Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-09

believed TO be quietly working at
the pit went off to the Vandame
forest with Bebert and Lydia
There was no doubt of his being
the instigator of the escapade,
consequently he received a sound
drubbing, applied in public by
Mother Maheu in presence OF the
terrific youth and infant popu-
lation OF the village.
Had the like ever been seen
before with children who had
done nothing but cost money
from their birth, and who ought
80 bring in something now. at
any rate2 And the cry was. :
Il were the recollection OF her
own bitter infancy, OF the hered-
itary misery that made Of each
little one of the brood bread
winner for the future
On that particular morning
when the men and the girl start
ed for the pit Mother Mathew sat
up in bed and shouted to John
ny. You dare do 1t again, you
wicked ape. and I'll take every
bit OF skin off your body"
At Maheu's new cutting the la
Dor was very hard That part OF
the felonniere vein was grow
sns thinner each day. so that the
heWers. wedged between the wall
and the roof. bruised their elbows
while plying their picks Besides
the water came in more and more;
they were in constant apprehcn-
sion of being flooded by one of
those abrupt torrents that split
the rock and carry away the men.
The day before stephen, while
violently driving home his pick
and wrenching it back again. had
received full in the face a squirt
IF water, but It was only
warning; the cutting got simply
more swamped and unhealthy.
Besides, he never so much as
thought Of possible accidents, his
daily life having become like that
Of his comrades, careless of dan
ger
They lived among the damp
without even feeling its leaden
weight on their eyelids. without
perceiving the kind of spldery web
it left hanging on their lashes
At times, however, when the
flame OF the lamp, burning low
er and lower, grew bluishly pale,
there was a passing thought
vouchsafed to IT, A miner glued
his ear to the wall to hear the
kissing noise OF the gas which
exuded in little air bubbles from
the crevices. But the constant
fear that hang over them was
that OF a slip, for besides the in
sutiiciency of he propping, al.
ways too hastily slurred over. the
rock scarcely held together. sod
dened as it was with the water
suddenly spouung out in enor-
nous Jets.
Already that day Maheu had
been obliged t have he props
strengthened 1t was half-past
>, the men We're going up Lying
on his side. stephen was Juggling
away at a block when = distant
rumbling shook the whole OF the
mine. What's this" he said,
leaving his pick welded INTO the
coal He was under the impress
sion that he gallery was tumbling
about his head
But Maheu Naa already sliding
down the slope OF the cutting.
crying out, Quick, quick; its a
Slip"
All the men went down like
lightning driven by the same
brotherly impulses for the safety
Of their fellows The flames Of
their lamps hobbed violently up
and down IT, the dcadllke silence
that had fallen upon them. They
scampered along the traction
ways In single file. their backs
bent double as II they were gal
Looping ON all tours. and. without
slackeulnc their speed. they in
telrogatcd each other with word
and answered as briefly. Where
rs it"' In the cuttings. per-
g..