Deep Down, a Tale of the Cornish Mines

by R. M. Ballantyne

  CHAPTER THREE.

  INTRODUCES A FEW MORE CHARACTERS AND HOMELY INCIDENTS.

  It was late when our hero entered the little town of St. Just, andinquired for the residence of his uncle, Thomas Donnithorne. He wasdirected to one of the most respectable of the group of old houses thatstood close to the venerable parish church from which St. Just derivesits title of "Church-town."

  He tapped at the door, which was opened by an elderly female.

  "Does Mr Thomas Donnithorne live here?" asked Oliver.

  "Iss, sur, he do," answered the woman; "walk in, sur."

  She ushered him into a small parlour, in which was seated a pretty,little, dark-eyed, rosy-cheeked girl, still in, or only just out of, herteens. Oliver was so taken aback by the unexpected sight that he stoodgazing for a moment or two in rather stupid silence.

  "Your name is Oliver Trembath, I presume," said the girl, rising andlaying down the piece of needlework with which she was occupied.

  "It is," replied Oliver, in some surprise, as he blundered out anapology for his rudeness.

  "Pray sit down, sir," said the girl; "we have been expecting you forsome time, and my uncle told me to act the part of hostess till hisreturn."

  "Your uncle!" exclaimed Oliver, whose self-possession, not to sayimpudence, returned immediately; "if Thomas Donnithorne be indeed youruncle, then, fair maid, you and I must needs be cousins, the which, Iconfess, fills me with satisfaction and also with somewhat of surprise,for up to this hour I have been ignorant of my good fortune in beingrelated to so--so--"

  "I made a mistake, sir," said the girl, interrupting a speech which wasevidently verging towards impropriety, "in calling Mr Donnithorne uncleto you, who are not aware, it seems, that I am only an adopted niece."

  "Not aware of it! Of course not," said Oliver, throwing himself into alarge armchair, while his fair companion busied herself in spreading theboard for a substantial meal. "I could not be aware of much that hasoccurred in this distant part of the kingdom, seeing that my worthyuncle has vouchsafed to write me only two letters in the course of mylife; once, many years ago, to condole with me--in about ten lines,address and signature included--on the death of my dear mother; and onceagain to tell me he had procured an appointment for me asassistant-surgeon in the mining district of St. Just. He must have beenequally uncommunicative to my mother, for she never mentioned yourexistence. However, since I have now made the agreeable discovery, Itrust that you will dispense with ceremony, and allow me at once to callyou cousin. By the way, you have not yet told me your name."

  The maiden, who was charmingly unsophisticated, replied that her namewas Rose Ellis, and that she had no objection whatever to being calledcousin without delay.

  "Well, cousin Rose," said Oliver, "if it be not prying into secrets, Ishould like to know how long it is since my uncle adopted you."

  "About nineteen years ago," replied Rose.

  "Oh!" said Oliver remonstratively, "before you were born? impossible!"

  Rose laughed--a short, clear, little laugh which she nipped in the budabruptly, and replied--

  "Well, it was only a short time after I was born. I was wrecked on thiscoast"--the expressive face here became very grave--"and all on boardour ship perished except myself."

  Oliver saw at once that he had touched on a tender subject, and hastenedto change it by asking a number of questions about his uncle, from whichhe gradually diverged to the recent events in his own history, which hebegan to relate with much animation. His companion was greatlyinterested and amused. She laughed often and heartily in a melodiousundertone, and Oliver liked her laugh, for it was peculiar, and had theeffect of displaying a double row of pretty little teeth, and of almostentirely shutting up her eyes. She seemed to enjoy a laugh so much thathe exerted all his powers to tickle her risible faculties, and dweltlong and graphically on his meeting with the irascible old gentleman inthe lane. He was still busy with this part of the discourse when aheavy step was heard outside.

  "There's my uncle," exclaimed Rose, springing up.

  A moment after the door opened, and in walked the identical irascibleold gentleman himself!

  If a petrified impersonation of astonishment had been a possibility,Oliver Trembath would, on that occasion, have presented the phenomenon.He sat, or rather lay, extended for at least half a minute with his eyeswide and his mouth partly open, bereft alike of the powers of speech andmotion.

  "Heyday, young man!" exclaimed the old gentleman, planting his sturdyframe in the middle of the floor as if he meant then and there to demandand exact an ample apology, or to inflict condign and terriblechastisement, for past misdeeds; "you appear to be making yourself quiteat home--eh?"

  "My _dear_ sir!" exclaimed Oliver, leaping up with a look of dismay;"how can I express my--my--but is it, _can_ it be possible that you areMr Donnithorne--m-my--uncle?"

  Oliver's expression, and the look of amazement on the countenance ofRose Ellis, who could not account for such a strange reception of hernewly-found cousin, proved almost too much for the old gentleman, whoseeyes had already begun to twinkle.

