ok occasion, when Mr. Brook, the owner of the Vaughan mine,
called in on school business, to tell him how one of the pit boys was
striving to educate himself.

"He is really in earnest, Merton; it is not a mere freak?"

"No, Mr. Brook, the lad will stick to it, I'm sure. He goes by the
nickname of Bull-dog, and I don't think he is badly named; he has both
the pluck and the tenacity of one."

"Very well, Merton; I am glad you spoke to me about it. I wish a few
more boys would try and educate themselves for viewers and underground
managers; it is difficult indeed to get men who are anything but working
miners. I'll make a note of his name."

A few days afterwards Mr. Brook, after going through the books, went
over the mine with the underground manager.

"Do the waggons often get off the metals along this road, Evans?" he
asked, stopping at one of the doors which regulate the ventilation.

"Pretty often, sir; the rails are not very true, and the sleepers want
renewing."

"It would be as well if there were an extra light somewhere here; it
would be handy. This is Number Ten door, is it not?"

"Yes sir."

"Who is this? a new hand, is he not?" raising his lamp so as to have a
full look at the lad, who was standing respectfully in the niche in the
rock cut for him.

"Yes, sir; he is the son of a hand who was killed in the pit some ten
years ago--Simpson."

"Ah! I remember," Mr. Brooks said. "Well, serve the boy a lamp out when
he goes down of a day. You'll be careful with it, lad, and not let it
fall?"

"Oh yes, sir," Jack said, in a tone of delight; "and, please, sir, may I
read when I am not wanted?"

"Certainly you may," his master said; "only you must not neglect your
work;" and then Mr. Brook went on, leaving Jack so overjoyed that for
that afternoon at least his attempts at mental arithmetic were egregious
failures.

CHAPTER VI.

"THE OLD SHAFT."

In the corner of a rough piece of ground near the "Vaughan" was situated
what was known as the old shaft. It had been made many years before,
with a view to working coal there. The owners of the Vaughan, which at
the time was just commencing work, had, however, bought up the ground,
and as it adjoined their own and could be worked in connection with it,
they stopped the sinking here. This was so long ago that the rubbish
which had formed a mound round the mouth of the shaft had been long
covered with vegetation, and a fence placed round the pit had