slate and rubbish by the end; but even though the railway
had a siding close up to it, and a number of trucks were standing
waiting, I did not realise what the place was till Uncle Jack said:

"First time you've seen a coal-pit, eh?"

"Is that a coal-pit?" I said, looking at the place more eagerly.

"Those are the works. Of course you can't see the shaft, because that's
only like a big square well."

"But I thought it would be a much more interesting place," I said.

"Interesting enough down below; but of course there is nothing to see at
the top but the engine, cage, and mouth of the shaft."

That brightened me up at once. There was something to think about in
connection with a coal-mine--the great deep shaft, the cage going up and
down, the miners with their safety-lamps and picks. I saw it all in
imagination as we dashed by another and another mine. Then I began to
think about the accidents of which I had read; when men unfastened their
wire-gauze lamps, so that they might do that which was forbidden in a
mine, smoke their pipes. The match struck or the opened lamp set fire
to the gas, when there was an awful explosion, and after that the
terrible dangers of the after-damp, that fearful foul air which no man
could breathe for long and live.

There were hundreds of thoughts like this to take my attention as we
raced on by the fast train till, to my surprise, I found that it was
getting dark, and the day had passed.

"Here we are close to it," said Uncle Jack; "look, my lad."

I gazed out of the window on our right as the train glided on, to see
the glare as of a city on fire: the glow of a dull red flickered and
danced upon the dense clouds that overhung the place. Tall chimneys
stood up like black stakes or posts set up in the reflection of open
furnace doors. Here a keen bright light went straight up through the
smoke with the edges exactly defined--here it was a sharp glare, there a
dull red glow, and everywhere there seemed to be fire and reflection,
and red or golden smoke mingled with a dull throbbing booming sound,
which, faintly heard at first, grew louder and louder as the train
slackened speed, and the pant and pulsation of the engine ceased.

"Isn't something dreadful the matter?" I said, as I gazed excitedly
from the window.

"Matter!" said Uncle Jack laughing.

"Yes, isn't the place on fire? Look! Look! There there!"

I pointed to a fierce glare that seemed to reach up into the