have been in a sad way all these
days, thinking what had become of me."

"Mrs Adams bears up pretty well," said Dick.

"But how long do you think I have been down here? A week, or is it
longer?" said David.

He could scarcely believe that it had been from the Saturday morning
till the Monday evening since he was lost.

"I thought that I must have been down very many days," he remarked. "I
had my day's dinner with me, so I just took a little nibble of food for
breakfast, and another for dinner, and a little more for supper. It
seemed to me that I stopped five or six hours between each meal, and
then I lay down and went to sleep, and when I awoke I thought it was
morning, and that the people would be coming down to work; so I got up
and walked on, thinking that they would hear me; but I waited and
waited, there was not the sound of a pick anywhere near, and I knew that
there would be no use shouting. Once I found the air much cooler, and
as I looked up I saw the stars shining right overhead, and then I knew
that I must be under an air shaft. Now, I thought, I shall find the
road to the pit's mouth, but I turned the wrong way, I suppose, and at
last, when I could go on no longer, I went right into the hole where you
found me. I couldn't have been long there. I tried to cry out as loud
as I could, but I had no strength; and if you hadn't come, Dick, I
should have died before many minutes."

David gave this account of himself by fits and starts, as he and Dick
were trying to find their way into the chief gate-road. Dick had to
support his friend, who was very weak, and scarcely able to get along.
He himself, too, was ready to faint, for he had been walking some hours,
and that in a hot mine was very trying. For what they could tell they
might still have a long distance to go. They went on for some way, then
again they had to sit down and rest.

"Now, David, we must go on again," exclaimed Dick, rousing himself; "we
shall soon be where the hewers are at work."

"Oh, I cannot, I cannot move another step, I fear," answered David, in a
voice which showed how weak he had become.

Dick made him take a little more food, and then, putting his arm round
him, helped him along. Thus they went on for some distance.

"Hark!" exclaimed Dick, joyfully, "I hear the sound of a pick. Yes, I'm
sure of it. There is some one singing, too. It's a putter. He's
coming this way."

As he spoke, the dull sound of the pick, "