Chapter 11

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 a regularly employed surveyor. You could hardly show him anything which he had not already seen and examined carefully, from a steamboat to a dish of "sour-krout." Grace and Cassy were by no means as learned, and had never ventured under ground. They feared, yet longed, to make the experiment.

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 work in the bowels of the earth, hunting for similar bits of jewelry. She had a secret hope that, if she went down there, she might herself see something shining in a dark corner; and what if it should be a piece of yellow gold, just suitable to be made into a ring to contain the oyster pearl!

How surprised Jennie Vance would be to see such a precious treasure on her little friend's finger!

"She didn't find her ring herself, and it isn't a pearl. But I shan't give 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 a little cousin visiting us! for it makes us think of going to a great many 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 was Prudy."

Horace enjoyed the distinction of walking with the handsome Miss Dimple. When they met one of the boys of his acquaintance, he found an opportunity to whisper in his ear,--

"This is our little cousin from Down East. Isn't she a beauty? She can climb a tree as well as you can."

Dotty heard the whisper, and unconsciously tossed her head a little. She could not but conclude that she was becoming a personage of some consequence.

"I'm a beauty; and now I'm growing pleasant, too. I don't have any temper, and haven't had any for a great while."

Dotty did not reflect that there had been no occasion for anger. If one cannot be amiable when one is visiting, and is treated with every possible attention, then one must be ill-natured indeed! Dotty deceived herself. The lion was still there; he was curled up, and out of sight in his den.

They passed several lager-beer saloons and candy shops; saw Dutchmen smoking meerschaums under broad awnings; and heard them talking in the guttural German language, as if--so Dotty thought--they had something in their throats which they could not swallow.

After walking a long distance on a level road, and seeing nothing which looked 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 of the blackness gleamed the whites of their eyes like bits of white paper surrounded 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 when they are clean."

Mr. Clifford went up to one of the men, and asked if himself and the little people, might have an inside view of the mine. The man smiled a black 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, and through this platform was drawn a large rope. Grace and Cassy both screamed as they stood upon the planks, and caught Mr. Clifford by the arms.

Dotty was not afraid; she liked the excitement. The men said it was as safe as going down cellar, and she believed them.

But she was not exactly prepared for the strange, wild, dizzy sensation in her head when they began to sink down, down into the earth. It was delightful. "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 mine with gleams of light and strange black shadows.

"I don't feel as if I was in this world," cried Dotty, with a sensation of awe, and catching Grace by the arm to make sure she was near some one who had warm flesh and blood. After this emotion had passed, she went around by herself, and explored the mine carefully, telling no one what she was seeking. There was the blackest of coal and the darkest of earth in abundance; but Dotty Dimple did not find a gold ring, nor anything which looked more like it than two blind mules. These poor animals lived in the mines, and hauled coal. They had once possessed as good eyes as mules need ask for; but, living where there was nothing but darkness to be seen, and no sunlight to see it by, pray what did they need of eyesight?

"Cassy," said Grace, "don't you remember, when we were children, we used to say we meant some time to live together and keep house? Suppose we try it here. We might have gas-light, you know, and all our food could be brought down on a dumb waiter."

"Yes," said Cassy, who was very fond of sleep; "and we needn't ever get up 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 what he thought right was something grand. Now suppose, children, we ascend and 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 sunlight and 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 had been disappointed.

Her first act, after reaching Aunt 'Ria's was to look in the little box for her precious pearl. It was gone! No doubt Flyaway had taken it. Dotty mourned over her own carelessness in leaving her treasure where the roguish little one could reach it. Instead of finding gold, she had lost something she supposed was more precious than gold. But she bore up as bravely as possible, and said to Mrs. Clifford,--

"You needn't punish the baby, Aunt 'Ria; she didn't know she was stealing."

Dotty had never seen an eel. Like a coal mine, a pearl, a Guinea pig, a drunken man, and a _chègre_, she supposed an eel was peculiar to the climate, and could be found nowhere but out West. As it had been described as being "really a fish, but looking more like a snake," she did not expect to be very much charmed with its personal appearance. She wished to catch one, or see one caught, because it would be something to tell 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 anybody else in this world but just _me_!"

Horace carried with him some light wood, and, when they reached the river bank, kindled a bright fire.

"We'll make things look friendly and pleasant," said he; "and by and by Mr. 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, little cousin. Haven't you seen them going by with barrels?"

"I shouldn't think the mayor'd 'low them to do it, Horace; for some time there won't be any river left."

"It's too bad to impose upon you," said Horace, laughing; "I was only joking." Dotty drew herself up with so much dignity that she nearly fell backward into the fire.

Good-natured Horace repented him of his trifling.

"Look down in the water, Dotty, and see if there is anything there that looks like an eel?"

Dotty did not move.

"Don't go to being vexed, chickie; you're as bright as anybody, after all."

Dotty smiled again.

"There," said Horace, "now we'll begin not to talk. We'll not say a word, and next thing we know, we'll catch that eel."

But he was mistaken. They knew several other things before they knew they had caught an eel. Horace knew it was growing late, and Dotty knew it 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 great satisfaction.

Dotty gave a little start of disgust, but had the presence of mind not to scream at sight of the ugly creature, because she had heard Horace say 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 that eel once."

"You're a lady, Dotty. I don't know but you might be trusted to go trouting. I never dared take Prudy, she is troubled so with palpitation of the tongue."

A proud moment this for Dotty. More discreet than Sister Prudy. Praise could 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, a beautiful gold ring, dotted with a pearl.

"I was the thief, Cousin Dotty. I hope you will excuse the liberty I took in going to your trunk."

"So it is my own oyster pearl," cried Dotty. "O, I never was so glad in my life."