"Yees are superintindint and rule this mine," said Corrigan, "but you have no rule over min"s lives, and this is a matter of the grandest life upon the lode, and yees have no right to refuse us."
"Very well," said the superintendent; "if you men can be of any possible use you shall be sent down."
On a bit of paper he wrote a brief note, tied it to the frame of the cage and sent it down. When the cage disappeared in the shaft, he turned to the men and explained that he had been upon the surface but a few minutes; that long before a drift had been run off from the main gallery at the twenty-one hundred-foot level some fifty feet through ground so hard that it had never required timbering. At the farther end soft ground had been encountered and a stringer of ore. Following this stringer a lateral drift had been run some fifty feet each way. This lateral drift was timbered when it was run. No ore of any value having been uncovered the work was abandoned, and since then the drift had been used as a storage place for powder and candles. That morning the foreman had gone into this drift with a surveyor to establish some point which the engineer required. To a.s.sist the surveyor the foreman had stuck his candlestick into a timber and had gone with the surveyor to one end of this lateral drift.
Looking back they saw that the candle had fallen against the timber, which was dry as tinder.
It had caught on fire and the flame had already run up and was in the logging.
They rushed back, and though not seriously injured, were pretty badly scorched. All the miners in the mine were called to that point, and the work of putting out the fire, or of keeping it from connecting with the main drift, was begun. The superintendent was at the time on the twenty-four hundred-foot level. He had hastened to the spot at the first alarm. A donkey pump was at the twenty-one hundred-foot station, with plenty of hose. This was running within fifteen minutes. The fire, after burning a little way in each direction along the lateral drift, exhausting the oxygen in the air, ceased to flame and just burrowed its way through the timbers. This produced a dense and sifting smoke.
A heavy stream of water was turned into this drift, the superintendent directing the work until, under the heat and smoke, he had fainted and been brought to the surface.
Holding up the note which had come up on the cage, he said the man Brewster who was holding the nozzle of the hose had gone too far into the drift, under where the logging had burned away and had been caught in a cave, but the rest were working to release him.
The bell sounded again and in three minutes the cage shot out of the shaft. The paper which it brought had only these few words: "If you can send two (2) first-cla.s.s miners, all right, but not more. Any others would only be in the way. It is a very dangerous place, don"t send any but thorough men." This was signed by the foreman.
When the superintendent read the note the four men rushed forward, and for a moment their clamors were indescribable.
"It is my place to go," said Ashley. "I have as little to live for as any of you. Do not hold me back."
"Stand back," said Harding. "I would rather never go home than not to go with Brewster."
Seizing Harding by the arm, Carlin hurled him back, exclaiming: "Art crazy, boy? Your bark is but just launched; this is work for old hulks that are used to rocks and storms."
Over all the voice of Corrigan rang out: "Hould, men! This is me place.
Me life has been but a failure. I will make what amind I can," and he sprang upon the cage, and, seizing a brace with either hand, turned his glittering eyes upon his friends.
At length over the Babel the voice of the superintendent was heard commanding "Silence!"
"You all alike seem determined," he said, "but only two can go. You will have to draw lots to decide." This proposition was with many murmurs agreed to. The superintendent prepared four bits of paper, two long and two short ones. He placed the slips in his hat, and, holding it above the level of the men"s eyes, said: "You will each draw a slip of paper; the two who draw the long slips will go, the others will remain. Go on with the drawing!"
The long slips were drawn by Corrigan and Carlin. With smiles of triumph these two shook hands with the others, who were weeping. Said Corrigan:
"Whativer may happen, do not grave, boys. I will see yees again before night, or--I will see me mither."
The two men stepped upon the cage. In his old careless way, Carlin said: "Don"t worry about me, boys! I will come back by and by and bring Brewster, or I will know as much as Wright does before night."
With these words the two devoted men disappeared with the cage into the dreadful depths.
With bitter self-reproaches the two remaining men sat down and waited. A half hour went by, when the bell struck and the engine began to hoist.
The cage again bore only a slip of paper. This the superintendent read as follows:
"We have had another cave; another man is hurt; all the miners are much exhausted. Send a couple more men if possible."
The two men sprang upon the cage, the superintendent joined them, and they were rapidly lowered into the depths. Reaching the fatal level, they learned that Corrigan and Carlin, on going down, had insisted on taking the lead; that they had partly uncovered Brewster when another cave had come. It had caught and buried Corrigan, but Carlin, though stunned and bruised somewhat, had escaped. By this time the smoke had partially cleared, but the drift was intensely hot.
