Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-03-13

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through the roof, cutting them off in an
instant from the outer world.
Serious as their situation was. none
OF them lost their heads, and Rhinelander
and storm, in INSTRUMENTATION Of them
unused to great peril-were calm. But
what to do in circumstances so strange
to them. the two could not tell. A hurried
examination of the cavern showed their
exit completely cut off. This misfortune
however, did not paralyze their activ-
tiles
With the two railroad men encouraging
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 les
sen their chances for life. One OF the
men. exhausted by the labor. picked up
a water canteen. 1t was broken. A can
vass was made of the situation and 1t
was found they had no water Gloom
settled for e time on them. Thereafter
questioning the foreman carefully, Rhine
lander picked a place where the eX-
perienced miner thought they might, with
a little work. get through and turned 20
the men. Dynamite through this wall
Re said.
The men began The moment the blast
was ready. It was 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 seeminly with no hope
full result. And the work was beginning to
A. had 0Oft an
what they hoped might be the final shot
ready. Rhinelander and the miners-ali
in the tunnel except Storm-were on the
verge of collapse.
Nerved to final effort by the hope of
life. the shot was fired. No ray of day
light 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 fellow. sturdier than
his mates, staggered to II. He looked for
a moment at the rock and cried out.
The blast had not given them the
hoped-for avenue of escape. But broadly
lined across the Jagged surface now dis
lodged, they saw staring at them as II In
mockery OF their state, the lost vein. The
lead Of precious quartz again before them.
i
seagrue, in his room, had heard the dis
tant 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-
yolving in his mind the situation OF the
men Imprisoned within the big tunnel
He knew enough of the mine to under
stand perfectly the peril of their position
and the necessity OF a quick rescue II
their lives were to be saved. Furthel
than this, he charged his mind with
nothing OF responsibility; indeed, HI
would hardly have walked across tbs
street to save one OF the imperiled men
Yet. a strangely persistent curiosity
moved him to want to know more OF this
fate OF those who were thus struggling
for their lives.
A decanter stood on the buffet and ht
turned to it, While he poured brandy
into a glass. he heard a strange noise II
an adjoining room-a sound as II OF
miners doublejack. 1t startled him un
pleasantly. He called 20 his servant and
the man. thus abruptly summoned, CANT
quickly. carrying an ice pick.
whats that noise? What are you do
ing?" demanded seagrue, harshly.
TO laugh. "only picking a little ice. sir.
he said apologetically.
Seagrue, without answering, snatche'
the ice pick from his hand Give me M
hat and coat" he exclaimed with anger
And as the man hurriedly produced then
he added CURLY: "Get out" And serving
himself, he made ready to start for tn
mine.
! ........ .t.o. atta,,pt on the mart o
RhineIander, Storm and the miners Z
open a way OF freedom was failing. and
overcome by the foul air. the men, on
, after another, had sunk down from ex
haustion.
Outside, the engine and little train ma
brought Helen and the relief and IN
men were running up the slope, In IN
distance the machine bringing the doctor
, tore across the desert, great cloud o
dust streaming after II.
The few men attracting the face OF IN
, cave-in, now greatly re-enforced, worke
r with desperate energy at the fallen rocl
In the tunnel where Rhinelander an
/ his stupefied companions lay in varyin
: stages OF distress and despair storF
, heard at length the sound OF the wor
I on the other side OF the wall He shoute
feebly to his companions. They're com
4 lngr' he cried. Hang on. boys. Get you
d heads close up here. There's a little al
q seeping tn"
Rhinelander, in spite OF the fact tbs
. he was among the oldest OF those caugs
I In the horrible trap. was standing n
8 strain better than most OF them He.
= turn, encouraged the others not to CIV
q up and was the first to hear cali comm
through the cave-in. He answered Il Wit
I all the strength he could summon.
4 Encouraged on the outside by the woF
I that the imprisoned men were still aliv