n all of them rails were laid down for the waggons
to run on, and on each side were seams of coal, in some places narrow
near the top, in others close to the ground, and in some there was coal
from the top to the bottom. At the entrance of these side galleries
were doors which had generally to be kept shut, and were only opened
when the waggons, loaded with coal or returning empty, had to pass
through. After Simon and Mark had proceeded a couple of miles along the
main gallery, they stopped at one of these doors. "This is to be your
post, Mark," said Simon.

"When you hear the waggon coming, you are to open the door, and as soon
as it is passed to shut it. Mind you don't go to sleep. You'll be in
the dark, but that won't hurt you, and if you feel anything running by,
you'll know it's only a rat. It won't touch you while you are awake. I
began my life in this way, so must you. There, go and sit down in that
hole cut out for you. When you hear the rolley coming, pull that rope,
which will open the door. There, now, you know what to do. Take care
that you do it," and Simon, leaving his nephew, proceeded on to the
farther end of the working. He then commenced operations on a new
cutting which the under-viewer had marked out for him in the side of the
gallery. It was about three yards square, and was to be about four feet
six inches back under the bed of coal, he began by hewing away about two
feet six inches from the ground and working upwards, cutting out the
coal with his pick, shovelling it into a large corve or basket which
stood at hand ready for the reception of the lumps. At first the work
was tolerably easy, as he could stand upright and swing his pick with
all his force. As he got deeper and deeper into the bed, he had to fix
a strut or post with a cross beam to support the weight of the roof, and
he had to get the coal out by stooping down low or resting on his knees.
Finally he had to work lying down on one elbow, swinging his pick over
his head with the other arm in a way a miner alone could have used it.

Occasionally the boy called the putter came by, shoving a rolley or
little band-waggon before him. On to this the full corve was lifted and
the empty one left in its place. Sometimes he proceeded by cutting a
space on each side of the square bed of coal, from the roof to the
floor. He then bored a hole in the middle of the block, into which he
rammed a charge of gunpowder, and having lighted