Nobody's Boy

by Hector Malot

  CHAPTER XXI

  MEETING OLD FRIENDS

  It took us nearly three months to do this journey, but when at last wereached the outskirts of Varses we found that we had indeed employed ourtime well. In my leather purse I now had one hundred and twenty-eightfrancs. We were only short of twenty-two francs to buy Mother Barberin'scow.

  Mattia was almost as pleased as I, and he was very proud that he hadcontributed his part to such a sum. His part was great, for I am surethat without him, Capi and I could not have collected anything like thesum of one hundred and twenty-eight francs! From Varses to Chavanon wecould easily gain the twenty-two francs that we were short.

  It was three o'clock in the afternoon when we arrived at Varses and aradiant sun shone in the clear sky, but the nearer we got to the townthe darker became the atmosphere. Between the sky and the earth hung acloud of smoke.

  I knew that Alexix's uncle was a miner at Varses, but I did not knowwhether he lived in the town itself or outside. I simply knew that heworked in a mine called the "Truyere."

  Upon entering the town I asked where this mine was situated, and I wasdirected to the left bank of the river Divonne, in a little dale,traversed by a ravine, after which the mine had been named. This dale isas unattractive as the town.

  At the office they told us where Uncle Gaspard, Alexix's uncle, lived.It was in a winding street, which led from the hill to the river, at alittle distance from the mine.

  When we reached the house, a woman who was leaning up against the doortalking to two or three neighbors told me that Gaspard, the miner, wouldnot be back until six o'clock.

  "What do you want of him?" she asked.

  "I want to see Alexix, his nephew."

  "Oh? you're Remi?" she said. "Alexix has spoken of you. He's beenexpecting you. Who's that boy?" She pointed to Mattia.

  "He's my friend."

  This woman was Alexix's aunt. I thought she would ask us to go in andrest, for we were very dusty and tired, but she simply repeated that ifI would return at six o'clock I could see Alexix, who was then at themine. I had not the heart to ask for what was not offered. I thanked herand went into the town to find a baker, to get something to eat. I wasashamed of this reception, for I felt that Mattia would wonder what itmeant. Why should we have tramped so many miles for this.

  It seemed to me that Mattia would have a poor idea of my friends, andthat when I should speak to him of Lise he would not listen to me withthe same interest. And I wanted him very much to like Lise. The coldwelcome that the aunt had given us did not encourage me to return to thehouse, so at a little before six o'clock, Mattia, Capi, and I went tothe entrance of the mine to wait for Alexix.

  We had been told by which gallery the miners would come out, and alittle after six we began to see in the dark shadows of the gallery sometiny lights which gradually became larger. The miners, with lamp inhand, were coming up into the day, their work finished. They came onslowly, with heavy gait, as though they suffered in the knees. Iunderstood how this was later, when I myself had gone over thestaircases and ladders which led to the last level. Their faces were asblack as chimney sweeps; their clothes and hats covered with coal dust.Each man entered the lamplighter's cabin and hung up his lamp on a nail.

  Although keeping a careful lookout, I did not see Alexix until he hadrushed up to me. I should have let him pass without recognizing him. Itwas hard to recognize in this boy, black from head to foot, the chum whohad raced with me down the garden paths in his clean shirt, turned up tothe elbows, and his collar thrown open, showing his White skin.

  "It's Remi," he cried, turning to a man of about forty years, who walkednear him, and who had a kind, frank face like M. Acquin. This was notsurprising, considering that they were brothers. I knew that this wasUncle Gaspard.

  "We've been expecting you a long time," he said, smiling.

  "The road is long from Paris to Varses," I said, smiling back.

  "And your legs are short," he retorted, laughing.

  Capi, happy at seeing Alexix, expressed his joy by tugging at the leg ofhis trousers with all his might. During this time I explained to UncleGaspard that Mattia was my friend and partner, and that he played thecornet better than any one.

  "And there's Monsieur Capi," said Uncle Gaspard; "you'll be restedto-morrow, so you can entertain us, for it's Sunday. Alexix says thatthat dog is cleverer than a schoolmaster and a comedian combined."

  As much as I felt ill at ease with the aunt, so I felt at ease withUncle Gaspard.

