波波小说

第6部分（第1页）

ther　and　son　took　their　picks；　their　sticks；　and　their　lamps。　　They　went　about　searching；　sounding　the　rock　with　a　sharp　blow；　listening　if　it　would　return　a　favor…able　sound。　So　long　as　the　soundings　had　not　been　pushed　to　the　granite　of　the　primary　formation；　the　Fords　were　agreed　that　the　search；　unsuccessful　to…day；　might　succeed　to…morrow；　and　that　it　ought　to　be　resumed。　They　spent　their　whole　life　in　endeavoring　to　bring　Aberfoyle　back　to　its　former　prosperity。　　If　the　father　died　before　the　hour　of　success；　the　son　was　to　go　on　with　the　task　alone。

It　was　during　these　excursions　that　Harry　was　more　particularly　struck　by　certain　phenomena；　which　he　vainly　sought　to　explain。　Several　times；　while　walking　along　some　narrow　cross…alley；　he　seemed　to　hear　sounds　similar　to　those　which　would　be　produced　by　violent　blows　of　a　pickax　against　the　wall。

Harry　hastened　to　seek　the　cause　of　this　mysterious　work。　The　tunnel　was　empty。　　The　light　from　the　young　miners

lamp；　thrown　on　the　wall；　revealed　no　trace　of　any　recent　work　with　pick　or　crowbar。　　Harry　would　then　ask　himself　if　it　was　not　the　effect　of　some　acoustic　illusion；　or　some　strange　and　fantastic　echo。　At　other　times；　on　suddenly　throwing　a　bright　light　into　a　suspicious…looking　cleft　in　the　rock；　he　thought　he　saw　a　shadow。　He　rushed　forward。　　Nothing；　and　there　was　no　opening　to　permit　a　human　being　to　evade　his　pursuit！

Twice　in　one　month；　Harry；　whilst　visiting　the　west　end　of　the　pit；　distinctly　heard　distant　reports；　as　if　some　miner　had　exploded　a　charge　of　dynamite。　　The　second　time；　after　many　careful　researches；　he　found　that　a　pillar　had　just　been　blown　up。

By　the　light　of　his　lamp；　Harry　carefully　examined　the　place　attacked　by　the　explosion。　　It　had　not　been　made　in　a　simple　embankment　of　stones；　but　in　a　mass　of　schist；　which　had　perated　to　this　depth　in　the　coal　stratum。　Had　the　object　of　the　explosion　been　to　discover　a　new　vein？　Or　had　someone　wished　simply　to　destroy　this　portion　of　the　mine？　Thus　he　questioned；　and　when　he　made　known　this　occurrence　to　his　father；　neither　could　the　old　overman　nor　he　himself　answer　the　question　in　a　satisfactory　way。

〃It　is　very　queer；〃　Harry　often　repeated。　　〃The　presence　of　an　unknown　being　in　the　mine　seems　impossible；　and　yet　there　can　be　no　doubt　about　it。　　Does　someone　besides　ourselves　wish　to　find　out　if　a　seam　yet　exists？　　Or；　rather；　has　he　attempted　to　destroy　what　remains　of　the　Aberfoyle　mines？　　But　for　what　reason？　I　will　find　that　out；　if　it　should　cost　me　my　life！〃

A　fortnight　before　the　day　on　which　Harry　Ford　guided　the　engineer　through　the　labyrinth　of　the　Dochart　pit；　he　had　been　on　the　point　of　attaining　the　object　of　his　search。　He　was　going　over　the　southwest　end　of　the　mine；　with　a　large　lantern　in　his　hand。　　All　at　once；　it　seemed　to　him　that　a　light　was　suddenly　extinguished；　some　hundred　feet　before　him；　at　the　end　of　a　narrow　passage　cut　obliquely　through　the　rock。　He　darted　forward。

His　search　was　in　vain。　　As　Harry　would　not　admit　a　supernatural　explanation　for　a　physical　occurrence；　he　concluded　that　certainly　some　strange　being　prowled　about　in　the　pit。　But　whatever　he　could　do；　searching　with　the　greatest　care；　scrutinizing　every　crevice　in　the　gallery；　he　found　nothing　for　his　trouble。

