Sappers and Miners Part 44

"Yah!" came in a fierce growl from the men outside.

"Ah, but you don't mean it," cried the engineer.

"Yes, I do," cried Dina.s.s. "Don't you be so precious handy sending people where they don't want to go. Why don't you go yourself?"

"How can I go?" said the engineer, sharply. "My dooty's here. Can you manage the skep and rope?"

"How do I know till I try?" growled Dina.s.s.

"Try? Why, you'd be doing some mischief. I've no right to leave my work while anyone's down, and I won't leave it; but I'd go if I was free."

"Tom Dina.s.s will go," said Joe. "You can't leave us in the lurch like this."

"'Course not: it's his gammon," cried a man at the opening into the shed-like place. "You'll go, mate."

"Ay, he'll go," rose in chorus.

"No, he won't," said Dina.s.s, angrily. "I get five-and-twenty shilling a week for working here, not for going to chuck away my life."

"Gahn!" shouted a man. "Your life aren't worth more nor no one else's.

Who are you?"

"Never you mind who I am," growled Dina.s.s, "I aren't going to chuck away my life, and so I tell you."

"Who wants you to chuck away your life? Go on down, like a man," said the engineer.

"You go yourself; I'll take care of the engines," cried Dina.s.s.

"That will do," said Gwyn, quietly. "Let us have candles, please, quick."

"Oh, you're not going down alone, young gen'lemen," said the man at the doorway who had spoken the most. "Some on us'll go with you if he won't, but the guv'nors made him second like to Master Hardock, and he ought to go, and he will, too, or we'll make him."

"Oh, will you?" cried Dina.s.s, fiercely; "and how will you make me?"

"Why, if you don't go down like a man along with the young masters, we'll tie you neck and crop, and stuff you in the skep, and two more of us'll come, too, and make you go first. What do you say to that?"

"Say you daren't," cried Dina.s.s.

"What do you say, lads?" cried the man.

"Oh, we'll make him go," came in chorus.

By this time, as Dina.s.s stood there angry and defiant, the engineer had produced a candle-box and lit a couple of lanthorns, when Gwyn and Joe each took one, and stepped into the empty skep, followed by Grip, who curled up by their feet.

"Can't go like that, young gents. Them caps won't do. Here, come out.

Who'll lend young masters hats?"

A couple of the strong leathern hats were eagerly offered, but only one would fit, and a fresh selection had to be made.

"Better have flannel jackets, sir," said the engineer to Gwyn.

"No, no, we can't wait for anything else. Come, Joe. Now let us down."

He raised the iron rail which protected the hole, and again stepped into the skep, followed by Joe, lanthorn in hand, and with the candle-box slung from his shoulder.

"Now, Tom Dina.s.s," cried the engineer, "I'm with you."

"Nay, I don't go this time," was the surly reply, as Dina.s.s looked sharply round at the men who had crowded into the shed, and in response to a meaning nod from the engineer began to edge nearer to him.

"Are you quite ready, Joe? Lower away," cried Gwyn.

"Wait a minute, sir," said the engineer, "you aren't quite ready. Now, then, Dina.s.s, be a man."

"Oh, I'm man enough," said the miner, taking out his pipe and tobacco, "but I don't go down this time, I tell you."

"Yes, you do," said the man who had spoken. "Ready?"

"Nay," cried Dina.s.s, thrusting back his pipe and pouch and catching up a miner's pick, which he swung round his head; "keep back, you cowards.

You're afraid to go yourselves, and you want to force me. Keep off, or I'll do someone a mischief. There isn't one of you as dare tackle me like a man."

"Oh, yes, there is," cried the first speaker; "any of us would. Now, once more, will you go down with the young gentlemen?"

"Go yourself. No!"

"Oh, I'd go, but it's your job. You're made next to Master Sam Hardock, so just show that you're worth the job."

"Lower away there," cried Dina.s.s, "and let the boys go down theirselves."

"Not me," said the engineer.

"Right," said the leader of the men. "Now, Tom Dina.s.s, this time settles it: will you go down?"

"No!"

"Then here goes to make you."

The man dashed at Dina.s.s, who struck at him with the pick, but the handle was cleverly caught, the tool wrested from his grasp and thrown on the floor, while, before the striker could recover himself, he was seized, there was a short struggle, and his opponent, who was a clever Cornish wrestler, gave him what is termed the cross-b.u.t.tock, lifted him from the ground, and laid him heavily on his back.

The men raised a frantic cheer of delight, which jarred terribly on the two boys in their anxious state, though all the same they could not help feeling satisfied at seeing Dina.s.s prostrated and lying helpless with the miner's foot upon his chest.

"Let him get up," said Gwyn; "we'd sooner go alone than with him; but if you'll come with us I should be glad."

"I'd come with you, sir, or any on us would--"

"Ay, ay," chorused the men.

"But we feel, as miners, that when a man's got his dooty to do, he must do it. So Master Tom Dina.s.s here must go by fair means or foul."