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LESSON 3
ONE morning while the pitmen were at work in a coal mine, they heard a noise louder than thunder. In a moment every lamp was out, and men and boys threw down their tools and ran.
It is Tuesday morning. The men reach the bottom of the shaft,
and count their number. Five are missing, four men and one little trapper, Robert Lester. People above hear the noise, and rush to the pit’s mouth. The workmen are taken up. Othe agony of the wives and mothers of those who are left behind!
EXPLOSION IN A COAL MINE
Brave men go back to their rescue. They light their lamps and reach the crush.
There is nothing but a heap of ruins. They shout, but there is no answer. Up go pick-axes and shovels, to clear the way. It is great labour, and it involves great risk. Men flock from all quarters to offer their services. How they work!
Towards night they hear something. It is not a voice, but a tapping. It can just be heard. Clink, clink, clink, clink, clink! five times, and then it stopped. Clink, clink, five times again, and then it stopped. Five more, and then a stop.
What does it mean? One man guessed. There were flve missing, and the flve clinks showed that all the flve were alive, waiting for deliverance. A shout of joy went up in and above the pit.
How does it fare with the poor prisoners? They were frightened like the rest by that sudden and awful noise. Little Robert left his door and ran to the men, who well knew what it meant. Waiting till everything was quiet, they went forward to examine the passage-way Robert had left. It was blocked up. They tried another; that also was blocked up. Oh, fearful thought—they were buried alive!
The men went back to the boy. “I want to go home; please, do let me go home,” said little Robert. “Yes, yes, as soon as we flnd a way out, my little man,” said Truman, in a kind yet husky voice. The air grew close and suffocating, and they took their oil-cans and food-bags to one of the galleries
where it was better.
Truman and Logan, two of the buried hewers, were religious men. “Well, James, what shall we do next?” asked Truman. “There is but one thing we can do,” said Logan. “God says, ‘Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee.’”
They all knelt down. Poor little Robert cried bitterly. But as the pitmen prayed, —first the one and then the other, —their hearts grew lighter, and even the little trapper dried his tears.
They then got their pick-axes; but what a hopeless task it seemed, to cut through that terrible mass of earth and stones to daylight! Their hearts beat with hope and joy when they flrst heard the sound of their friends working on the other side. It was then that they made the clink, clink with their pickaxes, which was heard by their deliverers, and so much encouraged them in their work.
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday passed, and no rescue. What dark and dreadful days! Worse than all, the sounds beyond did not appear to draw nearer. At last Saturday came. Five days had passed; and the men outside knew that there was not an instant to lose. They were too anxious even to speak. It was only work, work, work, for dear life. For hours they had heard no signals. Were their poor comrades dead?
Suddenly the wall was pierced; a hole was made through it; feeble voices were heard.
“Truman, are you there?” “Yes, all here.”
“ All living? ” “Yes, thank God, all living. ”
“All living! all living!” shouted the men; and the shout went up to the mouth of the pit. When Robert’s father heard that his son was alive, the good news was too much for him, and he fell down senseless.
One hour more and the rescuers reached their comrades. Who can describe the meeting; or the joy and gratitude of wives, mothers, and friends, as one and another were brought up to the light? Here comes Mr. Lester with Robert in his arms! What a huzza rent the air as they came in sight. “Safe! safe! God be praised!”
What noise was heard in the coal mine? What did every one in the pit do when it was heard? How many were ascertained to be missing? What did the men who had escaped do? What noise did they hear towards night? What did it mean? What did the prisoners do when they found that the passages were all blocked up? What did Truman and Logan do? When were they rescued? How long had they been shut in? How was Robert’s appearance greeted?
Tues´-day pris´-on-ers re-lig´-ious in´-stant
ag´-o-ny fright´-ened ter´-ri-ble com´-rades
de-liv´-er-ance ex-am´-ine en-cour´-aged de-scribe´
res´-cu-ers suf´-fo-cat-ing dread´-ful grat´-i-tude
An explosion in a coal mine blocked up the passages with earth and stones. Four men and a boy were shut in.
Their comrades began at once to clear a way for them. On the fi fth day, they were all taken out alive.