IN THE OLD WORKINGS--MISLED BY AN ALTERED LINE
Mr. Jones was expecting Derrick that evening, and was waiting somewhat
impatiently for him. When the boy at last arrived he was taken into the
library, where, as soon as the door was closed, the mine boss asked:
"Well, Derrick, have you heard anything more about the meeting?"
"Not a word, sir."
"To-morrow is the 27th, you know."
"Yes, sir, I know it is."
"And my fate, and perhaps yours too, may be decided within twenty-four
hours from now."
At this Derrick started; he had not realized that he was in any
particular danger.
"Do you think, sir, they would pay any attention to a boy like me?" he
asked.
"I certainly do," replied the mine boss. "They would pay attention to
anybody or anything that stood in their way, or seemed likely to
interfere with their plans. I am afraid, from what Job Taskar said the
other day, that they consider your presence in the mine as dangerous to
them. I am sorry that my liking for you, and efforts to promote your
interests, should have placed you in such an unpleasant position. If you
like I will try and get you a place as errand boy in the main office of
the company, where you will be in no danger."
"Oh, no, sir!" exclaimed Derrick. "Please don't think of such a thing.
I'd rather take my chances with the Mollies in the mine than go into an
office. There I should never be anything but a clerk; while here I may
some day become an engineer, as my father was. Don't you think I may,
sir?"
"Yes," answered the other, smiling at the boy's earnestness, "I think
any boy of ordinary intelligence and blessed with good health can in
time occupy any position he chooses, if he directs his whole energy in
that direction, and makes up his mind that no obstacle shall turn him
from it."
"I have made a beginning, sir," said Derrick, much encouraged by these
words from one who was so greatly his superior in age, knowledge, and
position, and whose opinion he valued so highly.
"Have you?" asked the mine boss, with a kindly interest. "In what way?"
"I am studying my father's books, and trying to work out problems from
some old plans I found among his papers. One of them is a plan of the
very oldest workings of this mine, and I have brought a tracing of a
part of it to show you."
"Very good," said Mr. Jones, glancing at the tracing carelessly. "I have
no doubt that in time you will become a famous engineer."
Although this was spoken kindly enough, it was evident that the
speaker's thoughts were far away, probably trying to devise some means
for being present at the approaching meeting in the mine.
Noting this, Derrick said, "I did not bring the tracing just to show
what sort of work I could do, sir, but because I think it will lead us
to where we can hear what they say at that meeting."
Instantly the mine boss exhibited a new interest. "Explain it," he said.
Then Derrick told him of the old drift-mouth he had discovered, and said
he felt confident that if they followed the gangway leading in from it
they would reach the top of the old air-shaft into which Bill Tooley had
fallen, and up which had come the voices of the Mollies at their
previous meeting.
"If we could get there by this back way it would be capital!" exclaimed
the mine boss. "In that case my presence in the mine would be unknown
and unsuspected; whereas, if we should go in as you did, from the other
end of the old gangway, we could hardly escape discovery. If that route
proves practicable a great load is lifted from my mind; for, somehow or
other, I must find out what these Mollies are up to. You are of course
sure of the correctness of the plans?"
"My father drew them," answered Derrick.
"I was not questioning your father's accuracy; I only wanted to know if
this tracing was an exact copy of the original."
"Yes, sir, it is," answered Derrick, though with a slight hesitation in
his voice as he thought of the one place he had not been quite sure of.
This was where the plan had been somewhat blotted and blurred, so that
he could not see whether or not two lines joined each other. Having made
up his mind that they ought to be joined, he had thus drawn them on his
tracing. It was such a small thing that he did not consider it worth
mentioning. Thus, without meaning to make a false statement, he said
that his tracing was an exact copy of the original, and by so doing
prepared the way for the serious consequence that followed.
Derrick was a fine, manly fellow, and was possessed of noble traits of
character, but like many another boy he was inclined to be conceited,
and to imagine that he knew as much if not a little more than his
elders. Nor was he backward in parading his knowledge, or even of
allowing it to appear greater than it really was.
In the present instance he was proud of the confidence reposed in him by
the mine boss, and of the skill with which he had prepared the plan of
operations they were now discussing. It really seemed to him that he was
about to become the leader in a very difficult enterprise in which the
other was to be a follower.
