The coal was easy to get; he had one boy "forrit to the pick," with
Robert as "drawer," and his prospects seemed good, he thought, as he was
busily preparing a shot, ramming in the powder, and "stemming" up the
hole. He was busy ramming the powder in the prepared hole, while the
elder boy prepared clay, with which to stem or seal it up after the
powder had been pressed back, leaving only the fuse protruding.
"Here's a tree cracking," said the boy, drawing his father's attention
to a breaking prop; but as this is a common occurrence in all mines
where there is extra weight after development, Geordie thought nothing
of it at the time, intending merely, before he lighted his shot, to put
in a fresh prop.
"Bring in another prop, sonny," he said to the boy, "and I'll put it in
when I have stemmed this hole," and the boy turned to obey his order.
But suddenly a low crackling sound, caused by the breaking of more
props, was heard, then a roar and a crash as of thunder, followed by a
long rumbling noise, which left not a moment for the two trapped human
beings to stir even a limb or utter a cry. The immensity of the fall
created a wind, which put out little Robert's lamp; the great rumbling
noise filled him with a dreadful fear, and he sprang involuntarily to
his feet.
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