Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-02-25

tunnel, half a dozen men croucned low
on its black frame. and behind 1t on
uingle fat car the great steel water tank
that was reserved for such emergen-
cies. Shouting questions. we swung
on behind. The motor followed the
switch and turned sharply down to the
right Through the next door the
smoke became suddenly thick. A strong
smell, almost as Of burning oii-the
heavy. pungent smell Of soft coal on
fire. In the dead air Of the entry 1t
hung still and motonless like yellow
fog. and as we jumped of the truck
and ran down the entry behind the To-
cumotive we crouched low to keep our
eyes clear, for there were still couple
Of feet of clean air along the bottom OF
the tunnel. From ahead Of US came
the sound of voices. and then through
the smoke we saw the lights OF the
men like yellow tongues Of dame. de-
tached from their bodies. which were
hidden In the thick blanket Of smoke.
The coal In one of the rooms OF the
main entry which the shooters had
blasted earlier in the night was on fire.
and the heat and smoke were too In
tense to allow the men to reach 1t with
the water. Shouting at each other IN
the binding smoke and darkness. with
the dull. steady heat Of the Invisible
Ere bringing the sweat In streams from
our bodies we worked to cut on the
room from the rest Of the mine by
building across its broad mouth where
II Is the custom OF the men Wnen
they leave the mine at the close OF the
shift to hide their tools. and the imagi'
nations of the leaders. worked upon
by eight hours Of solitary work. had
doubtless seen In the forms OF two OF
their companions who were hiding
their shoyes the traditional gnomes OF
their own Harz mountains.
In another part Of the mine another
superstltion was given birth that leo
to a more unfortunate result. THIS
time 1t happened among the Croatians.
and. unfortunately. the story was told
throughout the boarding houses before
the bosses learned Of 1t. and one morn
ing a great section Of the mine was
abandoned by the men. Up In the
headings OF one Of the entries. so the
story went, lived the ghost OF white
mule. AS the men worked with the
coal before them and the black empt-
ness of the tunnel behind. this phan'
tom mule would materialize silently
from the wall Of the entry and with
the most diabollcal expression upon
Its face creep quietly down behind Its
intended victim. who. all unconscious
Of its presence. would be occupied In
loading his car. II the man turned and
for even a fraction Of second his
eyes rested upon the phantom the
shane would suddenly disappear. but
II he were less fortunate and that un-
conscious feeling Of a presence behind
him did not compel him to turn his
eyes the phantom mule would sink
his material teeth deep into the min
er's shoulder and death would follow.
II was fortunate. Indeed. that the only
two men who had been visited by this
unpleasant appantion had turned and
observed him.
Perhaps It had been the sudden white
glare cast from the headlight Of a 10.
comotive far down the entry or per-
haps 1t had been entirely the imagina,
tion: but. at all events. a man had
come from his work early one after
noon inspired with this strange vision
and the next day another man also had
seen It. The story was nolsed around,
and two days later the men stuck firm
II to their determination that they
would not enter TINT part Of the mine.
Fortunately for the superintendent. a
crowd Of Bulgarians had just arrived
from East st. Louis seeking employ
ment The Croatians were sent Into
another part Of the mine to work. a
mile from the haunted entries. where
there were no unpleasant ghosts OF
white mules to disturb their labors
and so long as the mine remained In
operation there Is no further record OF
the unpleasant ramblngs Of this fan
tastlcal animal At least none of the
Rulgarians ever saw 1t.
With the mule came the ghost Of q
little white dog. but for some curious
reason. although the dog was reported
by many to have run out from aban
doned rooms and barked mt the men as
they stumbled up the entry. but little
attention was paid to II. and 1t seemed
to possess no particularly disturbing
influence.
There were many negroes In th'
mine. and they. too. had their "h'ants'
and superstitions, but these were OF
more ordinary nature In room 2
third west south. sudden fall o.
rock from the roof had caught TIVE
miners Tons OF stone had followed
and In a second two men had beel
crushed. killed and buried. Deati
must have been instantaneous. ant
months of labor would have been re
Quired to recover the bodies. which
were probably crushed out Of human
resemblance. but even years after thii
happened room 2 was one that wa
carefully avoided by all the negroes
and II II ever became necessary 10
one Of them TO pass It alone be woult
always 20 by on the run. for back un
der the tons Of white shale that CAM
down straight across the room moutl
the ghosts Of Old Man Gleason and an
other whose name was forgotten stil
remained-imm0rtal
II was to prevent the establishment
of such superstidons that the shift wa
always called Of for the day II mai
was killed In the mine. and the mex
morning when the men returned Z
their work the section boss Of that sec
ttop IN which the unfortunate mine
had met his death took particular car
to place several men together at tina
place In order that no superstition
, might grow up around It
CHAPTER VI.