ess.

"What is that?" asked Charlie, as a little spark of light like a
glowworm appeared in the distance, and a low rumbling noise met their
ears.

"You'll see in a minute," said Brownlee, smiling at Charlie's wonder.

The light came gradually nearer and nearer, and then Charlie saw it was
a lamp carried by a boy who had charge of a little pony and some coal
tubs--sort of square tubs on wheels. Brownlee told him that the boys who
had that work were called putters; they were occupied in taking empty
tubs to the men who hewed the coal, and in bringing away the full tubs,
and that they earned good wages: they had a shilling a score for the
tubs they removed.

"I should think the poor ponies have a hard life of it," said Charlie.
"Do they take the tubs right away to the mouth of the pit?"

"No, they only go so far, then the engine pulls them to the shaft, and
they are drawn up to bank, to be emptied and sent down again."

"We seem to have come a long way," said Charlie.

"About a mile," answered Brownlee; "but we've worked a deal further out
that way," pointing to the left. "We're either under the sea or close at
the edge, out there."

Charlie gave a little shudder. "Where is my work, please?" he asked.

"Oh, we've passed your place; the door we came through last is the one
you have to take care of. I'm just taking you round a bit, as you're new
to it. Mind your head," he called, as they turned up a low gallery to
the right, and they both went along stooping. "Stop there," said
Brownlee, creeping along by himself a little further, and sitting on his
heels opposite a wall of bright coal. "There," he said, "how would you
like to sit cramped up like this for six hours, hewing coal, and hearing
the stone above you crack like a gun, and move about as you work,
expecting every moment you'll have to run for your life--that is, if you
have the chance? I had a narrow escape last winter," he said, as he
joined Charlie again; "two of us were working together, and all of a
sudden there was an awful crack, like a cannon going off. It was who
could scramble up and run quickest, I can tell you. It was my luck to
be last, and down came a tremendous piece; the end of it just dropped on
my foot as I was running, and it held me as fast as if a mountain had
been on the top of me, although I was free all but my foot. None of them
durst venture to me for a good bit, for there was an awful noise going
on round me, and there I laid as fa