The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-08-11
"And what does he do with il now?s
He goes out fishing sometimes. when he's
got the time. Sometimes he gives US a treat.
He took me out in il onee''
Did you like ita''


He goes out fishing sometimes. when he's
got the time Sometimes he gives US treat
He took me out in il once
did you like itsr'
''0h, yes"
Would you like to go again?v
''What-nows''
Yes, now. Suppose we take the boat and
pull out for a bit; it would be good fun-bet-
ter than staying here
She hesitated- There was evidently such
difference in the size of John Rudd and
me-
do come,' urged; THE oars are here
ready, and can pull as well as John Rudd. -
Sui she heSltated, but yielded finally. We
pushed out the boat together, and pulled
out on to the dead calm sea How pleasant
II was there, with the sun pouring its golden
beams upon us and the water smiling around
and gently tapping the boats side! Annie
took OF her gloves and traiied her fingers in
the water; then she leaned over and looked
down into the emerald depths below. while
my eyes again swept the prospect inland.
Everything was distinguishahle from the
sea, the low-lying flats stretching black and
desolate beneath the warm summer sky-the
village. which, from my present point of
vantage. seemed but a handful of houses
thrown in a hollow, just beyond the cottage
where destiny had placed me- l also per
ceived now that there were numerous other
cottages scattered about the moraSs. and
finally, that there was one large turreted
mansion rising up from belt of greenwood.
What house is thatT' / asked
That? Oh, that is the masters house"
THE master?''
Yes; Mr.. Redruth, the master of the mine
Besides that" she added, ''he's the master 70
the whole place"
Does he live there?'
Yes; good part of the year"
Anybody else%'
The mistress"
That's all?n
''Yes; except at holiday times, when the
young master comes home from school. He's
home nOJe."
Having suspicion in my mind. | asked
her what the young master was like, and she
gave me an accurate description of the boy l
had encountered few hours before. Isaid
nothing just then of my adventure; and. aft
er this, we fell To dreaming again. Annie
looked down into the sea, while watched
the shore, past which we were lazily drift
ing. Suddenly my eye was attracted to
huge black mass. which rose like an Ominous
shadow between me and the horizon. ask
ed Annie what it was, and she replied:
THE miner'
To her the word had world of meaning;
to me it had none. 1t simply awakened in
me keen desire for knowledge, which inn
mediately wanted TO crafty.
THE miner / said. Il never thought
about the mine before, or we might have
gone to see it, Wen pull in and go now;
shall we?''
To my amaZements she half rose from her
seat, and put out her hands, as if to stop me-
No, nor she cried, 1--WE won't go there
not to the miner
Her face was white, and she was trembling,
though she was wrapt in the suns rays as in
warm mantle of gold.
Whats the matter, Annie?' asked. Are
you afraid?''
''Yes, she said, Il am afraid of it, be-
cause l know it is cruel. 1t is like a great
black mouth; it seems to ask you TO come
down, and then it crushes YOU and you die
1 have seen strong men like my father 20
down into it happy and laughing, and then
afterward l have seen them brought up dead,
all so black and changed and dreadful. Oh,
don't talk about it, | can't bear itr'
She shivered again, and covered her eyes
with her trembling hand, as if TO shut out
the sight
During this conversation, had been pull
ing steadily onward, so that the boat was
now opposite the cliff surmounted by the
mine. | turned the boats bow shoreward;
then, after stroke or two, ] rested on my
oars and looked up.
We were now right below the cliff, and the
view from our point of vantage was strange
indeed.
On the very summit of the crags | saw the
mining apparatus overhanging the sea. First,
a chimney, smoking loftily at the top; then
another, smoking less loftily halfway down;
then, lower down, almost close to the sea in
fact third smoking chimney, connected
with what appeared to me TO be small min
ing office. On one side of the cliff, tall lad
ders were placed, to enable the miners to
ascend from, and descend 10, the store; and
he must have a sure foot and strong hand
who could comfortably tread those ladders,
round by round, the sea roaring under him,
and almost fiinging its spray after him as he
went higher and higher. Taking in the
whole external apparatus in one view, chains
and pulleys, chimneys and cottages, posts
and winding machines, seemed to be scatter
ed over the whole face of the cliff, like the
spreading lines of an immense spiders web,
while in some parts mules and their riders
were trotting up and down rocky track
where the pedestrian visitor would scarcely
have dared to tread.
turned giddy, even at sight of il. 1 rub
bed my eyes and looked again at my cousin.
Her trembling agitation had passed off,
and she was looking at me.
"It was silly of me to talk like that" she
said; ''but L can't help it. Sometimes, when
/ think O them poor men that have been
brought up, and remember that father is
there, it almost makes me sereamr'
''But there's no danger" l said. ''TlolCF'
There's always dangerF she returned.
Tom Penruddock said so, and told father,
but he only laughed. All, but Pve seen 9TH
ers laugh too-them as is lying now in the
ehurchyardp'
This conversation, sad as it was, had its
fascination for me. 1t made me want to
know more about the mystery of the mine.
What / saw indeed, was not the mine itself,
but only its outer machinery. The main
shaft, Annie told me, opened down into the
solid earth. from the. body of the cliff, and
was covered by trap-dOor, from which dizzy
ladders led down into the subterranean dark
ness.