第19部分(第3/7 頁)

　had　burst　into　the　colliery；　for　its　galleries　and　passages　perated　as　far　as　the　Caledonian　Canal。 In　that　case　the　entire　excavation；　vast　as　it　was；　would　be　pletely　flooded。　Not　a　single　inhabitant　of　New　Aberfoyle　would　escape　death。

But　when　the　foremost　fugitives　reached　the　entrance　to　the　tunnel；　they　encountered　Simon　Ford；　who　had　quitted　his　cottage。　〃Stop；　my　friends；　stop！〃　shouted　the　old　man；　〃if　our　town　is　to　be　overwhelmed；　the　floods　will　rush　faster　than　you　can；　no　one　can　possibly　escape。 But　see！　the　waters　are　rising　no　further！　it　appears　to　me　the　danger　is　over。〃

〃And　our　rades　at　the　far　end　of　the　works……what　about　them？〃　cried　some　of　the　miners。

〃There　is　nothing　to　fear　for　them；〃　replied　Simon；　〃they　are　working　on　a　higher　level　than　the　bed　of　the　loch。〃

It　was　soon　evident　that　the　old　man　was　in　the　right。　The　sudden　influx　of　water　had　rushed　to　the　very　lowest

bed　of　the　vast　mine；　and　its　only　ultimate　effect　was　to　raise　the　level　of　Loch　Malcolm　a　few　feet。 Coal　Town　was　uninjured；　and　it　was　reasonable　to　hope　that　no　one　had　perished　in　the　flood　of　water　which　had　descended　to　the　depths　of　the　mine　never　yet　perated　by　the　workmen。

Simon　and　his　men　could　not　decide　whether　this　inundation　was　owing　to　the　overflow　of　a　subterranean　sheet　of　water　perating　fissures　in　the　solid　rock；　or　to　some　underground　torrent　breaking　through　its　worn　bed；　and　precipitating　itself　to　the　lowest　level　of　the　mine。　But　that　very　same　evening　they　knew　what　to　think　about　it；　for　the　local　papers　published　an　account　of　the　marvelous　phenomenon　which　Loch　Katrine　had　exhibited。

The　surprising　news　was　soon　after　confirmed　by　the　four　travelers；　who；　returning　with　all　possible　speed　to