ATTACKED BY ENEMIES, AND LOST IN THE MINE
Although Derrick was terribly frightened by the explosion, and
considerably bruised by the shower of rocks and coal that followed it,
the car had so protected him that he was not seriously hurt. Had his
mule started forward the heavily loaded car must have run over and
killed him. Fortunately Harry was too experienced a miner to allow such
a trifling thing as a blast to disturb his equanimity, especially as the
two false starts already made had placed him at some little distance
from it. To be sure, he had shaken his head at the flying bits of coal,
and had even kicked out viciously at one large piece that fell near his
heels. The iron-shod hoof had shattered the big lump, and sent its
fragments flying over Derrick, but in the darkness and confusion the boy
thought it was only part of the explosion, and was thankful that matters
were no worse.
As Derrick cleared himself from the mass of rubbish that had fallen on
him, and staggered to his feet, he was nearly suffocated by the dense
clouds of powder-smoke from the blast. He was also in utter darkness,
both his lamp and that of Harry Mule having been blown out. In his
inexperience he had not thought to provide matches before entering the
mine, and now he found himself in a darkness more dense than any he had
ever dreamed of, without any means of procuring a light. His heart grew
heavy within him as he realized his situation, for he had no idea
whether the miner who had played so cruel and dangerous a trick upon him
would return or not.
An impatient movement on the part of Harry Mule suggested a plan to him.
Casting off the chain by which the mule was attached to the car, and
holding the end in his hand, he said, "Go on, Harry, and take me out of
this place." At this command the intelligent animal started off towards
the junction as unhesitatingly as though surrounded by brightest
daylight, and Derrick followed.
They had not gone far before they met Monk Tooley, leisurely returning
to the scene of his labors.
"Hello! Mr. Mule-driver," he shouted, "what are you a-doing here in de
dark, an' how do yer like mining far as ye've got? Been studying de
effect of blarsts, and a-testing of 'em by pussunal experience?"
Derrick felt a great lump rising in his throat, and bitter thoughts and
words crowded each other closely in his mind. He knew, however, that the
man before him was as greatly his superior in wordy strife as in bodily
strength, so he simply said,
"The next time you try to kill me you'd better take some surer means of
doing it."
"Kill you! Who says I wanted to kill you?" demanded the miner, fiercely,
as he stopped and glared at the boy. "Didn't I holler to ye to run?
Didn't I give yer fair warnin' that I was shootin' a blarst? Didn't I?
Course I did and yer didn't pay no 'tention to it. Oh no, sonny! 'twon't
do. Ye mustn't talk 'bout killin' down in dese workin's, cause 'twon't
be 'lowed. Come back now, an' git my wagon. Here's a light for yer, but
don't let me hear no more talk 'bout killin', or ye may have a chance to
wish yer was dead long before yer really is."
Derrick made no reply to this, but turning Harry Mule about, they went
back after the car. He was convinced that this man was his bitter and
unscrupulous enemy, and made up his mind that he must be constantly on
his guard against him. He did not tell anybody of this startling
incident of his first day's experience in the mine for a long time
afterwards; as, upon thinking it over, he realized that the peril, which
he had so happily escaped might readily be charged to his own
carelessness.
At lunch time he let Harry Mule make his own way back to the mine stable
for oats and water. He had been told by the mine boss that the knowing
animal would not only do this, but would afterwards return to his place
of duty when started towards it by one of the stable-boys. While the
mule was gone, his young driver went into the blacksmith's shop to eat
his own lunch in company with Job Taskar, who had invited him to do so.
Job questioned Derrick closely as to his acquaintance among the men and
boys of the colliery, and asked particularly in regard to his likings or
dislikings of the several overseers.
"I hear thee's a great friend o' t' mine boss," said Job.
"Not at all," answered Derrick. "Mr. Jones was a friend of my father's,
but I hardly know him."
"All says thee's boss's favorite."
"I'm sure I don't know why they should. Of course it was good of him to
give me a job; but he had to get somebody to drive the mule. It doesn't
seem to me that I've got any easier place than anybody else."
Here Derrick put one hand up to his badly aching head, which had been
bruised by a flying chunk from Monk Tooley's blast.
Noting the movement, Job asked what was the matter, for although he had
heard about the blast from Monk Tooley, he wanted to learn what the boy
thought of it.
"I got hit by a falling chunk," replied Derrick, guardedly.
