The Colonel walked back and forth in an agitated way, and held his head between his hands. “My God, it will drive me crazy,” he exclaimed, “if the work is not finished.” Louise was startled at his manner. She noticed that he appeared older than ever before, and condemned herself for not giving him more encouragement and help.
“Father, how can I help you?” she asked, imploringly.
“There is no way, my precious little child; come here to me.” He seated himself and she nestled on his lap.
“To-morrow morning, father,” said she, “now listen, for I am going to have my way—to-morrow morning I am going with you down to the 500 foot level and help you with the work. I’m not afraid, and I’m very strong, too.”
“Why, what would Mr. Gilder say if he knew my little girl was down in a mine workin’.” said the Colonel, half amused at her earnestness, while he pressed her close and closer to him.
“Mr. Gilder?” repeated Louise, looking dreamily into the bed of red coals in the open grate, “we won’t tell him. How heroic it was of him to give you every dollar he had in the world! Tell me, father, do you think any one else would have done so much?”
“No, suh,” replied the Colonel, “there’s betteh blood cou’sin’ through his veins than any man I eveh saw. To be sure, he’s a nawth’n man—that is, he was bawn in the nawth; but even the old state of Virginia neveh produced a manlier man.”
True to her promise, the next morning found Louise with her father in the drift shaft, 500 feet underground. They had carried with them a well-filled lunch basket, and worked with a determination born of despair. Holes were drilled deep in the solid rock and filled with giant powder, then after lighting the fuse, they would retreat until the blast resounded in hollow mockery through the caverns of the earth. No sooner would the smoke clear away than they would drill again.
While Louise was drilling and putting forth all her strength in work that would have tried the courage of the hardiest miner, her father would take turns with her, and again he would measure the distance from the shaft to see how much farther they had to drift.
It was late in the evening, and they had been working on some time in silence, when the Colonel, after making a last measurement, shouted out in the stillness, “Well finish it to-night! Bring the powdeh, while I drill!” and presently another blast resounded like a death knell to hope, tearing away great sections of the adamantine rock. On, on they worked—drilling and blasting.