190

order to see the cut into the earth; and
I was beginning to repeat to Jenny the
explanations which the foreman had
given me, when suddenly a dull crack-
ing sound was heard a few steps from
us. Jenny turned round with an ex-
clamation of terror; almost at the same
instant the opening behind us was
crushed in, and we found ourselves buried
beneath the falling earth.

I cannot tell you, sir, how long I re-
mained stunned ; when I returned to my
senses I had undoubtedly extricated my-
self by instinct, as I found myself sitting
in the extremity of the passage, in utter
darkness, but free from injury.

I stretched out my hands in search of
Jenny ; she was extended at my feet,
motionless. I called her, for I dared
not stir. The poor girl hardly recovered
her senses ; at length as she appeared to
hear me; I felt that she was getting up,
and she asked me where we were ?

“Buried,” I answered, “in the exca-
vation.” .

She started, as if she recollected all,
and uttered acry. I advised her to be
silent, as by the sound of her voice she
might occasion some new concussion.
She was instantly hushed, and I heard
her weeping.

I too felt that my courage had almost
forsaken me; but I said to myself, that
it would be a shame to show my weak-
ness to Jenny, who had nobody but me
to support her. I therefore began to
comfort her as well as I could, by assu-
ring her that it would not be long before
we should be helped.

The hours, however, passed away
without bringing any change to our sit-
uation. ‘Twenty times I fancied that I
heard the strokes of the pick-axe, indi-

 

THE YOUTH’S CABINET.

cating that they were opening a passage
to us, and twenty times I perceived that
I was mistaken. At length I calculated
that night had arrived, and that the mi-
ners had ascended. It was impossible
that they should not have ascertained
the falling in of the passage, but no one

had seen us enter it; undoubtedly they

were ignorant that we were shut up
there, and many days might elapse be-

fore they would resume the task of re-

opening it. This apprehension took

away all my remaining strength. I

thought of my brave John, who had died
as I was about to die. I thought of my
sisters and little Richard, and my tears
flowed; only I wept softly, for fear of
afflicting Jenny.

The night passed, day came, but
nothing was seen. I began to feel very
hungry; I hunted for a morsel of bread
which I did not find the preceding eve-
ning, and I was about to put it into my
mouth when Jenny, who had been silent

for some time, said in a low tone,

“Tam very hungry.”

I thought that she was younger and
weaker than I, and I gave her the re-
mainder of my bread. But the hours
passed on, and the air was beginning to
fail us. Jenny soon began to talk, faster,
and faster, as if she was very feverish.
Sometimes she wept and cried for help ;
at other times she laughed and sung.
Her singing and laughing made me feel
worse than her tears, In the mean-
while I endeavored to keep up her pleas-
ant thoughts. She fancied herself in the
field, picking grains of corn from the ear
and holding straws, as she did formerly.
I had given her a nosegay of dried mint,
which I had found in my pocket, and
she said every minute, “Do you smell