第20部分(第2/7 頁)

fe　would　be　spent；　was　as　dear　to　her　as　ever。

The　approaching　marriage　created　great　excitement　in　New　Aberfoyle。 Good　wishes　poured　in　on　all　sides；　and　foremost　among　them　were　Jack　Ryan's。　He　was　detected　busily　practicing　his　best　songs　in　preparation　for　the　great

day；　which　was　to　be　celebrated　by　the　whole　population　of　Coal　Town。

During　the　month　preceding　the　wedding…day；　there　were　more　accidents　occurring　in　New　Aberfoyle　than　had　ever　been　known　in　the　place。　One　would　have　thought　the　approaching　union　of　Harry　and　Nell　actually　provoked　one　catastrophe　after　another。 These　misfortunes　happened　chiefly　at　the　further　and　lowest　extremity　of　the　works；　and　the　cause　of　them　was　always　in　some　way　mysterious。

Thus；　for　instance；　the　wood…work　of　a　distant　gallery　was　discovered　to　be　in　flames；　which　were　extinguished　by　Harry　and　his　panions　at　the　risk　of　their　lives；　by　employing　engines　filled　with　water　and　carbonic　acid；　always　kept　ready　in　case　of　necessity。　The　lamp　used　by　the　incendiary　was　found；　but　no　clew　whatever　as　to　who　he　could　be。

Another　time　an　inundation　took　place　in　consequence　of　the　stanchions　of　a　water…tank　giving　way；　and　Mr。　Starr　ascertained　beyond　a　doubt　that　these　supports　had　first　of　all　been　partially　sawn　through。　Harry；　who　had　been　overseeing　the　works　near　the　place　at　the　time；　was　buried　in　the　falling　rubbish；　and　narrowly　escaped　death。

A　few　days　afterwards；　on　the　steam　tramway；　a　train　of　trucks；　which　Harry　was　passing　along；　met　with　an　obstacle　on　the　rails；　and　was　overturned。 It　was　then　discovered　that　a　beam　had　been　laid　across　the　line。 In　short；　events　of　this　description　became　so　numerous　that　the　miners　were　seized　with　a　kind　of　panic；　and　it　require