for the fearful occasion, and that such a horror as putting a young shrinking soul and body into the dark mysteries of the earth could scarcely have been committed in broad open daylight and sunshine.

He wondered feebly whether he might perchance be saved if, when they got free from the wood, the sun burst out again and shone upon his father's face, so as to shame the hard and cruel resolution from his eyes, and slacken the iron grip of his hand.

He looked up askance at him, and tried to shape some faltering words that he would say to him; but the hard features seemed to grow to iron, and even to assume something of the tinge of iron in the subdued light.

Israel noticed the effort, and said in a less harsh voice than usual

'All right, boy, we're fairly off now. It'll soon be over, and you'll laugh at your own fears when you get back home. I dare say I was a bit uncomfortable when I first went down, though I can't say as I remember the fact.'

From time to time black figures, each one holding a lamp, or having it hung on the breast, met them; others were passed by them; the former leaving the mine from their day's labour, the latter going to it, to begin the business of the night.

They all looked questioningly from Israel to David, and back again to Israel; while the boy, yearningly, passionately gazed into their faces, seeking perhaps some familiar friend, and asking, in that dumb, but moving eloquence-was there no one in all the world who could and would save him?

He dared not speak. The colliers, on their part, knowing the temper of the Overman, and conscious of his power, moved on, also in silence.

The pair emerged from the wood, and there, immediately before and a little below them, was the exterior of the mine of Cwm Aber.

David thought he knew the whole ugly picture by heart, down to the smallest detail. It was a fearful mistake he felt now. He had looked at it before merely as a

scene that, being constantly near or before him, became necessarily familiar, but about which he cared nothing, felt no curiosity; and upon which his eyes never rested any longer than they could help, though drawing from it new zest for the enjoyment of his walks over the fern-clad mountains, or through the lovely neighbouring valleys and woods when wild flowers were abundant.

But now he sickened at the sight of the awful-looking place, and the dusky forms moving to and fro, and crowding about the pit mouth.

All that poor David had ever heard and read of heaven or hell, of angels or demons, came vividly into his mind, as he thought of the beautiful world and the playmates he was leaving behind him, and of the hideous depths into which he was about to descend, guided by these ghastly spectre shapes.

He heard, as in a dream, the measured, slow beat of the engine, then its sudden quickening, its violent pantings and rush, then its relapse into slowness and momentary silent lull.

He saw, without being able even to wish to understand them, the beautiful airy wheels revolve on high.

For he saw also the black cage ascend and descend with its human freight, and the thought that that would presently be waiting for him seemed almost to deprive the lad of his senses.

Israel still strode on, pitilessly as Fate, with David as the victim in his grasp.

The place of terror-the actual pit's mouth was reached.

The colliers moved aside, in deference to the Overman, and left the way clear.

A moment more, and father and son stood close beside the cage, Israel almost touching it, David striving with all his little strength to keep as far from it as he could.

Then, seeing the sternness of his father's face, and the look of indignant surprise and wonder that accompanied the severe expression, David rallied what little courage remained to him, and said in a trembling, excited voice

'Please, father, let me go by myself.' Israel scanned his face just for a single moment, then said

Certainly!' and waited for David to speak or move. The boy looked round desperately in every direction, but did not attempt to fly, conscious it would be useless. Then he looked once more at the cage, and shrank. 'What now?' asked Israel, threateningly. Then, after a pause, he said with more gentleness, Come, I shall get in first.'

Israel got in, and called to David to follow.

The boy did not answer, but stood panting, with dilated nostrils and heaving shoulders.

Israel got out again without uttering a word, and went to take hold of him, but David fell on his knees, and throwing back his brow, on which large drops of sweat had risen, began to shriek at him.

Again Israel spoke to his son, asking him if he would go quietly down.

Getting no answer, he suddenly lifted David as he knelt, and thrust him in the cage.

Here David clung to his neck so fiercely that he was about to strike him with his clenched fist to make him

let go.