  "Ay, young man, I am Tom Donnithorne, your uncle, the vile, old,smuggling, brandy-loving rascal, who met his respectful nephew on theroad to St. Just"--at this point Rose suddenly pressed her hand over hermouth, darted to her own apartment in a distant corner of the house, andthere, seated on her little bed, went into what is not inaptly styledfits of laughter--"and who now," continued the old gentleman, relaxinginto a genial smile, and grasping his nephew's hand, "welcomes OliverTrembath to his house, with all his heart and soul; there, who will sayafter that, that old Donnithorne does not know how to return good forevil?"

  "But, my dear uncle," began Oliver, "allow me to explain--"

  "Now, now, look at that--kept me hours too late for supper already, andhe's going to take up more time with explanations," cried the oldgentleman, flinging himself on the chair from which Oliver had risen,and wiping his bald pate with a red silk handkerchief. "What can youexplain, boy, except that you met an angry old fellow in a lane whocalled your uncle such hard names that you couldn't help giving him abit of your mind--there, there, sit down, sit down.--Hallo!" he shouted,starting up impulsively and thrusting his head into the passage, "Rose,Rose, I say, where are you?--hallo!"

  "Coming, uncle--I'm here."

  The words came back like an echo, and in another minute Rose appearedwith a much-flushed countenance.

  "Come along, lass, let's have supper without delay. Where is aunty?Rout her out, and tell that jade of a cook that if she don't dish up infive minutes I'll--I'll--. Well, Oliver, talking of explanations, howcomes it that you are so late?"

  "Because I took the wrong road after leaving you in the lane," repliedthe youth, with a significant glance at his uncle, whose eyes were atthe moment fixed gravely on the ground.

  "The wrong road--eh?" said Mr Donnithorne, looking up with a slyglance, and then laughing. "Well, well, it was only _quid pro quo_,boy; you put a good deal of unnecessary earth and stones over my head,so I thought it was but fair that I should put a good deal more of thesame under your feet, besides giving you the advantage of seeing theLand's End, which, of course, every youth of intelligence must take adeep interest in beholding. But, sure, a walk thither, and thence toSt. Just, could not have detained you so long?"

  "Truly no," replied Oliver; "I had a rencontre--a sort of adventure withfishermen, which--"

  "Fishermen!" exclaimed Mr Donnithorne in surprise; "are ye sure theywere not smugglers--eh?"

  "They said they were fishermen, and they looked like such," repliedOliver; "but my adventure with them, whatever they were, was the causeof my detention, and I can only express my grief that the circumstancehas incommoded your household, but, you see, it took some time to beatoff the boat's crew, and then I had to examine a wound and extract--"

  "What say you, boy!" exclaimed Mr Donnithorne, frowning, "beat off aboat's crew--examine a wound! Why, Rose, Molly, come hither. Here wehave
a young gallant who hath begun life in the far west in good style;but hold, here comes my excellent friend Captain Dan, who is no friendto the smugglers; he is to sup with us to-night; so we will repress ourcuriosity till after supper. Let me introduce you, Oliver to my wife,your Aunt Molly, or, if you choose to be respectful, Aunt Mary."

  As he spoke, a fat, fair, motherly-looking lady of about five-and-fortyentered the room, greeting her husband with a rebuke, and her nephewwith a smile.

  "Never mind him, Oliver," said the good lady; "he is a vile oldcreature. I have heard all about your meeting with him this forenoon,and only wish I had been there to see it."

  "Listen to that now, Captain Dan," cried Mr Donnithorne, as theindividual addressed entered the room; "my wife calls me--me, a staid,sober man of fifty-five--calls me a vile old creature. Is it not toobad? really one gets no credit nowadays for devoting oneself entirely toone's better half; but I forget: allow me to introduce you to my nephew,Oliver Trembath, just come from one of the Northern Universities tofight the smugglers of St. Just--of which more anon. Oliver, CaptainHoskin of Botallack, better known as Captain Dan. Now, sit down andlet's have a bit of supper."

  With hospitable urgency Mr Donnithorne and his good dame pressed theirguests to do justice to the fare set before them, and, during the courseof the meal, the former kept up a running fire of question, comment, andreply on every conceivable subject, so that his auditors required to dolittle more than eat and listen. After supper, however, and whentumblers and glasses were being put down, he gave the others anopportunity of leading the conversation.

  "Now, Oliver," he said, "fill your glass and let us hear youradventures. What will you have--brandy, gin, or rum? My friend,Captain Dan here, is one of those remarkable men who don't drinkanything stronger than ginger-beer. Of course you won't join _him_."

  "Thank you," said Oliver. "If you will allow me, I will join your goodlady in a glass of wine. Permit me, Aunt Mary, to fill--"

  "No, I thank you, Oliver," said Mrs Donnithorne good-humouredly butfirmly, "I side with Captain Dan; but I'll be glad to see you fill yourown."

  "Ha!" exclaimed Mr Donnithorne, "Molly's sure to side with the opponentof her lawful lord, no matter who or what he be. Fill your own glass,boy, with what you like--cold water, an it please you--and let us drinkthe good old Cornish toast, `Fish, tin, and copper,' our three staples,Oliver--the bone, muscle, and fat of the county."

