f his fright, and they laughed at him.

"He's heerd t' mine a-talking, and got skeert at her voice," said one.

"She's allus a-cracklin' an' a-sputterin' when she's uneasy and workin'
hersel' comfortable like; don't ye know that, lad? It's only a
'squeeze.' Sich noises means naught but warnin's to put in a few new
timbers here and there," explained another, more kindly. He was an old
man, in that his cheeks were sunken and his hair was gray, though he had
lived less than forty years. This is counted old among miners, for their
terrible life and the constant inhaling of coal-dust ages them very
rapidly. Seeing him thus aged, and feeling that he would be less likely
to ridicule him than the others, Derrick ventured to ask him if there
was really any danger of a general caving in of that part of the mine.

"Hoot, lad! there's allus danger in t' mine," was the reply. "But if ye
mean is there more now than ordinary, I'd answer ye 'No.' It's a common
thing this squeezing and settling of a mine, and times there's men
killed by it, but more often it's quieted without harm bein' done. No,
no, lad; haud ye no fears! I'd bid ye gang oot an' I thocht ye war in
danger."

Although Derrick was greatly comforted by these words, he could not help
dreading to hear more of the rock explosions, which are caused by the
roof, walls, and pillars of the mine giving slightly beneath the vast
crushing weight of material above them. When he reached Paul Evert's
station, and found that the crippled lad had heard some of the same loud
snappings and crackings, but was not alarmed at them, he felt ashamed of
his own fears, and casting them entirely aside, asked to see what the
other was drawing.

Paul was very fond of drawing with a pencil, or bit of charcoal, or
anything that came to his hand, on all sorts of surfaces, and really
showed great skill in his rude sketches of the common objects about him.
Since coming into the mine he had found more time to indulge his taste
than ever before; and though his only light was the wretched little lamp
in his cap, he had produced some beautiful copies of the dainty ferns
and curious patterns imprinted on the walls about him. He had also
afforded Derrick great amusement by making for him several sketches of
Socrates the wise rat in various attitudes. Until this time he had never
hesitated before showing his friend any of his efforts, but now he did,
and it was only after much urging that he reluctantly han