The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-05-06
A LUCKY ACCIDENT.

They had finished their shift and
were ready to blast. 1t was Corrigan's
last day in the mine, for he was going
away. That much he had decided.
He would go; on top, draw his pay,
arrange with the bank about his
savings4-for2 he was that rare avis
"a, thrifty body among" underground
men-and on the morrow he would
buy his ticket for Butte Not that he
cared over much for Butte, but that
/ it was a long way: from Nevada,
sCalifornia. He wanted to get away
far away. His anger had cooled over
night to the9luke-warm stage, but his
,heartache remained and the tumult
of mind WOULD not be iallayed.
Anda Tlist had duarrelled. That
was al1H H1was childishly simple, but
they had quarrelled2 with all the
ardency of two warm Irish natures.
and heHhad 3fung himself away in his
bitterness: with the fearful threat that
she would never see him againi And
he recalled that she-Kitty:, Connor-
merely tossed her head and laughed
derisively. 'Tis not Iewho care. You
needn't delay on my account, Mister
Corrigan.' Ta.I:tj :,
'Actuallyis She had laughed at him.s
Pie had beeh very badly treated, he
told himself, and she had called him
Mister Corrfgan! Laughed at him
lucky she was not a man! No man
in the camp would have dared laugh
at him. Larry Corrigan. And she
had advised him not to tarry. Well,
lie wouldn't. He was through with
the camp, .'and he was ready to go
and forget, '@''i 10. a.
Now he and Matley were together
at the bottom Of the shaft, and their
shift was done. From the huge,
dangling bucket at the end Of the
/ cable, Corrfgan lifted the box Of inno-
cert-appearing giant powder, Which
Matley replaced with their drills and
sledges. Then they deftly charged
the 'dril1-lioles with stick after stick
OF the explosive, cut and capped the
fuses, and tamped each charge, with
wet clay VI. ~ .."@ .'s D'
ii the CHASTITY light Of their dripping
tallow candies, they ignited row after
row of black, curling fuse and scram-
bled UP into the bucket Corrigan
leaned across, felt the iron ring at the
end of the wire, and gave it three
sharp tugsAthe signal to tfie hoist.
Moments we're precious down there.
Again he signalled. A brief wait, as
he f1stinctively glanced UP the shaft
When his third effort brought no res
ponse a: Shade of anxiety crossed his
features. g
Wonder what's the matter?' he
said, quietly. Maybe it's the old en-
gine buckin again. ~
Silence. for a few moments that
seemed a very long time.
Wish we'd start. | don't like, this
,Matley complained solemnF. II,
with "a jerk the bucket started, and
they shot upwards, clutChing the
cable as sail ors> cling to stay with
the unexpected lurch of the ship in
a pitching Yea. 'corrfgan's hat sailed
down into the dark, and their candles
were tsnuffed, .sout in THE hundredth
part of a2seeond. 80 ~ as.
t's'sTheif practical senses told them
that something unusual had trans,
.fjired OH afop.. They knew that the
ah6isting engine twas running wild, and
the fearfuIipace meant death amid the
wreckage of the bucket and the head
frame Should it continue.
The engines broke loose! God
help us.'- shrieked Matley in Corri-
gan's carr
20 Corrigan. head back, gazed at the
white patch of sunlight. The huge
overhead pulley through which the
cablei ran caught his eyes. 1t was
weirdly fascinating though all this.
took but seconds. 1t was there the
Crash would come the end.
Then the drive; swiftly slackened,
and his heart gave a mighty leap.
Another instant ahdt thei ascent stop
ped asuddenlytas ft.1begana The
shock sent the great tub swinging