Year: 1872

U uOllOW SCHOluS SpldSu

 "There, quick! hold him up, two of you" said the foreman, and the next mo- ment a couple of the old stagers had the limp, dripping form between them, and were helping him to one of the dark entrances which happened to be close by, and there they gave him some brandy ; aBd we stopped, and all had some as well, while they got the man out and into the fresh air and light, which just came iaintlly gleaming down from above in tiny streak.

 Then we set off again, one less in num- Der, and for the life of me. I couldn't help wishing that had gone up as well, and thinking about what that mans fate would have Been if he had been alone. felt a cold shudder go through me, as l knew that he would have been drowned, and then I thought of the rats, and shivered again as trod upon something that felt to me then like bone.

 I knew better though directly, for that which I had kicked against was hoe-han- dle which man in front had let slip from his hand, he himself slipping down directly after, W ith hardy splash, into the water.

 Here, get him up! ]" cried the foreman savagely, and take him back to that hole! What CUTS yeu mep are You're as bad as if there was real danger. Sup pose you were down in fiery mfnc."

 The men muttered little, and then, while two helped the nervous man out, we all went forward, the foreman chatting away cheerily the while, so as to keep the others from thinking about what had taken place. He pointed out the overfiow places where, when the sewer got too full, part of the water would run down to the river, and then he showed us how clean and smooth the brick face of the sewer was. To this man he busily explained that the faint, bad smell was not injurious; and to that he related how many scores of times he had been along this same part of the sewers but in spite of all his cheery ways, and the occasional stoppage for smoke and . glass of brandy, the mon were terri ply nervous, and waded on in slow, half hearted way.

 And it was dismal work. Now there was scare about some one's light going out, and though we had plenty more, the men were in regular shiver of suspense till the lamp was trimmed and we were going on again. Then there was an alarm of rats, because some one had seen half a dozen go swimming down the black stream, after scuffling out one of the side drains j; and soon after one of those in front gave a sort of yell, dropped his lantern with a splash. and swore that we were going wrong, that we had lost our way, and that we should never get out of the horrible place alive.

 He was q great, six-foot, broad shoul- dered fc9lcw who said this, but it was half sobbed out, and his nerve was so gone that the poor chap was as hysterica1 as ghl.

 For a few moments I thought there would be regular rush back, and if there had life must have been lost, crowded as we were in that narrow hole, with hard work to keep our footing as the stream rushed by US; for the sewers are round at the bottom as we'll as arched at the top, many of them being shaped like an egg, with the thin part at the bottom.

 The foreman was ready for them though, and he roared out at them

 "Stop How can we be going wrong if we follow the stream2 That must take us rightp'

 This checked the men, who saw the sense of what he said, and as soon as he had got them once more journeying slowly on

 "What big babies you fellows are r' he exclaimed, you're as readily scared as a flock of sheep. You forget that there are ways cut all along hefe, where man could call for help even if too weak to raise the gratings.n

 Nobody spoke, for the blackness of the place seemed to oppress every body, and we crawled on along the wet, slimy, under ground channel. The smell was bad, but not so bad as I had expected, and there was very little work for us to do, the rains of the past week having pretty well flushed the whole length of the sewers but every now and then some one stopped and began to sniff, as if he could tell that there was foul air there foul gas that no one can breathe and live!

 l should think we had been wading on for about an hour, when one of the men ahead said that there was very peculiar smell on in front, not like the regular sewer smells, but strange sufFocatinp odor.

 The foreman was twenty yards behind peering into s,de sewer, when this was said, and he did not hear it.

 "There's been gammon enough of that sort" said one of the new men, who had had little more Dutch courage out of the I brandy bottle than was good for him |"Look here; if the light will burn it's all right"

 Poor fellow he had only half learned his lesson, and did not know that we were travelling right under where the chemical works piled their trade, sending all sorts of poisonous refuse into the sewer to give out explosive gases. As he spoke he un- fastened his lantern and took out the light, and at the same moment I heard the foreman behind-" Take care there l. gas For Gods sake, quick-every man hoods down, for your livesp'

 was nearest to him and initiated hlm, on the instant dragging the Tndia-rubber hood down over my face, and dashing down beneath the filthy water, but not so quickly but that saw what seemed to be binding flash of lightning run along the sewer, making every brick distinct then the water was rushing over my head. and bent down till was all but sufocated. Once 1 raised my head, snatched a breath that was stifing in it's foul heat, and then dashed down again and held out as long as could, knowing as did that the gas had fired and then from feeling hot I shivered with cold, as I wondered whether any of my mates were killed, and whether should get out out alive.

 This way" some one shouted, "ur stream !'''

 I turned in dizzy way to follow the voice, but as I did so I felt something clutch my leg, and as bent down there iuP the horrible darkness times as black after that scorching, blinding flash Il touched hand, helped some one te stagger up, and then, with the wate, streaming off us, and the air checking u: at every breath and making my ears sing we staggered al ng.

 How far that was don't know, for it i all mixed up in confused, troubled way