“Now, I’ll show you where the mules’ stable was located,” said Darry, presently. “You know, of course, that some mules in coal mines never see the light of day, but live underground all their lives.”
“I have heard of that,” answered our hero. “It is a horrible existence!”
“Yes, I shouldn’t want to be a mine mule,” said Darry.
After the stable was visited, Darry led the way to a spot where three miners had once lost their lives through an explosion.
“You must be careful how you walk here,” he said. “There are a number of dangerous pitfalls.”
“Yes, and here is one right ahead of us,” came from Frank. He pointed to a hole several feet in diameter and of uncertain depth.
In a few minutes more they reached the spot where the explosion had occurred. Here the wood-work of the mine was horribly wrecked and splintered, showing that the explosion had been a terrific one.
“I shouldn’t want to have been in such an explosion,” said Frank. “Did any of them escape alive?”
“Yes, one, but he died in the hospital the next day.”
Just beyond the place where the explosion had occurred was another large and dark opening, and into this both boys peered but could see nothing.