第8部分(第4/7 頁)

n　the　deserted　mine；　an　unmon　pertinacity　in　research；　perfect　faith；　sustained　by　a　marvelous　mining　instinct……　all　these　qualities　together　led　him　to　succeed　where　so　many　others　had　failed。 Why　had　the　soundings　made　under　the　direction　of　James　Starr　during　the　last　years　of　the　working　stopped　just　at　that　limit；　on　the　very　frontier　of　the　new　mine？　That　was　all　chance；　which　takes　great　part　in　researches　of　this　kind。

However　that　might　be；　there　was；　under　the　Scottish　subsoil；　what　might　be　called　a　subterranean　county；　which；　to　be　habitable；　needed　only　the　rays　of　the　sun；　or；　for　want　of　that；　the　light　of　a　special　pla。

Water　had　collected　in　various　hollows；　forming　vast　ponds；　or　rather　lakes　larger　than　Loch　Katrine；　lying　just　above　them。　Of　course　the　waters　of　these　lakes　had　no　movement　of　currents　or　tides；　no　old　castle　was　reflected　there；　no　birch　or　oak　trees　waved　on　their　banks。 And　yet　these　deep　lakes；　whose　mirror…like　surface　was　never　ruffled　by　a　breeze；　would　not　be　without　charm　by　the　light　of　some　electric　star；　and；　connected　by　a　string　of　canals；　would　well　plete　the　geography　of　this　strange　domain。

Although　unfit　for　any　vegetable　production；　the　place　could　be　inhabited　by　a　whole　population。 And　who　knows　but　that　in　this　steady　temperature；　in　the　depths　of　the

mines　of　Aberfoyle；　as　well　as　in　those　of　Newcastle；　Alloa；　or　Cardiff……　when　their　contents　shall　have　been　exhausted……who　knows　but　that　the　poorer　classes　of　Great　Britain　will　some　day　find　a　refuge？

CHAPTER　VIII　EXPLORING

AT　Harry's　call；　James　Starr；　Madge；　and　Simon　Ford　entered　through　the　narrow　orifice　which　put　the　Dochart　pit　in　munication　with　the　new　mine。 They　found　themselves　at　the　beginning　of　a　tolera