第7部分(第1/7 頁)

ometimes　found　amongst　the　rock；　it　would　soon　have　been　empty；　and　the　phenomenon　have　ceased。 But　far　from　that。　According　to　Simon　Ford；　the　fire…damp　escaped　incessantly；　and　from　that　fact　the　existence　of　an　important　vein　might　be　considered　certain。　Consequently；　the　riches　of　the　Dochart　pit　were　not　entirely　exhausted。　The　chief　question　now　was；　whether　this　was　merely　a　vein　which　would　yield　paratively　little；　or　a　bed　occupying　a　large　extent。

Harry；　who　preceded　his　father　and　the　engineer；　stopped。

〃Here　we　are！〃　exclaimed　the　old　miner。 〃At　last；　thank　Heaven！　you　are　here；　Mr。　Starr；　and　we　shall　soon　know。〃　The　old　overman's　voice　trembled　slightly。

〃Be　calm；　my　man！〃　said　the　engineer。 〃I　am　as　excited　as　you　are；　but　we　must　not　lose　time。〃

The　gallery　at　this　end　of　the　pit　widened　into　a　sort　of　dark　cave。　No　shaft　had　been　pierced　in　this　part；　and　the　gallery；　bored　into　the　bowels　of　the　earth；　had　no　direct　munication　with　the　surface　of　the　earth。

James　Starr；　with　intense　interest；　examined　the　place　in　which　they　were　standing。 On　the　walls　of　the　cavern　the　marks　of　the　pick　could　still　be　seen；　and　even　holes　in　which　the　rock　had　been　blasted；　near　the　termination　of　the　working。　The　schist　was　excessively　hard；　and　it　had　not　been　necessary　to　bank　up　the　end　of　the　tunnel　where　the　works　had　e　to　an　end。　There　the　vein　had　failed；　between　the　schist　and　the　tertiary　sandstone。　From　this　very　place　had　been　extracted　the　last　piece　of　coal　from　the　Dochart　pit。

〃We　must　attack　the　dyke；〃　said　Ford；　raising　his　pick；　〃for　at　the　other　side　of　the　break；　at　more　or　less　depth；　we　shall　assuredly　find　the　vein；　the　existence　of　which　I　assert。〃

〃And　was　it　on　the　surface　of　these　roc