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.Nulli Secundus -
'Second to None'
by Terence Cardwell
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Chapter Five - Goodbye to a hero
Joseph was picking at the coal while Jack dragged the
coal box back from being emptied. ‘How you feelin’, lad,
all right?’
‘Yer, fine Dad, good as gold, why?’
‘Oh, nothing much,’ Joseph answered. ‘Just feel a bit
light headed and a naggin’ headache. I think there might
be a gas leak or something.’
‘Can’t smell anything but I’ll look in the main tunnel,’
Jack replied, scurrying down their short tunnel and out
the small door. He returned shortly after. ‘There’s no
gas I can smell, but there’s a lot more dust than
usual,’ he said, worried.
Joseph frowned. ‘How do you mean, more dust?’ He put
down his pick and crawled towards Jack.
 ‘Well, it doesn’t look like gas or steam. It’s just much
foggier and dustier than usual.’
‘I don’t like the sound of that!’ Joseph muttered.
‘Let’s have a look.’
Alarm bells were sounding in his mind. He had been
mining since he was four and knew whenever there was an
increase in mine dust there was a possibility of a fall
or cave -in.
A pony pulling a wagon was going past as they exited
their tunnel, and Joseph called out to the driver. ‘How
long has it been dusty like this, Rob?’
‘Well, it wasn’t like this about half an hour ago,’ Rob
replied. ‘Come to think of it, this is the dustiest I’ve
ever seen it, and Ted here has been a bit skittish the
last hour or so.’
A knot of fear gripped Joseph’s stomach. ‘Come on, Jack,
we’ll follow where the dust is coming from and see if we
can find out what’s going on.’
Two hundred yards down the tunnel the dust started to
clear. Joseph looked up at a steady stream of dirt and
coal dust falling from a crack in the roof.
‘This wasn’t here this morning. Looks like the roof is
moving. It could go any time,’ he said. He turned to
Jack. ‘Quick lad, go and get the deputy right away. I
don’t like the look of this.’
Jack raced down the tunnel to find the deputy. It
seemed he was gone an age as Joseph stood watching the
build-up of dust. A coal wagon trundled past, the skip
master oblivious to the rising dust levels and the rent
in the roof. His mind was settled into the usual numbed
working state.
Finally Jack returned with the deputy. Joseph didn’t say
a word. He pointed grim-faced at the widening crack.
‘Jesus!’ the deputy exploded. ‘Good job some one’s
awake, Joseph.’
‘Looks like we’re heading for a fall,’ Joseph said
forcefully.
‘Yea, better get the men out right away.’
As if to emphasise this there was a sudden cracking
noise like a stock whip that made them jump. The crack
widened and small rocks joined the cascade of dust. A
wooden prop holding up the roof started to slide slowly
inwards at the top.
Visibly shaken, the Deputy was galvanised into action.
‘Get them out, get them out!’ he screamed, running along
the tunnel. ‘The roof is falling, everyone out now!
Hurry, for God’s sake, hurry.’ The message was repeated
down the tunnel as men started running past.
Joseph watched the prop slowly move in. If he could not
stop it the roof would collapse before everyone could
escape.
‘Get me another prop!’ he called to Jack. ‘Hurry!’ He
put his hands on the slipping prop to stop it or at
least slow down its fall. Jack ran into the mine. ‘No!
Don’t go in the mine— go towards the cages!’ he called
through gritted teeth, pushing against the force of the
moving prop, but Jack didn’t hear him.
‘Jack! Jack, come back! Not that way, bugger ya,’ Joseph
pleaded through the increasing strain. After ten long
minutes of holding the prop back the strain became
immense. His arms and back were on fire and the pain was
almost unbearable. He could feel the blood pounding in
his head as he fought to hold the prop back. Only the
thought of saving the men and boys gave him the strength
to hold on. ‘Please don’t let it fall, I don’t want to
die,’ the lads pleaded as they ran past with looks of
terror; some were crying. Some of the miners hurried
past pulling pit ponies.
‘Jack, Jack!’ Joseph screamed through gritted teeth. ‘I
can’t hold any longer!’
No one stopped to help him. They hurried past,
desperate to survive and not caring for those around
them.
‘I’m sorry, Jack I can’t hold it any longer,’ he
groaned, feeling the prop pushing him slowly backwards.
‘They’re all out, Joe, you can let go now,’ the deputy
called as he rushed past.
“No they’re not, Jack’s still in there and I can’t hold
it,’ Joseph groaned through clenched teeth.
The deputy ran back to help, leaning over Joseph to gain
a grip. ‘It’s no use— we can’t stop it. Let’s go,’ he
pleaded. ‘We’ll be caught as well.’
Joseph knew he was about to lose his son; he wanted to
scream at the injustice. With one final effort he pushed
as hard as he could and shouted.
‘Ja-a-a-c-c-k!’ He knew he was finished and slowly let
go of the prop. The relief was wonderful but he hurt all
over his body. Every muscle seemed to ache and his head
pounded like a drum.