"Humph!" growled Job; "better keep clear o' they chunks. One on 'em
might hit ye once too often some time."
Job held no more conversation with the boy, but lighted his pipe, and
sat at one side of the forge, scowling and smoking. Derrick also kept
silence, as he sat on the opposite side of the forge, rubbing his aching
head with a grimy hand.
While they sat thus, several miners dropped in for a smoke and a chat.
They all looked curiously at Derrick, but none of them spoke to him.
Thus neglected, he felt very unhappy and uncomfortable, and was glad
when the jingling of Harry Mule's harness outside gave notice that it
was again time to go to work.
The rest of the day passed uneventfully and monotonously, for, with the
exception of burly Tom Evert, who gave the lad a cheery word whenever he
passed him, nobody spoke to him. Even Harry Mule seemed to realize that
his young driver was not having a very pleasant time, and rubbed his
nose sympathetically against his shoulder, as much as to say, "I'm sorry
for you, and I'll stand by you even if nobody else does."
At last, in some mysterious way, everybody seemed to know all at once,
that it was time to quit work, and Harry Mule knew it as quickly as
anybody. Before Derrick noticed that the miners had stopped work, this
remarkable animal, having just been unhitched from a car, threw up his
head, uttered a prolonged and ear-rasping bray, and started off on a
brisk trot, with a tremendous clatter and jingling of chains, towards
his stable.
The door-boys heard him coming, opened their doors to let him pass,
closed them after him, and started on a run for the foot of the slope.
Of course Derrick followed his charge as fast as possible, calling, as
he ran, "Whoa, Harry! Whoa! Stop that mule, he's running away!" Neither
Harry nor anybody else paid the slightest attention to him, and when he
finally reached the stable he found his mule already there, exchanging
squeals and kicks with several other bumping-mules that had come in from
other parts of the mine.
Then he knew that it was really quitting-time, and went to work, as
quickly as his inexperience would allow, to rub Harry down, water and
feed him, and make him comfortable for the night. Everybody else who had
stable-work to do finished it before he, and when at last he felt at
liberty to leave the mine and start towards the upper world and the
fresh air he longed so ardently to breathe again, he was alone.
Derrick found his way without difficulty to the large chamber at the
foot of the slope. There, as he did not see any cars ready to go up, he
turned towards the travelling-road, with the intention of climbing the
steep stairway he had descended that morning.
Suddenly there arose cries of "There he is! There he is! Head him off!"
Before the startled lad knew what was about to happen, he was surrounded
by a score of sooty-faced boys. Cutting him off from the
travelling-road, these boys pushed him, in spite of his opposition and
protests, into a far corner of the chamber, where, with his back against
the wall, he made a stand and demanded what they wanted of him.
"A treat! a treat!" shouted several.
Then room was made for one who seemed to exercise authority over them,
and who, as he stepped forward, Derrick recognized with surprise as Bill
Tooley, ex-mule driver, and now breaker boy.
"What are you down here for, and what does all this mean, Bill?" asked
Derrick, as calmly as he could.
"It means," answered Bill, putting his disagreeable face very close to
Derrick's, "dat yer've got ter pay fer comin' down inter de mine, an'
fer takin' my mule, when I told yer not ter; dat's what it means. An' it
means dat we're goin' ter initerate yer inter de order of 'Young
Sleepers,' what every boy in de mine has got ter belong ter."
Derrick had heard of this order of "Young Sleepers," and knew it to be
composed of the very worst young rascals in the coal region. He knew
that they were up to all kinds of wickedness, and that most of the petty
crimes of the community were charged to them. In an instant he made up
his mind that he would rather suffer almost anything than become a
member of such a gang.
While these thoughts were passing through his mind the cry of "A treat!
a treat!" was again raised, and Bill Tooley again addressed Derrick,
saying,
"Ter pay yer way inter de mine, de fellers says yer must set up a kag er
beer. Ter pay fer drivin' my mule, I say yer got ter take a lickin', an'
after that we'll initerate yer."
Now, both Derrick's father and mother had taught him to abhor liquor in
every form; so to the boy's first proposition he promptly answered,
"I haven't got any money, and couldn't afford to buy a keg of beer, even
if I wanted to. I don't want to, because I'm a blue ribbon, and wouldn't
buy even a glass of beer if I had all the money in the world. I won't
join your society either, and I don't see how you can initiate me when I
don't choose to become a member. As for a licking, it'll take more than
you to give it to me, Bill Tooley!"
