Daily Arizona silver belt., 1909-09-17

1
the time TO the uttermUSt second.
"She's not coming oopr' cried Fritz
and as he spoke he sprang into the
BUCKET aud dropped from sight.
One glimpse of his wild, terror Strick
ell face was all they caught, and ther
came the swirl Of the rope and th,
shrek OF the unoiled sheave. In 4
| breath there followed the bump of the
bucket at the bottom Of the shaft. and
the rcpe icaped upward and hung linn
and shaking.
Boom. came from below, II pun OF
blush smoke curling upward above
| the plntform plankS
one" whispered BlalSeSly. drawing
away from the choking powder,
Boom,
1.-Two" gasPCd Higgins, holding his
hat over his mouth aud kneellng ia
peer downward
do you see anything hear any
thingy" demanded EIngmnu honrSely,
Higgins turned dcspairing face to,
ward Kmgman and shook hiS head.
Boom,
From under them came sodden
| ruar which seemed to rive the earth
asunder, Kmgman was thrown from
his feet, and the others on the plat.
form flung out their hands In an ut
tempt TO grasp something and support
themselves. Up from the blackness
rolled y bilow OF sulphurous fog.
FRITZ was mad to so down there, s.
said Kingman. They're both lost
What are you doing Blakesly"
Blakesly had lerked of his coat and
was wrapping it about his head
III they're not both done for now"
he replied IN muflled tones. ''they soon
will he II we don't get them up. Stand
ready to man the within rope when !
shake It."
He crawled grOpingly TO the ladder
and lowered himself. All watched the
rope breathlessly. Finally, after a wait
that seemed hours In duration, the sig
nal was given, aud stout hands drew
the bucket to the surface.
A little head lay against the buckets
rim. and a white childish face met the
eyes of the men. Allie! Klngman took
her out Of the bucket She was uncon.
scious, hut the miracle was that she
did not appear to be hurt. Not a stone
Of all that flying debris had struck her.
She was given into the eager, trem-
bling arms IT her father, who started
at run for the boarding house.
Meanwhile the bucket had again
been lowered. The signal from Blakes-
ly was longer In coming than the first
had been. and when the bucket was
drawn up second time Il was found
to contain Fritz-F Fritz. bruised. torn
stripped from his body Tender hands
lifted him 10 the platform and
stretched his mangled limbs out on the
rough planks They thought he was
dead. but his eyelids Quivered unex-
pectedly and partly opened.
II was between Allie uud der rocks, -
he whispered weakly. "She vas In my
arms und nodding touched her. ID vas
my mistake, und It's all right, all
right"
His spirit flickcred and went out
even as the "all right faded from his
lips
Blakesly had To he helped to the
surface. for his work in the noisome
vapor had told upon him. A few
breaths OF fresh air were all he need
ed, and when he had revived sufficient
~ he told how lac had CROPPED his way
along the tunnel and had found Fritz
lying among the spllntercd rocks, Allie
clasped IN his rigid arms. her body
protected by his own.
That afternoon Andy aud Blakesly
found a battered silver watch. an old
pocketbOok containing So and gold
nugget. all on the floor Of the fifty foot
level
THAT is exactly where Fritz and AL
lie were lying" said Blakcsiy.
"Sh-h-h~h"' whispered the foreman.
slipping the purse with IT'S contents
and the watch and nugget into his
pocket. Not word about this.
biuACSIl. To any HNlHp llldu. Leave
me TO deal with the matter"
The following morning Baker was
surprised to discover that his twenty
dollar nugget was back 10 his trunk.
and Higgins when he put on his best
suit to 90 To Fritz's funeral found the
pocketbook with the So securely stow
ed away In the breast Of BIS coat.
Blamed II didn't haul over every
thing In my trunk q dozen times look
ing for that chunk Of gold" remarked
Baker. "If II had been snake II
would have bitten me"
~ went through the pockets OF all
the clothes I've got hunting for that
purse" spoke up Higgins. And to
think that we ever suspected Fritz"
think nothing hut good of the dead.
boys" said Andy, with feeling. Come
on! The minister is ready"
Abnormal Twilights.
TuiIisLt which 10 pormoIIv dina IN