迪文小说

第7部分（第2页）

〃Look；　father！〃　　Harry　was　not　mistaken。　　The　obstruction　of　the　fissures　was　clearly　visible　by　the　light　of　the　lamp。　It　had　been　recently　done　with　lime；　leaving　on　the　rock　a　long　whitish　mark；　badly　concealed　with　coal　dust。

〃Its　he！〃　exclaimed　Harry。　　〃It　can　only　be　he！〃

〃He？〃　repeated　James　Starr　in　amazement。

〃Yes！〃　returned　the　young　man；　〃that　mysterious　being　who　haunts　our　domain；　for　whom　I　have　watched　a　hundred　times　without　being　able　to　get　at　him……the　author；　we　may　now　be　certain；　of　that　letter　which　was　intended　to　hinder　you　from　ing　to　see　my　father；　Mr。　Starr；　and　who　finally　threw　that　stone　at　us　in　the　gallery　of　the　Yarrow　shaft！　　Ah！　theres　no　doubt　about　it；　there　is　a　mans　hand　in　all　that！〃

Harry　spoke　with　such　energy　that　conviction　came　instantly　and　fully　to　the　engineers　mind。　　As　to　the　old　overman；　he　was　already　convinced。　Besides；　there　they　were　in　the　presence　of　an　undeniable　fact……　the　stopping…up　of　cracks　through　which　gas　had　escaped　freely　the　night　before。

〃Take　your　pick；　Harry；〃　cried　Ford；　〃mount　on　my　shoulders；　my　lad！　I　am　still　strong　enough　to　bear　you！〃　　The　young　man　understood　in　an　instant。　　His　father　propped　himself　up　against　the　rock。　Harry　got　upon　his　shoulders；　so　that　with　his　pick　he　could　reach　the　line　of　the　fissure。　　Then　with　quick　sharp　blows　he　attacked　it。　Almost　directly　afterwards　a　slight　sound　was　heard；　like　champagne　escaping　from　a　bottle……a　sound　monly　expressed　by　the　word　〃puff。〃

Harry　again　seized　his　lamp；　and　held　it　to　the　opening。　There　was　a　slight　report；　and　a　little　red　flame；　rather　blue　at　its　outline；　flickered　over　the　rock　like　a　Will…o…the…Wisp。

Harry　leaped　to　the　ground；　and　the　old　overman；　unable　to　contain　his　joy；　grasped　the　engineers　hands；　exclaiming；　〃Hurrah！　hurrah！　hurrah！　Mr。　Starr。　　The　fire…damp　burns！　the　vein　is　there！〃

CHAPTER　VII　NEW　ABERFOYLE

THE　old　overmans　experiment　had　succeeded。　　Firedamp；　it　is　well　known；　is　only　generated　in　coal　seams；　therefore　the　existence　of　a　vein　of　precious　bustible　could　no　longer　be　doubted。　As　to　its　size　and　quality；　that　must　be　determined　later。

〃Yes；〃　thought　James　Starr；　〃behind　that　wall　lies　a　carboniferous　bed；　undiscovered　by　our　soundings。　　It　is　vexatious　that　all　the　apparatus　of　the　mine；　deserted　for　ten　years；　must　be　set　up　anew。　　Never　mind。　We　have　found　the　vein　which　was　thought　to　be　exhausted；　and　this　time　it　shall　be　worked　to　the　end！〃

〃Well；　Mr。　Starr；〃　asked　Ford；　〃what　do　you　think　of　our　discovery？　Was　I　wrong　to　trouble　you？　　Are　you　sorry　to　have　paid　this　visit　to　the　Dochart　pit？〃

〃No；　no；　my　old　friend！〃　answered　Starr。　　〃We　have　not　lost　our　time；　but　we　shall　be　losing　it　now；　if　we　do　not　return　immediately　to　the　cottage。　　To…morrow　we　will　e　back　here。　We　will　blast　this　wall　with　dynamite。　　We　will　lay　open　the　new　vein；　and　after　a　series　of　soundings；　if　the　seam　appears　to　be　large；　I　will　form　a　new　Aberfoyle　pany；　to　the　great　satisfaction　of　the　old　shareholders。　Before　three　months　have　passed；　the　first　corves　full　of　coal　will　have　been　taken　from　the　new　vein。〃

