Down the Slope - Otis James

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is the one who should hear it first, but if the time is short speak to any of the bosses."

      Up to this moment Fred had thought only that he and Brace might insure their own safety; but now personal welfare seemed insignificant as compared with what might be done for others.

      Following closely behind Brace, that there might be no possibility of an involuntary separation, he walked on in silence until the leader suddenly halted with a cry of dismay.

      "What's the matter?" Fred whispered.

      "The villains have taken good care we sha'n't escape. The drift has been filled up this side of the doors."

      "Can't we dig our way through? They haven't had time to bring much stuff in here."

      "More than likely two or three loads of coal have been dumped, and then the doors were fastened. The drift has been worked out, and none of the bosses would come here in time to suspect mischief."

      "What can we do?"

      "Wait a bit till I make sure what's before us."

      Brace clambered upon the barrier, assured himself there was too much to be removed in the limited time at their disposal, and then came back to where Fred was waiting in painful suspense.

      "It must be the old shaft or nothing. Walk fast now for the minutes are going mighty quick."

      Alone, Fred would have had difficulty in retracing his steps, but Brace pushed forward as if it was possible to see every foot of the way, and when the chamber was reached immediately began forcing his body through the aperture which had seemed hardly large enough for Fred.

      Neither gave any heed to possible injuries, and the man's clothes were in tatters when they emerged on the opposite side of the wall to make their way with all speed along the tunnel.

      For a while the inclination of the path told Fred the proper direction was being pursued, and then it seemed as if they traveled an unusually long time over a road which appeared to be perfectly level.

      "Are you sure we are right?" he asked at length, seizing Brace by the arm to force him to halt.

      "I don't know anything about it. This part of the mine was closed before I ever heard of such a place as Farley's."

      "We should have continued going down hill until the shaft was gained."

      "Then we are off the track sure; but it can't be helped now, and there is little chance of finding our way back. The air isn't bad, and we'll keep on; it may be there is another slope beside the one about which I have heard."

      "We must be on the lower level."

      "I reckon we are."

      "And it can't be long before Billings will do as he threatened."

      "You're right."

      "Then we are certain to be drowned unless we can find a higher drift."

      "Yes, an' it'll be a clear case of luck if we strike one. Don't stop to talk now. We must go at full speed while the air is good."

      Seizing Fred by the hand, Brace started once more, and for the time being both forgot fatigue in this struggle for life. On with feverish energy they pressed, yet no glimmer of light broke the profound darkness. More than once each fell over the litter of timbers, but only to rise and struggle on again, until finally Brace halted.

      "It's no use," he said with a moan. "Each step now is carrying us lower. I remember hearing some of the old hands say the abandoned drifts were a hundred feet or so farther down the hill. We must be considerably below the deepest shaft."

      "Have you given up all hope?" Fred asked in a whisper, for while surrounded by the dense blackness the full tones of his voice sounded fearsome.

      "Ay, lad, all hope."

      "Try once more. There surely is a way out if we could only strike it!"

      "We may as well meet the water here. I've been in the mines long enough to know that this runnin' at random is worse than standin' quiet. When a man's time has come there's no use to fight."

      Fred could not urge him farther. The numbness of fear was upon him, brought by this sudden surrender of the man whom he had believed would be able to extricate them from the precarious position, and now he thought only of his mother.

      How long the two remained there silent and motionless neither ever knew. To Fred it seemed as if hours passed before Brace seized him by the arm as he cried at the full strength of his lungs:

      "Hello! Mate! This way!"

      Then he ran forward at full speed, dragging Fred with him, and shouting like an insane man all the while until finally the boy could see a tiny spark of light far in the distance.

      "It's some one looking for us," Fred cried.

      "Whether he's come for us, or is on business of his own, matters little since his light is burning."

      Then, as Brace ceased speaking, Fred heard a familiar voice shouting, and an instant later Sam Thorpe had grasped him by the hand.

      "Why, it's Bill's butty! What are you doing here?"

      "I came to look for the new breaker boy; I thought Skip's crowd had done him some mischief."

      "So they did, an' another set of scoundrels would have drowned us all out but for your coming."

      "What do you mean?"

      "There's no time for talkin' now. How did you get here?"

      "By an old slope that I stumbled across the other day. I found Fred's bundles near the shaft, and believed he had been let down there."

      "Go on the best you know how; I'll give you a bit of an idea about ourselves while we're walking."

      The gleam of the lamp Sam wore in his cap was sufficient to show the way, and by the time the entrance to the slope had been reached the butty boy knew the whole story.

      "Billings' gang won't be able to do anything till after the day shift go on, an' I think it would be a good idea to let the superintendent know what has happened. Why not stay here till I tell him part of the story?"

      "Go ahead," Brace replied. "We'll wait for you."

      "Will you tell my mother that I am all right?" Fred asked.

      "She shall hear of it first," Sam said, as he stole out into the open air, as if fearful of being seen.

      "Why didn't we go with him?" Fred asked when he was alone with Brace.

      "Because nobody knows how far the plan to flood the mine may have gone, and by showing ourselves the villains may begin the job too soon to be prevented."

      It was yet dark. Instead of having been imprisoned in the tunnels twenty-four hours, as Fred had believed, less than eight were passed there.

      That Mr. Wright believed the news Sam brought to be of vital importance was shown by his coming with the boy with the utmost speed, and on entering the shaft he said to Brace:

      "Tell me all you know about the plan to flood the mine."

      The story was given in detail, and at its conclusion Mr. Wright asked:

      "How do you happen to know so much about this thing?"

      "Because I belonged to the party till I found they meant murder."

      "Are you acquainted with all the members?"

      "No, sir; wasn't allowed. Billings allers let us understand there was a big crowd, but wouldn't let any besides the officers know about it; he said the men might give themselves away by talkin' if they found who was members."

      "Why do they wish to throw all hands out of employment by flooding the mine?"

      "Some of the bosses are too hard on 'em, sir, an' a good many think it's like sellin' theirselves to deal at the company store."

      "They should have come to me with their grievances; but it is too late to talk of that now, and immediate steps must be taken to prevent the mischief. It won't be policy for you to show yourself until my plans have been perfected, otherwise they would take alarm. The boy can go home, and I want him to be in the breaker

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