  "Fish, tin, and copper," echoed Captain Dan.

  "In good sooth," continued Mr Donnithorne, "I have often thought ofturning teetotaller myself, but feared to do so lest my wife should taketo drinking, just out of opposition. However, let that pass--and now,Oliver, open thy mouth, lad, and relate those surprising adventures ofwhich you have given me a hint."

  "Indeed, uncle, I do not say they are very surprising, although,doubtless, somewhat new to one who has been bred, if not born, incomparatively quiet regions of the earth."

  Here Oliver related circumstantially to his wondering auditors theevents which befell him after the time when he left his uncle in thelane--being interrupted only with an occasional exclamation--until hereached the part when he knocked down the man who had rescued him fromthe waves, when Mr Donnithorne interrupted him with an uncontrollableburst.

  "Ha!" shouted the old gentleman; "what! knocked down the man who savedyour life, nephew? Fie, fie! But you have not told us his name yet.What was it?"

  "His comrades called him Jim, as I have said; and I think that he oncereferred to himself as Jim Cuttance, or something like that."

  "What say you, boy?" exclaimed Mr Donnithorne, pushing back his chairand gazing at his nephew in amazement. "Hast fought side by side withJim Cuttance, and then knocked him down?"

  "Indeed I have," said Oliver, not quite sure whether his uncle regardedhim as a hero or a fool.

  The roar of laughter which his answer drew from Captain Dan and hisuncle did not tend to enlighten him much.

  "Oh! Oliver, Oliver," said the old gentleman, on recovering some degreeof composure, "you should have lived in the days of good King Arthur,and been one of the Knights of the Round Table. Knocked down JimCuttance! What think'ee, Captain Dan?"

  "I think," said the captain, still chuckling quietly, "that the less ourfriend says about the matter the better for himself."

  "Why so?" inquired Oliver quickly.

  "Because," replied his uncle, with some return of gravity, "you haveassisted one of the most notorious smugglers that ever lived, to fighthis Majesty's coastguard--that's all. What say you, Molly--shall weconvict Oliver on his own confession?"

  The good lady thus appealed to admitted that it was a serious matter,but urged that as Oliver did the thing in ignorance and out ofgratitude, he ought to be forgiven.

  "_I_ think he ought to be forgiven for having knocked down JimCuttance," said Captain Dan.

  "Is he then so notorious?" asked Oliver.

  "Why, he is the most daring smuggler on the coast," replied Captain Dan,"and has given the preventive men more trouble than all the others puttogether. In fact, he is a man who deserves to be hanged, and willprobably come to his proper end ere long, if not shot in a brawlbeforehand."

  "I fear he stands some chance of it now," said Mr Donnithorne, with asigh, "for he has been talking of erecting a battery near his den atPrussia Cove, and openly defying the Government men."

  "You seem to differ from Captain Dan, uncle, in reference to this man,"said Oliver, with a smile.

  "Truly, I do, for although I condemn smuggling,--ahem!" (the oldgentleman cast a peculiar glance at the captain), "I don't like to see asturdy man hanged or shot--and Jim Cuttance is a stout fellow. Iquestion much whether you could find his match, Captain Dan, amongst allyour men?"

  "That I could, easily," said the captain with a quiet smile.

  "Pardon me, captain," said Oliver, "my uncle has not yet informed me onthe point. May I ask what corps you belong to?"

  "To a sturdy corps of tough lads," answered the captain, with another ofhis quiet smiles--"men who have smelt powder, most of 'em, since theywere little boys--live on the battlefield, I may say, almost night andday--spring more mines in a year than all the soldiers in the world puttogether--and shorten their lives by the stern labour they undergo; butthey burn powder to raise, not to waste, metal. Their uniform is red,too, though not quite so red, nor yet so elegant, as that of the men inhis Majesty's service. I am one of the underground captains, sir, ofBotallack mine."

  Captain Dan's colour heightened a very little, and the tones of hisvoice became a little more powerful as he concluded this reply; butthere was no other indication that the enthusiastic soul of one of the"captains" of the most celebrated mine in Cornwall was moved. Oliverfelt, however, the contact with a kindred spirit, and, expressing muchinterest in the mines, proceeded to ask many questions of the captain,who, nothing loath, answered all his queries, and explained to him thathe was one of the "captains," or "agents," whose duty it was tosuperintend the men and the works below the surface--hence the title of"underground;" while those who super-intended the works above groundwere styled "grass, or surface captains." He also made an appointmentto conduct the young doctor underground, and go over the mine with himat an early date.

  While the party in old Mr Donnithorne's dwelling were thus enjoyingthemselves, a great storm was gathering, and two events, very differentfrom each other in character, were taking place--the one quiet, andapparently unimportant, the other tremendous and fatal--both bearing onand seriously influencing the subjects of our tale.