第4部分(第5/7 頁)

t；　he　would　have　been　regarded　as　one　of　the　most　conspicuous　men　in　the　district　which　supplies　so　many　fine　fellows　to　the　Highland　regiments。

Simon　Ford　was　descended　from　an　old　mining　family；　and　his　ancestors　had　worked　the　very　first　carboniferous　seams　opened　in　Scotland。 Without　discussing　whether　or　not　the　Greeks　and　Romans　made　use　of　coal；　whether　the　Chinese　worked　coal　mines　before　the　Christian　era；　whether　the　French　word　for　coal　（HOUILLE）　is　really　derived　from　the　farrier　Houillos；　who　lived　in　Belgium　in　the　twelfth　century；　we　may　affirm　that　the　beds　in　Great　Britain　were　the　first　ever　regularly　worked。　So　early　as　the　eleventh　century；　William　the　Conqueror　divided　the　produce　of　the　Newcastle　bed　among　his　panions…in…arms。　At　the　end　of　the　thirteenth　century；　a　license　for　the　mining　of　〃sea　coal〃　was　granted　by　Henry　III。 Lastly；　towards　the　end　of　the　same　century；　mention　is　made　of　the　Scotch　and　Welsh　beds。

It　was　about　this　time　that　Simon　Ford's　ancestors　perated　into　the　bowels　of　Caledonian　earth；　and　lived　there　ever　after；　from　father　to　son。 They　were　but　plain　miners。 They　labored　like　convicts　at　the　work　of　extracting　the　precious　bustible。　It　is　even　believed　that　the　coal　miners；　like　the　salt…makers　of　that　period；　were　actual　slaves。

However　that　might　have　been；　Simon　Ford　was　proud　of　belonging　to　this　ancient　family　of　Scotch　miners。　He　had　worked　diligently　in　the　same　place　where　his　ancestors　had　wielded　the　pick；　the　crowbar；　and　the　mattock。　At　thirty　he　was　overman　of　the　Dochart　pit；　the　most　important　in　the　Aberfoyle　colliery。 He　was　devoted　to　his　trade。　During　long　years　he　zealously　performed　his　duty。　His　only　grief　had　been　to　perceive　the　bed　being　impoverished；　and　to　see　the　hour