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

at the bottom of the pit, ut
tered loud shrieks OF despair.
The water had reached to their
waists. The rush of the torrent deaf
ened them; the final crash OF the
timbers sounded in their ears like
the breaking in twain of the earth
and added to that came the horrible
neighing 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
aloft 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 l will carry you" stephen said,
when he saw that the girl could walk
no farther
They had dropped eSElnd 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 &heir light held out they would not
despair, and Stephen extingulshed 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 shivering, they sat down
to rest. Phey lowered the lamp wick
only a feeble gimmer 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- TO accept his portion. AS soon as
she had eaten, the girl fell asleep
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 mar
row line, which enlarged and deep
ened until 1t reached the feet of the
sleeping girl Anxious as he was, lie
hesitated about waking her; 1t seemed
cruelty to rouse her from her peaceful
dreams to the consciousness OF fresh
peril. If he could find some road Of
escape! He searched nrst I'm 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 and at
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 Underlined shaft, which was 100
yards in length!
Suddenly they hit against the bro-
ken beams which incumbered the
plane, but luckily found door that
admitted them to an upper road. They
PAUSED, staring in stupehed astonish-
ment-in front of them lamp
cleaned like a star and 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 kneesin 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
near enough for him to recognize their
faces he began 10 laugh In horrible
delight.
$50 it's you, Catherine! All ali,
you wanted TO find me good-good,
Stephen took stone and Knocked
again and again, pausing to listen, but
no response came. While he was thus
occupied Chaval laid out on a beam
the two sandwiches which lie had left,
and turned toward the girl, saying:
you know, Catherine, half OF II Is
for you when you get so hungry you
can't stand IT,"
She made no answer: to ind herself
again between these two men was the
elimination OF her misery. Chava
and Stephen sat down on the ground
a little distance apart.
An entire day passed thus Two
lamps had died out; they were forced
TO light the third. Chaval attacks
his second sandwich, saying 10 Cath.
crime:
Come along, stupid"
Catherine shiyered. Stephen turned
away his head
Another day elapsed. At lengl
Chaval sat down by Catherine an,
forced hea TO eat few mouthfuls o
me broh(l sandwich, and he mad
|eT pay each one by caress-th'