EAELY DAYS OF THE SOCIETY. 15 



a quarter of a mile further on. In some places the roof was very 

 low, so much so that even bending my knees and stooping as 

 much as possible I rubbed my back upon it, and it was very 

 severe upon the neck and back stooping so and having to look 

 out for the road and the roof at the same time. I found 

 Williamson sitting composedly in ambush for Tineas at a point 

 fully three-quarters of a mile from the entrance. Up here the 

 dust was nearly as annoying as the water was at the lower part 

 of the mine. It was eight to ten inches deep, and we sank in it 

 as in mud. We could not help stirring it up with out feet; it 

 was almost suffocating. 



We waited here for a considerable time expecting the others, 

 but no one came. We had two lamps and one candle, but the 

 caudle was nearly done, as also was the oil. This, as well as 

 the lateness of the hour — it was now four o'clock — induced us 

 to return. Williamson had caught several Tineas, and I had 

 caught four for him, so we had little inducement to stay. By 

 the time we got back to the place where I had left the rest my 

 candle was done, and, to save oil, we had previously put out the 

 lamps, having only one left to the five of us. A sudden gust 

 extinguished our only light, and we were all left in total dark- 

 ness, nearly half-a-mile from the outer air. Luckily some of 

 the boys had matches, and we got a light again. But we could 

 see no sign of the others, so presumed they had tired waiting 

 and gone out. We therefore hastened on with one lamp, which I 

 carried, going first, and got back to the slip, which we passed 

 safely, and so wading through the waters reached the place 

 where we left the pony and waggon. We found the pony 

 standing just as we had left it, and this showed us our friends 

 were still in the mine. We got the waggon mounted on to the 

 rails, harnessed the pony, tumbled into the truck, and got back 

 into the open air again. How beautiful was the light of day after 

 being immured for nearly three hours in that horrible place. It 

 was nearly six when we emerged, and the others soon followed. 

 We were pretty figures with oil and grease and coal dust and 

 iron-ore water, but we sorted ourselves as best we could at a 

 small spring, and had a good drink of water medicated with 

 orange shrub. 



Mr. Dempsey had told me that at his other works on the 



