The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1922-03-02
5 SCRIBNER'S SONS 4

BullertOns story told me In the Pull
man smOkerOOmD that there was no
record of any mining transaction
whatever In his papers. Therefore, I'm
the absence of the memorandum which
my grandfather had given Cousin
Percy-and which Percy had doubt
less carried with him to China-there
was nothing but the deed to show for
my ownership; absolutely nothing.
At that, the loss of the dec wouldn't
have Eeen fatal If the document had
been properly recorded. 1t hadn't
been. And now, with the unrecorded
deed gone, there was nothing to prove
that ! had ever owned the Cinnabar.
The loss was total-with no insur-
ance.
Daddy Hiram was shaking his head
sOrrOwfully after we had run this last
bunch of straw through the threshing
machine.
With things looking as blue as the
bluest milestone that ever clicked
upon scythe, we tried to settle upon
some line Of action. Copah was the
county seat, and the obvious first step
for search I'm the county records for
evidence of the sale Of the mine to my
grandfather. But the minute l should
show myself on the railroad, I'd be
nabbed for the theft Of that internal
inspection car. Daddy offered to 20
In my place, hut that alternative didn't
appeal to me at all. l knew perfectly
well how helpless he'd be In any such
lawyerlike search as would have to he
made in the county recorders office.
Being stopped Off short I'm every
other direction. we finally gravitated
over to the shaft-house and went to
work I'm an aimless sort Of fashion
gathering up the wreckage Of the
smashed gear train and putting things
shipShape again. With steam up, we
turned the machinery over few
times, just to see that everything was
In working order again, and threw In
,he clutch OF the centrifugals, merely
for the satisfaction OF hearing the
food rushing through the outlet. When
the pumps were going at full speed I
went to look down the shaft. AS be-
fore, when we had run the pumps for
u week on end, there was a slight dis
turbance Of the water, but nothing
more. My mnkeshift fioat-and-pulley
gauge showed no change in the level.
Suddenly n freak notion seized me
that I'd like to know just what was
going on down in those black depths
into which the suction pipes Of the
big pumps led.
"Daddy, I'm going to try to find out
something" I declared and forthwith
began to strip my clothes Off "We've
seen the water coming out at the 9th
er end Of things, and now, by George,
mean to make sure that it's going in
at this end"
He didn't try very hard to dissuade
me. and minute or so later I was
crawling down the shaft ladder in the
habiliments that old Mother Nature
gave me. 1t was my first exploration
of the shaft, and I was surprised to
find 1t so well and tightly timbered:
"boxed" is the better word, since the
timbering was really a substantial
wooden box built within the square
outlinings Of the pit. Common sense
told me that this must have been done
to prevent the caving In of the sides:
and sfteiward I remembered wonder
ing, at the time, that the shaft should
have heen sunk In caving material
when the remainder Of the bench upon
which the buildings stood appeared to
be little else than solid rock.
BY feeling with a free foot I could
determine that the pump suction pipes
went on stiu farther. and then the
real adventure began. The ladder
suddenly gave out. quit, ended. There
were no more rounds below the one
upon which / was standing. That be-
ing the case, there was nothing for 1t
but to dive, feet foremost, and taking
deep breath, I let 60 OF the ladder
and began to swim downward. Almost
before 1 realized It was fighting des-
perately for dear life. One of the big
suction pipes had taken hold of foot
and leg. like q tentacle OF an enor-
nous octopus, and I was unable to get
loose.
After all, 1t was Daddy Hiram who
saved my life. Suddenly the thunder
OF the pumps, magnified a thousand
fold for me In that Icy pit of death,
stopped short and the mechanical
squid let go Of my leg. With lungs
bursting I shot to the surface and
weakly clutched the ladder. Framed
In the square Of daylight dozen feet
overhead l could see Daddy hanging
over the mouth Of the pit; saw him
and heard his shouted words: Freeze
to the ladder, boy--Im a-conln' down
after ye!'
/ was freezing all right, In both
senses Of the word, but ] found breath
to warn him back, and presently man.
aged to crawl up the ladder and roll
out upon the shafthouse floor. In
stantly the old man pOunced upon me,
buffetihg, slapping and rubbing, maui
ing me worse than any Turkish bath
pirate would have dared to. 1t was
keen torture, but 1t turned the trick,
and by the time was able to breathe
comfortably again, had acquired a
beautiful spanked blush where I had
haop hIna-aH h,k kha r~r1.k hr..t.~