Chapter 8

CHAPTER VIII EXPLORING

AT Harry's call, James Starr, Madge, and Simon Ford entered
through the narrow orifice which put the Dochart pit in
communication with the new mine. They found themselves at
the beginning of a tolerably wide gallery. One might well believe
that it had been pierced by the hand of man, that the pick
and mattock had emptied it in the working of a new vein.
The explorers question whether, by a strange chance, they had
not been transported into some ancient mine, of the existence
of which even the oldest miners in the county had ever known.

No! It was merely that the geological layers had left this
passage when the secondary earths were in course of formation.
Perhaps some torrent had formerly dashed through it; but now it
was as dry as if it had been cut some thousand feet lower,
through granite rocks. At the same time, the air circulated freely,
which showed that certain natural vents placed it in communication
with the exterior atmosphere.

This observation, made by the engineer, was correct, and it was
evident that the ventilation of the new mine would be easily managed.
As to the fire-damp which had lately filtered through the schist,
it seemed to have been contained in a pocket now empty, and it was
certain that the atmosphere of the gallery was quite free from it.
However, Harry prudently carried only the safety lamp, which would
insure light for twelve hours.

James Starr and his companions now felt perfectly happy.
All their wishes were satisfied. There was nothing but coal around them.
A sort of emotion kept them silent; even Simon Ford restrained himself.
His joy overflowed, not in long phrases, but in short ejaculations.

It was perhaps imprudent to venture so far into the crypt.
Pooh! they never thought of how they were to get back.

The gallery was practicable, not very winding. They met
with no noxious exhalations, nor did any chasm bar the path.
There was no reason for stopping for a whole hour;
James Starr, Madge, Harry, and Simon Ford walked on,
though there was nothing to show them what was the exact
direction of this unknown tunnel.

And they would no doubt have gone farther still, if they had not
suddenly come to the end of the wide road which they had followed
since their entrance into the mine.

The gallery ended in an enormous cavern, neither the height nor
depth of which could be calculated. At what altitude arched
the roof of this excavation--at what distance was its opposite wall--
the darkness totally concealed; but by the light of the lamp the explorers
could discover that its dome covered a vast extent of still water--
pond or lake--whose picturesque rocky banks were lost in obscurity.

"Halt!"