It steals over you before you know it, said one.
It laid me like in a sleep when Rotherby pit fired, said another.
Would you leave old Andrews to die? I said, and they gave in.
We reached the bottom, and I found no difficulty in breathing, and, shouting to the men to come on, I ran in the direction where I had been told we should find Andrews; but it was terrible work, for I expected each moment to encounter the deadly gas that had robbed so many men of their lives. But I kept on, shouting to those behind me, till all at once I tripped and fell over some one; and as soon as I could get myself together, I lowered the light I carried, and, to my great delight, I found it was Andrews.
Whether dead or alive I could not tell then; but we lifted him amongst us, and none too soon, for as I took my first step back I reeled, from a curious giddy feeling which came over me.
Run if you can, I said faintly; for my legs seemed to be sinking under me. I managed to keep on, though, and at our next turn we were in purer air; but we knew it was a race for life, for the heavy gas was rolling after us, ready to quench out our lives if we slackened speed for an instant. We pressed on, though, till we reached the cage, rolled into it, more than climbed, and were drawn up, to be received with a burst of cheers, Mary throwing her arms round her fathers neck, and sobbing bitterly.
Im not much hurt, he said feebly, the fresh air reviving him, as he was laid gently down. God bless those brave lads who brought me up! But theres another man down John Kelsey.
No one spoke, no one moved; for all knew of the peril from which we had just escaped.
I cant go myself, or I would, said Andrews; but you mustnt let him lie there and burn. I left him close up to the lead. He tried to follow me, but the falling coal struck him down. I believe the pits on fire.
There was a low murmur amongst the men, and some of the women wailed aloud; but still no one moved except old Andrews, who struggled up on one arm, and looked up at us, his face black, and his whiskers and hair all burnt off.
My lads, he said feebly, cant you do nothing to save your mate? and as he looked wildly from one to the other, I felt my heart like in my mouth.
Do you all hear? said a loud voice; and I started as I saw Mary Andrews rise from where she had knelt holding her fathers hand; do you all hear? John Kelsey is left in the pit. Are you not men enough to go?
Men cant go, said one of the day-shift, gruffly; no one could live there.
You have not tried, again she cried passionately. Richard Oldshaw, she said, turning to me with a red glow upon her face, John Kelsey is down there dying, and asking for help. Will not you go?
And you wish me to go, then? I said, bitterly.
Yes, she said. Would you have your fellow-creature lie there and die, when God has given you the power and strength, and knowledge to save him?
We stood there then, gazing in one anothers eyes.
You love him so that you cant even
to cheer me back to health, and I had learned that I was loved.
Chapter Eleven. My Scalded Patient
My patient, a frank, open-faced fellow, smiled as if he liked it all the same.
Theres something wrong with your boiler work, my man, I said, or we should not have so many explosions. How is it?
Cant say, Im sure, sir. Been used to bilers all my life; but working ems different to making em. Theres something wrong, as you say, or they wouldnt always be a-bustin. Taint once, nor twice, nor now and then, for its a thing as is always a-happening; and though Ive never had more than a scald or two myself, Ive seen some strange sights; men all blown to pieces, so that they were picked up afterwards in baskets; men taken to the hospital with their flesh bulging to them in rags, and there theyd lie writhing and tearing at the wrappings in such agony, that there, I aint above owning it Ive cried like a child to see my poor mates sufferings. And there theyd be day after day, till a sort of calm came over them and the pain went, when theyd quite smile if you spoke to em, they seemed so easy; and it would be because a gentle hand was laid upon em, and they were going into the long sleep.
Some gets better, but not when theyre scalded badly; for its strange stuff, is steam. Well, no; Im not afraid, and never do feel afraid. Whats the good? Ones got it to do, and theres the mouths at home to feed, so one cant afford it; and then the odds are precious long ones against its being ones own bustin. But now so many more steam engines are coming into use, day by day, it seems as if something ought to be done in the way of making bilers stronger. Cheapness is cheapness; but then a things dear at any price that makes such ruin as Ive seen sometimes; so why dont they try some tougher metal than iron? though certainly steams strong enough to tear up anything. But there seems to me to be some fresh plan wanted for making bilers. I didnt work there, but I went and had a look dreckly after that horrible accident at the Big Works last autumn. Well, there was about an acre of buildings sheds and setrer swept away as if youd battered em all down: great fire bricks weighing a hundred and a half, pitched here and there like chaff; sheets of lead sent flying a hundred yards; tall chimneys powdered down; and the big busted biler itself jumped right out of its place; while as to the middle of it, that was torn off and crumpled up, and blown like a sheet of paper, to a distance. Plenty of life lost there, and plenty of escapes; but what I took most notice of was the plates torn off the biler torn off as I said before, like so much paper; while these sheets or plates of iron, had given way at the rivets, and looked for all the world like postage stamps torn off, of coarse, along the perforating.