“Fire!” those heard, and closed the passage,

Closed it on the smoke and him.

“Stop the smoke!” cried men above him.—

Still the ghastly fumes crept on;

Caught the boy, and, crawling round him,

Choked his corpse they clung upon.

“Woe on woe!” cried those above him,

“All will die; the fires descend!”

By the coal-pit, by the coal-boy,

Never light like that was kenn’d.