"Is father in the mine?—far down?"
"Well, you see, I don't know," explained Cragg. "It might be the old pit mouth just hereabouts, or it might be only into one of the pit-galleries. There's no telling—nor how shallow it may be either. We'll soon find out."
"Father and I saw a lot of cracks in the walls to-day."
"Most of the houses here get cracks; it's from the nature of the soil. I did see some last week, and I thought they were showing uncommon early. That was all. I'd no notion of anything of this sort," repeated Cragg regretfully.
Pattie sighed.
"Father must think it so long. He must want to get out. I don't know how to wait. Couldn't we do something? If I were to go close, and call out,—he might know my voice."
"No harm trying," assented Cragg. "Not close, but a little nearer; it isn't safe close. The earth might fall in any moment. If he's stunned, he won't hear your voice no more than mine; but we'll try." He was desirous to keep Pattie's mind occupied until the men should arrive. "This way; not any nearer. Now, call."
Pattie obeyed, raising her thin tones once, twice, thrice, with a manifest effort.
"Father!" she cried first; and then, "Daddy! Daddy! Don't you hear me? Oh!"
She broke away from Cragg, taking him by surprise, and ran several paces before he could catch her.