mates called him, was at that
time the "lander" in charge of the kibbles at the surface. It was his
duty to receive each kibble as it was drawn up to the mouth of the shaft
full of ore, empty it, and send it down again. Several coils of chain
passing round the large drum of a great horse-windlass, called by the
miners a "whim," was the means by which the kibbles were hoisted and
lowered. The chain was so arranged that one kibble was lowered by it
while the other was being drawn up. Frankey had emptied one of the
kibbles, and had given the signal to the boy attending the horse to
"lower away," when he inadvertently stepped into the shaft. With ready
presence of mind the man caught the chain and clung to it, but the boy,
being prevented by a pile of rubbish from seeing what had occurred,
eased him down, supposing him to be the kibble!

This "easing down" a great number of fathoms was by no means an easy
process, as those know well who have seen a pair of kibbles go banging
up and down a shaft. It was all that poor Frankey could do to keep his
head from being smashed against rocks and beams; but, by energetic use
of arms and legs, he did so, and reached the bottom of the shaft without
further damage than a little skin rubbed off his knees and elbows, and a
few cuts on his hands. The man thought so little of it, indeed, that he
at once returned to grass by the ladder-way, to the unutterable surprise
and no little consternation of the boy who had "eased him down."

The air at the "end" of the level in which Maggot and Trevarrow worked
was very bad, and, for some time past, men had been engaged in sinking a
winze from the level above to connect the two, and send in a supply of
fresh air by creating a new channel of circulation. This winze was
almost completed, but one of the men employed at it had suddenly become
unwell that day, and no other had been appointed to the work. As it was
a matter of great importance to have fresh air, now that they had
resolved to remain day and night in the mine for some time, Maggot and
Trevarrow determined to complete the work, believing that one or two
shots would do it. Accordingly, they mounted to the level above, and
were lowered one at a time to the bottom of the unfinished winze by a
windlass, which was turned by the man whose comrade had become unwell.

For nearly two hours they laboured diligently, scarce taking time to
wipe the perspiration from their heated brows. At the