“A curious place, and a singular man!” observed the captain; “that fellow’s family is not a small one.—Hallo! James Martin.”
“Hallo! Captain Dan,” replied the miner, looking down.
“How many children have you had?”
“How many child’n say ’ee?”
“Ay, how many?”
“I’ve had nineteen, sur, an’ there’s eight of ’em alive. Seven of ’em came in three year an six months, sur—three doubles an’ a single, but them uns are all gone dead, sur.”
“How old are you, Jim?”
“Forty-seven, sur.”
“Your brother Tom is at work here, isn’t he?”
“Iss, in the south level, drivin’ the end.”