〃Well　said；　sir！〃　cried　Simon　Ford。　　〃The　old　mine　will　grow　young　again；　like　a　widow　who　remarries！　　The　bustle　of　the　old　days　will　soon　begin　with　the　blows　of　the　pick；　and　mattock；　blasts　of　powder；　rumbling　of　wagons；　neighing　of　horses；　creaking　of　machines！　I　shall　see　it　all　again！　　I　hope；　Mr。　Starr；　that　you　will　not　think　me　too　old　to　r閟um？my　duties　of　overman？〃

〃No；　Simon；　no　indeed！　　You　wear　better　than　I　do；　my　old　friend！〃

〃And；　sir；　you　shall　be　our　viewer　again。　　May　the　new　working　last　for　many　years；　and　pray　Heaven　I　shall　have　the　consolation　of　dying　without　seeing　the　end　of　it！〃

The　old　miner　was　overflowing　with　joy。　　James　Starr　fully　entered　into　it；　but　he　let　Ford　rave　for　them　both。　Harry　alone　remained　thoughtful。　　To　his　memory　recurred　the　succession　of　singular；　inexplicable　circumstances

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attending　the　discovery　of　the　new　bed。　　It　made　him　uneasy　about　the　future。

An　hour　afterwards；　James　Starr　and　his　two　panions　were　back　in　the　cottage。　　The　engineer　supped　with　good　appetite；　listening　with　satisfaction　to　all　the　plans　unfolded　by　the　old　overman；　and　had　it　not　been　for　his　excitement　about　the　next　days　work；　he　would　never　have　slept　better　than　in　the　perfect　stillness　of　the　cottage。

The　following　day；　after　a　substantial　breakfast；　James　Starr；　Simon　Ford；　Harry；　and　even　Madge　herself；　took　the　road　already　traversed　the　day　before。　　All　looked　like　regular　miners。　They　carried　different　tools；　and　some　dynamite　with　which　to　blast　the　rock。　　Harry；　besides　a　large　lantern；　took　a　safety　lamp；　which　would　burn　for　twelve　hours。　　It　was　more　than　was　necessary　for　the　journey　there　and　back；　including　the　time　for　the　working……　supposing　a　working　was　possible。

〃To　work！　to　work！〃　shouted　Ford；　when　the　party　reached　the　further　end　of　the　passage；　and　he　grasped　a　heavy　crowbar　and　brandished　it。

〃Stop　one　instant；〃　said　Starr。　　〃Let　us　see　if　any　change　has　taken　place；　and　if　the　fire…damp　still　escapes　through　the　crevices。〃

〃You　are　right；　Mr。　Starr；〃　said　Harry。　　〃Whoever　stopped　it　up　yesterday　may　have　done　it　again　to…day！〃

Madge；　seated　on　a　rock；　carefully　observed　the　excavation；　and　the　wall　which　was　to　be　blasted。

It　was　found　that　everything　was　just　as　they　left　it。　　The　crevices　had　undergone　no　alteration；　the　carburetted　hydrogen　still　filtered　through；　though　in　a　small　stream；　which　was　no　doubt　because　it　had　had　a　free　passage　since　the　day　before。　　As　the　quantity　was　so　small；　it　could　not　have　formed　an　explosive　mixture　with　the　air　inside。　James　Starr　and　his　panions　could　therefore　proceed　in　security。　Besides；　the　air　grew　purer　by　rising　to　the　heights　of　the　Dochart　pit；　and　the　fire…damp；　spreading　through　the　atmosphere；　would　not　be　strong　enough　to　make　any　explosion。

〃To　work；　then！〃　repeated　Ford；　and　soon　the　rock　flew　in　splinters　under　his　skillful　blows。　　The　break　was　chiefly　posed　of　pudding…stone；　interspersed　with　sandstone　and　schist；　such　as　is　most　often　met　with　between　the　coal

veins。　　James　Starr　picked　up　some　of　the　pieces；　and　examined　them　carefully；　hoping　to　discover　some　trace　of　coal。

Starr　having　chosen　the　place　where　the　holes　were　to　be　drilled；　they　were　rapidly　bored　by　Harry。