With these bold words the young mule-driver made a spring at his chief
tormenter, in a desperate effort to break through the surrounding group
of boys. In the distance he saw the twinkling lights of some miners, and
thought if he could only reach them they would afford him protection.
Derrick's defiant speech for an instant paralyzed his hearers with its
very boldness; but as he sprang at Bill Tooley they also made a rush at
him with howls of anger. He succeeded in hitting their leader one
staggering blow, but was quickly overpowered by numbers and flung to the
ground, where the young savages beat and kicked him so cruelly that he
thought they were about to kill him.
He tried to scream for help, but could not utter a sound, and the miners
who passed on their way to the slope thought the fracas was only a
quarrel among some of the boys and paid no attention to it.
At length Bill Tooley ordered the boys to cease from pummelling their
victim, and stooping over him, tied a dirty cloth over his eyes; then he
gave a whispered order, and several of the boys, lifting the helpless
lad by his head and feet, bore him away.
After carrying him what seemed to Derrick an interminable distance, and
passing through a number of doors, as he could tell by hearing them
loudly opened and closed, his bearers suddenly dropped him on the hard
ground. Then Bill Tooley's voice said,
"Yer'll lie dere now till yer make up yer mind ter jine de Young
Sleepers. Den yer can come an' let me know, an' I'll attend ter yer
initeration. Till then yer'll stay where yer are, if it's a thousand
years; fer no one'll come a-nigh yer an' yer can't find de way out."
While Bill was thus talking the other boys quietly slipped away. As he
finished he also moved off, so softly that Derrick did not hear the
sound of his retreating footsteps. It was not until some minutes had
passed that he realized that he had been left, and was alone.
Meantime those who had thus abandoned their victim to the horrors of
black solitude, in what to him was an unknown part of the mine, were
gathered together at no great distance from him. There they waited to
gloat over the cries that they hoped he would utter as soon as he
realized that he was abandoned. In this they were disappointed, for
though they lingered half an hour not a sound did they hear; then two of
the boldest among them decided to take a look at their prisoner.
Shielding the single lamp that lighted their steps so that its rays
should not be seen at any great distance, they crept cautiously to where
they had left him.
He was gone!
This had not been expected, and with an ill-defined feeling of dread
they hurried back to the others and made their report.
"Oh, well, let him go!" exclaimed Bill Tooley, brutally. "'Twon't hurt
him to spend a while in de gangway. Let's go up to supper, and
afterwards come down an' hunt him."
As none of them dared to object to any proposal made by the bully, the
whole gang of begrimed and evil-minded young savages hurried to the foot
of the slope. Here they tumbled into a car, and in a few minutes were
drawn up to the surface, where they scattered towards their respective
homes and waiting suppers.
Paul Evert, who ever since work had ceased in the breaker, more than an
hour before, had lingered near the mouth of the slope, waiting for the
appearance of his friend, ventured to ask one of them if he had seen
Derrick.
"Don't know nothing about him," was the reply, as, greatly alarmed to
find the lad whom he had helped to persecute already made an object of
inquiry, the Young Sleeper hurried away.
Bill Tooley had overheard Paul's question, and stepping up to him, he
said, "Look a-here, young feller, yer ain't got no call as I knows on to
be a meddling wid what goes on in de mine and don't concern you. I don't
mind tellin' yer, though, that yer butty's doin' overwork, and mebbe
won't come up all night. I heerd one of de bosses orderin' him to it."
Although Paul thought this somewhat strange, he knew that the miners
frequently stayed down to do overwork, and was much relieved at such a
plausible explanation of his friend's non-appearance. On his way home he
stopped to tell Mrs. Sterling what he had heard. He found her very
anxious, and just about to go out and make inquiries concerning her boy.
The information that Paul brought relieved her mind somewhat, and
thanking him for it, she turned back into the house with a sigh, and
gave little Helen her supper, at the same time setting aside a liberal
portion for Derrick when he should come.
Until nearly ten o'clock she waited, frequently going to the door to
look and listen; then she could bear the suspense no longer. Throwing a
shawl over her head, and bidding Helen remain where she was for a few
minutes, the anxious mother started to go to the house of the mine boss
to gain certain information of her boy. As she opened her own front
door, something that she saw caused her to utter a cry and stand
trembling on the threshold.