第7部分(第2/7 頁)

ks　that　you　found　out　the　fire…damp？〃　asked　James　Starr。

〃Just　there；　sir；〃　returned　Ford；　〃and　I　was　able　to　light　it　only　by　bringing　my　lamp　near　to　the　cracks　in　the　rock。　Harry　has　done　it　as　well　as　I。〃

〃At　what　height？〃　asked　Starr。

〃Ten　feet　from　the　ground；〃　replied　Harry。

James　Starr　had　seated　himself　on　a　rock。 After　critically　inhaling　the　air　of　the　cavern；　he　gazed　at　the　two　miners；　almost　as　if　doubting　their　words；　decided　as　they　were。　In　fact；　carburetted　hydrogen　is　not　pletely　scentless；　and　the　engineer；　whose　sense　of　smell　was　very　keen；　was　astonished　that　it　had　not　revealed　the　presence　of　the　explosive　gas。　At　any　rate；　if　the　gas　had　mingled　at　all　with　the　surrounding　air；　it　could　only　be　in　a　very　small　stream。 There　was　no　danger　of　an　explosion；　and　they　might　without　fear　open　the　safety　lamp　to　try　the　experiment；　just　as　the　old　miner　had　done　before。

What　troubled　James　Starr　was；　not　lest　too　much　gas

mingled　with　the　air；　but　lest　there　should　be　little　or　none。

〃Could　they　have　been　mistaken？〃　he　murmured。 〃No： these　men　know　what　they　are　about。 And　yet……〃

He　waited；　not　without　some　anxiety；　until　Simon　Ford's　phenomenon　should　have　taken　place。 But　just　then　it　seemed　that　Harry；　like　himself；　had　remarked　the　absence　of　the　characteristic　odor　of　fire…damp；　for　he　exclaimed　in　an　altered　voice；　〃Father；　I　should　say　the　gas　was　no　longer　escaping　through　the　cracks！〃

〃No　longer！〃　cried　the　old　miner……and；　pressing　his　lips　tight　together；　he　snuffed　the　air　several　times。

Then；　all　at　once；　with　a　sudden　movement；　〃Hand　me　your　lamp；　Harry；〃　he　said。

Ford　took　the　lamp　with　a　trembling　hand。 He　drew　off　the　wire　gauze　case　which　surrounded　th