d, moreover, a couple of cigars in his pocket, which he could suck
if hard driven to it.

Now that they were together again, all the lamps were extinguished save
the two required by the men employed. With work to be done, and a hope
of ultimate release, the men's spirits rose, and between their spells
they talked, and now and then even a laugh was heard.

Mr. Brook, although unable to do a share of the work, was very valuable
in aiding to keep up their spirits, by his hopeful talk, and by
anecdotes of people who had been in great danger in many ways in
different parts of the world, but who had finally escaped.

Sometimes one or other of the men would propose a hymn--for among
miners, as among sailors, there is at heart a deep religious feeling,
consequent upon a life which may at any moment be cut short--and then
their deep voices would rise together, while the blows of the sledges
and picks would keep time to the swing of the tune. On the advice of Mr.
Brook the men divided their portions of food, small as they were, into
two parts, to be eaten twelve hours apart; for as the work would proceed
without interruption night and day, it was better to eat, however
little, every twelve hours, than to go twenty-four without food.

The first twenty-four hours over, the stall--or rather the heading, for
it was now driven as narrow as it was possible for four men to work
simultaneously--had greatly advanced; indeed it would have been
difficult even for a miner to believe that so much work had been done in
the time. There was, however, no change in the appearances; the water
still trickled in, but they could not perceive that it came faster than
before. As fast as the coal fell--for fortunately the seam was over four
feet thick, so that they did not have to work upon the rock--it was
removed by the set of men who were next for work, so that there was not
a minute lost from this cause.

During the next twenty-four hours almost as much work was done as during
the first; but upon the third there was a decided falling off. The
scanty food was telling upon them now. The shifts were lengthened to an
hour to allow longer time for sleep between each spell of work, and each
set of men, when relieved, threw themselves down exhausted, and slept
for three hours, until it was their turn to wake up and remove the coal
as the set at work got it down.

At the end of seventy-two hours the water was coming through the face
much faster than at