canst always quit thy post when the first
man comes through on his way out. Hast felt it lonely, lad?"

"Not a bit, dad."

"That's strange too," Bill said. "Most young boys finds it awful lonely
o' first. I know I thowt that first day were never coming to an end.
Weren't frighted at t' dark?"

"I thought it was onnatural dark and still the first ten minutes," Jack
admitted honestly; "but arter the first set o' corves came along I never
thawt no more about the dark."

"Here we are at the shaft, joomp in, there's just room for you and me."

CHAPTER V.

SETTING TO WORK.

A week after Jack Simpson had gone to work in the "Vaughan" there was a
knock one evening at the door of the schoolmaster of the Stokebridge
National School.

"Please, Mr. Merton, can I speak to 'ee?"

"What, is that you, Jack Simpson!" the schoolmaster said, holding the
candle so that its light fell upon the boy before him. "Yes, come in, my
boy." The lad followed him into the parlour. "Sit down, Jack. Now what
is it? Nothing the matter at home, I hope?"

"Noa, sir. I wanted to ask 'ee what books I orter read, so that I may
grow up a clever man?"

"Bless me, Jack," Mr. Merton said, "why, I never expected this from
you."

"Noa, sir, but I ha' made up my mind to get on, and I means to work
hard. I ha' been told, sir, that if I studies at books in all my spare
time, and saves my money, and works well, I may get up high some day;"
and the boy looked wistfully up in the master's face for a confirmation
of what had been told him.

"That's quite right, Jack, whoever told you. Hard work, study, thrift,
and intelligence will take any lad from the bottom of the tree to the
top. And you are quite in earnest, Jack?"

"Quite, sir."

The schoolmaster sat in silence for a little time.

"Well, my boy, for a bit you must work at ordinary school-books, and get
a fair general knowledge, and be careful to observe the way things are
expressed--the grammar, I mean; read aloud when you are alone, and try
in speaking to get rid of "thees" and "thous," and other mistakes of
speech. I can lend you ordinary school-books, fit for you for the next
four or five years, and will always explain any difficulties you may
meet with. The books you will want afterwards you can buy second-hand at
Wolverhampton or Birmingham. But there will be time to talk about that
hereafter. What time have you to study? You have gone into the Vaughan
pit, have you not?"

"Yes,