d in the door of the engine-room
giving orders.

The carriage was descending the shaft. When it came up it was loaded
with men. It went down again, almost with the rapidity of lightning
itself.

The engineer was crowding his servant of iron and steel to the utmost.
The men of the next load that came up had hardly time to push
each other from the carriage before it darted down again into the
blackness.

The flames were creeping lower on the shaft timbers, and were rioting
among the screens.

The engine-room was hot and stifling. The engineer said he was
hoisting the last load that could be brought out.

When it reached the surface Conway leaped from among the men and stood
in the door of the engine-room.

"Let it down again!" he shouted. "Ralph is below yet, the boy. I'll go
down myself an' git 'im."

He heard a crash behind him, and he turned in time to see the iron
roof of the carriage disappear into the mouth of the shaft.

The burning frame-work at the head had ceased to support it, and it
had fallen down, dragging a mass of flaming timbers with it.

Conway went out into the rain and sat down and cried like a child.

Afterward, when the storm had partially subsided, a wagon was stopped
at the door of the office near the burning breaker, the limp body of
Bachelor Billy was brought out and placed in it, and it was driven
rapidly away. They had found him lying on the track at the head with
the flames creeping dangerously near. He was unconscious when they
came to him, he was unconscious still. They took him to his room at
Mrs. Maloney's cottage, and put him in his bed. The doctor came soon,
and under his vigorous treatment the man lost that deathly pallor
about his face, but he did not yet recover consciousness. The doctor
said he would come out of it in time, and went away to see to the
others who had been injured.

The men who had brought the invalid were gone, and Mrs. Maloney was
sitting by him alone.

The storm had passed, the sun had come out just long enough to bid
a reassuring "good-night" to the lately frightened dwellers on the
earth, and was now dropping down behind the western hills.

A carriage stopped at Bachelor Billy's door and a moment later Mrs.
Burnham knocked and entered.

"I heard that he had suffered from the stroke," she said, looking at
the still form on the bed, "and I came to see him. Is he better?"

"He ain't come out of it yet, ma'am," responded Mrs. Maloney, "but
the doc