by Sophie May
CHAPTER XI.
SNIGGLING FOR EELS.
Next day Mr. Clifford said he would take all the children,except Miss Flyaway, to see a coal mine. It was nothing new to Horace,who was in the habit of exploring his native town as critically as aregularly employed surveyor. You could hardly show him anything which hehad not already seen and examined carefully, from a steamboat to a dishof "sour-krout." Grace and Cassy were by no means as learned, and hadnever ventured under ground. They feared, yet longed, to make theexperiment.
As for Dotty, she knew Jennie Vance's ring had been found in a mine.She had a vague notion that strange, half-human creatures were at workin the bowels of the earth, hunting for similar bits of jewelry. She hada secret hope that, if she went down there, she might herself seesomething shining in a dark corner; and what if it should be a piece ofyellow gold, just suitable to be made into a ring to contain the oysterpearl!
How surprised Jennie Vance would be to see such a precious treasure onher little friend's finger!
"She didn't find her ring herself, and it isn't a pearl. But I shan'tgive mine away, and shan't promise to, and then tell that I never.That's a _hyper'blee_!"
Dotty had found a new name for white lies.
"It is so nice," said Grace, as they started from the door, "to have alittle cousin visiting us! for it makes us think of going to a greatmany places where we never went before."
"Then I'm glad there _is_ a little cousin, and _very_ glad it's me."
"They like to have me here," she thought, "almost as much as if I wasPrudy."
Horace enjoyed the distinction of walking with the handsome Miss Dimple.When they met one of the boys of his acquaintance, he found anopportunity to whisper in his ear,--
"This is our little cousin from Down East. Isn't she a beauty? She canclimb a tree as well as you can."
Dotty heard the whisper, and unconsciously tossed her head a little. Shecould not but conclude that she was becoming a personage of someconsequence.
"I'm a beauty; and now I'm growing pleasant, too. I don't have anytemper, and haven't had any for a great while."
Dotty did not reflect that there had been no occasion for anger. If onecannot be amiable when one is visiting, and is treated with everypossible attention, then one must be ill-natured indeed! Dotty deceivedherself. The lion was still there; he was curled up, and out of sight inhis den.
They passed several lager-beer saloons and candy shops; saw Dutchmensmoking meerschaums under broad awnings; and heard them talking in theguttural German language, as if--so Dotty thought--they had something intheir throats which they could not swallow.
After walking a long distance on a level road, and seeing nothing whichlooked like a hill, they came to the coal mines. Such a dirty spot!There were men standing about with faces as black as night, and out ofthe blackness gleamed the whites of their eyes like bits of white papersurrounded by pools of ink.
Dotty stood still and gazed.
"Horace," she whispered, "my conscience tells me they are niggroes."
"Then, dear, your conscience has made a mistake; they are white men whenthey are clean."
Mr. Clifford went up to one of the men, and asked if himself and thelittle people, might have an inside view of the mine. The man smiled ablack and white smile, which Dotty thought was horrible, and said,--
"O, yes, sir; come on."
There was a large platform lying over the top like a trap-door, andthrough this platform was drawn a large rope. Grace and Cassy bothscreamed as they stood upon the planks, and caught Mr. Clifford by thearms.
Dotty was not afraid; she liked the excitement. The men said it was assafe as going down cellar, and she believed them.
But she was not exactly prepared for the strange, wild, dizzy sensationin her head when they began to sink down, down into the earth. It wasdelightful. "It seemed like being swung very high in the air," she said,"only it was just as _different_, too, as it could be."
The men had live torches in their caps, which startled the dark minewith gleams of light and strange black shadows.
"I don't feel as if I was in this world," cried Dotty, with a sensationof awe, and catching Grace by the arm to make sure she was near some onewho had warm flesh and blood. After this emotion had passed, she wentaround by herself, and explored the mine carefully, telling no one whatshe was seeking. There was the blackest of coal and the darkest of earthin abundance; but Dotty Dimple did not find a gold ring, nor anythingwhich looked more like it than two blind mules. These poor animals livedin the mines, and hauled coal. They had once possessed as good eyes asmules need ask for; but, living where there was nothing but darkness tobe seen, and no sunlight to see it by, pray what did they need ofeyesight?
"Cassy," said Grace, "don't you remember, when we were children, we usedto say we meant some time to live together and keep house? Suppose wetry it here. We might have gas-light, you know, and all our food couldbe brought down on a dumb waiter."
