Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1913-03-21

them. crouchlng side by sides 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 be re-
placed it in his cap.
Its stopped, he said. We've got
a fghtin' chance"
Ben took his pick and began knock
ing against the wall back of them,
Then, lifting up his voice, he sang at
its full strength the Easter hymn that
had so stirred the anger Of SimonS a
| few hours before. Simons said moth
! ing now, and Jarvis eagerly caught up
| the refrain in a rough bass.
IF they're searchin'," he said, md
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 it 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
tSimons crouehedf silently beside him,
while Jarvis Joined. in. ALI at once the
latter clutched Ben. listen. slisten!'
he cried, and far, far away sound as
of tap on the wall was heard and res
peated distinctly as they listened
They've heard US" 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, nd 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 off 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. II 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 well tell you. !
feel. since we've been shut up here,
that I'm shut up here t6 die-to meet
my God. The rest of you deserve to
live; / don't. Joyce. / was once a
Christian man. I had a good wife
I've sat with her md sung that hymn
it was her favorite-many a time
md meant every word Of it. But fell
into temptation, md broke Gods law
nd broke her heart too. She died
while | 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. witt
a lie on my lips. What told you to
day wasn't so. l do believe in God
a just God, md want to say So
HE is just" said Ben. "He is faith
full and just to forgive us our sins
i SimOns" 80 : ;
Ben said no more. for Jarvis stirred
and woke. The faraway picks work
ed on: the slow hours dragged in thu
foul smelling dark. They had no food
no light, no chance to move from their
cramped position. Before another day
passed Jarvis became half delfrioHf
from fatigue and bad air. To sootht
his wanderings and to keep up his
own courage Ben sang the old hymns
over and over again. When in the
darkness he-w singing the. last verse
of "Just as Am" a faltering voice
Joined his and then broke down.
II amt fit to sing it," said SimOns
| gasping. ''but it seems as If ] had to
I can't live to show folks I'm Chris
tan again md I'm no good-just 1
dyin' sinner Such as | am, Lord, bI
merciful to me, sinner But eff
only had q chance to do somethin' 70
him, Joyce, I'd feel better"
His chance came later, when Ben
too, grew light headed. With ininitt
;. patience SimOns tended the two Othe
men. holding Jarvis in his arms like ;
child to keep him from plunging int
the water and drowning himself in hi
delirium and wranpfng his own Goa
around Ben whenshe went from q fe
yer into chilli of assx htiiStfon. Tn
: tapping OF the picks drew nearer am
I ever nearer How long had It been
e two days. TIVE sweekS q month? 81
/ mons mind. too. began to grow con
fused He stcmIied il Ahy reppatin'
e over to himself the hymns. the Rib
V verses he remembered, and he wa
!. thus whispering over the Twenty thir
(. Psalm when the reScuerS reached til
i spot and strong arms lifted the tire
e starving. exhausted sufferers into lgh