Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-09
CHAPTER VII.

at ile potion OF tHe plt, u
tered loud shrieks Of despair
The water had reached TO their
v lists. The rush Of the torrent deaf
cded them; the final crash OF the
timbers sounded in their ears like
the breaking in twain Of the earth,
ard added to that came the horrible
neighng Of Bataille
They all seized at the possibility
OF being able to escape by the neigh
boring disused pit The twenty tore
along the passage. holding their lamps
alpft so that the water could not over
come them
Stephen was the last. detained by
Catherine, who was helpless between
fatigue and terror. More men had
turned off along the different roads
now there were only seven following
old Mouque.
Put your arms around my neck
and | will carry you stephen said,
when he saw that the girl could walk
no farther
They had dropped SIND the 9TH
ers. in spite Of her resistance, he
caught Catherine in his arms, when
suddenly an enormous mass of rock
fell between them and their compan-
ions, and the pair were forced to re-
trace their steps. They went on, no
longer conscious what way they took.
The water was breast high, and they
were forced to walk slowly. AS long
as Nheir light held out they would not
despair, and stephen extinguished one
OF the lamps in order to save the oil.
"Oh, my God, take me away"
moaned Catherine. I'm afraid /
don't want to die--take me away"
In order to reassure her stephen
swore that the water had stopped ris-
ing They had been there six hours
help would soon come-he named the
time without any distinct idea of its
duration, and in fact, an entire day
had elapsed
Wet and shiverinB, they sat down
10 rest. They lowered the lamp wick
only a feeble glimmer shone like a
spark amid the gloom. They sud
denly perceived that they were dying
of hunger and they luckily found
some cans of food, soaked by the wa
ter, but still it was food. Catherine
had to scold in order to force Steph-
en- 10 accept his portion As soon as
9iiF liA Ndttils IiAt biAi iNil h9iNNf
from sheer WEAKNESS on the cold
earth. but stephen sat wide awake
watching her, with his head resting on
his two hands
How many hours passed stephen
could not have told. He saw the flow
OF water begin anew; at first a mar
row line. which enlarged and deep
ened until il reached the feet OF the
sleeping girl Anxious as he was, lie
hestated about waking her; it seemed
cruelty to rouse her from her peaceful
dreams to the consciousness of fresh
peril. IL he could find some road Of
escape, He searched lirst In one di-
rection. then another and at length
remembered that the inclined plane
somewhere in this vein communicated
with the landing of the upper road
Satisfied that he had found an issue,
he let Catherine sleep on, while he
watched the growing tide At last he
was forced to wake her, he did SO
very gently; she started up ana st
once recognized their position, crying
out in her dread of death.
In order To reach the inclined plane.
they were forced To walk bent over till
the water reached their shoulders
They began anew their ascent along
the timher-lined shaft which was Zoe
yards in length,
suddenly they hit against the bro
ken beams which incumbcred the
plane, hut luckily found "A door that
admitted them to an upper road. They
paused, staring in stupened astonish-
ment-in front of them a lamp
cleaned like a star and "A mans voice
called
They recognized Chaval who had
been stopped there by an earth slip
which had buried the two men accom-
panying him. He had Crawled back
on his hands and knees i'm order to
secure their lamps and provisions
When he heard the newcomers, he
swore to himself that he would not
share his booty but as they came
hear enough for him to recognize their
faces he began to laugh In horrible
delight
SO. it's YOU Catherine, All, ah
You wanted TO find me good good
stephen took stone and knock 4
again and again, pausing to listen. hut
no response came. While he was thus
occupied ChaVal laid out on a beam
the two sandwiches which he had left.
and turned toward the girl saying
You know, Catherine half ~ Ii is
Tor you when you get So hungry You
cant stand IT,
She made no answer. TO find herself
again between these two men was the
elimination OF her misery. ChaEai
and stephen sat down on the ground
a little distance apart.
An entire day passed thus Two
lamps had died out, they were forced
10 Hight the third Chaval atwcka
his second sandwich saying to Cath
crime:
Come along, stupid"
Catherine shivercd. stephen turned
SWAY his head
Another day ELAPSED. ~ Icnp.l
thaval sat down by Catherine auc
forced her 10 cat fow muuthfuls 81
the broken sandwich, and he mad,
her pay FOR each one by cares IL,
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