I got into the entry out of the
way of danger. He tried to make me believe there was no danger. I was
hard to convince of that fact. There I lay stretched out on my side next
to the coal, he driving in the wedges, and the coal seeming to me to
be ready to drop at each stroke of the hammer. "Now listen," said
he, "while I knock on the coal once more." I listened. The sound was
altogether different from the first. "Now," said he, "the coal is about
ready to fall." It is necessary for the miner to know this part of his
business. It is by the sound that he determines when it is ready to
fall. If he is ignorant of this part of his work, he would be in great
danger of getting killed from the coal falling unexpectedly. "Well,"
said I, "if this coal is about ready to drop, had I not better get out
of here into the entry, so that I may be out of danger?" "No," was his
reply; "just crawl up behind that row of props and remain in the 'gob'
until after the coal falls." In obedience to his command I cheerfully
got up behind the props and embraced that pile of dirt. He struck the
wedges a few more blows and then darted behind the props out of danger.
No sooner had he got out of the way than the coal came thundering down.
"Now," said my room-mate "go out into the entry and bring in the buggy."
"All right." And out I went on my hands and knees. I soon found my way
into the entry, but found no buggy; so back I crawled into the room and
reported. At this my instructor crawled out to see what had become of
that singular vehicle known as a mining buggy. I followed after. I did
not want to remain behind in that coal mine. I did not know what might
happen should I be left there in that dark hole alone. After we had
reached the entry where we could stand erect my teacher pointed to an
object which lay close to our feet, and said to me, "Man, where are your
eyes?" "In my head," I calmly replied. "Do you see that thing there?"
"Of course I see that thing." "Well, that is the buggy." "Indeed!" I
exclaimed. "I am certainly glad to know it, for I never would have taken
that for a buggy." It had a pair of runners which were held in their
places by a board being nailed across them. On this was a small box; at
one end there was a short iron handle. On our knees we pushed the buggy
into the room, took up the hammer, broke up the coal into lumps we
could handle, filled up the small box, dragged it out into the entry and
emptied it into a heap. This is ca