There was a rattling as stones started to bounce off the
timbers. Some landed on his head, but he never felt
them. He knew it would take a long time to dig Jack out;
he would have died of thirst and starvation by the time
they got to him.
‘Goodbye Jack,’ he said softly, his head bowed. ‘I’m
sorry lad— I did me best.’ He straightened up, still
reluctant to leave as the fall of rocks increased.
He felt something push him away from the falling rocks.
He looked up to see a pony with a cloth over its eyes
moving past him. ‘Come on, Dad, let’s get a move on,’ a
voice called out.
He couldn’t believe his ears. He looked over the horse
to see Jack pulling it along.
‘They left Ted behind because he was nervous and jumping
around, but I put a rag over his eyes, like we do up top
in the fields, an’ he’s good as gold,’ Jack said in a
rush of words.
“You bloody near died for a horse, you silly bugger. I
nearly lost you— and still might,’ Joseph replied as he
staggered away from the falling rocks.
‘Let me help you, Dad,’ Jack said, changing sides of the
pony and putting his father’s arm over his shoulder.
Joseph gave in willingly and staggered along as relief
swept through him, only to be replaced by concern as he
saw the deputy racing away. ‘Come on. Make a run for
it,’ he called over his shoulder as he ran.
They staggered along together, Jack holding the pony’s
harness in his left hand. Even though coal dust was
everywhere the pony meekly followed Jack, sensing that
he was taking him away from his hated surroundings.
There was a sudden roar as if all the demons of hell had
been let lose. The props holding the roof gave way,
shattered, followed by hundreds of tons of rock and dirt
filling the tunnel, blocking it completely. The boom of
the falling rock reverberated along the mine shaft and
clouds of coal dust billowed out, enveloping all in its
path. Joseph tried to increase his pace but his legs
would only respond to a slow painful walk.
Ted reared up in fear at the sudden booming of the rock
fall, and the rope Jack was holding pulled out of his
hand. ‘Oh well, I can’t hold it any longer anyway,’ he
thought, and slapped the horse on the rump. ‘Go Ted, go
that way,’ he mumbled through half closed lips, hoping
the pony would keep going forward.
He could use both arms to support Joseph now as they
stumbled along the tunnel, no longer able to see
anything.
‘Hurry, get yourself out of here,’ Joseph yelled at Jack
as the thick cloud of stone and coal dust enveloped
them. ‘It’s too late for me, I can’t run. Save yourself
lad, I’m done.’
‘No way, I’m not leaving you Dad,’ Jack shouted back,
his mouth caked by coal dust.
‘You’ll bloody die, you silly bugger, now go!’ Joseph
shouted, spitting out coal dust and pushing against his
son.
Jack said nothing. The effort to speak was too difficult
as he tried to spit out the dust in his mouth and resist
his father’s efforts.
They moved along the shaft wall, feeling their way
through the black cloud when suddenly they felt the
ground shake beneath them and heard another rumble close
behind.
‘Looks like we’re done for this time,’ Joseph shouted,
his mouth filling with dust. They waited for the impact
of the roof falling on them and Joseph began to shake
as he anticipated their deaths at any moment. Yet they
continued feeling their way along the wall, using their
hands, eyes closed tight to keep out the dust. Their
eyes felt as if they were full of rocks.
‘Still, I saved the other lads. That makes it
worthwhile,’ Joseph consoled himself. He thought of
Alathea left without any money coming in and no one
except Thomas and his daughters to look after her.
‘Look after her, Thomas. God bless you all,’ Joseph
mumbled through coal-covered lips.
Jack held his father, helping to hold him steady as they
moved carefully along the mine shaft.
‘At least I’ll be with Dad when we die,’ he thought as
he heard the scream of rocks tearing against rocks from
another fall behind them, and felt stones bouncing off
his back. They cowered against each other, knowing they
were about to die but they kept moving, waiting for the
final collapse of the roof that would bury them alive.
Suddenly they felt a cool breeze against them and Jack
opened his eyes to a narrow squint, seeing a dull orange
light ahead of them.
‘Dad, there’s the cage! We’re nearly there,’ he shouted,
the dust again caking in his mouth.
The wall had disappeared from Joseph’s hands, and
feeling the void, he squinted to see the orange light in
front of him.
‘Well bugger me, I never thought we’d make it,’ he
replied.
Someone grabbed his hand and pulled him into the lift
cage.
‘About bloody time— we thought we’d lost you,’ a muffled
voice said. Joseph heard the cage gate close and felt
the downdraft from above.
‘Stop, stop! Is Jack here?’
‘It’s alright, Joe, we’ve got him,’ the voice replied as
they shot upwards. ‘And we’ve got Ted as well,’ it
added.
‘That you, Bob?’ Joseph opened his eyes a little wider
as they moved to cleaner air. ‘I thought you had cleared
off with the others.’
‘No way, Joe. I wouldn’t do that to you. Not after what
you did. I had to make sure the cage came back for the
both of you.’
