i n the corner of a rough piece of ground near the "vaughan" was situated what was known as the old shaft. it had been made many years before, with a view to working coal there. the owners of the vaughan, which at the time was just commencing work, had, however, bought up the ground, and as it adjoined their own and could be worked in connection with it, they stopped the sinking here. this was so long ago that the rubbish which had formed a mound round the mouth of the shaft had been long covered with vegetation, and a fence placed round the pit had fallen into decay.
the shaft had been sunk some fifty fathoms, but was now full of water, to within forty feet of the surface. some boards covered the top, and the adventurous spirits among the boys would drop stones through the openings between them, and listen to the splash as they struck the water below, or would light pieces of paper and watch them falling into the darkness,[pg 55] until they disappeared suddenly as they touched the water.
the winch used in the process of excavation remained, and round it was a portion of the chain so old and rusty as to be worthless for any purpose whatever. lengths had from time to time been broken off by boys, who would unwind a portion, and then, three or four pull together until the rust-eaten links gave way; and the boys came to the ground with a crash. it was a dirty game, however, dirty even for pit boys, for the yellow rust would stick to hands and clothes and be very difficult to remove.
one saturday afternoon a group of boys and girls of from ten to fourteen were playing in the field. presently it was proposed to play king of the castle, or a game akin thereto, half a dozen holding the circular mound round the old pit, while the rest attacked them and endeavoured to storm the position. for some time the game went on with much shouting on the part of the boys and shrill shrieks from the girls, as they were pulled or pushed down the steep bank.
"let us make a charge a' together," said jack simpson, who although not thirteen was the leader of the attacking party.
then heading the rush he went at full speed at the castle. harry shepherd, who was one of the defenders, was at the top, but jack had so much impetus that he gained his footing and thrust harry violently backwards.
[pg 56]
the top of the bank was but three feet wide, and within sloped down to the mouth of the old pit shaft, fifteen feet below. harry tottered, and to avoid falling backwards turned and with great strides ran down the bank. he was unable to arrest his course, but went through the rotten fence and on to the boarding of the shaft. there was a crash, a wild cry, and harry disappeared from the sight of his horror-stricken companions. the rotten wood-work had given way and the boy had fallen into the old shaft.
a panic seized the players, some rushed away at the top of their speed shouting, "harry shepherd has fallen down the old shaft!" others stood paralysed on the top of the mound; girls screamed and cried. two only appeared to have possession of their wits. the one was jack simpson, the other was a girl of about twelve, nelly hardy. jack did not hesitate an instant, but quickly ran down to the shaft, nelly more quietly, but with an earnest set face, followed him. jack threw himself down by the edge and peered down the shaft.
"harry, harry," he shouted, "bee'st killed?" a sort of low cry came up.
"he be alive, he be drowning," jack exclaimed, "quick, get off them boords."
nelly at once attempted to aid jack to lift the boards aside.
"coom," jack shouted to the boys on the top, [pg 57]"what bee'st feared of? thou art shamed by this lass here. coom along and help us."
several of the boys hurried down, stung by jack's taunt, and half the boards were soon pulled off.
"what bee'st goin' to do, jack?"
"go down, to be sure," jack said. "catch hold o' th' windlass."
"the chain woan't hold you, jack."
"it maun hold me," jack said.
"it woan't hold two, jack."
"lower away and hold thee jaw," jack said; "i am going to send him up first if he be alive; lower away, i say."
jack caught hold of the end of the rusty chain, and the boys lowered away as rapidly as they could.
jack held on stoutly, and continued to shout, "hold on, harry, i be a-coming; another minute and i'll be with 'ee."
the chain held firmly, and jack swung downward safely.
the shaft was of considerable size, and the openings in the planks had enabled the air to circulate freely, consequently there was no bad air. as jack reached the water he looked eagerly round, and then gave a cry of joy. above the water he saw a hand grasping a projecting piece of rock.
harry could not swim, but he had grasped the edge of a projecting stone near which he had fallen, and [pg 58]when his strength had failed, and he had sunk below the surface, his hand still retained its grasp.
"lower away," jack shouted, and the chain was slackened.
jack could swim a little, just enough to cross the stokebridge canal where the water was only out of his depth for some fifteen feet in the middle. first he took off his handkerchief from his neck, a strong cotton birdseye, and keeping hold of the chain before him swam to the spot where the hand was above water. he had a terrible fear of its slipping and disappearing below the dark pool, and was careful to make a firm grasp at it. he was surprised to find the body was of no weight. without a moment's delay he managed to bind the wrist fast to the chain with his handkerchief.
"above there," he shouted.
"ay," came down.