If　Jack　Ryan　and　the　other　superstitious　fellows　in　the　mine　had　seen　these　lights；　they　would；　without　fail；　have　called　them　supernatural；　but　Harry　did　not　dream　of　doing　so；　nor　did　his　father。　And　when　they　talked　over　these　phenomena；　evidently　due　to　a　physical　cause；　〃My　lad；〃　the　old　man　would　say；　〃we　must　wait。　It　will　all　be　explained　some　day。〃

However；　it　must　be　observed　that；　hitherto；　neither　Harry　nor　his　father　had　ever　been　exposed　to　any　act　of　violence。　If　the　stone　which　had　fallen　at　the　feet　of　James　Starr　had　been　thrown　by　the　hand　of　some　ill…disposed　person；　it　was　the　first　criminal　act　of　that　description。

James　Starr　was　of　opinion　that　the　stone　had　bee　detached　from　the　roof　of　the　gallery；　but　Harry　would　not　admit　of　such　a　simple　explanation。　　According　to　him；　the　stone　had　not　fallen；　it　had　been　thrown；　for　otherwise；　without　rebounding；　it　could　never　have　described　a　trajectory　as　it　did。

Harry　saw　in　it　a　direct　attempt　against　himself　and　his　father；　or　even　against　the　engineer。

CHAPTER　VI　SIMON　FORDS　EXPERIMENT

THE　old　clock　in　the　cottage　struck　one　as　James　Starr　and　his　two　panions　went　out。　　A　dim　light　perated　through　the　ventilating　shaft　into　the　glade。　　Harrys　lamp　was　not　necessary　here；　but　it　would　very　soon　be　of　use；　for　the　old　overman　was　about　to　conduct　the　engineer　to　the　very　end　of　the　Dochart　pit。

After　following　the　principal　gallery　for　a　distance　of　two　miles；　the　three　explorers……for；　as　will　be　seen；　this　was　a　regular　exploration……　arrived　at　the　entrance　of　a　narrow　tunnel。　　It　was　like　a　nave；　the　roof　of　which　rested　on　woodwork；　covered　with　white　moss。　It　followed　very　nearly　the　line　traced　by　the　course　of　the　river　Forth；　fifteen　hundred　feet　above。

〃So　we　are　going　to　the　end　of　the　last　vein？〃　said　James　Starr。

〃Ay！　　You　know　the　mine　well　still。〃

〃Well；　Simon；〃　returned　the　engineer；　〃it　will　be　difficult　to　go　further　than　that；　if　I　dont　mistake。〃

〃Yes；　indeed；　Mr。　Starr。　　That　was　where　our　picks　tore　out　the　last　bit　of　coal　in　the　seam。　　I　remember　it　as　if　it　were　yesterday。　I　myself　gave　that　last　blow；　and　it　re…echoed　in　my　heart　more　dismally　than　on　the　rock。　　Only　sandstone　and　schist　were　round　us　after　that；　and　when　the　truck　rolled　towards　the　shaft；　I　followed；　with　my　heart　as　full　as　though　it　were　a　funeral。　It　seemed　to　me　that　the　soul　of　the　mine　was　going　with　it。〃

The　gravity　with　which　the　old　man　uttered　these　words　impressed　the　engineer；　who　was　not　far　from　sharing　his　sentiments。　They　were　those　of　the　sailor　who　leaves　his　disabled　vessel……　of　the　proprietor　who　sees　the　house　of　his　ancestors　pulled　down。　He　pressed　Fords　hand；　but　now　the　latter　seized　that　of　the　engineer；　and；　wringing　it：

〃That　day　we　were　all　of　us　mistaken；〃　he　exclaimed。　　〃No！　　The　old　mine　was　not　dead。　　It　was　not　a　corpse　that　the　miners　abandoned；　and　I　dare　to　assert；　Mr。　Starr；　that　its　heart　beats　still。〃

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