The mine boss, with a quick penetration of human character, gained by
years of study and experience, suspected something of this weakness on
Derrick's part, but did not consider that either the proper time or
opportunity had yet come for warning him against it.
So Derrick's plan was discussed in all its details, and before they
separated that night it was adopted.
In order that the mistake made by Derrick in his slight alteration of
the plan of the old workings, as shown in his tracing, may be
understood, a few words of explanation are necessary.
The old drift-mouth, that he had discovered almost hidden beneath a
tangle of vines and bushes, was on a mountain side above a deep valley.
Farther down was the mouth of a second drift, which he had not
discovered, and knew nothing of. On the opposite side of the mountain
was another valley, the bottom of which was on about the same level as
the higher of these drifts. The old workings ran from them through the
mountain, and under this valley in which the present colliery was
located.
When the gangway from the upper of the two drifts had been opened as far
as the valley, the vein that it followed took a sudden dip. The gangway
was in consequence changed into a slope, which finally led into the
workings beneath. Some time after they had been abandoned a great
"break" or cave-in of the ground above there had occurred at the edge of
the valley, and by it an opening was made into the lower set of
workings. It was on the opposite side of the valley from this break that
the new workings were now being pushed; and somewhere between it and
them was the old air-shaft and the chamber that the Mollies had selected
as their place of secret meeting.
Now Derrick had got hold of a plan of the lower set of these old
workings which he knew nothing of, and thought it was a plan of the
upper set, which in reality only extended to the edge of the valley. He
knew that the upper drift-mouth was on about the same level as the top
of the old air-shaft, and thought he had a plan showing that the two
were connected. He reasoned that by entering the old gangway at the
break, and following it under the valley, they would not only save
distance, but would be conducted directly to the top of the air-shaft
which they wished to reach. By the joining of those two lines at the
blurred place on the plan it was made to conform so perfectly to this
theory that he felt satisfied his conclusions were correct, and
consequently made his confident statements to Mr. Jones.
The latter had been connected with the Raven Brook Colliery but a few
months, and knew nothing of its old and abandoned workings, not yet
having found time to study their plans or explore them. He did know,
however, that Mr. Sterling had been one of the company's most trusted
engineers, and that Derrick had long been interested in poring over and
tracing his father's plans of these very workings. When, therefore, he
had carefully examined the tracing that the boy had made, and now
assured him was an exact copy of the original plan, and found that it
showed a system of galleries by which the top of the air-shaft might be
gained from the break, he had no hesitation in saying that they would
make the attempt to reach it from that direction. Had he sent for the
original plan he would have quickly discovered Derrick's error. He
thought of doing this, but did not, for fear of wounding the lad's
feelings by appearing to mistrust him.
It was arranged between them that Mr. Jones should leave the village on
the afternoon of the 27th, as though bound on some distant expedition,
and have it understood that he might possibly be absent all night. An
hour before sundown he was to be at the break, prepared to explore the
old gangway to which it gave entrance. Here Derrick was to meet him,
after having left the mine an hour earlier than usual, gone home for
supper, and told his mother that he should be out late on some business
for the mine boss.
This plan was successfully followed, without suspicion being aroused,
and the young mine boss met his boy companion at the appointed time and
place. They both had safety-lamps, and each carried a small can of oil,
for they did not know how long they might have to remain in the mine.
In the break they found a rickety ladder that had been placed there for
the use of the village children, who were accustomed to come here with
baskets, and in a small way mine coal for home use from the sides of the
old gangway. Descending this, they lighted their lamps at the bottom,
and entering the black opening began to follow the path marked out on
Derrick's tracing.
For some distance the way was comparatively smooth, and they made rapid
progress. Then they began to encounter various obstacles. Here a mass of
rock had fallen from the roof, and they must clamber over it. In another
place a quantity of waste material had so dammed a ditch that for nearly
a quarter of a mile the gangway was flooded with cold, black water,
through which they had to wade. It was above their knees, and, filling
their rubber boots, made them so heavy as to greatly impede their
progress. In several places where the old timber props had rotted out,
such masses of rubbish choked the gangway that they were compelled to
crawl on their hands and knees for long distances through the low spaces
that were still left. Once they were on the point of turning back, but
animated by the importance of their errand they kept on, cheering each
other with the thought that they would not be obliged to come back this
same way in order to leave the mine.
