" said one.

"He cannut say na fairer," said another.

But there were some who were not so easily appeased; and one of these
crushed his way through the crowd, and said:

"Mr. Ritson, we're not same as the bettermer folk, as can get credit for
owt 'at they want. We ax six days' pay because we have to do six days'
payin' wi' it. And if we're back a day in our pay we're a day back in
our payin'; and that means clemmin' a laal bit--and the wife and barns
forby."

There were murmurs of approval from the crowd, and then another
malcontent added:

"Times has changed to a gay tune sin' we could put by for a rainy day.
It's hand to mouth now, on'y the mouth's allus ready and the hand's
not."

"It's na much as we ha' gotten to put away these times," said the first
speaker. "Not same as the days when a pitman's wife, 'at I ken on, flung
a five-pound note in his face and axed him what he thowt she were to
mak' o' that."

"Nay, nay," responded the others in a chorus.

"Men, I'm not charging you with past extravagance," said Hugh Ritson;
"and it's not my fault if the pit hasn't done as well for all of us as I
had hoped."

He was moving away, when the crowd closed about him again.

"Mates," shouted one of the miners, "there's another word as some on us
wad like to say to the master, and that's about the timber."

"What is it?" asked Hugh Ritson, facing about.

"There be some on us 'at think the pit's none ower safe down the bottom
working, where the seam of sand runs cross-ways. We're auld miners,
maistly, and we thowt maybe ye wadna tak' it wrang if we telt ye 'at it
wants a vast mair forks and upreets."

"Thank you, my lads, I'll see what I can do," said Hugh Ritson; and then
added in a lower tone: "But I've put a forest of timber underground
already, and where this burying of money is to end God alone knows."

He turned away this time and moved off, halting more noticeably than
usual on his infirm foot.

He returned to his office near the pit-bank, and found Mr. Bonnithorne
awaiting him.

"The day is young, but I'm no sluggard, you know," said the lawyer. "I
thought we might want a word or two before the meeting at the Ghyll."

Hugh Ritson did not notice the explanation. He looked anxious and
disturbed. While stripping off his pit flannels, and putting on his
ordinary clothes, he told Mr. Bonnithorne what had just occurred, and
then added:

"If anything had been necessary to prove that this morning's bad
b