the roof, and they must clamber over it. In another
place a quantity of waste material had so dammed a ditch that for nearly
a quarter of a mile the gangway was flooded with cold, black water,
through which they had to wade. It was above their knees, and, filling
their rubber boots, made them so heavy as to greatly impede their
progress. In several places where the old timber props had rotted out,
such masses of rubbish choked the gangway that they were compelled to
crawl on their hands and knees for long distances through the low spaces
that were still left. Once they were on the point of turning back, but
animated by the importance of their errand they kept on, cheering each
other with the thought that they would not be obliged to come back this
same way in order to leave the mine.

During the earlier portion of the journey, as they encountered these
obstacles, the mine boss urged, almost commanded, Derrick to go back and
leave him to continue the undertaking alone. In spite of some faults the
lad was no coward, and he begged so earnestly to be allowed to keep on
that the other consented, on condition that no greater danger presented
itself.

At length they had overcome so many difficulties that the road behind
them fairly bristled with dangers, and the young man felt it would be an
act of cruelty to send the boy back to encounter them alone.

Now and then, as they crawled over piles of fallen debris, and there was
but little space between them and the roof, the flames within their
safety-lamps burned faint and blue, and they breathed with great
difficulty. The mine boss knew they were passing through spaces filled
with the deadly "fire-damp," and he urged Derrick to make all possible
haste towards more open places where they could keep below its
influence.

They passed through a door in a fair state of preservation, but fairly
covered with the pure white fungus growth of glistening frost-like
sprays, which in the mine are called "water crystals." Everywhere were
the signs of long neglect and decay, and unenlivened by the cheering
sounds of human toil the place was weird and awful. The very drippings
from the roof fell with an uncanny splash that struck a chill into
Derrick's heart. Long before they reached the end of their journey he
regretted having planned and proposed it; but he bravely kept his fears
and regrets to himself, and plodded sturdily on behind his companion. As
for the latter, his thoughts were als