During the earlier portion of the journey, as they encountered these
obstacles, the mine boss urged, almost commanded, Derrick to go back and
leave him to continue the undertaking alone. In spite of some faults the
lad was no coward, and he begged so earnestly to be allowed to keep on
that the other consented, on condition that no greater danger presented
itself.
At length they had overcome so many difficulties that the road behind
them fairly bristled with dangers, and the young man felt it would be an
act of cruelty to send the boy back to encounter them alone.
Now and then, as they crawled over piles of fallen debris, and there was
but little space between them and the roof, the flames within their
safety-lamps burned faint and blue, and they breathed with great
difficulty. The mine boss knew they were passing through spaces filled
with the deadly "fire-damp," and he urged Derrick to make all possible
haste towards more open places where they could keep below its
influence.
They passed through a door in a fair state of preservation, but fairly
covered with the pure white fungus growth of glistening frost-like
sprays, which in the mine are called "water crystals." Everywhere were
the signs of long neglect and decay, and unenlivened by the cheering
sounds of human toil the place was weird and awful. The very drippings
from the roof fell with an uncanny splash that struck a chill into
Derrick's heart. Long before they reached the end of their journey he
regretted having planned and proposed it; but he bravely kept his fears
and regrets to himself, and plodded sturdily on behind his companion. As
for the latter, his thoughts were also of a most dismal character. He
realized even more fully than Derrick the dangerous position in which
they had placed themselves, and felt that his experience should have
warned him against such an undertaking.
Meantime those who were to meet in the old chamber at the bottom of the
air-shaft were already gathered together, and were earnestly discussing
the affairs of their order. Job Taskar, as presiding officer, made a
long speech. In it he denounced the mine boss for discharging several of
their members, and refusing to take them back, though petitioned to do
so by a large number of those who remained at work. He also charged him
with placing a spy in the mine in the person of Derrick Sterling, and of
having removed the son of one of their most prominent members to make
room for him. At this point he looked steadily at Monk Tooley.
"Don't yer say nothin' agin Derrick Sterling," growled that miner, "fer
I won't hear ter it. He's doin' fer my lad this minute what dere isn't
anoder man in de meetin' er in Raven Brook Colliery, nor I don't believe
in de State, would ha' done in his place."
"Do yer know what he's doing it for?" interrupted another member,
springing to his feet. "No, yer don't, an' yer can't make a guess at it;
but I can tell yer. It's for revenge, an' nothing else. I heerd him say
it his own self to Paul the cripple, coming down the slope, only
yesterday morning. 'I'm taking out my revenge on him,' says he; them's
his very words."
"All right," replied Monk Tooley, "if yer heerd him say it, den he's
doin' it fer revenge, and it's de biggest kind of revenge I ever knowed
of a man or a boy ter take out on anoder. Do yer know dat he's give up
his own bed ter my Bill, an' dat he sets up nights awaitin' on him an'
a-nussin' of him? No, yer don't know nothin' about it, an' I don't want
ter hear anoder word from yer agin him. I'm his friend, I am."
An awkward silence followed this announcement, for the members thought
that perhaps if Monk Tooley were Derrick Sterling's friend, he might
also be a friend of the mine boss, whom they had almost decided should
be put out of the way.
The silence was finally broken by Job Taskar, who asked sarcastically if
Monk Tooley knew who stole his three checks from the check-board two
days before.
"Yes, I do," answered the miner, promptly.
"Then you know it was this same sneaking boss's pet, Derrick Sterling."
"No, I don't."
"I tell you I saw him do it!" cried Job, in a rage. "Him and the
hunchback went up to the board together, and when the boss stepped away,
so they thought nobody wasn't looking, the pet slipped 'em into his
pocket. I saw it with my own eyes."
"An' I tell yer yer lie!" shouted Monk Tooley. "Here's de checks, an'
dey come outen yer own pocket, yer black-hearted old scoundrel!"
At these astounding words Job Taskar sprang towards Monk Tooley with
clinched fists, as though to strike him, and all present watched for the
encounter in breathless suspense.
Just then the door behind them was pushed open, and standing on its
threshold they saw the mine boss and Derrick Sterling.