oarding of
the kibble-shaft, and being scraped by the pump-rods until both of them
were as wet and red and dirty as any miner below.

As he advanced, Oliver began to take note of the places he had passed on
the way down, and so much had he seen and thought during his sojourn
underground, that, when he reached the level where he first came upon
the noisy kibbles, and made acquaintance with the labouring pump-rod, he
almost hailed the spot as an old familiar landmark of other days!

A circumstance occurred just then which surprised him not a little, and
tended to fix this locality still more deeply on his memory. While he
was standing in the level, waiting until the captain should relight and
trim his much and oft bruised candle, the kibbles began their noisy
motion. This was nothing new now, but at the same time the shout of
distant voices was heard, as if the gnomes held revelry in their dreary
vaults. They drew gradually nearer, and Oliver could distinguish
laughter mingled with the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps.

"Foolish lads!" ejaculated Captain Dan with a smile, and an expression
that proved he took some interest in the folly, whatever it might be.

"What is it?" inquired Oliver.

"They are racing to the kibble. Look and you shall see," replied the
other.

Just then a man who had outrun his comrades appeared at the place where
the level joined the shaft, just opposite. Almost at the same moment
the kibble appeared flying upwards. The miner leaped upon it, caught
and clung to the chain as it passed, and shouted a defiant adieu to his
less fortunate comrades, who arrived just in time to witness him
disappear upwards in this rapid manner "to grass."

"That's the way the young ones risk their lives," said the captain,
shaking his head remonstratively; "if that young fellow had missed the
kibble he would have been dashed to pieces at the bottom of the shaft."

Again Captain Dan said "Foolish lads," and shook his head so gravely
that Oliver could not help regarding him with the respect due to a
sedate, fatherly sort of man; but Oliver was young and unsophisticated,
and did not know at the time that the captain had himself been noted in
his youth as an extremely reckless and daring fellow, and that a
considerable spice of the daring remained in him still!

Diverging to the right at this point Captain Dan led Oliver to an old
part of the mine, where there were a couple of men opening up and
extendi