Page:Poet Lore, volume 28, 1917.djvu/532

 one who is warned should not go below during the three following days.

Tonicka.—Something always happens. Sister Frantiska plead and begged my brother-in-law not to go to work that day. But all in vain; he didn’t want the men to laugh at him about his superstititon, so he would not be persuaded. Then my sister ran to the mine, and begged the superintendent to let her husband stay at home for at least one day. But there, they only laughed at her. And one coarse fellow asked her whether too much whiskey had not brought out the apparition. Sister, humiliated with shame, ran away from them, because her husband never took a drink. And so he went down, and three hours later, on the exact spot where he received his warning, there was a terrible cave-in, and fifty men were killed. Only you came out of it alive.

Brouzda.—Only I, and three others with me. I had just gone off, trundling a wheelbarrow close to the shaft. For some unknown reason, I turned around, and suddenly I saw, as though from a miner’s lamp,—I believe it came from your brother-in-law’s,—a flame shooting up. It mounted higher and higher. It seemed strange to me. Then I noticed how a fog was gathering around that light. I began to fear that all was not well. I wanted to cry out, or shout a warning. But already there was one wide circle of flame, then a shock which roared throughout the mine like a thousand peals of thunder, darkness followed and in another second, the rocks came crashing down as the mine caved in. By chance, I must have leaped aside to escape the crash, or else the explosion itself must have flung me close to the shaft. I remained alive.

Tonicka.—And those good people lost their lives.

Brouzda (Gulping down the last mouthful, comically).—My Guardian Angel flutters his wings right over me!

Tonicka.—I pray you, Brouzda, do not anger the Lord!

Brouzda.—Well, well! And where would man be without the aid of Providence? Your poor sister paid for the shock with her life, and left three children, and you took them all.

Tonicka.—And who would take them if not we? They had no other kin.

Brouzda.—What of that! Three mouths to feed make three!

Tonicka.—Well, we surely could not leave them to the mercy of strangers, or to die of hunger! Our neighbor has eleven children, and somehow they manage to keep from starving.