sun
lit up many a distant sail on the Atlantic.

"I do wish," said the younger with a slight sigh, "that our work was
more in the sunshine?"

"You'll never be a true miner, Jimmy, if 'ee go hankerin' after the sun
like that," said his brother with a laugh, as he stepped on the ladder
and began to descend.

Jimmy took a last look at the rising sun, and followed him close without
replying. The lads were soon beyond the reach of daylight.

This was the last they ever saw of earthly sunshine. In a few minutes
there came a low soft sound up the shaft; it was the lads singing one of
Wesley's beautiful hymns. They had been taught to sing these by their
mother from their infancy, and usually beguiled the tedium of the long
descent of the ladders by singing one or two of them.

Arrived at their place of work the brothers threw down their tools,
fixed their candles against the walls of the level, and began the labour
of the day.

Other men were in that part of the mine at the time, and the brothers
found that a message had been sent to one of the captains requesting him
to come and examine the place, as the men were becoming uneasy at the
increasing flow of water from the walls. One miner, named John Nicols,
was "driving an end," that is, extending the level lengthwise, and two
others were "stopeing," or cutting up into the roof in pursuit of a
promising little lode. They were using hammer and pick in soft ground
when the water trickled through to them.

It was well known that they were approaching an old part of the mine
which had not been worked for thirty years. The drainage of the ground
was not, however, accurately known, therefore questions had been put to
experienced miners as to the probable condition of this "untapped land."
The answer was that, as far as was known, the old mine was full of
"deads," that is, of rubbish, and that there was therefore, in all
probability, no gathering of water in it.

Just at that moment one of the captains entered the level, accompanied
by Oliver Trembath. The latter had been called to see a patient near
the mine, and chanced to be with the captain when he was summoned.
Being anxious to see the place, and the nature of the danger that
threatened, he had descended along with him.

Before the captain had time to put a question, and while the men were
still picking cautiously at the soft ground, the flow of water suddenly
increased. Recognising probable danger, a lad named