in respirators. The men will have to use electric cap lamps, of
course, but I've a big supply in the car."

Back into the poisoned air the miners went. That strain soon tested
out the men, and, as the old miner had said to Clem, a week before,
the young men and the single men were compelled to give up, first. Old
Otto stood up to his work with the best of them, but forty minutes at
a stretch was as long as any of the men could stand.

On Tuesday night, the rescuers working out from the up-take shaft
broke through the obstruction into the North Gallery. The three men
who had been imprisoned there were found asleep, close to the sleep
that knows no waking, terribly poisoned by the lack of oxygen.

The mine doctor, who had been waiting at the face until the moment of
breaking through, was the first through the hole. Rapidly he examined
the unconscious men.

"One's nearly gone," he shouted back, "but I reckon we can save all
three!"

A mighty cheer rolled through the galleries at the news that the North
Gallery men were saved. It was echoed at the shaft and above ground.

Without loss of time, the men were brought to the open air and rushed
to the mine hospital. Two hours passed before the first of them
recovered consciousness.

The geophone expert was at his bedside, waiting impatiently.

"Have you been knocking any signals lately?" he asked, eagerly, as
soon as the survivor was able to speak.

"No," the miner answered feebly, "we'd gave up. Thought it wasn't no
use."

"I heard knocking again this morning," the expert announced. "The men
at the far galleries must be alive still!"

Wednesday saw no diminution of the endeavor, but more than half the
miners of the rescue crews were down and out, suffering to a greater
or lesser degree from the terrible strain of the short shifts in the
deadly mixture of fire damp and white damp. Yet volunteers were as
plentiful as ever, for both the mine managers and the miners of
neighboring collieries stood ready to help.

By Wednesday night came the cheering news that the roof overhead was
more solid and that the rock fall had not broken in the floor. The
cars rattled in and out, a car to each shaft in less than three
minutes, loaded and pushed by willing hands. With the North Gallery
men saved, both shafts had been set hauling the debris from the
galleries leading to where Clem, Anton, and Jim were imprisoned.

At breakfast time, Thursday morning, just at the change of shi