‘God bless you, Bob. You helped save my Jack.’
Bob said nothing and thought, ‘He’s thanking me! And he
saved the whole bloody pit!’
As the cage rattled its way upwards Joseph felt the
strength draining from his body. His head pounded and he
had never felt more like sleeping. He leaned against the
pony and felt its muscles rippling in response to the
cooling fresh air. Jack had taken the cloth off Ted’s
eyes and he whinnied as he felt the cool air against his
nostrils, reminding him of the green fields he had
known. He shook his head as if in agreement with what
was happening and the return to the green wet grass made
him tremble with anticipation.
They stepped out of the cage and were greeted by a crowd
of cheering miners. The boys, women and children from
the coal sorting racks joined them. Thomas was at the
front. When he saw his father and Jack leave the cage
completely covered in dust, with only red eyes and lips
showing through the black, he rushed forward and grabbed
hold of his father’s arm.
‘Oh Dad, you’re ok— you’re a hero, Dad!’
Joseph put his arm around Thomas’s shoulder, pulling him
close in a rare display of affection.
‘No I’m not, lad,’ he replied, looking at the cheering
crowd. ‘Anyone would have done the same.’
‘Like bloody hell they would,’ replied Jack. ‘They all
buggered off and left you to it. No one helped you
except Bob.’ His face was flushed with anger at the
thought of coming so close to losing their lives.
‘You’re the bestest hero,’ Thomas added, trying to find
the right words, holding firmly to his father’s hand.
Jack took Joseph’s other grit-covered and calloused
hand in his. He was proud of such a great man. He didn’t
want to let go. He had never felt as close to his father
as he did at this moment. Joseph’s firm hand holding his
would stay in his memory for the rest of his life and
bring an ache to his heart each time he remembered.
Joseph released the boys and the crowd collected around
him, patting him and grabbing his hands, calling.
‘Good on you, Joe.’
‘You saved my son,’ one woman said in a tearful voice.
‘Mine too,’ added another.
‘God bless you, Joe,’ some of the miners said, patting
him on the back.
Others of the escaped miners grasped his hand and
squeezed it without saying anything, unable to speak
with tears running down their black cheeks. Their
thoughts were clear in their grip and the way they
smiled at him in almost a shy way. ‘Thank you for my
life,’ the grip said.
‘The day’s nearly buggered and I’m not feeling the best,
Bob,’ he said to the deputy. ‘So I’ll be off and I’ll
take the lads with me, if that’s ok with you?’
‘You’ve certainly earned that,’ the deputy replied,
patting him on the back.
Joseph walked home with the boys on each side. Each step
seemed harder than the last and his head felt as if it
was in a vice. It was pounding as he arrived home.
‘What have you been up to. then?’ Alathea greeted him at
the door with her hands on her hips. ‘What’s this I hear
about you being a hero and saving people?’
‘Don’t believe everything you hear,’ Joseph smiled
back, trying to ignore the pain.
‘He’s a real hero, Mum,’ Jack said excitedly. ‘He saved
a lot of lives, including my mates.’
‘Yea, he’s the bravest Dad ever,’ Thomas added.
‘Well get your clothes off and get in the bath, and have
a good swill,’ she cooed to Joseph, helping him take his
jacket off.
‘If you don’t mind I’ll just have a quick swill and a
bit of a lie down,’ he said rubbing his head. ‘I’m not
feeling too grand; I’ll have a tub when I get up.’
Alathea looked at him with concern. It was not like
Joseph to complain of being sick. He often suffered in
silence without saying anything. But Alathea knew with a
wise woman’s instinct when he was suffering from some
ache or pain.
‘Certainly, luv, let me get these clothes off and wash
you down and clean those terrible eyes. You too, Jack,
get yourself in here and get those clothes off.’
She gently flushed their red eyes to remove the coal
dust. When Joseph seemed more comfortable she removed
his clothes and his underwear, fetched a bucket of warm
water and washed him down whilst he stood in the metal
bath. Jack stood in his underwear waiting quietly for
his turn to bath himself. There was no such thing as
modesty in this home.
Joseph staggered to his bedroom and lay on the bed,
squeezing his eyes tight from the pain. Alathea kissed
him softly and left, closing the door.
‘Damn; I shouldn’t have done that,’ he thought. ‘But
then they all would have died. Bugger this headache!’ he
muttered as the pain increased. He could feel his head
pounding like two hammers on each side of his head.
Thumping,
Thumping,
Thumping,
Thumping
Thumping.
Each blow seemed to get harder and harder.
Joseph could not feel his body. It was as if he was
centred only in his brain. The pain became excruciating,
driving him to tears.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Suddenly he felt as if he was floating, the pain was
fading away and he heard soft voices calling his name.
‘Who’s there?’ he whispered. He could hear his mother
calling him.
‘There’ll be no more pain, Joe,’ he heard her say.
‘Come, you’re safe now.’ He saw her, and rose towards
her and the glow behind her. Upwards and upwards he
rose, his mother at his side, up towards the bright
light.
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