ng one of the old levels. Their progress here was very different
from what it had been. Evidently the former miners had not thought it
worth their while to open up a wide passage for themselves, and Oliver
found it necessary to twist his broad shoulders into all sorts of
positions to get them through.

The first level they came to in this part was not more than three feet
high at the entrance.

"A man can't hold his head very high here, sir," said his guide.

"Truly no, it is scarce high enough for my legs to walk in without any
body above them," said Oliver. "However, lead the way, and I will
follow."

The captain stooped and made his way through a winding passage where the
roof was so low in many places that they were obliged to bend quite
double, and the back and neck of the young doctor began to feel the
strain very severely. There were, however, a few spots where the roof
rose a little, affording temporary relief. Presently they came to the
place where the men were at work. The ground was very soft here; the
men were cutting through _soft_ granite!--a condition of the stone which
Oliver confessed he had never expected to see. Here the lights burned
very badly.

"What can be the matter with it?" said Oliver, stopping for the third
time to trim the wick of his candle.

Captain Dan smiled as he said, "You asked me, last night, to take you
into one of the levels where the air was bad--now here you are, with the
air so bad that the candle will hardly burn. It will be worse before
night."

"But I feel no disagreeable sensation," said Oliver. "Possibly not,
because you are not quite so sensitive as the flame of a candle, but if
you remain here a few hours it will tell upon you. Here are the men--
you can ask them."

The two men were resting when they approached. One was old, the other
middle-aged. Both were hearty fellows, and communicative. The old one,
especially, was ruddy in complexion and pretty strong.

"You look well for an old miner," said Oliver; "what may be your age?"

"About sixty, sur."

"Indeed! you are a notable exception to the rule. How comes it that you
look so fresh?"

"Can't say, sur," replied the old man with a peculiar smile; "few miners
live to my time of life, much less do they go underground. P'raps it's
because I neither drink nor smoke. Tom there, now," he added, pointing
to his comrade with his thumb, "he ain't forty yit, but he's so pale as
a ghost; though he is