CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.
TOUCHES ON THE CAUSES OF ACCIDENTS: OLIVER IN A NEW LIGHT AND HIS UNCLEIN A SAD ONE.
That was a sad day in St. Just which followed the event related in thelast chapter. Many a heart-broken wail was heard round the mouths ofthe shafts, as the remains of those who perished were brought to thesurface, and conveyed to their former homes.
Saddest of all perhaps was the procession that marched slowly to thecottage of blind John Batten, and laid the two fair-haired lads beforetheir stricken parents. Tears were wrung from the strongest men therewhen they beheld the agonised but tearless mother guide her husband'shand to their faces that he might for the last time feel the loved oneswhom, she said in the bitterness of her grief, "he should never seemore."
"Never see more, dear lass!" he replied with a sad smile, "how can theesay so? Shall we not behold their dear faces again when we see ourblessed Lord face to face?"
Thus the Christian miner comforted himself and his sorrowing family.
It is right to add that such catastrophes are not of frequent occurrencein the mines. The danger of "holing to a house of water," is so greatand so well known that the operation is usually conducted with greatcare, and accident is well guarded against.
Nevertheless, an occasional act of carelessness will now and then resultin a terrible disaster. A catastrophe, similar in all its chieffeatures to that which has been related in the last chapter, happened inNorth Levant mine many years ago, and in the burying-ground of theWesleyan Chapel of St. Just may be seen a tombstone, which bears recordof the sad event as follows:--
_Sacred to the memory of_ JAMES, _aged_ 20, _and_ JOHN, _aged_ 15 _years, sons of James and Nanny Thomas of Bollowall, in this Parish, who were drowned (with three others) by the holing to a house of water in North Levant Mine on the first of April_ 1867.
A "house" of much larger dimensions, and containing a much greater bodyof water than that which caused the latest destruction of life in NorthLevant mine, was cleared of water not long ago in Botallack. The agentsknew of its existence, for, the whole region both above and below groundbeing measured off and planned, they could lay their finger on the exactspot where they knew that an old mine existed. They kept a large borer,six feet long, going constantly before them as they cut their waytowards the point of danger. The result was that when the borer at lastpierced through to the old mine, there were six feet of solid rockbetween them and the water. Through the small hole the water flowed,and thus the mine was slowly but safely drained. In the other case, theground happened to be soft, and had been somewhat recklessly cut away.
Of course, there are occasions--proving the truth of the proverb that"accidents will happen in the best regulated families"--in which neitherforesight nor precaution can prevent evil; but these are comparativelyfew. Sometimes the cupidity of a miner will lead him, for the sake offollowing a rich lode, to approach too near and too recklessly todanger, despite the vigilance of captains, and cause considerable riskto the mine as well as to themselves. Such was the case once long agoat Botallack, when the miners below the sea cut away the rock to withinthree or four feet of the water, and actually made a small hole throughso that they had to plug it up with a piece of wood.
This is a fact which we can vouch for, having seen the plug, and heardthe boulders rattling loudly over our head with each successive wave;but there is no danger here, because the cutting under the sea isnarrow, and the rock solid and intensely hard.
Such also was the case, not many years since, at Levant mine, where themen working in the levels under the sea drove upwards until the saltwater began to trickle through to them in alarming quantities--insomuchthat the other miners struck work, and refused to go again into themine, unless the workings in that part were stopped, and the place madesecure. This was accordingly done, and the men returned to the mine.The danger here was really great, because the cutting that had been madewas wide, and the ground overhead comparatively soft.
But, to return to our tale.
For many days after the catastrophe Oliver Trembath lay in his bedsuffering from severe cuts and bruises, as well as from what must havebeen, as nearly as possible, concussion of the brain, for he hadcertainly been washed down one of the winzes, although he himselfretained only a confused recollection of the events of that terribleday, and could not tell what had befallen him. At length, however, hebecame convalescent, and a good deal of his old vigour returned.
During this period of illness and convalescence Oliver had beenconstrained by old Mr Donnithorne to take up his abode in his house,and the young doctor could not have experienced more attention andkindness from the old couple if he had been their son. Rose Ellis, too,did her best to cheer him, and, as we need scarcely add, was wonderfullysuccessful in her efforts!
