whole being very much
greater than the part.

Tom Bowcock was one of those men, by no means rare in the north, who
work hard with hands and head at the same time. He was a pitman, but he
was also a scientific miner, almost an engineer, and so Lennard had
found very little difficulty in getting him to grasp the details of the
tremendous problem in the working out of which he was destined to play
no mean part.

"Well, Measter Lennard," he said, slowly, as they rose from the little
table across which a very large amount of business had been transacted.
"It's a pretty big job this that yo've putten into our hands, and
especially into mine; but I reckon they'll be about big enough for it;
and yo've come to t' right place, too. I've never heard yet of a job as
Lancashire took on to as hoo didn't get through wi'.

"Now, from what yo've been telling me, yo' must be a bit of an early
riser sometimes, so if yo'll come here at seven or so i' t' mornin',
I'll fit yo' out wi' pit clothes and we'll go down t' shaft and yo' can
see for yoursel' what's wantin' doin'. Maybe that'll help yo' before yo'
go and make yo'r arrangements wi' Dobson & Barlow and t'other folk as
yo'll want to help yo'."

"Thank you very much, Mr Bowcock," replied Lennard. "You will find me
here pretty close about seven. It's a big job, as you say, and there's
not much time to be lost. Now, if Mrs Bowcock has not gone to bed, I'll
go and say good-night."

"She's no'on to bed yet," said his host, "and yo'll take a drop o'
summat warm before yo' start walkin' to t' hotel, for yo'll get no cab
up this way to-neet. She'll just have been puttin' t' youngster to
bed--"

Tom Bowcock stopped suddenly in his speech as a swift vision of that
same "youngster" and his mother choking in the flames of the Fire-Mist
passed across his senses. Lennard had convinced his intellect of the
necessity of the task of repelling the Celestial Invader and of the
possibility of success; but from that moment his heart was in the work.

It had stopped raining and the sky had cleared a little when they went
to the door half an hour later. To the right, across the road, rose a
tall gaunt shape like the skeleton of an elongated pyramid crowned with
two big wheels. Lights were blazing round it, for the pit was working
night and day getting the steam coal to the surface.

"Yonder's t' shaft," said Tom, as they shook hands. "It doesn't look
much of a place to save the world in, does it?"