endeavor to discharge his duties. In other words, the best thing to do
was to keep my place, revolve about in my own orbit, carefully
regarding all laws, both centripetal and centrifugal; otherwise, I
might burst by the natural pressure of too highly confined interior
forces! I confess that, though not subject to such infliction, I very
nearly fainted over these ponderous polysyllables! He also informed me
that the beautifully paved highway to popularity in the coal mines was
to excavate large quantities of the carboniferous substance contained
in the subterranean passages of the mine; the more coal I got out the
more popular would I be!

After his lecture was over the officer gave a low whistle, and out
from a dark recess there emerged a convict in his stripes. His face
and hands were covered with coal dust. He came out grinning, showing
his white teeth. As I caught sight of him I thought, surely, this is a
fiend from the lower regions. Take one of those prisoners with his
striped clothes, a light burning on his head, his face black and
shining like ebony, behold him in the weird darkness of the mines, and
if he does not call to your mind the picture of one of the imps of
Eternal Night there is nothing in this world that will. This prisoner
was the runner or messenger for this officer at the foot of the shaft.
Each officer in the penitentiary who has charge of a division of men
has a messenger to run errands for him. When this messenger came up to
the officer he made his obeisance. Convicts are taught to observe good
manners in the presence of the officials. He was told to take me to
another officer in a distant part of the mines, a Mr. Johns, who would
give me work. From the foot of the shaft there go out in almost all
directions, roadways or "entries." These underground roadways are
about six feet in width and height. I could walk erect in most of
them. Along these entries was a car track, over which the small coal