Year: 1859

| Stacking speed IN tne ieast! guessed IN q
moment that they mistook our height, and
that with the great purchase of that wind
lass the rope would be broken, when the
cradle came to the block. sprapg up, and
catching the rope, climbed hand over hand
to the coping. Colly, too, sprang up and
followed me. He, too, got safe; and still
they went on winding up, winding up, till
the rope sung again with the strain there
was upon it.


Then it snapped, and cradle, hauling.line,
and the main rope, with its block, fell down.
Thus were We two poor men left in most
desperate situation.


Poor Colly was completely dazed with af-
fright; and the moment he got on the CO.
ping, which was only foot and half broad,
he called out: "Where can pray? where
can 1 kneel and pray? and so said, very
solemnly: "Sit down, Jem; God will hear
us if we pray to him sitting down."


The color of his face was transparent
blue; and it was distorted and twitching, as
if he was in fit. His eyes were very wild,
and drawn into squiut, and he couldn't
sit steady, but swayed his body backward
and forward, so that I felt certain that he
must topple over.


"Come, Jem, lad," I said, thinking to
take the fright off him otis bad enough,
but it can be mended. Hitch upa bit. and
put your arm round the rod-maybe it will
steady you"


"Where are you? ? and where is the rod 2"
he asked in very hollow voice, though he
was looking straight at me, and the rod was
only foot or two to his left. By this knew
that he was gone blind with the fright; and
selfpreservation said, Don't 60 near him !;
but then I remembered his new-wedded wife,
and that taking him all through he was q
very decent fellow; and I thought how I
should have liked him to have done if had
been in his case so I determined to run a
bit of risk in his favor. Of course, burst
not get on my feet; but working myself on
my hands I got to him, and putting my arm
round his waist, and telling him as cheerily
as could to keep cool, I got him with his
arm round the rod. 1t had, however, sprung
the stapling for five yards down, and was so
loose that it swayed with him, and 1 expec-
ted every minute to see him fall head and
heels down, and the rod tearing away with
him.


There was great hustle down below, peo-
pie were rushing round the yard and push
ing to get in, but as yet there were but some
score of men at the foot of the chimney, and
by close looking, L saw them put somebody
on board, and carry him gently towards
the engine.house. One of the men walked
after with hat in his hand then I knew
that SOMEBODY had been hurt by the falling
cradle, and that it must be poor Mr.. Sta
ming, as none of our men wore hats. Not
face was turned up to us. / learned af-
terwards that our men were so taken up with
sorrow that so good man and so kind a
master should be killed, that for awhile they
had never thought about US; and the peo-
pie outside imagined that we had come down
with the cradle, so thus were we leftin to-
tai isolation for full twenty minutes.


While was watching them below feeling
very sorry for my poor master was startled
by wild laugh from Colly, who began ma
king catcalls, and yelling as if be was pos
sessed Then I knew, of course, that he
was gone mad.


Even now I tremble when think of that
time it was horrible to peer down the shaft,
black and sooty, and yawning, and scarcely
less SO to look outside and see flight of
pigeons sweeping round at considerable less
height than we were. Then Colly-he was
so dazed that he could not see me-called
my name three times, as l sat fairly cringing
in dread that his sight might clear, and with
ghastly grin, and chewing with his mouth,
he began working himself towards me. I
worked away from him as noiselessly as I
could, with every hair of my head standing
on end. He followed me twice round that
horrid coping, making most hideous noises,
and then being come second time 10 the
rod, he got an idea in his muddled head
that was fallen over, for he never lost a
sense of where he was all through this try
ing time. Then he tried to get on his feet ;
but, at the risk of my own life, I could not
let the poor fellow rush on certain death
without one more effort and I cried out for
him to sit down, and he covered down like
a whipped dog all trembling. I suppose it
had been put into his head that was a
dead man speaking to him.


That morning my wife had got letter
from her sister in Canada, and as there were
parts we could not make out, I had put it
in my pocket, intending to get our time
keeper to read it for me. 1t had scrap of
uncovered paper at the bottom and by an
other good Providence, I happened to have
n bit of red lead-peucil in my pocket. |
wrote on the paper, "Get us down-Colly's
gone mad 5" this I shut in my tobacco box,
and was fortunate enough just to drop at the
feet of couple of men who were standing
by the engine house door.


Directly all was hustle to rescue US. They
got the kite up again, and I watched it
mounting slowly--slowly, and when the
slack twine fell between Colly and myself,
took it in my hand and could have kissed
it. Poor Colly with his teeth chattering,
still fancied I was a spirit, and l did all
could to favor that idea until they got anoth
er cradle up to US. Then having got him