波波小说

第9部分（第1页）

〃Superb！　　Mr。　Starr；　superb！〃　answered　Ford；　〃just　look　at　it　yourself！〃

And　so　saying；　with　his　pick　he　struck　off　a　fragment　of　the　black　rock。

〃Look！　look！〃　he　repeated；　holding　it　close　to　his　lamp；　〃the　surface　of　this　piece　of　coal　is　shining！　　We　have　here　fat　coal；　rich　in　bituminous　matter；　and　see　how　it　es　in　pieces；　almost　without　dust！　　Ah；　Mr。　Starr！　twenty　years　ago　this　seam　would　have　entered　into　a　strong　petition　with　Swansea　and　Cardiff！　　Well；　stokers　will　quarrel　for　it　still；　and　if　it　costs　little　to　extract　it　from　the　mine；　it　will　not　sell　at　a　less　price　outside。〃

〃Indeed；〃　said　Madge；　who　had　taken　the　fragment　of　coal　and　was　examining　it　with　the　air　of　a　connoisseur；　〃thats　good　quality　of　coal。　　Carry　it　home；　Simon；　carry　it　back　to　the　cottage！　I　want　this　first　piece　of　coal　to　burn　under　our　kettle。〃

〃Well　said；　wife！〃　answered　the　old　overman；　〃and　you　shall　see　that　I　am　not　mistaken。〃

〃Mr。　Starr；〃　asked　Harry；　〃have　you　any　idea　of　the　probable　direction　of　this　long　passage　which　we　have　been　following　since　our　entrance　into　the　new　mine？〃

〃No；　my　lad；〃　replied　the　engineer；　〃with　a　pass　I　could　perhaps　find　out　its　general　bearing；　but　without　a　pass　I　am　here　like　a　sailor　in　open　sea；　in　the　midst　of　fogs；　when　there　is　no　sun　by　which　to　calculate　his　position。〃

〃No　doubt；　Mr。　Starr；〃　replied　Ford；　〃but　pray　dont　pare　our　position　with　that　of　the　sailor；　who　has　everywhere　and　always　an　abyss　under　his　feet！　　We　are　on　firm　ground　here；　and　need　never　be　afraid　of　foundering。〃

〃I　wont　tease　you；　then；　old　Simon；〃　answered　James　Starr。　　〃Far　be　it　from　me　even　in　jest　to　depreciate　the　New　Aberfoyle　mine　by　an　unjust　parison！　　I　only　meant　to　say　one　thing；　and　that　is　that　we　dont　know　where　we　are。〃

〃We　are　in　the　subsoil　of　the　county　of　Stirling；　Mr。　Starr；〃　replied　Simon　Ford；　〃and　that　I　assert　as　if……〃

〃Listen！〃　said　Harry；　interrupting　the　old　man。　All　listened；　as　the　young　miner　was　doing。　　His　ears；　which　were　very　sharp；　had　caught　a　dull　sound；　like　a　distant　murmur。　His　panions　were　not　long　in　hearing　it　themselves。　It　was　above　their　heads；　a　sort　of　rolling　sound；　in　which　though　it　was　so　feeble；　the　successive　CRESCENDO　and　DIMINUENDO　could　be　distinctly　heard。

All　four　stood　for　some　minutes；　their　ears　on　the　stretch；　without　uttering　a　word。　　All　at　once　Simon　Ford　exclaimed；　〃Well；　I　declare！　　Are　trucks　already　running　on　the　rails　of　New　Aberfoyle？〃

〃Father；〃　replied　Harry；　〃it　sounds　to　me　just　like　the　noise　made　by　waves　rolling　on　the　sea　shore。〃

〃We　cant　be　under　the　sea　though！〃　cried　the　old　overman。

〃No；〃　said　the　engineer；　〃but　it　is　not　impossible　that　we　should　be　under　Loch　Katrine。〃

〃The　roof　cannot　have　much　thickness　just　here；　if　the　noise　of　the　water　is　perceptible。〃

〃Very　little　indeed；〃　answered　James　Starr；　〃and　that　is　the　reason　this　cavern　is　so　huge。〃

〃You　must　be　right；　Mr。　Starr；〃　said　Harry。

〃Besides；　the　weather　is　so　bad　outside；〃　resumed　Starr；　〃that　the　waters　of　the　loch　must　be　as　rough　as　those　of　the　Firth　of　Forth。〃

〃Well！　what　does　it　matter　after　all？〃　returned　Simon　Ford；　〃the　seam　wont　be　any　the　worse　because　it　is　under　a　loch。　It　would　not　be　the　first　time　that　coal　has　been　looked　for　under　the　very　bed　of　the　ocean！　　When　we　have　to　work　under　the　bottom　of　the　Caledonian　Canal；　where　will　be　the　harm？〃

〃Well　said；　Simon；〃　cried　the　engineer；　who　could　not　restrain　a　smile　at　the　overmans　enthusiasm；　〃let　us　cut　our　trenches　under　the　waters　of　the　sea！　　Let　us　bore　the　bed　of　the　Atlantic　like　a　strainer；　let　us　with　our　picks　join

our　brethren　of　the　United　States　through　the　subsoil　of　the　ocean！　let　us　dig　into　the　center　of　the　globe　if　necessary；　to　tear　out　the　last　scrap　of　coal。〃

〃Are　you　joking；　Mr。　Starr？〃　asked　Ford；　with　a　pleased　but　slightly　suspicious　look。

〃I　joking；　old　man？　no！　but　you　are　so　enthusiastic　that　you　carry　me　away　into　the　regions　of　impossibility！　　e；　let　us　return　to　the　reality；　which　is　sufficiently　beautiful；　leave　our　picks　here；　where　we　may　find　them　another　day；　and　lets　take　the　road　back　to　the　cottage。〃

Nothing　more　could　be　done　for　the　time。　　Later；　the　engineer；　acpanied　by　a　brigade　of　miners；　supplied　with　lamps　and　all　necessary　tools；　would　r閟um？the　exploration　of　New　Aberfoyle。　　It　was　now　time　to　return　to　the　Dochart　pit。　The　road　was　easy；　the　gallery　running　nearly　straight　through　the　rock　up　to　the　orifice　opened　by　the　dynamite；　so　there　was　no　fear　of　their　losing　themselves。

But　as　James　Starr　was　proceeding　towards　the　gallery　Simon　Ford　stopped　him。

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