Norwich bulletin., 1909-01-13

the big man was listening intently. Il
 was Friday evening and there was a | service in the little church. Softly out
 of the quiet night the words of song
 arose, and Hudson heard the man be-
 side him catch his breatht
 Keep Thou my feet; do not ask to
 The distant scene; one step enough for
 me-"
 My mother used to sing that, back
 east, once," said the miner, and Hud-
 son noticed that his voice trembled 3 | little. q wish could" he continued ! "Come!" and they hurried downward into the town. The work in the mine went forward
 next day with it's usual roar Of ma
 chinery and shriek of drills. The ore 1 cars were loaded. hurried away, and
 returned empty for reloading- Men | were toiling and sweating, and always
 the shaft was gnawiug its way into the | heart of the misty rock. Suddenly the | din ceased, the drills were withdrawn
 and Rayner began ramming the sticks | of dynamite into the smooth, round | holes, while the rest of the nfen saun- | tered slowly back along the shaft. Jack
 Hudson alone remained to assist him | in the tamping and setting the fuses.
 This done, the fuses were lighted, and | the two men turned toward the en- | trance of the shaft.
 Say, Archie, that timbering there | don't look very good to me-" rem arked
 Hudson, pointing to place in the tun- nel ahead, where the timbers were sag ging menacingly. Some day there's | going to be-"
 A sudden crash drowned the rest of | the sentence, and the incandeseent | lights went out plunging the shaft in | darkness. Hudson uttered an exclama- | tion of horror.
 My God, Archie" he cried. "the roofs caved in, and there's that blast | lighted!"
 Rayner pulled small flash light
 from his pocket and swept the walls of tthe shaft.
 Here, Jack, quick!" he shouted. Get behind that bit of ledge" and he
 showed his companion violently behind
 a projecting ridge of rock. Its only
 large enough for one. but if the blast | goes off 1t may save you. I'm going to try and cut that fuse" But you" gasped Hudson. Whats to save you frcm that flying rock?' Nothing" the big man called back
 as he sprang forward into the dark
 ness and dashed toward the lighted blast.
 Numb with horror, Hudson watched the little spark of light as 1t darted up to the end of the shaft, halted and
 sought out the fuses. Then the stern,
 powerful voice of Rayner rang through the sepulchral silence: "Too late, Jack, it's burned into the rock. Good-by. Tell the boys" There was blinding flash, a thun- derous roar that seemed to shake the very foundations of the earth, and then darkness.
 Several hours later the rescuing par
 ty broke through the mass of earth and timber that had imprisoned the two miners. Hudson, though badly | shaken up. was alive and conscious but not a trace of his companion could | be found. Solemnly they carried the
 surviving man out into the sunlight and laid him down upon the grass. His glance, fin a dazed sort of way, took in the little group of men, the blue sky above and then turned tow ard the mouth of the shaft. "Where's Archie?" he asked labor iously.
 Bill Donovan, the foreman, wiped his eyes on his bandanna. He's gone, Jack" said he gently.
 ''He must have got caught in the blast"
 And he made me take the only safe place. He did it to save me-" murmur- ed the injured man. Poor Archie" For Hudson knew that the big man
 had passed from the world of tHe living and had entered the Land of Silence Boston Post.