The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1913-03-13

IOIIOWeO. 1ueu tuey pulleO JAWS uD.
tho water already above his waist. The
ledge was hardly large enough to hold
them. crouching side by side. The wa.
ter rose. rose. slowly. steadily, touch
ed the bottom Of the ledge. came to
their very feet-and then stayed. Ten
minutes passed, during which Joyce
held his light out over the black. sullen
water again and again. Then he re-
placed 1t in his cap.
Its stopped" he said. "We've got
q tightin' chance"
Ben took his pick and began knock
ing against the wall back Of them.
Then. lifting up his voice, be sang at
its full strength the Easter hymn that
had SO stirred the anger Of Slmons a
few hours before. Simons said moth
ing now. and Jarvis eagerly caught up
the refrain in a rough bass.
III they're searchin'." he said, I" nd
likely they are. they might hear that
from the old shaft. Anyhow. a hymn
does no harm the way we are"
But no one heard The hours drag.
ged on: the black water slept at their
| feet. neither rising nor falling an inch.
Whether 1t was night or morning they
did not know. At intervals Ben sang
the hymns he knew best. tapping in
unison on the wall with his pick, and
Simons crouched silently beside him,
while Jarvis joined in. All at once the
latter clutched Ben. Listen, listenv'
he cried. and far. far away a sound as
Of tap on the wall was heard and re.
peated distinctly as they listened.
They've heard u.s." said Jarvis ca
gerly.
but they're far away. Maybe the
old shaft is farther away than
thought"
Our lamps are goin' out" said ST.
mons grimly. Ind we've not been here
half day. They can't reach US under
a week from that far away" Then he
said no more. relapsing into the same
heavy silence as If he had no hope and
cared nothing for the outcome.
Continued faroff tapping could now
be heard. Evidently the pickmen of
the rescuing party were at work. The
lamps in the caps of the three went
out for lack of oil. and all was dark.
Jarvis curled up closer and sank OF to
sleep, snoring loudly. Ben. uplifted
by the thought that friends were toll
ing to reach them. began to sing soft
~ the hymn he loved best. Rock of
Ages" In the dark he felt hand laid
trembling on his arm.
Don't sing that" said shaken voice
-Simons' voice. Il can't stand it.
Joyce-I can't stand It,"
Ben stopped, astonished. The hand
remained on his arm. and the voice
went on. II may as we'll tell you.
feel. since we've been shut up here.
that I'm shut up here to die-to meet
my God The rest of you deserve to
live: l don't. Joyce. was once a
Christian man. had good wife.
I've sat with her nd sung that hymn
it was her favorite-many time
nd meant every word of it. But fell
into temptation. md l broke Gods law
nd broke her heart too. She died
while l was off among bad company.
They sang that hymn at her funeral.
but ! hardened my heart against it,
against the memory Of her, against
God. I've been worse than an unbe-
lever ever since But now I'm face
to face with the end-'nd with God.
I'm not goin' into eternity. Joyce, with
a lie on my lips. What told you to-
day wasn't so. do believe in God,
just God. md l want to say So"
HE is just" said Ben. HE is faith
full and just to forgive us our sins.
Simons"
Ben said no more. for Jarvis stirred
and woke. The faraway picks work.
ed on: the slow hours dragged in the
foul smelling dark. They had no food.
no light, no chance to move from their
cramped position. Before another day
passed Jarvis became half delirious
from fatigue and bad air. To soothe
his wanderings and to keep up his
own courage Ben sang the old hymns
over and over again. When In the
darkness he was singing the last verse
Of "Just as l Am" a faltering voice
Joined his and then broke down.
II amt fit to sing It," said Simons.
gasping. "but It seems as II l had to.
! can't live to show folks I'm a Chris
tian again. md I'm no good-just a
dyin' sinner. Such as l am. Lord. be
merciful to me. sinner But eff
only had chance to do somethin' for
him. Joyce. I'd feel BETTER
His chance came later. when Ben.
too. grew light headed. With infinite
patience Simons tended the two other
men. holding Jarvis In his arms like q
child to keep him from plunging into
the water and drowning himself in his
delirium and wrapping his own coat
around Ben when he went from a fe-
yer into a chill Of exhaustion. The
tapping of the picks drew nearer and
ever nearer. How long had it been
two days. two weeks. a month? 81.
mons mind, too. began to grow con-
fused. He steadied it by repeating
over to himself the hymns. the Bible
verses he remembered, and he was
thus whispering over the Twenty third
I