thers, who never came; now the smoke began to show in
the west drive, and we knew the mine was fired, and yet we heard nought
from those above.

"But what I minded most of all was, that Jack was getting better. I
knew we could not well be lost right under the shaft, so I did not
swear and go on like some of them, because they did not mind us above.
When the basket came down at last, I and Jack went up among the first,
and there I saw such a sight, lad, as ye'll never see till ye see a
colliery explosion. There were hundreds and hundreds there. Most had
got friends or kin in the pit, and as each man came up, his wife or his
mother would seize hold of him and carry on terrible.

"But the worst were they whose husbands and sons never came up again,
and they were many; for out of one hundred and thirty-one men in the
pit, only thirtynine came up alive. Directly we came to bank, I saw
father; he was first among them that were helping, working like a
horse, and directing everything. When he saw us, he said, 'Thank the
Lord, there's my two boys. I am not a loser to-day!' and came running
to us, and helped me to carry Jack down the bank. He was very weak and
sick, but the air freshened him up wonderful.

"I told father all about it, and he said, 'I've been wrong, and thou'st
been wrong. Don't thou get angry for nothing; thou hast done a man's
work to-day, at all events. Now come and bear a hand. T'owd 'ooman will
mind the lad.'

"We went back to the pit's mouth; the men were tearing round the whim
faster than horses would a' done it. And first amongst 'em all was old
Mrs. Cobley, wi' her long grey hair down her back, doing the work o'
three men; for her two boys were down still, and I knew for one that
they were not with us at the bottom; but when the basket came up with
the last, and her two boys missing, she went across to the master, and
asked him what he was going to do, as quiet as possible.

"He said he was going to ask some men to go down, and my father
volunteered to go at once, and eight more went with him. They were soon
up again, and reported that all the mine was full of smoke, and no one
had dared leave the shaft bottom fifty yards.

"'It's clear enough, the mine's fired, sir,' said my father to the
owner. 'They that's down are dead. Better close it, sir.'

"'What!' screamed old Mrs. Cobley, 'close the pit, ye dog, and my boys
down there? Ye wouldn't do such a thing, master dear?' she continued;
'ye couldn'