before.
âWhoa,â said Willie. He examined Gemâs foot to make sure she had not been lamed. He picked up the rocks and cleared the path. He knew Simon had put them there, but he didnât say anything.
He thought Simon wouldnât dare to do anything really dangerous. He knew the rules. When he had taken Willie around on his first working day, Simon had said, âEvery manâs life depends on the life of another in the pits.â
That night, Willie met Ned Hall when he took Gem to the stable. They walked back together. On the way, Willie said nothing about Simon, but Ned asked a lot of questions about Nellie.
Finally Willie asked, âAre you sweet on her?â
Ned laughed. âTell you the truth, Willie, she seems like the nicest girl I ever met.â
âShe is,â said Willie. Somehow he didnât mind that Ned was sweet on her.
âYou better come in,â he invited, when they got to Sunny Row.
âCanât. Not in these dirty pit clothes. But Iâll come over some eveninâ soon,â Ned promised.
And he kept his promise the very next night.
Since he had become a driver, Willie had formed the habit of hanging his piece-can on a spike on one of the pit props, not far from the trap. That night, when Nellie opened the can to wash it, a live rat jumped out.
Nellie screamed.
âIt wasnât me!â cried Willie.
There was a wild scramble. Grandma crawled up on the couch, and Nellie stood on a chair, holding tight to her skirts. The little girls laughed hysterically. Ned was laughing, too. John managed to stun the rat with one of his crutches, and then Ned caught it and threw it out the back door.
âNow who would play a trick like that on you, Willie?â he asked.
Willie and John exchanged glances. They knew very well who had done it, but John said, âI guess itâs a joke thatâs often played on new boys.â
Willie knew that as long as Simon remained at the trap, his life would be made miserable. But he didnât want to say anything to any of the miners. John warned him not to get the name of being a whiner and a complainer.
But Willie no longer whistled as he worked. Gem noticed the difference in her young master and often turned her head to look at him
She, too, worked less willingly now.
And that was the way things were on the day of the explosion.
Chapter 9
Wee Willie Maclean had worked as a driver in the Ocean Deeps Mine for nearly a month before the day of the explosion on Level Five. By this time, many of the colliers knew about the small boy and the Sable Island horse. It was said the two worked so well together they could get out as much coal in a day as a full-sized team.
A story was told about another driver, Fibber Foster, who had tried to make Gem work an extra shift one night when his own pit pony went lame. The little mare balked and kicked and refused to enter the tunnel. When Fibber brought Gem back, sweating and bleeding from the cut of a whip, Stubby, the stableman, refused to let him have another horse. Fibber had to go home and lose a nightâs work.
The next day, Gem worked as willingly as ever for Wee Willie. By now the two were used to working in the mine. With Gem as his companion, Willie often forgot his fears and worries. The only unhappy time was when he went through the trap. Simon was sure to say something hateful or play some small, mean trick. It got so bad that when Willie said his prayers at night he prayed for something to happen so Simon would no longer be working at his trap.
But he hadnât meant anything as bad as an explosion.
On the afternoon of November 28, 1902, Willie was whistling cheerfully as he and Gem headed into the tunnel for the last load of coal for that shift. They were partway to the coal face when Gem suddenly stopped.
âHey! Whatâs up?â said Willie.
A deep grumble seemed to come from the ground. Then came a great blast of air. Rocks and dust
âWhoa,â said Willie. He examined Gemâs foot to make sure she had not been lamed. He picked up the rocks and cleared the path. He knew Simon had put them there, but he didnât say anything.
He thought Simon wouldnât dare to do anything really dangerous. He knew the rules. When he had taken Willie around on his first working day, Simon had said, âEvery manâs life depends on the life of another in the pits.â
That night, Willie met Ned Hall when he took Gem to the stable. They walked back together. On the way, Willie said nothing about Simon, but Ned asked a lot of questions about Nellie.
Finally Willie asked, âAre you sweet on her?â
Ned laughed. âTell you the truth, Willie, she seems like the nicest girl I ever met.â
âShe is,â said Willie. Somehow he didnât mind that Ned was sweet on her.
âYou better come in,â he invited, when they got to Sunny Row.
âCanât. Not in these dirty pit clothes. But Iâll come over some eveninâ soon,â Ned promised.
And he kept his promise the very next night.
Since he had become a driver, Willie had formed the habit of hanging his piece-can on a spike on one of the pit props, not far from the trap. That night, when Nellie opened the can to wash it, a live rat jumped out.
Nellie screamed.
âIt wasnât me!â cried Willie.
There was a wild scramble. Grandma crawled up on the couch, and Nellie stood on a chair, holding tight to her skirts. The little girls laughed hysterically. Ned was laughing, too. John managed to stun the rat with one of his crutches, and then Ned caught it and threw it out the back door.
âNow who would play a trick like that on you, Willie?â he asked.
Willie and John exchanged glances. They knew very well who had done it, but John said, âI guess itâs a joke thatâs often played on new boys.â
Willie knew that as long as Simon remained at the trap, his life would be made miserable. But he didnât want to say anything to any of the miners. John warned him not to get the name of being a whiner and a complainer.
But Willie no longer whistled as he worked. Gem noticed the difference in her young master and often turned her head to look at him
She, too, worked less willingly now.
And that was the way things were on the day of the explosion.
Chapter 9
Wee Willie Maclean had worked as a driver in the Ocean Deeps Mine for nearly a month before the day of the explosion on Level Five. By this time, many of the colliers knew about the small boy and the Sable Island horse. It was said the two worked so well together they could get out as much coal in a day as a full-sized team.
A story was told about another driver, Fibber Foster, who had tried to make Gem work an extra shift one night when his own pit pony went lame. The little mare balked and kicked and refused to enter the tunnel. When Fibber brought Gem back, sweating and bleeding from the cut of a whip, Stubby, the stableman, refused to let him have another horse. Fibber had to go home and lose a nightâs work.
The next day, Gem worked as willingly as ever for Wee Willie. By now the two were used to working in the mine. With Gem as his companion, Willie often forgot his fears and worries. The only unhappy time was when he went through the trap. Simon was sure to say something hateful or play some small, mean trick. It got so bad that when Willie said his prayers at night he prayed for something to happen so Simon would no longer be working at his trap.
But he hadnât meant anything as bad as an explosion.
On the afternoon of November 28, 1902, Willie was whistling cheerfully as he and Gem headed into the tunnel for the last load of coal for that shift. They were partway to the coal face when Gem suddenly stopped.
âHey! Whatâs up?â said Willie.
A deep grumble seemed to come from the ground. Then came a great blast of air. Rocks and dust
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