The Iron Boys in the Mines; or, Starting at the Bottom of the Shaft

tood in awed silence. The candles on the hats of

his head quicker than being plunged into sudden

t been hurt. Don't you know enough to light your candles?

bove his head as he looked about. He stepped forward tow

ed," he growled.

t had crashed downward, carrying with them a few to

e killed?" questioned a

t of valuable time. If that fool powder-man hadn't been in such a hurry we shou

t was not the fault of either the powder-man or Steve Rush, but of Spooner himself. It was he who had insisted upon going into the drift

not for the loss of time, nor for any other loss that their employer might ha

n he was already hurrying to the scene as fast as an electric tram could carry him. The word he had received was to the effect t

led backwards when the explosion came, half turned and had fallen face downward, his arms crossed under his forehe

n by an oppressive weight. Some little time elapsed before his return to consciousness, and even then he

me-the powder-man. I wonder if

g about him. He made a discovery that thrilled him through and through. The b

ibilities of getting out of his predicament. He reasoned that he and his companion must have been imprisoned in some way by the explosion. Al

under his human burden and the weight

s companion. The hand wandered from the face of the

ating of that organ r

the lad, scrambling

miner's words. A dense cloud of suffocating

ter. After a few long breaths he began searching for a candle. He knew there had been one on

ll die here unless they get us out pretty soon, and I wouldn't give

shout, which ended

red, wiping the tears from his eyes

n, which drew a groan from the man,

cover his nose, to keep out the full strength of the powder smoke. This done, he got to his

this

heap of crushed timber, and his feet struck a ma

, reflecting on the situation. He

I cannot hear them. I do not know which it is, but I think it must be the

e the opening had been. The effort was too much for him. Strong as he was, the shock of the explosion had weakened him

. He lifted the miner's head gently, placing it in his own lap, after which he chafed the man's hands and forehead. The miner

rose in his throat. "This is not a life for the weak or

powder-man until, becoming dizzy from inhaling the p

he attention out there,"

humping on the broken timbers. The attempt was not very successful, for

l, Steve Began Be

ied. "Why did I not

an beating the timbers with

ught he caught an answering blow from the opposite side, but he did not hear it again.

s overcome by a roaring sound as if a great flood had been suddenly let loose. He did not understand what this meant. The

e matter with me. I'm get

nerveless fingers. Steve staggered, then collap