opposite
direction. Barney had the light, and was looking for a place large
enough to hold them, when he heard Raeside running. He at once jumped
to the conclusion that Raeside had spotted a "square-head"--and he
started off to his assistance--Raeside heard some one coming on the
run, and he thought it must be the boss, so he went still faster. They
chased each other like this for about a mile. Then Raeside gave out:
and hiding his lamp, he hid in the first hole he came to. In a moment
along came Barney, puffing and blowing like a whale, and as he passed
Raeside saw who it was. Then the joke of it struck him, he called
Barney back, and the two of them sat down in the tunnel and laughed
till they were sore. The boss never found them, and I can imagine how
angry he was when he went back with his reinforcements and found his
prey gone. That night the boys told us the joke they had played on
themselves.

But our good time ended abruptly one Saturday when a mine inspector, or
"fire-stager" as he is called, came around on his tour of inspection,
and he found us hiding in a hole about three hundred yards from the
main road. We put out our pit lamps when we saw him passing, and he
didn't let on having seen us, so we couldn't tell whether he had or
not. He was too big a coward to tackle us alone, and we knew that if
he had discovered us he would go for help. We didn't know whether to
run or risk staying where we were, and while we were talking about it,
we heard the tramping of a lot of feet in the tunnel leading to our
hiding-place. It was too late to go now, we would have to face the
music. There were six of us, and Snipe suggested that if no more than
ten came we would stand and fight, but if there were more we had best
make a running fight and escape to some other part of the mine. We
decided to do this, and while we were waiting for them to come in we
filled our pockets with stones.

But the foreman had no intention of bringing his men in--he lined them
up, ten on a side, opposite the hole through which we must come
out--they were armed with sticks, pieces of heavy rubber hose, and
anything they could lay their hands on. After lining them up he made
them hide their lamps under the jackets so that we wouldn't be able to
see them when we came out. Then, when he got them fixed to his liking,
he very bravely marched in where we were and said, "Alle Englaender?"
We said, "Yes." He said, "You Schweinhunds!" At