Year: 1867

folks above without doing something; so felt i'm
patient that they lowered me at such snails pace
and kept looking up and down to measure the
distance yet to be trayersed. The shaft had never
seemed so deep to me before. I strained my eyes
into darkness below, and saw no bottom glanced
up, and the gleam of light grew smaller. [ scam
ned tie walls of the shaft, and marked only their
black bound. But my progress was notified by the
increasing density of the air. which began to affect
my breathing; and, as I went on, had to shiftmy
face from side to side to make little current At
last my feet touched the ground.


looked around as I jumped off the straddle,
and saw the furnace was out, which put stop to
the ventilation of the mine, as far as it depended
on the brattces, and no air entered but by the
shaft. The stencil was overpowering, and from
this and the silence, I guessed the worst. 1t was
plain that the explosion had killed the horses; for
not sound came from the stable, which was close
to the shaft and what hope could there be for hui
man beings in distant part of the pitt You may
be sure didn't stand to make these reflections; !;
they foated across me, and was working forward,
before they got through my mind. knew the old
mine bindfolded but what with foul smell and the
deep gloom, I was some minutes scrambling to the
top of the incline, keeping my arms stretched out
as went along, to feel for anything in the way
And it was lucky I did, or I should have dashed
my head against some empty trucks, and in the
state was in, that would have finished me- Thus
T reached the first gallery, which you could only
enter STOPPING. Ipushed open the trap door, and
went on a few steps, though my Davy lamp was
what pitmen call ''a6re'-the fame all being blue
and I knew the air was so much gunpowder.-
But stumbled along; if wasn't to save any
one, it didn't matter what became of myself, and
I pleased myself with the thought that Nelly would
hear I had died in the attempt. And then, all at
once, it came into my head what she had said a.
bout her brother Jack being in the pit This gave
my heart such turn that staggered, and the
perspiration poured from my forehead like water.
I rushed forward as if I was mad my foot struck
something; bent down over what seemed to be
corpse, and the gleam of the lamp fell on its face.
1t was Jack Glover I didn't know whether he
was alive or dead, but caught him in my arms,
and with the strength of giant and the speed Of
q deer-hardly conscious, hardly breathing-Imade
IA dash for the shaft.


1t was easier work going back, when you were
once in the main or horse road for now the shaft
was before you, instead of behind and though you
wouldn't think it, this made wonderful difference
in the light. Dark as pitch it still was, though
not to pitman's eyes, and had found out that
Jack breathed when reached the shaft. The dis
covery nerved me afesh, and kept all my senses at
work without my seeming to know it. I only felt
there soon would beanother explosion. So Iplaced
Jack on the straddle, and taking the rope from my
Davy lamp, tied him hand and foot, then pulled
the signal rope, and as rhe people above hauled
the tackle and lifted the straddle from the ground,
I hung on by my arms thus we began to mount
the shaft.


1t wasn't till we had got twenty feet up that I
felt the strain of standing on nothing, but from
that moment, it became just terrible My hands
seemed ready to snap; the ache in my arms spread
through every muscle my head spun around; my
feet kicked about in agony. watched the mouth
of the pit till my eyes swan, and as reckoned the
space between my strength waned and my misery
deepened, thought must drop before I reached
the top. Then they began to hoist faster. linus
tered all my strength 1 frightened my grip Of the
straddle, though my fingers were growing numb;
I steadied my feet and hardly trusted myself to
breathe. I could feel the purer air; heard
voices; and presently the tackle swung; strong
arms caught me round, and 1 was landed on the
bank.


They had Jack Glover off the straddle before
you could look round, and he was carried away,
while they raised my head and poured little bran
dy in my mouth. I called out for the viewer.


''What is it, Charley Batson2' he asked, bend
ing over me.


Everybody away from the pit, sir, said.


"You are right" he answered it will come in
minute or two.


They got me to the topof the bank, when Iheard
scream and there was Nelly, trying to throw her
self on her brother Jack, but kept back by the 9th
er women She never glanced round at me! l
wished then that had stopped in the pit, or let
myself drop from the bar, as I came up, and so es-
capped seeing her again But made up my mind
that I had looked on her for the last time. told
my helpers that could walk now, and when they
let go my arms, turned towards the moor, intend
ing to pick up my pack, and drag on at least to
the next village.


But could no more walk five miles than could
fly. When came to the pack sank down by it
and felt that must give up. was so heated, that
I thought there was now another explosion at the
pit, as expected and though it shook the ground
under me, didn't lift my head. All I thought of
was stretching out my arms and legs and lying
quiet. How long lay there never knew. But
by degrees I recovered little strength, and my
thoughts took more shape, when decided to re-
turn to my old lodgings and have days rest be-
fore set out on my wanderings.


The day passed and the night, and the next day,
was still in bed, the good people tending me like
child My limbs which had been racked with
pain, now felt easy, and was ready for start a
gain. But thought there would be opposition,
so I got up very quiet, and was putting on my
things, when the room door opened and to my
wonder, in came Jack Glover.


'Halloo, Charlie, here we are, " he cried, seizing
my hand and giving it hearty squeeze. "Who
would have thought ofu two being alive to-day?"


"Wen, jack" answered, II am glad for you,
but shouldn't have cared for myself


"How's that?' he asked.


because have something on my mind"


"Youl" he said, laughingy, and giving me a
little push. "Here, sit down and have apipe, and
it will all 60 off like the smoke"


II don't care if I never smoke pipe again." I