CHAPTER XXIV.
IN DEADLY PERIL.
For a moment Jack stood stunned by the calamity. There were, he knew,over three hundred men and boys in the pit, and he turned faint and sickas the thought of their fate came across him. Then he ran towards thetop of the shaft. The bankman lay insensible at a distance of some yardsfrom the pit, where he had been thrown by the force of the explosion.Two or three men came running up with white scared faces. The smoke hadnearly ceased already; the damage was done, and a deadly stillnessseemed to reign.
Jack ran into the engine-house. The engine-man was leaning against awall, scared and almost fainting.
"Are you hurt, John?"
"No!"
"Pull yourself round, man. The first thing is to see if the lift is allright. I see one of the cages is at bank, and the force of the explosionis in the upcast shaft. Just give a turn or two to the engine and see ifthe winding gear's all right. Slowly."
The engineman turned on the steam; there was a slight movement, and thenthe engine stopped.
"A little more steam," Jack said. "The cage has caught, but it maycome."
There was a jerk, and then the engine began to work.
"That is all right," Jack said, "whether the lower cage is on or not.Stop now, and wind it back, and get the cage up again. Does the bellact, I wonder?"
Jack pulled the wire which, when in order, struck a bell at the bottomof the shaft, and then looked at a bell hanging over his head for theanswer. None came.
"I expect the wire's broke," Jack said, and went out to the pit's mouthagain.
The surface-men were all gathered round now, the tip-men, and theyard-men, and those from the coke-ovens, all looking wild and pale.
"I am going down," Jack said; "we may find some poor fellows near thebottom, and can't wait till some headman comes on the ground. Who willgo with me? I don't want any married men, for you know, lads, there maybe another blow at any moment."
"I will go with you," one of the yard-men said, stepping forward;"there's no one dependent on me."
"I, too," said another; "it's no odds to any one but myself whether Icome up again or not. Here's with you, whatever comes of it."
AFTER THE FIRST EXPLOSION--THE SEARCH PARTY.]
Jack brought three safety-lamps from the lamp-room, and took hisplace in the cage with the two volunteers.
"Lower away," he shouted, "but go very slow when we get near the bottom,and look out for our signal."
It was but three minutes from the moment that the cage began to sink tothat when it touched the bottom of the shaft, but it seemed an age tothose in it. They knew that at any moment a second explosion might come,and that they might be driven far up into the air above the top of theshaft, mere scorched fragments of flesh. Not a word was spoken duringthe descent, and there was a general exclamation of "Thank God!" whenthey felt the cage touch the bottom.
Jack, as an official of the mine, and by virtue of superior energy, atonce took the lead.
"Now," he said, "let us push straight up the main road."
Just as they stepped out they came across the bodies of two men, andstooped over them with their lamps.
"Both dead," Jack said; "we can do nought for them."
A little way on, and in a heap, were some waggons, thrown together andbroken up, the body of a pony, and that of the lad, his driver. Thenthey came to the first door--a door no longer, not a fragment of itremaining. In the door-boy's niche the lad lay in a heap. They bent overhim.
"He is alive," Jack said. "Will you two carry him to the cage? I willlook round and see if there is any one else about here; beyond, thisway, there is no hope. Make haste! Look how the gas is catching insidethe lamps, the place is full of fire-damp."
The men took up the lad, and turned to go to the bottom of the shaft.Jack looked a few yards down a cross-road, and then followed them. Hewas in the act of turning into the next road to glance at that also,when he felt a suck of air.
"Down on your faces!" he shouted, and, springing a couple of pacesfarther up the cross-road, threw himself on his face.