At last the brave girl won. but not
until the shrill whistle in the shaft
house told the nearby mines that
there had been an accident at the
Pigeon Blood mine At the bottom of
the shaft she had found them lying
In the sitting smoke and the dynamite
fumes, but the dampened apron had
kept the worst of it from her lungs.
The fourth man she brought up was
Dave. After that, men who had
come at the signal Of the whistle went
on with the work. The miners We're
not dead. and once more in the fresh
air Dave revived and was able to
stagger to his fet some dog set a
trap for u.s." he exclaimed - blast
was set off right in our midst"
There was one who needed all the
attention, however 1t was sam Blake
He was dying.
Il done it. Millic," he whispered.
II wanted to catch him-Dave. |
know he loved you and th"-e was no
other way t. clear him out
sam, oh sam! When you knew l
loved him"
Yes" he smiled wanly, but where
| came from We put rivals out of the
way. But | fell down--On--this-l' m
going"
Never mind, Sam" said "A mans
husky voice, and Dawes strong hand
grasped that Of the dying man. still
---------