CHAP. VIII. ROBERT'S PURSUITS AT KILLINGWORTH. 143 



under viewer, and Robert Stephensoii, were proceed- 

 ing along one of the galleries, Wood with a naked 

 candle in his hand, and Robert following him with 

 a lamp. They came to a place where a fall of stones 

 from the roof had taken place, on which Wood, who 

 was first, proceeded to clamber over the stones, holding 

 high the naked candle. He had nearly reached the 

 summit of the heap, when the fire-damp, which had 

 accumulated in the hollow of the roof, exploded, and 

 instantly the whole party were blown down, and the 

 lights extinguished. They were a mile from the shaft, 

 and quite in the dark. There was a rush of the 

 workpeople from all quarters towards the shaft, for it 

 was feared that the fire might extend to more dan- 

 gerous parts of the pit, where if the gas had exploded, 

 every soul in the mine must inevitably have perished. 

 Robert Stephensoii and Moodie, on the first impulse, ran 

 back at full speed along the dark gallery leading to the 

 shaft, coming into collision, on their way, with the hind 

 quarters of a horse stunned by the explosion. When 

 they had gone half-way, Moodie halted, and bethought 

 him of Nicholas Wood. " Stop, laddie ! " said he to 

 Robert, " stop ; we maun gang back, and seek the 

 maister." So they retraced their steps. Happily, no 

 further explosion had taken place. They found the 

 master lying on the heap of stones $ stunned and bruised, 

 with his hands severely burnt. They then led him to 

 the bottom of the shaft ; and he afterwards took care not 

 to venture into the dangerous parts of the mine without 

 the protection of a Geordy lamp. 



The time that Robert spent at Killingworth as viewer's^ 

 apprentice was of advantage both to his father and him- k 

 self. The evenings were generally devoted to reading and I 

 study, the two from this time working together as friends 

 and co-labourers. One who used to drop in at the cot- 

 tage of an evening, well remembers the animated and 

 eager discussions which on some occasions took place, 



