A familiar voice called out from the gloom ahead Oh Conall I just love your dandy voice Ha ha A figure holding a shovel stepped forward and Conall saw that it was his brother Danny The brothers grinned at each other white teeth ſlashing in their dirty faces Then Danny warned You'll need to hold up here III brother The men sent me ahead to stop you They set a powder charge and ee it s going to blow any minute a
Fire in the hole came the distant shout Shadows danced wildly on the rock walls as miners and their helpers hurried from a side tunnel Fire in the hole echoed the younger miners as they scrambled to safety The boys gripped their shovels and huddled together Danny and Conall sat side by side Danny at fifteen years of age had worked in the mine for nearly three years Everyone waited in silence Ka boom A blast roared from the depths The belly of the mountain belched forth a thick dust cloud As the gritty haze settled the grim faced miners hoisted their pickaxes and shovels and returned to the blast
Mule drivers in coal shaft mines were usually boys twelve years and older who demonstrated strong skills in working with mules The job of mule driver was the wish of every boy who worked else where in the mine and not just because the job paid more Mule drivers had the freedom to travel the rails throughout the minos Still the job was not without danger an ill tempered mule could deliver a terrible bite or a bone shattering kick Young mule drivers
