en?"

With this the speaker pointed to the eastern sky, and all eyes were
turned in that direction. From horizon to horizon it was spanned by a
glorious rainbow. One end rested on the opposite side of their own
valley, above the old workings of the mine, while the other was uplifted
on a lofty mountain-top. In the west the sun had broken through the
black rain-clouds, and was now sinking in a glory that passes
description.

CHAPTER XVII

IMPRISONED IN THE FLOODED MINE

Mr. Halford looked up from the paper that he was reading at the
breakfast-table in the pleasant Philadelphia home, and exclaimed,
"Here's an account of a terrible colliery disaster, wife; and I do
believe it is in Warren Jones's mine, the very one you and Nellie
visited a few days ago."

"Oh, husband, it can't be!"

"It certainly is, though. 'Raven Brook Colliery. Flooded last evening
just as men were about to quit work. Rushing waters cut off retreat of
nine men and boys, of whose fate nothing is yet known. Rest escape.
Water still rising. But little hope of a rescue. Following is list of
victims: Sterling, Evert, Tooley----'"

"Not Derrick Sterling, father, nor Paul Evert, nor Bill Tooley?"
interrupted Miss Nellie, as she left her seat and went to look over his
shoulder.

"Yes, my dear, those are the very names. Derrick, Paul, and Monk--not
Bill--Tooley; and here is something more about one of them:

"'Derrick Sterling, whose name appears among those of the victims, is
the only son of the late Gilbert Sterling, a mining engineer, formerly
well known in this city. The young man was seen at the foot of the slope
just before the final rush of waters. He might easily have escaped, but
went back into the mine in the vain attempt to save his friend Paul
Evert, a crippled lad. He fully realized the terrible risk he was
running, for his last words were, "If we don't get out, come and look
for us." This is a notable instance of modern heroism, and is an example
of that greatest of all love which is willing to sacrifice life for
friendship.'"

"Poor Derrick! Poor little Paul! Oh, it is too awful!" and
tender-hearted Nellie Halford burst into tears.

So all the world knew that Derrick Sterling was a hero, and that, alive
or dead, he was somewhere in that flooded mine. After that morning
thousands of people who had never heard his name before eagerly scanned
the daily papers for more news concerning him and the poor fellows whose
fate he was