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the morning glory。 But it brought no warmth； and Scorrier wrapped
himself closer in his cloak； feeling as though old age had touched
him。
Close on noon he reached the township。 Glamour seemed still to hover
over it。 He drove on to the mine。 The winding…engine was turning；
the pulley at the top of the head…gear whizzing round； nothing looked
unusual。 'Some mistake！' he thought。 He drove to the mine
buildings； alighted； and climbed to the shaft head。 Instead of the
usual rumbling of the trolleys； the rattle of coal discharged over
the screens； there was silence。 Close by； Pippin himself was
standing； smirched with dirt。 The cage； coming swift and silent from
below； shot open its doors with a sharp rattle。 Scorrier bent
forward to look。 There lay a dead man； with a smile on his face。
〃How many？〃 he whispered。
Pippin answered： 〃Eighty…four brought upforty…seven still below；〃
and entered the man's name in a pocket…book。
An older man was taken out next； he too was smilingthere had been
vouchsafed to him； it seemed； a taste of more than earthly joy。 The
sight of those strange smiles affected Scorrier more than all the
anguish or despair he had seen scored on the faces of other dead men。
He asked an old miner how long Pippin had been at work。
〃Thirty hours。 Yesterday he wer' below； we had to nigh carry mun up
at last。 He's for goin' down again； but the chaps won't lower mun；〃
the old man gave a sigh。 〃I'm waiting for my boy to come up； I am。〃
Scorrier waited toothere was fascination about those dead； smiling
faces。 The rescuing of these men who would never again breathe went
on and on。 Scorrier grew sleepy in the sun。 The old miner woke him；
saying： 〃Rummy stuff this here chokedamp； see； they all dies drunk！〃
The very next to be brought up was the chief engineer。 Scorrier had
known him quite well； one of those Scotsmen who are born at the age
of forty and remain so all their lives。 His facethe only one that
wore no smileseemed grieving that duty had deprived it of that last
luxury。 With wide eyes and drawn lips he had died protesting。
Late in the afternoon the old miner touched Scorrier's arm； and said：
〃There he isthere's my boy！〃 And he departed slowly； wheeling the
body on a trolley。
As the sun set； the gang below came up。 No further search was
possible till the fumes had cleared。 Scorrier heard one man say：
〃There's some we'll never get； they've had sure burial〃
Another answered him： 〃'Tis a gude enough bag for me！〃 They passed
him； the whites of their eyes gleaming out of faces black as ink。
Pippin drove him home at a furious pace； not uttering a single word。
As they turned into the main street； a young woman starting out
before the horses obliged Pippin to pull up。 The glance he bent on
Scorrier was ludicrously prescient of suffering。 The woman asked for
her husband。 Several times they were stopped thus by women asking
for their husbands or sons。 〃This is what I have to go through；〃
Pippin whispered。
When they had eaten； he said to Scorrier： 〃It was kind of you to come
and stand by me！ They take me for a god； poor creature that I am。
But shall I ever get the men down again？ Their nerve's shaken。 I
wish I were one of those poor lads； to die with a smile like that！〃
Scorrier felt the futility of his presence。 On Pippin alone must be
the heat and burden。 Would he stand under it； or would the whole
thing come crashing to the ground？ He urged him again and again to
rest； but Pippin only gave him one of his queer smiles。 〃You don't
know how strong I am！〃 he said。
IV
He himself slept heavily； and； waking at dawn； went down。 Pippin was
still at his desk； his pen had dropped； he was asleep。 The ink was
wet； Scorrier's eye caught the opening words：
〃GENTLEMEN；Since this happened I have not slept。。。。〃
He stole away again with a sense of indignation that no one could be
dragged in to share that fight。 The London Board…room rose before
his mind。 He imagined the portentous gravity of Hemmings； his face
and voice and manner conveying the impression that he alone could
save the situation； the six directors； all men of commonsense and
certainly humane； seated behind large turret…shaped inkpots； the
concern and irritation in their voices； asking how it could have
happened； their comments： 〃An awful thing！〃 〃I suppose Pippin is
doing the best he can！〃 〃Wire him on no account to leave the mine
idle！〃 〃Poor devils！〃 〃A fund？ Of course； what ought we to give？〃
He had a strong conviction that nothing of all this would disturb the
commonsense with which they would go home and eat their mutton。 A
good thing too； the less it was taken to heart the better！ But
Scorrier felt angry。 The fight was so unfair！ A fellow all nerves
with not a soul to help him！ Well； it was his own lookout！ He had
chosen to centre it all in himself； to make himself its very soul。
If he gave way now； the ship must go down！ By a thin thread；
Scorrier's hero…worship still held。 'Man against nature；' he
thought； 'I back the man。' The struggle in which he was so powerless
to give aid； became intensely personal to him； as if he had engaged
his own good faith therein。
The next day they went down again to the pit…head； and Scorrier
himself descended。 The fumes had almost cleared； but there were some
places which would never be reached。 At the end of the day all but
four bodies had been recovered。 〃In the day o' judgment；〃 a miner
said； 〃they four'll come out of here。〃 Those unclaimed bodies
haunted Scorrier。 He came on sentences of writing； where men waiting
to be suffocated had written down their feelings。 In one place； the
hour； the word 〃Sleepy；〃 and a signature。 In another； 〃A。 F。done
for。〃 When he came up at last Pippin was still waiting； pocket…book
in hand； they again departed at a furious pace。
Two days later Scorrier； visiting the shaft； found its neighbourhood
desertednot a living thing of any sort was there except one
Chinaman poking his stick into the rubbish。 Pippin was away down the
coast engaging an engineer； and on his return； Scorrier had not the
heart to tell him of the desertion。 He was spared the effort； for
Pippin said： 〃Don't be afraidyou've got bad news？ The men have
gone on strike。〃
Scorrier sighed。 〃Lock； stock； and barrel〃
〃I thought sosee what I have here！〃 He put before Scorrier a
telegram：
〃At all costs keep workingfatal to stopmanage this somehow。
HEMMINGS。〃
Breathing quickly； he added： 〃As if I didn't know！ 'Manage this
somehow'a little hard！〃
〃What's to be done？〃 asked Scorrier。
〃You see I am commanded！〃 Pippin answered bitterly。 〃And they're
quite right； we must keep workingour contracts！ Now I'm downnot
a soul will spare me！〃
The miners' meeting was held the following day on the outskirts of
the town。 Pippin had cleared the place to make a public re