The superintendent again took charge. Timbers and heavy plank were brought. The drift was rapidly sh.o.r.ed up, and within an hour Harding and Ashley recovered the body of Corrigan.
There was very little rock over him, but he was quite dead. He had been struck and crushed by a boulder from the roof of the drift. He was bending down at the time, the boulder struck him fairly in the back of the neck and he must have died instantly.
Very soon Brewster"s body, too, was uncovered. He also was dead. He had been buried by decomposed rock, and had died from asphyxia.
The bodies were carried to the shaft; each was wrapped in a blanket, and that of Corrigan was placed upon the cage. The superintendent, with Carlin and two other miners, stepped on the cage and it was hoisted to the surface. It returned in a few minutes, and this time Brewster"s body was placed upon it, and Harding and Ashley, with two other miners, accompanied it to the surface.
In the daylight the faces of the dead were both peaceful, as though in sleep. The bodies were sent away to an undertaker, and as Brewster had been heard to say, at Wright"s funeral, that if he should die in the West, he would want his body sent East to be buried beside that of his wife, word was sent to the undertaker to try and get the coroner"s permission and then to embalm the body of Brewster.
The three remaining members of the Club were carried to their dreary home. Besides their sorrow, they were terribly exhausted. Harding had fainted once in the drift; Carlin was, besides being worn out, badly bruised, and Ashley was so exhausted that upon reaching the surface he was seized with chills and vomiting. The Professor, the Colonel and Alex were at the hoisting works when they were hoisted to the surface. They accompanied them home and remained, ministering to them until late in the night, when at last all were sleeping peacefully.
With the morning the desolateness of their situation seemed more oppressive than ever. Yap Sing had prepared a dainty breakfast, but when they entered the dining room and saw only three plates where a few days before there had been seven, it was impossible for them to eat a mouthful. Each drank a cup of black coffee, but neither tasted food.
Returned to the sitting room, it was determined to examine the effects of their dead friends. There was little in Corrigan"s bundles except clothing and a memorandum book. This book had $150 in greenbacks, and a great many memorandums of stocks purchased, extending over a period of three years. These, a few words at the bottom of the pages showed, had almost all been sold either on too short margins or for a.s.sessments.
Corrigan"s humor ran all through the book in penciled remarks. The following are samples:
"I had a sure thing; was the only mon in the sacret. I was but one and I caught it."
"I bate Mr. Broker mon. He bought for me on a fifty per cint margin, and it broke that fast he could not get out from below it."
"This was a certain sure point. Bedad, I found it that same."
"I took the Scorpion to my bosom and, the blackguard, he stung me."
"I stuck to Jacket until I had not a ghoust of a jacket to me back."
"I made love to Julia. She was more ungrateful than Maggie Murphy."
But between these same pages was found the letter Corrigan had received announcing his mother"s death, and this was almost illegible because of the tear stains upon it.
In Brewster"s trunk everything was found in the perfect order which had marked all his ways.
A book showed every dollar that he had received since coming to the Comstock; his monthly expenses, the sums he had sent his sister for his children, and his bank book showed exactly how much was to his credit.
Another paper was found giving directions that if anything fatal should happen to him, his body should be returned to Taunton, Ma.s.sachusetts, and if anything should be left above the necessary expenses of forwarding his body, the amount should be sent to his sister, Mrs.
Martha Wolcott, of Taunton, for his children. The paper also contained an order on his banker for whatever money might be to his credit, and a statement that he owed no debts. There were also sealed letters directed to each of his children. Another large package was tied up carefully and endorsed, "My children"s letters. Please return them to Taunton without breaking the package."
The bank book showed that there was eleven hundred and sixty-three dollars to his credit.
Brewster was a man that even death could not surprise. He was always ready.
When the examination was completed, Carlin suggested to Ashley that he take the book, call at the bank, see if the amount was correct and if the bank would pay it on the order found in the book.
Ashley hesitated. "There is something else, Carlin, that should be done, but I do not know how to go about it. That sister should be advised of her brother"s death, that she may communicate the news to Brewster"s children."
"I have been thinking of that ever since yesterday," said Carlin, "but I can not do it."
"I have been thinking of it, too," said Harding, "but by evening we can determine when the body will be sent and can include everything in one dispatch."
Ashley went away, leaving Carlin and Harding together.