One look at her face, and he knew his instincts had told
him the truth.
She was white and strained, though tearless, but her eyes were full of
an awful suffering.
"What has happened, mother?" he demanded, as if he could hardly wait for
her to answer.
"The moss has broken in, an' twenty-three men are lost. Jamie an' Andra
are among them. They gaed oot themselves this morning, telling me they
could work fine, even though you werena there. Oh, Rob! What will I do!
Oh, dear! Oh, dear! My bonnie laddies!" and with a sob in her voice she
turned away, and Robert was again out of the house, and running through
the moor to the pit, as hard as desperation could drive him. His two
brothers were down there, and they must be got out. Even as he ran he
wondered what strange freak of fate it was, that had kept him out there
on the moor all night and so saved him from this terrible fate.
He could understand how his brothers would feel at the chance of working
one day by themselves. He had always been their guide and protector.
They had gone into the pit with him when they left school, and had just
continued working with him since, learning their trade from his greater
experience, and trusting always to his better judgment when there was
danger to avoid.
Pages:
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385