ich revealed to them the
full horrors of their situation. It was with difficulty that the candle
could be kept burning by holding it close to the roof under a projecting
piece of rock which sheltered it partially from the dashing spray.

"Let us try again!" shouted the father.

The noise was so great that it was with difficulty they could make each
other hear.

"It's all over with we," cried the son; "let us pray, faither."

The father urged his son, however, to make another effort, as the water
had risen nearly to their waists, and prevailed on him to do so, getting
on the ladder himself first, in order to bear the brunt of the falling
water and thus break its force to his son. As the water below was now
rising swiftly William only held the light long enough to enable his
father to obtain a secure footing on the ladder, when he dropped it and
followed him. So anxious was the youth to escape from the danger that
menaced him from below, that he pressed eagerly up against his father.
In doing so, he over-reached the rounds of the ladder on which his
father trod, and, almost at every step, the latter unwittingly planted
his heavy-nailed boots on the son's hands, lacerating them terribly. To
avoid this was impossible. So heavy was the descending flood, that it
was only his unusually great strength which enabled the father to
advance slowly up against it. The son, being partially sheltered by his
father's body, knew not the power against which he had to contend, and,
being anxious to go up faster, pressed too closely on him, regardless,
in his alarm, of the painful consequences. Masses of stone, wood, and
rubbish, dashed down the shaft and grazed their shoulders, but
providentially none struck them severely. Thus, slowly and painfully,
did they ascend to a height of eighty-four feet, and were saved.

In another part of the mine, below the level where the accident
occurred, James Penrose, whom we have already introduced to the reader,
was at work with John Cock. The latter having taken a fancy to try
mining for a time instead of smuggling--just by way of a change--had
joined the former in working a "pitch" in Botallack mine. These men
were peculiarly situated. They were in a level which the water entered,
not by flowing along or descending, but, by rising up through a winze.
On hearing the noise they ran to this winze, and, looking down, saw the
water boiling and roaring far below. They were about to pass on t