The Blind Brother: A Story of the Pennsylvania Coal Mines

the boys' faces, "What, Tom, is it you? you and the blind brither? Ah! but it's

ne, in the power of this giant whose liberty he had sworn away, overcame his courage. But when the kindly voice and sympath

voice. It's the man 'at talked so k

r ye richt well." Then, turning to Tom, "Ye we

the first time since the me

Jack; "so we've little to do but wait. Sit y

the boys the story of his escape from the sheriff, and how his comrades had spirited him away into these abandoned wor

s when the

soon be a-comin' for ye. The miners ha' strong arms an' stoot herts, an' y

ight now?" a

t to mark the time by, but it

t struck him, "if they find you here,

ence. I ha' deserved it. I'd ha' no peace o' min' a-wanderin' o'er the earth a-keepin' oot o' the way o' the law. A

unching sound for a minute, and then a muffled cra

conversation, holding their minds as much

e with a basket of food and a couple of coarse blankets, and then they all went up to Bennie's doorway. Tom's oil was up there, and their lamps nee

h, he thought, to last, by economical use, during the following day.

seemed to be weak and nervous, to lie down on it and try to sleep. But the lad was very restless, and slept only at intervals, as, indeed

boys ate another portion of the food from the basket. But Jack did not touch it; he

s boyhood life in the old country, intermingling with them many a marvel

ading. Sometimes Jack went with him, but oftener he remained to talk with Bennie, who st

imly. More oil and a fresh wick were put

ic acid gas was escaping into the prison, adding, with terrible rapidity, to the amount produced by exhalati

n in his sleep, and finally awoke, cr

late in the second eveni

parts. It would be better to eat it, he thought, before actual sufferi

laid his portion

ust noo," he said. "Mayhap it'l

eam ran down through the airway, from w

ght wo

of rescue had no

y both b

he lifted the cover from the basket, and looked hungrily and longingly at the little portion o

us' na tak' it oot o' the m

s, and his eyes fixed on the sleeping lads. Then, straighten

id, aloud. "It'll b

pt for some hours, and who now arose and began a

ned to him to come and si

. Then, with a glance at the sleepin

rt distance, and sat down on a bro

oun' o' help yet. Na doot but they're a-workin', but it'll tak' lang to get here fra the time ye hear the first tappin'. The three

ne it. The three of us ought to a' fared alike-'cept, may

o' yours an' Bennie's. Ye s'all share what's i' the basket atween ye. 'Tain't much, but it'll keep ye up as long's the air'll support ye. It's a-gettin' b

upted Tom again. "'Tain't right to let y

on to this protes

father, lad; it's aboot Tom Taylor, an' how he cam' to his death. Ye'll no' think too hard o' me, Tom? It wasna the fall o

g at the man in terrified amazement. Then Jack

t time i' the Carbondale mine. But one day we quarrelled,-I've no call to say what aboot,-we quarrelle

loor o' the mine, crashin' up against the ragged pillars, strugglin' an' strainin' like mad-an' a' of a sudden, I

ghted it, an' when I lo

m; an' I wasna suspeckit. But I could na stay there; an' I wandered west, an' I wandered east, an' I took to drink, an' to evil deeds, an' at last I cam' back, an' I went in

hat I ha' fought over that fight i' the dark, an' felt that body a

seat again and buried

Tom's heart, and he sat down beside him

," he said, and repeated,

hile Jack

Tom; I've a reason for that. I've a bit o' money here, that I've saved along through the years, an' I've neither

nner pocket, a folded and wrap

it could be used for gettin' sight for the blin' lad, gin he lives to get oot. I told h

oo much amazed, and too

p from the region of the fall, and then, f

e money where they'll find it on

se to his

oin' to leave

's not knowin' what he does. Ye s'all no ha' that to fear fra me. Tom," grasping the

ye again-good-by-keep up heart; that's the gret thin

e passed down the airway, and out by the entrance where blind Bennie lay, still sleeping, and stoppe

aggering, with the shadow of his fate upon him, he passed out on the heading, and up into the new chambers, where the poisoned air was heavy with the

to the waiting-pl

the poplar tree outside; an' then Mommie she come up by the bed an' kissed me; an' then I thought, all of a sudden, I could see. O Tom, it was lovely! I could see Mommie a-s

, "Tom, do you s'pose if I should die no

ut you aint goin' to die; we'r

ill thinking of t

I'd just as lieve die-if o

ility of rescue; and discussed the subject long, and stimu

lained that Jack had gone away, to be by himself a while, and wanted them to eat what there

iting, and listening for sounds of rescue, and

Then Tom awoke, with a prickling sensation over his entire body, and a str

id Tom, to himself, "it'll m

said that he felt very sick, a

he awoke, with a start, and asked for water. After that, though oppressed wit

is own sufferings out of sight; sleeping a lit

little lamp burned round and dim, and the

of quiet than usual, there

om

s it, B

did J

he new c

g's he b

y or two,

om, is t

ar any thin

o' tappin,' tappin'

ing so wildly that he co

it any more,

ed; and by and by Bennie spoke again,

e faintest tap, tap, sounding, alm

caught it up, and hurried into the heading, and beat, half a dozen times, on the wall th

trokes, though he repeated them again a

tervals, and, once in a long while, a s

nd tried to speak cheeringl

utterance, too, had become thick and uncertain, and at times he seemed to be wand

all, the sound of pick and crowbar

was sure he had been heard, for the answe

nursed his hope, and fought off the drowsiness

imself. He no longer heard the sounds of

ain't it pretty!" Then, after a pause, "O Mom

he sounds of rescue th

reased; how the sharp teeth of hunger gnawed; how feebly burned the fla

roused to consciousness, when the brain itself

ll began to tremble with the heavy blows; but the hours went slipping by into the darkness, and, over the

O dear God, let Bennie