men, only to find how hopeless it all was; for
occasionally huge falls continued to come away, and it seemed useless to
attempt anything till more help was procured.

Andrew hurried off to the bottom and overtook Robert, sending back
others to help, and he ascended the shaft and was off to break the news
to Mrs. Sinclair; after which he returned to the pit, determined to get
out all that remained of Geordie and the boy John.

CHAPTER X

HEROES OF THE UNDERWORLD

Matters were now much easier and more comfortable for Geordie Sinclair
and his wife. They had long since added another apartment to their
house, and the "room" was the special pride of Nellie, who was gradually
"getting a bit thing for it" just as her means permitted. They had two
beds in each apartment, and the room was furnished. Mrs. Sinclair had
long set her mind upon a "chest of drawers," and now that that
particular piece of furniture stood proudly in her room, much of her day
was given to polishing it and the half-dozen stuffed bottomed chairs,
which were the envy of every housewife in the village. A large oval
mirror stood upon the top of the drawers, and was draped with a piece of
cheap curtain cloth, bleached to the whiteness of new fallen snow.

This mirror was a much-prized possession, for no other like it had ever
been known in the village. The floor was covered with oilcloth, and a
sheepskin rug lay upon the hearthstone, while white starched curtains
draped the window. The getting of the waxcloth had been a wonderful
event, and dozens of women had come from all over the village to stand
in gaping admiration of its beauty. This was always where Mrs. Sinclair
felt a thrill of great pride.

"Ye see," she would explain, "it's awfu' easy to wash, and a bit wipe
owre wi' soap an' watter is a' it needs."

"My, how weel aff ye are!" one woman would exclaim, "I'm telt that ye
maunna use a scrubbin' brush on't, or the pattern will rub off."

"Oh, ay," Nellie would laugh with a hint of superior wisdom in it.
"Ye'll soon waste it gin ye took a scrubber to it. An' ye maunna use
owre hot water to it either," she would add.

"Oh my!" would come in genuine surprise. "Do you tell me that. Eh, but
you're the weel-aff woman now, to hae a room like that, an' rale
waxcloth on the floor!"

"I thocht it was a fine, cheerie bit thing," Nellie would say. "It mak's
the hoose ever so much mair heartsome."

"So it is," would come the reply. "It's a fine,