but I don't knaw
nothin' 'bout the church, so I ain't sure--an' he calls owld Tom into
the vestry.

"`Now look here, Tom,' says the captain, very stern, `they tell me thee
'rt gettin' lazy, Tom, an' that thee do dig the graves only four fut
deep. Now, Tom, I was over to St. Just t'other day to a berryin', and I
see that they do dig their graves six fut or more deeper than you do.
That won't do, Tom, I tell 'ee. What's the meanin' of it?'

"This came somewhat suddent on owld Tom, but he wor noways put out.

"`Well, you do see, Cap'n Rowe,' says he, `I do it apurpose, for I do
look at the thing in two lights.'"

"`How so?' asked the captain.

"`Why, the people of St. Just only think of the berryin', but _I_ do
think of the resurrection; the consekince is that they do dig too deep,
an' afore the St. Just folk are well out of their graves, _ours_ will be
a braave way up to heaven!'"

The laugh with which this anecdote was received had scarcely subsided
when the upper half of one of the account-house windows opened, and the
fine-looking head and shoulders of old Mr Cornish appeared.

The manager laid an open book on the window-sill, and from this elevated
position, as from a pulpit, he read out the names, positions, etcetera,
of the various "pitches" that were to be "sett" for the following month.
One of the mine captains stood at his elbow to give any required
information--he and his three brother captains being the men who had
gone all over the mine during the previous month, examined the work,
measured what had been done by each man or "pare" of men, knew the
capabilities of all the miners, and fixed the portion that ought to be
offered to each for acceptance or refusal.

The men assembled in a cluster round the window, and looked up while Mr
Cornish read off as follows:--

"John Thomas's pitch at back of the hundred and five. By two men. To
extend from the end of tram-hole, four fathom west, and from back of
level, five fathom above."

For the enlightenment of the reader, we may paraphrase the above
sentence thus:--

"The pitch or portion of rock wrought last month by John Thomas is now
offered anew--in the first place, to John Thomas himself if he chooses
to continue working it at our rate of pay, or, if he declines, to any
other man who pleases to offer for it. The pitch is in the back (or
roof) of the level, which lies one hundred and five fathoms deep. It
must be wrought by two men, and must be e