It was during this period that Oliver made the acquaintance of a youngman of St. Just, named Charles Tregarthen--a congenial spirit--and onewho was, besides, a thorough gentleman and an earnest Christian. Withthis youth he formed a sincere friendship, and although the subject ofreligion was never obtrusively thrust upon him by young Tregarthen, itentered so obviously into all his thoughts, and shone so clearly in hiswords and conduct, that Oliver's heart was touched, and he receivedimpressions at that time which never left him.
Oliver and his friend were sitting one forenoon in Mr Donnithorne'sdining-room, which commanded an extensive view of green fields andgrass-covered stone walls, with the beams and machinery of mines on thehorizon, and the blue sea beyond. They were planning a short walkingtour, which it was thought would be of great benefit to Oliver in thatstage of his recovery, when old Mr Donnithorne entered the room with asomewhat perturbed expression of countenance.
"How are you, Charlie my boy?" he said. "Oliver, I want to have a fewminutes' talk with you in my room on business; I know Charlie willexcuse you."
"I was on the point of taking leave at any rate," said Tregarthen with asmile, as he grasped Oliver's hand; "think over our plan, like a goodfellow; I am sure Mr Donnithorne will approve of it, and I'll look into-morrow forenoon to hear what decision you come to."
"Oliver," said Mr Donnithorne, sitting down opposite the invalid whenhis friend had left, and frowning portentously, "d'you know I'm a ruinedman?"
"I trust not, uncle," replied Oliver with an incredulous smile,supposing that the old gentleman was jesting.
"Yes, but I am," he repeated with tremendous gravity. "At all events, Ishall be ere long. These--these--vile jewels will be the death of me."
Having thus broken the ice Mr Donnithorne went on with much volubilityof utterance and exasperation of tone to explain that legal proceedingshad been instituted for the recovery of the jewels which he hadpurchased from the fishermen; that things seemed almost certain to goagainst him; and that in all probability he should be compelled to sellhis estate in order to refund the money.
"But can you not sell your shares in Botallack and refund with theproceeds?" said Oliver.
"No, I cannot," replied the old gentleman. "You know that at presentthese shares are scarcely saleable except at a ruinous discount, and itwould be a pity to part with them just now, seeing that there is somehope of improvement at this time. There is nothing for it but to sellmy estate, and I don't think there will be enough left to buy butter tomy bread after this unhappy affair is settled, for it amounts to somethousands of pounds."
"Indeed, uncle! how comes it that they found out the value of them?"
"Oh, simply enough, Oliver, but strangely too. You must know thatMaggot, the scoundrel (and yet not such a scoundrel either, for thefellow informed on me in a passion, without having any idea of theseverity of the consequences that would follow),--Maggot, it seems, keptthe cloth belt in which the jewels were found tied round the owner'swaist, and there happened to be a piece of parchment sewed up in thefolds of it, in which the number and value of the jewels wereenumerated. This belt was ferreted out by the lawyers, and the resultis that, as I said before, I shall be a ruined m
an. Verily," added MrDonnithorne, with a look of vexation, as he stumped up and down the roomwith his hands thrust deep into his breeches pockets, "verily, my wifewas a true prophetess when she told me that my sin would be sure to findme out, and that honesty was the best policy. 'Pon my conscience, I'mhalf inclined to haul down my colours and let her manage me after all!"
"I am much concerned at what you tell me," said Oliver, "and I regretnow very deeply that the few hundreds which I possessed when I camehere--and which you know are all my fortune--have also been invested inBotallack shares, for they should have been heartily at your service,uncle."
"Don't trouble yourself about your hundreds, lad," said the oldgentleman testily; "I didn't come here to ask assistance from you inthat way, but to tell you the facts of the case, and ask you to do methe favour to carry a letter to my lawyer in Penzance, and inquire intothe condition of a mine I have something to do with there--a somewhatsingular mine, which I think will surprise as well as interest you; willyou do this, for me, lad?"
"Most willingly," replied Oliver. "You heard my friend CharlieTregarthen speak of our intention to go on a walking tour for a coupleof days; now, if you have no objection, he and I will set off togetherwithout delay, and make Penzance our goal, going round by the Land's Endand the coast."
"So be it, Oliver, and don't hurry yourselves, for the business willwait well enough for a day or two. But take care of yourself, lad;don't go swimming off the Land's End again, and above all things avoidsmugglers. The scoundrels! they have been the ruin of me, Oliver. Notbad fellows in their way either, but unprincipled characters--desperately regardless of the national laws; and--and--keep clear of'em, I advise you strongly--have nothing to do with 'em, Oliver, myson."
So saying the old gentleman left the room, shaking his head withprofound gravity.