t should be understood,
includes the specific distinction of the "headsman," "half-marrow," and
"foal." The "headsman," taking the part of conductor, pushes behind.
The "half-marrows" drag at the sides with ropes; while a "foal" precedes
the train, also dragging by a rope. Mark, however, was not very long
employed in this laborious task, for the overseer, hearing of his
talent, appointed him to the duty of "crane-hoister." The term explains
itself. He had to hook on the "corves," and keep an account by chalking
on a board the number hoisted up. In this occupation he was able to
gain a pound a week. Some part of this he laid by, and with the other
he enabled his little sister to attend a respectable school in the
neighbourhood, where she made great progress, and showed a considerable
talent for music. Mark had by this time gained the esteem not only of
his companions but of the under-viewers, and was favourably known to the
viewer. On several occasions when his services had been required, he
had accompanied one of the under-viewers on his visits through the
mines. He thus traversed the main gallery, the side walks, and the old,
or abandoned works. In the latter the roof was propped up by
perpendicular posts and horizontal beams. In many places the beams were
so bent by the weight of the superincumbent earth, that it appeared they
must before long give way. In many places they had to creep on hands
and knees to pass through the old workings, which opened into others
farther on.

As they made their way along, the under-viewer showed him a fault in the
coal seam, and explained what it was. Coal seams generally run in a
parallel position with the various other strata for a considerable
distance, when, all at once, they abruptly terminate. This is marked as
plainly as if a wall had been built up at the end of the seam. Thus,
while on one side of the wall there is a thick seam of coal, on the
other there is a mass of rock. This break or fault was caused at some
remote period of the world's history by an internal convulsion. It is
known, however, that the seam will again be found, either at a higher or
lower level than the one first worked. To reach the seam a tunnel is
driven right through the rock, when sooner or later the seam is
discovered. In the present fault, a tunnel had been run through the
solid rock for fifty feet in length; and they might afterwards have to
follow up the seam, extending perhaps ha