"wind up very steadily, don't jerk it now." slowly the winch revolved and the body began to rise from the water.
jack clung to the stone which harry had grasped and looked upwards. he wondered vaguely whether it would ever reach the top; he wondered whether the arm would pull out of the socket, and the body plump down into the water; he wondered how long he could hold on, and why his clothes seemed so heavy. he wondered whether, if his strength went before the chain came down again, his hand would hold on as harry's had done, or whether he should go down to the [pg 59]bottom of the shaft. how far was it! fifty fathoms, three hundred feet; he was fifty below the mouth, two hundred and fifty to sink; how long would his body be getting to the bottom? what would his mother and bill haden say? would they ever try to get his body up?
in the old shaft—will he be saved? in the old shaft—will he be saved?
he was growing very weak. as from another world he had heard the shout from above when the body of harry shepherd reached the brink, and afterwards some vague murmurs. presently his fingers slipped and he went down in the black pool. the chill of the water to his face, the sudden choking sensation, brought his senses back for a moment and he struck to the surface.
there, touching the water, he saw the chain, and as he grasped it, heard the shouts of his comrades above calling to him. he was himself again now. the chain being some feet below the surface he managed to pass it round him, and to twist it in front. he was too exhausted to shout.
he saw a great piece of paper on fire fluttering down, and heard a shout as its light showed him on the end of the chain; then he felt a jar and felt himself rising from the water; after that he knew nothing more until he opened his eyes and found himself lying on the bank.
nelly hardy was kneeling by him and his head was in her lap. he felt various hands rubbing him and slapping the palms of his hands; his animation was quickly restored. he had swallowed but little [pg 60]water, and it was the close air of the shaft which had overpowered him.
"hallo!" he said, shaking himself, "let me up, i be all right; how's harry?"
harry had not yet come round, though some of them, trying to restore him to consciousness, said that they had heard him breathe once. jack as usual took the command, ordered all but two or three to stand back, told nelly hardy to lift harry's head and undo his shirt, stripped him to the waist, and then set the boys to work to rub vigorously on his chest. whether the efforts would have been successful is doubtful, but at this moment there was a sound of hurrying feet and of rapid wheels.
those who had started at the first alarm had reached the village and told the news, and most fortunately had met the doctor as he drove in from his rounds. a man with a rope had leaped into the gig, and the doctor as he drove off had shouted that hot blankets were to be prepared.
when he reached the spot and heard that harry had been brought to bank, he leapt out, climbed the mound, wrapped him in his coat, carried him down to his gig, and then drove back at full speed to stokebridge, where with the aid of hot blankets and stimulants the lad was brought back to consciousness.
jack simpson was the hero of the hour, and the pitmen, accustomed to face death as they were, yet marvelled at a boy trusting himself to a chain which [pg 61]looked unfit to bear its own weight only, and into the depth of a well where the air might have been unfit to breathe.
jack strenuously, and indeed angrily, disclaimed all credit whatever.
"i didn't think nowt about the chain, nor the air, nor the water neither. i thought only o' harry. it was me as had pushed him down, and i'd got to bring him oop. if i hadn't a gone down nelly hardy would ha' gone, though she be a lass and doan't know how to swim or to hold on by a chain, or nowt; but she'd ha' gone, i tell e'e, if i hadn't; i saw it in her face. she didn't say nowt, but she was ready to go. if she hadn't gone down to th' shaft none of them would ha gone. she's a rare plucked 'un, she is, i tell e'e."
but in spite of jack's indignant repudiation of any credit, the brave action was the talk of stokebridge and of the neighbouring pit villages for some time. there are no men appreciate bravery more keenly than pitmen, for they themselves are ever ready to risk their lives to save those of others. consequently a subscription, the limit of which was sixpence and the minimum a penny, was set on foot, and a fortnight later jack was presented with a gold watch with an inscription.
this was presented in the school-room, and mr. brook, who presided at the meeting, added on his own account a chain to match. it needed almost force on the part of bill haden to compel jack to be present [pg 62]on this occasion. when he was led up, flushed with confusion, to mr. brook, amid the cheers of the crowd of those in the room, he listened with head hung down to the remarks of his employer.
when that gentleman finished and held out the watch and chain, jack drew back and held up his head.
"i doan't loike it, sir; i pushed harry in, and in course i went down to pick him out; besides, harry's my chum, he be; was it loikely i should stand by and he drowning? i tell 'ee, sir, that you ain't said a word about the lass nelly hardy; she had pluck, she had. the boys ran away or stood and stared, but she came down as quiet as may be. i tell 'ee, sir, her face was pale, but she was as steady and as still as a man could ha' been, and did as i told her wi'out stopping for a moment and wi'out as much as saying a word. she'd ha' gone down if i'd told her to. where be ye, nelly hardy? coom oot and let me show ye to mr. brook."
but nelly, who was indeed in the building, had shrunk away when jack began to speak, and having gained the door, was on the point of flying, when she was seized and brought forward, looking shamefaced and sullen.
"that be her, sir," jack said triumphantly, "and i say this watch and chain ought to be hers, for she did much more for a lass than i did for a boy, and had no call to do't as i had."
[pg 63]
"i cannot give them to her, jack," mr. brook said, "for the watch has been subscribed for you; but as a token of my appreciation of the bravery and presence of mind she has shown, i will myself present her with a silver watch and chain, with an inscription saying why it was given to her, and this she will, i am sure, value all her life."
perhaps she would, but at present her only thought was to get away. her hair was all rough, she had on a tattered dress, and had only slipped in when those in charge of the door were intent upon hearing mr. brook's address. without a word of thanks, the instant the hands restraining her were loosed she dived into the crowd and escaped like a bird from a snare. satisfied that justice had been done, jack now said a few words of thanks to his employer and the subscribers to his present, and the meeting then broke up, jack returning with bill haden and his mother, both beaming with delight.
"i be roight down glad, lad, i doan't know as i've been so glad since juno's dam won the first prize for pure-bred bull-dogs at the birmingham show. it seems joost the same sort o' thing, doan't it, jane?"
