Year: 1873

alllng me, TO make me feel lear that
morning, when 1 had gone down the
place hundreds of times before. But
the strange feeling soon passed away
after my work was fairly begun.


The part of the mine | worked in that
day was far from the shaft, and being
worked out, was almost good for moth
ing and a miner seldom piled his pick
in it. There were two men besides my
self there that day, and we were engag-
ed on one large mass which was hang
ing from the roof. My companions
were standing and striking at this piece
above their heads, while /, to ease my
arms by a change of position, had turn
ed from them and was working at a diff
ferent lump much lower down, when
suddenly L heard sharp crack and felt
shooting pain, then nothing else but
nothing.


Yes, yes, that time always brings the
sweat out on me. When l think of it
seem to go through it all again. Strange
how long things like that will last, amt
it? Let me see, that's nigh on forty
years ago, but it's never stopped work
ing me up whenever 1 think of it but
never mind, it's over now, and it won't
move me in little while, for I'm get
ting ninyears, andwe can't live always,
you know. When own and occupy
my six foot by three out in the church
yard there, things like this won't trouble
me, guess.


Well, well, I'm wandering off again,
1 can't tell story as 1 used to, and my
brains go wool gathering, L think. 1
stopped telling you where the big lump
fell down on us. didn't I? That's what
made the noise 1 heard. When l came
to my senses there was lot of pieces
around me which looked frightful then
l heard a voice say, "John, don't you
know me, it's Sallie )" then slowly,
slowly, everything came back to me.


Oh, how my head ached. 1 tried to
raise my hand up to it, but my arm was
caught and held and Sallie said again
"You are hurt, John, dear, don't move
in the least" and felt so weak and
childish that I could not object if I had
wanted to. L just laid still and looked
from one to another, and one by one the
faces became clear to me and | saw they
were my fellow-workmen. knew what
had happened, and was wondering what
had become of the two men who were
with me, when [ was lifted into the
basket for we were at the bottom of the
shaft had seen that and [ don't re-
member any more until l found myself
one day in our little bedroom and
everything quiet and still. I lay there
listening for some sound, when the
door opened and Sallies mother came
up to the bedside.


$50 you're awake" said she "Why,
lad, Thought you wouldn't get through
this ALL"


Where's Sallie?" said 1.


"Hush, don't talk and worrit your
self. Sallie is not over well just now
Lie quiet, there's good lad, and you
shall see her soon."


This was not exactly what I liked, but
| was tired and fell asleep. I don't
know how long Islept, but when Iawoke
there was no one in the room. I
thought I'd go and find Sallie, so l rose
up in bed and tried to put my legs out
of bed, when found had none they
were cut off right here, just below the
knee. Well, L felt pretty bad that's a
fact.


They soon told me the whole story.
The mass of coal had struck me and
pinned me down by the legs. I had
lost my senses, and laid there until
earl ynext morning, when my wife found
me. How did she do it? She saw l
did not come home at the usual time,
and after waiting for me until very late,
she threw q shawl over her head, and
lighting the lantern, she started for the
only store in the place. There at that
late hour she only found two men, and
when she told them she had not seen
me since morning, they offered to search
for me among the neighbours houses.
Sallie started for home, but something
seemed to draw her to the pit. She
soon reached it, and stood looking
down the shaft, when she says she felt
she must go down, then there was only
one way to get down, and that was
such dangerous one that few men
would dare to try it,


The basket was worked by hand wind
lass, and she soon saw that if she step
ped in the basket and let it go down,
her brains would be dashed out in q
second. The only thing she could do
was to let the basket down, and then
slide down the rope by her hands. She
tied the lantern round her waist, then
caught the rope and let herself free.
She reached the bottom, but that rope
was smeared with blood the whole
length-her poor hands were badly cut.


l love to tell this. How my brave
little wife went through all the danger
for me, never thinking of her own pain
only hoping to find me, risking her
life for mine.


She searched one passage after
another until she found me. No use
telling you how she tried to get me free
from the dreadful weight upon me, or
how she worked and slaved to get me
free twas all wasted strength. Seeing
at last that she could not move me, she
went to the shaft where the basket lay.
She could not go up the rope, so she
called for help until she was hoarse,
and no good came of it.


The men came to work as usual in
the morning, and were startled when
they saw her there and heard her tale.
They set to work and got me free.
After they moved me home the doctor
cut my legs off, but 1 knew nothing of
it for two months.


e I" What about the two men ?" you
ask. Poor fellows, they were both
killed. They were not missed until
found. You see they were single men,
and had no wives like mine to search
for them. They were buried in the
graveyard there, and whenever I see
that cross over their graves L send up q
prayer for their souls, and thanks to
God for my life--for have been very
happy since then, although so crippled.