  "Now, you two boys talk together," he said cheerily, "I am sure that youhave a lot to say to each other. I'm going to have a chat with thisyoung man who plays the cornet so well."

  Alexix wanted to know about my journey, and I wanted to know about hiswork; we were so busy questioning each other that neither of us waitedfor a reply.

  When we arrived at the house, Uncle Gaspard invited us to supper; neverdid an invitation give me such pleasure, for I had wondered as wewalked along if we should have to part at the door, the aunt's welcomenot having given us much hope.

  "Here's Remi and his friend," said the father, entering the house.

  We sat down to supper. The meal did not last long, for the aunt, who wasa gossiper, was only serving delicatessen that evening. The hard-workingminer ate his delicatessen supper without a word of complaint. He was aneasy going man who, above all, liked peace: He never complained; if hehad a remark to pass it was said in a quiet, gentle way. The supper wassoon over.

  Uncle Gaspard told me that I could sleep with Alexix that night, andtold Mattia that if he would go with him into the bakehouse he wouldmake him up a bed there.

  That evening and the greater part of the night Alexix and I spenttalking.

  Everything that Alexix told me excited me strangely. I had always wantedto go down in a mine, but when I spoke of it the next day to UncleGaspard he told me that he could not possibly take me down as only thosewho worked in the colliery were permitted to enter.

  "If you want to be a miner," he said, "it will be easy. It's not worsethan any other job. It's better than being a singer on the streets. Youcan stay here with Alexix. We'll get a job for Mattia also, but not inplaying the cornet, oh no."

  I had no intention of staying at Varses; there was something else I hadset myself to do. I was about to leave the town without my curiositybeing satisfied when circumstances came about in which I learned, in alltheir horror, the dangers to which the miners are exposed.

  On the day that I was to leave Varses a large block of coal fell onAlexix's hand and almost crushed his finger. For several days he wasobliged to give the hand complete rest. Uncle Gaspard was in despair,for now he had no one to push his car and he was afraid that he alsowould be obliged to stay at home, and he could ill afford to do this.

  "Why can't I take his place?" I asked, when he returned home afterhunting in vain for a boy.

  "I was afraid the car would be too heavy for you, my boy," he said, "butif you'd be willing to try, you'd help me a mighty lot. It is hard tofind a boy for a few days only."

  "And while you are down in the mine I'll go off with Capi and earn therest of the money for the cow," cried Mattia.

  The three months that we had lived together in the open air hadcompletely changed Mattia. He was no longer the poor, pale boy whom Ihad found leaning up against the church; much less was he the monsterwhom I had seen for the first time in Garofoli's attic, looking afterthe soup, and from time to time clasping his hands over his poor achinghead. Mattia never had a headache now. He was never unhappy, neither washe thin or sad. The beautiful sun and the fresh air had given himhealth and spirits. On our tramps he was always laughing and in a goodhumor, seeing the best side of everything, amused at anything, happy atnothing. How lonely I would have been without him!

  We were so utterly different in character, perhaps that was why we goton so well together. He had a sweet, sunny disposition, a littlecareless, and with a delightful way of overcoming difficulties. We mightwell have quarreled when
I was teaching him to read and giving hislessons in music, for I had not the patience of a schoolmaster. I wasoften unjust to him, but never once did he show signs of anger.

  It was understood that while I was down in the mine Mattia and Capi wereto go off into the suburbs and give "musical and dramatic performances"and thereby increase our fortune. Capi, to whom I explained thisarrangement, appeared to understand and accordingly barked approval.

  The next day, following close in Uncle Gaspard's footsteps, I went downinto the deep, dark mine. He bade me be very cautious, but there was noneed for his warning. It is not without a certain fear and anxiety thatone leaves the light of day to enter into the bowels of the earth. Whenfar down the gallery I instinctively looked back, but the daylight atthe end of the long black tube looked like a white globe,--like the moonin a dark, starless sky. Soon the big, black pit yawned before us. Downbelow I could see the swaying lamps of other miners as they descendedthe ladder. We reached the stall where Uncle Gaspard worked on thesecond level. All those employed in pushing the cars were young boys,with the exception of one whom they called Professor. He was an old manwho, in his younger days had worked as a carpenter in the mine butthrough an accident, which had crushed his fingers, had been obliged togive up his trade. I was soon to learn what it meant to be a miner.