ate_ pitch," read the manager, giving the details of
it in terms somewhat similar to those already sett, and stating that the
required "pare," or force to be put on it, was two men and a boy.

"Put me down for it," said Maggot.

"Have you got your pare?" asked Mr Cornish.

"Iss, sur."

"Their names?"

"David Trevarrow and my son Zackey."

The pitch was allocated in due form at the rate of fifteen shillings per
twenty shillings' worth of mineral sent up--this large sum being given
because it was not known to be an unusually good pitch--Penrose having
been too ill to speak of his discovery since his accident, and the
captain having failed to notice it. When a place is poor looking, a
higher sum is given to the miner to induce him to work it. When it is
rich, a lower sum is given, because he can make more out of it.

Thus the work went on, the sums named varying according to the nature of
the ground, and each man saying "Naw," or "Put me down," or "That won't
do," or "I won't have her," according to circumstances.

While this was going on at the window, another and perhaps more
interesting scene was taking place in the office. This apartment
presented a singular appearances. There was a large table in the centre
of it, which, with every available inch of surface on a side-table, and
on a board at the window, was completely covered with banknotes and
piles of gold, silver, and copper. Each pile was placed on a little
square piece of paper containing the account-current for the month of
the man or men to whom it belonged. Very few men laboured singly. Many
worked in couples, and some in bands of three, five, or more. So much
hard cash gave the place a wealthy appearance, and in truth there was a
goodly sum spread out, amounting to several hundreds of pounds.

The piles varied very much in size, and conveyed a rough outline of the
financial history of the men they belonged to. Some large heaps of
silver, with a few coppers and a pile of sovereigns more than an inch
high, lying on two or more five-pound notes indicated successful labour.
Nevertheless, the evidence was not absolutely conclusive, because the
large piles had in most cases to be divided between several men who had
banded together; but the little square account-papers, with a couple of
crowns on them, told of hard work and little pay, while yonder square
with two shillings in the centre of it betokened utter failure, only to
be excelled by anothe