第20部分(第5/7 頁)

　Dochart　pit。

In　former　days；　before　the　invention　of　the　safety…lamp；　Simon　had　known　this　fierce　man；　whose　business　it　was　to　go　daily；　at　the　risk　of　his　life；　to　produce　partial　explosions　of　fire…damp　in　the　passages。　He　used　to　see　this　strange　solitary　being；　prowling　about　the　mine；　always　acpanied　by　a　monstrous　owl；　which　he　called　Harfang；　who　assisted　him　in　his　perilous　occupation；　by　soaring　with　a　lighted　match　to　places　Silfax　was　unable　to　reach。

One　day　this　old　man　disappeared；　and　at　the　same　time　also；　a　little　orphan　girl　born　in　the　mine；　who　had　no　relation　but　himself；　her　great…grandfather。　It　was　perfectly　evident　now　that　this　child　was　Nell。 During　the　fifteen　years；　up　to　the　time　when　she　was　saved　by　Harry；　they　must　have　lived　in　some　secret　abyss　of　the　mine。

The　old　overman；　full　of　mingled　passion　and　anger；　made　known　to　the　engineer　and　Harry　all　that　the　name　of　Silfax　had　revealed　to　him。　It　explained　the　whole　mystery。 Silfax　was　the　mysterious　being　so　long　vainly　sought　for　in　the　depths　of　New　Aberfoyle。

〃So　you　knew　him；　Simon？〃　demanded　Mr。　Starr。

〃Yes；　that　I　did；〃　replied　the　overman。 〃The　Harfang　man；　we　used　to　call　him。 Why；　he　was　old　then！ He　must　be　fifteen　or　twenty　years　older　than　I　am。 A　wild；

savage　sort　of　fellow；　who　held　aloof　from　everyone　and　was　known　to　fear　nothing……neither　fire　nor　water。 It　was　his　own　fancy　to　follow　the　trade　of　'monk；'　which　few　would　have　liked。　The　constant　danger　of　the　business　had　unsettled　his　brain。　He　was　prodigiously　strong；　and　he　knew　the　mine　as　no　one　else……　at　any　rate；　as　well　as　I　did。 He　lived　on　a　small　allowance。　In　faith；　I　believed　him　dead　years　ago。〃

〃But；〃　resumed　James　Starr；　〃what　does　he　mean　by　tho