"Yes," said Cassy, who was very fond of sleep; "and we needn't ever getup in the morning."
"No skeetos," suggested Dotty.
"Men have lived in the earth sometimes," said Horace. "There was St.Dunstan; his cell was hardly large enough to stand in--was it, father?And sometimes he stood in water all night, and sang psalms."
"What was that for, Uncle Edward?"
"He was trying to please God."
"But uncle, I don't believe God liked it."
"The man was, no doubt, insane, dear. But his perseverance in doing whathe thought right was something grand. Now suppose, children, we ascendand see what is going on atop of the earth."
"I'm glad we didn't always have to stay in that black hole," said Dotty,catching her breath as they were drawn up.
Then the thought occurred to her that the One who had made the sunlightand the soft green earth was kinder than she had ever supposed.
"Well," said cousin Horace, "now we've done the mine; and this evening,Dotty, you and I will go and sniggle for eels."
Dotty dared not tell any one that she had expected to find gold, and hadbeen disappointed.
Her first act, after reaching Aunt 'Ria's was to look in the little boxfor her precious pearl. It was gone! No doubt Flyaway had taken it.Dotty mourned over her own carelessness in leaving her treasure wherethe roguish little one could reach it. Instead of finding gold, she hadlost something she supposed was more precious than gold. But she bore upas bravely as possible, and said to Mrs. Clifford,--
"You needn't punish the baby, Aunt 'Ria; she didn't know she wasstealing."
Dotty had never seen an eel. Like a coal mine, a pearl, a Guinea pig, adrunken man, and a _chegre_, she supposed an eel was peculiar to theclimate, and could be found nowhere but out West. As it had beendescribed as being "really a fish, but looking more like a snake," shedid not expect to be very much charmed with its personal appearance. Shewished to catch one, or see one caught, because it would be something totell Prudy.
There was no moon, and the night was cloudy.
"My son, be sure you take good care of your cousin," said Mrs. Clifford,the last thing.
"So funny!" Dotty thought. "They don't seem to think there's anybodyelse in this world but just _me_!"
Horace carried with him some light wood, and, when they reached theriver bank, kindled a bright fire.
"We'll make things look friendly and pleasant," said he; "and by and byMr. Eel will walk along to the fire, and ask if we entertain travellers.'If so,' says he, 'you may count me in.'"
"How dried up the river looks!" said Dotty.
"That is because the draymen have taken so much water out of it, littlecousin. Haven't you seen them going by with barrels?"
"I shouldn't think the mayor'd 'low them to do it, Horace; for some timethere won't be any river left."
"It's too bad to impose upon you," said Horace, laughing; "I was onlyjoking." Dotty drew herself up with so much dignity that she nearlyfell backward into the fire.
Good-natured Horace repe
nted him of his trifling.
"Look down in the water, Dotty, and see if there is anything there thatlooks like an eel?"
Dotty did not move.
"Don't go to being vexed, chickie; you're as bright as anybody, afterall."
Dotty smiled again.
"There," said Horace, "now we'll begin not to talk. We'll not say aword, and next thing we know, we'll catch that eel."
But he was mistaken. They knew several other things before they knewthey had caught an eel. Horace knew it was growing late, and Dotty knewit made her sleepy to sit without speaking.
"Enough of this," cried Horace, breaking the spell of silence at last."You may talk now as much as you please. I've had my line out two hours.They say 'in mud eel is;' but I don't believe it."
"Nor I either."
But at that very moment an eel bit. Horace drew him in with greatsatisfaction.
Dotty gave a little start of disgust, but had the presence of mind notto scream at sight of the ugly creature, because she had heard Horacesay girls always did scream at eels.
"He will know now I _am_ as bright as anybody; as bright as a boy."
They started for home, well pleased with their evening's work.
"Did you notice," asked Dotty, "how I acted? I never screamed at thateel once."
"You're a lady, Dotty. I don't know but you might be trusted to gotrouting. I never dared take Prudy, she is troubled so with palpitationof the tongue."
A proud moment this for Dotty. More discreet than Sister Prudy. Praisecould no farther go!
An agreeable surprise awaited her at Aunt Maria's.
"Please accept with my love," said Grace, giving her a tiny box.
Dotty opened the box, and found, enveloped in rose-colored cotton, abeautiful gold ring, dotted with a pearl.
"I was the thief, Cousin Dotty. I hope you will excuse the liberty Itook in going to your trunk."
"So it is my own oyster pearl," cried Dotty. "O, I never was so glad inmy life."
