the underground city-第16章

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r　bodies；　stretched　on　the　ground　four　corpses；　perhaps！

〃James　Starr！〃　exclaimed　Sir　William　Elphiston。

〃Harry！　　Harry！〃　cried　Ryan；　throwing　himself　down　beside　his　friend。

It　was　indeed　the　engineer；　Madge；　Simon；　and　Harry　Ford　who　were　lying　there　motionless。　　But　one　of　the　bodies　moved　slightly；　and　Madge's　voice　was　heard　faintly　murmuring；　〃See　to　the　others！　help　them　first！〃

Sir　William；　Jack；　and　their　companions　endeavored　to　reanimate　the　engineer　and　his　friends　by　getting　them　to　swallow　a　few　drops　of　brandy。　　They　very　soon　succeeded。　　The　unfortunate　people；　shut　up　in　that　dark　cavern　for　ten　days；　were　dying　of　starvation。　They　must　have　perished　had　they　not　on　three　occasions　found　a　loaf　of　bread　and　a　jug　of　water　set　near　them。　No　doubt　the　charitable　being　to　whom　they　owed　their　lives　was　unable　to　do　more　for　them。

Sir　William　wondered　whether　this　might　not　have　been　the　work　of　the　strange　sprite　who　had　allured　them　to　the　very　spot　where　James　Starr　and　his　companions　lay。

However　that　might　be；　the　engineer；　Madge；　Simon；　and　Harry　Ford　were　saved。　　They　were　assisted　to　the　cottage；　passing　through　the　narrow　opening　which　the　bearer　of　the　strange　light　had　apparently　wished　to　point　out　to　Sir　William。　　This　was　a　natural　opening。　The　passage　which　James　Starr　and　his　companions　had　made　for　themselves　with　dynamite　had　been　completely　blocked　up　with　rocks　laid　one　upon　another。

So；　then；　whilst　they　had　been　exploring　the　vast　cavern；　the　way　back　had　been　purposely　closed　against　them　by　a　hostile　hand。


CHAPTER　X　COAL　TOWN


THREE　years　after　the　events　which　have　just　been　related；　the　guide…books　recommended　as　a　〃great　attraction；〃　to　the　numerous　tourists　who　roam　over　the　county　of　Stirling；　a　visit　of　a　few　hours　to　the　mines　of　New　Aberfoyle。

No　mine　in　any　country；　either　in　the　Old　or　New　World；　could　present　a　more　curious　aspect。

To　begin　with；　the　visitor　was　transported　without　danger　or　fatigue　to　a　level　with　the　workings；　at　fifteen　hundred　feet　below　the　surface　of　the　ground。　　Seven　miles　to　the　southwest　of　Callander　opened　a　slanting　tunnel；　adorned　with　a　castellated　entrance；　turrets　and　battlements。　This　lofty　tunnel　gently　sloped　straight　to　the　stupendous　crypt；　hollowed　out　so　strangely　in　the　bowels　of　the　earth。

A　double　line　of　railway；　the　wagons　being　moved　by　hydraulic　power；　plied　from　hour　to　hour　to　and　from　the　village　thus　buried　in　the　subsoil　of　the　county；　and　which　bore　the　rather　ambitious　title　of　Coal　Town。

Arrived　in　Coal　Town；　the　visitor　found　himself　in　a　place　where　electricity　played　a　principal　part　as　an　agent　of　heat　and　light。　Although　the　ventilation　shafts　were　numerous；　they　were　not　sufficient　to　admit　much　daylight　into　New　Aberfoyle；　yet　it　had　abundance　of　light。　　This　was　shed　from　numbers　of　electric　discs；　some　suspended　from　the　vaulted　roofs；　others　hanging　on　the　natural　pillarsall；　whether　suns　or　stars　in　size；　were　fed　by　continuous　currents　produced　from　electro…magnetic　machines。　When　the　hour　of　rest　arrived；　an　artificial　night　was　easily　produced　all　over　the　mine　by　disconnecting　the　wires。

Below　the　dome　lay　a　lake　of　an　extent　to　be　compared　to　the　Dead　Sea　of　the　Mammoth　cavesa　deep　lake　whose　transparent　waters　swarmed　with　eyeless　fish；　and　to　which　the　engineer　gave　the　name　of　Loch　Malcolm。

There；　in　this　immense　natural　excavation；　Simon　Ford　built　his　new　cottage；　which　he　would　not　have　exchanged　for　the　finest　house　in　Prince's　Street；　Edinburgh。　　This　dwelling　was　situated　on　the　shores　of　the　loch；　and　its　five　windows　looked　out　on　the　dark　waters；　which　extended　further　than　the　eye　could　see。　　Two　months　later　a　second　habitation　was　erected　in　the　neighborhood　of　Simon　Ford's　cottage：　this　was　for　James　Starr。　　The　engineer　had　given

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himself　body　and　soul　to　New　Aberfoyle；　and　nothing　but　the　most　imperative　necessity　ever　caused　him　to　leave　the　pit。　There；　then；　he　lived　in　the　midst　of　his　mining　world。

