We were to be paid by the ton, I forget how much, but it was very
little, and we lost no time getting to work. We had to dig away
the coal at the floor with our picks, lying on our knees to do it,
and afterward drive wedges under the roof to loosen the mass. It
was hard work, and, entirely inexperienced as we were, we made but
little headway. As the day wore on, the darkness and silence grew
very oppressive, and made us start nervously at the least thing.
The sudden arrival of our donkey with its cart gave me a dreadful
fright. The friendly beast greeted us with a joyous bray and rubbed
its shaggy sides against us in the most companionable way. In the
flickering light of my lamp I caught sight of its long ears waving
over me--I don't believe I had seen three donkeys before in my
life; there were none where I came from--and heard that demoniac
shriek, and I verily believe I thought the evil one had come for
me in person. I know that I nearly fainted.
That donkey was a discerning animal. I think it knew when it first
set eyes on us that we were not going to overwork it; and we didn't.
Pages:
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62