At that moment the unknown, unseen angel, to whom poor David had been praying passionately, even though half unconsciously, to come down from heaven and save him-since from earth and man there was no hope-suddenly interposed, and stood between them.

Certainly a more unangelic-looking messenger from the skies it would be hard to conceive. For while, like all the other colliers around, who were busy having their lamps locked, or reclining on coal heaps near the fire that burnt on an iron tripod, everything about him looked preternaturally black or preternaturally white, this man was distinguished by his startling ugliness-due to no natural defect, but simply to the burns he had experienced in an explosion. These had left the surface of the cheek fearfully scarred and bossed, and had altogether erased one

eyebrow-leaving in its place a ghastly line of white skin that seemed rather silk than human cuticle.

But David saw nothing of this; he saw only the bright and kindly eye, and the sympathetic expression of the features. He experienced an instant and immense revulsion of feeling-from utter despair to brightest hope. His guardian angel was there! And in the person of the man next in authority under Israel—James Lusty, his deputy.

What, Master David,' said the cheery voice, 'going to get a bit o' experience o' mining, and larn to be as clever as your father? Ah, lad! that ain't so easy! But wait a bit, and we'll see what can be done-won't we Master Mort?'

Then turning to Israel, he added

'Let the lad alone for to-night, and let him go down with me o' Monday morning. I know the ways of boys— I ought to, having had eight of my own, and ahl on’em down in mines in one part o' the country or another.'

'I think, Lusty, you had better mind your own affairs, and leave me to mind mine. There's the slip in level No. 5 must be seen to to-night; the roof's giving. Now David!'

'Stop, Mr. Mort! Looking at you and the lad I quite forgot what I came back to the mine for. I have just seen the governor; he sent for you, and then, when they said you were away, he sent for me.'

'What for?' demanded Israel harshly, who had his own particular reasons for letting everybody about him understand there was to be no currying favour with Mr. Jehoshaphat Williams, the owner.

'I wondered what for myself, but I had orders, and of course I obeyed.'

• Well?' said Israel, impatiently.

"I found him very ill,' continued Lusty, and in an awful temper, swearing more oaths than I ever know'd the existence of afore, and between whiles axing, "Where is Israel? Why doesn't he come? What business has the

"Well, sir," says I, "no doubt cuttin' coal, and seein' it done is the first dooty o' life, but you see it ain't easy to do this duty without a bit of eating and a bit of washin' and a bit of sleepin' now and then; and it seems to me, sir, if I may make bold to speak, that Israel Mort don't get very much of any of these little wants of natur'."' "You said that, Jem?'

'Ask him if I didn't!'
' And then?'

'Well, he looked as I once seed a tiger look in a showman's cage, when, having got hold of a delicate morsel in a child's finger, pushed between the bars, he was obligated to let go by a red-hot bar of iron a-fizzing unpleasantly at his hind quarters. And then he says to me, "It seems to me, Jem, that ahl you fellows care more for my Overman, and what he says and does, than for me.” That made me grin, as I said back to him, "If we do, it ain't for want of his well workin' us, I can tell you, sir; no, nor for want of his makin' us ahl do the work cheap." Then he laughed, and owned there was summat i' that, and then, after rapping out another oath, too bad even for me, who ain't partiklar, to repeat, he hustled me off to seek you, and send you to him, and his last speech to me was, "Tell Mort," says he, "these damned doctors think I am dying, but ain't men enough to say so; and that if I do die before he gets here, it'll be ahl the worse for him." Israel lost no time in indecision. moment he paused in study, then gave 'Go to Rees Thomas, level No. 5. as many repairers as he wants, and begin at the far end, choosing for the present only the most dangerous bits. You do the same from this end. So go on till the colliers come to work in the morning, if you don't see me before. Should anything particular occur that needs to be acted on, act at once. Consult together, use your best judgment, agree if you can, but agree quickly; and if you can't agree, let Rees Thomas as night-deputy decide.'

Just for a single Lusty his orders: Tell him to take

'Ticklish job, Mr. Mort! Them props and cross beams are desperate bad!'