On　the　discovery　of　the　new　field；　all　the　old　colliers　had　hastened　to　leave　the　plow　and　harrow；　and　r閟um？the　pick　and　mattock。　Attracted　by　the　certainty　that　work　would　never　fail；　allured　by　the　high　wages　which　the　prosperity　of　the　mine　enabled　the　company　to　offer　for　labor；　they　deserted　the　open　air　for　an　underground　life；　and　took　up　their　abode　in　the　mines。

The　miners'　houses；　built　of　brick；　soon　grew　up　in　a　picturesque　fashion；　some　on　the　banks　of　Loch　Malcolm；　others　under　the　arches　which　seemed　made　to　resist　the　weight　that　pressed　upon　them；　like　the　piers　of　a　bridge。　　So　was　founded　Coal　Town；　situated　under　the　eastern　point　of　Loch　Katrine；　to　the　north　of　the　county　of　Stirling。　　It　was　a　regular　settlement　on　the　banks　of　Loch　Malcolm。　　A　chapel；　dedicated　to　St。　Giles；　overlooked　it　from　the　top　of　a　huge　rock；　whose　foot　was　laved　by　the　waters　of　the　subterranean　sea。

When　this　underground　town　was　lighted　up　by　the　bright　rays　thrown　from　the　discs；　hung　from　the　pillars　and　arches；　its　aspect　was　so　strange；　so　fantastic；　that　it　justified　the　praise　of　the　guide…books；　and　visitors　flocked　to　see　it。

It　is　needless　to　say　that　the　inhabitants　of　Coal　Town　were　proud　of　their　place。　　They　rarely　left　their　laboring　village　in　that　imitating　Simon　Ford；　who　never　wished　to　go　out　again。　The　old　overman　maintained　that　it　always　rained　〃up　there；〃　and；　considering　the　climate　of　the　United　Kingdom；　it　must　be　acknowledged　that　he　was　not　far　wrong。　All　the　families　in　New　Aberfoyle　prospered　well；　having　in　three　years　obtained　a　certain　com…petency　which　they　could　never　have　hoped　to　attain　on　the　surface　of　the　county。　Dozens　of　babies；　who　were　born　at　the　time　when　the　works　were　resumed；　had　never　yet　breathed　the　outer　air。

This　made　Jack　Ryan　remark；　〃It's　eighteen　months　since　they　were　weaned；　and　they　have　not　yet　seen　daylight！〃

It　may　be　mentioned　here；　that　one　of　the　first　to　run　at　the　engineer's　call　was　Jack　Ryan。　　The　merry　fellow　had

thought　it　his　duty　to　return　to　his　old　trade。　But　though　Melrose　farm　had　lost　singer　and　piper　it　must　not　be　thought　that　Jack　Ryan　sung　no　more。　　On　the　contrary；　the　sonorous　echoes　of　New　Aberfoyle　exerted　their　strong　lungs　to　answer　him。

Jack　Ryan　took　up　his　abode　in　Simon　Ford's　new　cottage。　　They　offered　him　a　room；　which　he　accepted　without　ceremony；　in　his　frank　and　hearty　way。　Old　Madge　loved　him　for　his　fine　character　and　good　nature。　She　in　some　degree　shared　his　ideas　on　the　subject　of　the　fantastic　beings　who　were　supposed　to　haunt　the　mine；　and　the　two；　when　alone；　told　each　other　stories　wild　enough　to　make　one　shudderstories　well　worthy　of　enriching　the　hyperborean　mythology。

Jack　thus　became　the　life　of　the　cottage。　　He　was；　besides　being　a　jovial　companion；　a　good　workman。　　Six　months　after　the　works　had　begun；　he　was　made　head　of　a　gang　of　hewers。

〃That　was　a　good　work　done；　Mr。　Ford；〃　said　he；　a　few　days　after　his　appointment。　　〃You　discovered　a　new　field；　and　though　you　narrowly　escaped　paying　for　the　discovery　with　your　life　well；　it　was　not　too　dearly　bought。〃

〃No；　Jack；　it　was　a　good　bargain　we　made　that　time！〃　answered　the　old　overman。　　〃But　neither　Mr。　Starr　nor　I　have　forgotten　that　to　you　we　owe　our　lives。〃

〃Not　at　all；〃　returned　Jack。　　〃You　owe　them　to　your　son　Harry；　when　he　had　the　good　sense　to　accept　my　invitation　to　Irvine。〃

〃And　not　to　go；　isn't　that　it？〃　interrupted　Harry；　grasping　his　comrade's　hand。　　〃No；　Jack；　it　is　to　you；　scarcely　healed　of　your　wounds　to　you；　who　did　not　delay　a　day；　no；　nor　an　hour；　that　we　owe　our　being　found　still　alive　in　the　mine！〃

〃Rubbish；　no！〃　broke　in　the　obstinate　fellow。　〃I　won't　have　that　said；　when　it's　no　such　thing。　I　hurried　to　find　out　what　had　become　of　you；　Harry；　that's　all。　But　to　give　everyone　his　due；　I　will　add　that　without　that　unapproachable　goblin〃

〃Ah；　there　we　are！〃　cried　Ford。　　〃A　goblin！〃

〃A　goblin；　a　brownie；　a　fairy's　child；〃　repeated　Jack　Ryan；　〃a　cousin　of　the　Fire…Maidens；　an　Urisk；　whatever　you　like！　It's　not　the　less　certain　that　without　it　we　should

never　have　found　our　way　into　the　gallery；　from　which　you　could