The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1916-03-30

owner of the SUPERSTITION. Halting on
the way, he dashed up into Seagrues
room and told MIN what had happened.
"The main tunnel OF the Supersti-
ton mine has collapsed he cried.
Were on the way out in a cal.
Rhinelander, Storm and a crew OF the
men are caught inside"
Sorry to hear that" said Seagrue,
shortly. go on. Don't lose any time.
I'll follow" He called to his servant
for his coat and hat as the doctor
ran out. Putting on the coat he hest
tated, changed his mind, and decided
not to go. He threw his hat and coat
On the table again and sat down.
In the tunnel the men had been
caught like rats in a trap.
Serious as their situation was, none
Of them lost their heads, and Rhine
lander and Storm, in particular
neither Of them unused to great peril
were calm. But what 20 do in cir
cumstances so strange to them, the
two could not tell. A hurried exam
nation of the cave-in showed their
exit completely cut off. This misfor-
tune, however, did not paralyze their
activities.
With the two railroad men encour-
| aging them, the men worked hard to
get through the obstruction in front
! OF them. They toiled unremittingly,
knowing how every hour within their
, prison would lessen their chances for
life. One of the men, exhausted by
| tie labor, picked up a water canteen.
II was broken. A canvass was made
OF the situation and it was found they
had no water. Gloom settled for a
time on them. Thereafter, question
| ing the foreman carefully, Rhineland'
or picked a place where the expert
e1ced miner thought they might, with
a little work, get through and turned
to the men. Dynamite through this
wall" he said.
The men began. The moment the
blast was ready, It vas set off and
they were back again at their drills
preparing for the next. Working thus
with frenzied energy, they tore great
holes into the tunnels side, but SEEM
ingly with no hopeful result. And the
work was beginning to tell on them.
| BY the time they had gotten what they
hoped might be the final shot ready,
Rhinelander and the miners-all in
the tunnel except Storm-were on the
verge Of collapse.
Nerved to a final effort by the hope
of life, the shot was fired. No ray Of
daylight greeted their straining eyes
as the smoke thinned away. The air,
now foul, had so overcome them that
few could crawl forward to examine
the shattered wall. One grizzled fell
low, sturdier than his mates, stag
gered to it. He looked for a moment
at the rock and cried out. Animated
by fresh hope. the exhausted men re-
sponded by dragging themselves to
him.
The blast had not given them the
h~oped-for venue Of escape. But
broadly lined across the jagged sur
face now d~islodged, they saw staring
at them as if in mockery of their
state, the lost vein, the lead Of pre-
cious quartz again before them. I'm
told riches confronted them.
Seagrue, In his room, had heard the
distant report of the explosion, but he
had been drinking of late and his
nerves were on edge.
He strobe up and down the room re-
volving in his mind the situation of
the men imprisoned within the big tun-
mel. He knew enough of the mine to
understand perfectly the peril Of their
position and the necessity Of a quick
rescue il their lives were to be saved.
Further than this, he charged his mind
with nothing of responsibility; indeed,
he would hardly have walked across
the street to save one Of the imper.
lied men. Yet, a strangely persistent
curiosity moved him to want to know
more OF the fate Of those who were
thus struggling for their lives.
A decanter stood on the buffet and
he turned to it. While he poured
brandy into a glass, he heard a strange
noise in an adjoining room-a sound
as il Of a miners doublejack. 1t
startled him u~npleasantly. He called
to his servant and the man, thus alb.
ruptly summoned, came quickly, car.
rying an ice pick.
whats that noise? What are you
doing?" demanded Seagrue, harshly.
The man in a half-frightened way
began to laugh. only picking a lit.
tie ice, sir" he said, alphabetically
Seagrue, without answering, snatched
the ice pick from his hand. Give
me my hat and coat" he exclaimed
with anger. And as the man hurried.
ly produced them, he added CURLY:
Get out" And serving himself, he
made ready to start for the mine.
Attempt after attempt on the part OF
Rhinelander, Storm and the miners to
open a way Of freedom was failing,
and overcome by the foul air, the men,
one after another, had sunk down from
exhaustion.
Outside, the engine and little train
hal brought Helen and the relief and