GERMINAL
"No! calm yourself," he whispered. "We can pass, upon my word!"'
To reach the upbrow they had to walk doubled up, again wetted to the shoulders. And the climbing began anew, now more dangerous, through this hole entirely of timber, a hundred mètres long. At first they wished to pull the cable so as to fix one of the carts below, for if the other should come down during their ascent, they would have been crushed. But nothing moved, some obstacle interfered with the mechanism. They ventured in, not daring to make use of the cable which was in their way, and tearing their nails against the smooth framework. He came behind, supporting her by his head when she slipped with torn hands. Suddenly they came across the splinters of a beam which barred the way. A portion of the soil had fallen, down and prevented them from going any higher. Fortuntely a door opened her and they passed into a passage. They were stupefied to see the flicker of a lamp in front of them. A man cried wildly to them:
"More clever people as big fools as I am!"
They recognised Chaval, who had found himself blocked by the landslip which filled the upbrow; and his two mates who had set out with him had been left on the way with fractured skulls. He was wounded in the elbow, but had had the courage to go back on his knees, take their lamps, and search them to steal their bread-and-butter. As he escaped, a final downfall behind his back had closed the gallery.
He immediately swore that he would not share his victuals with these people who came up out of the earth. He would sooner knock their brains out. Then, he too, recognised them; his anger fell, and he began to laugh with a laugh of evil joy.
"Ah! it's you, Catherine! you've broken your nose, and you want to join your man again. Well, well! we'll play out the game together."
He pretended not to see Étienne. The latter, overwhelmed by this encounter, made a gesture as though to protect the putter, who was pressing herself against him. He must, however, accept the situation. Speaking as though they had left each other good friends an hour before, he simply asked:
"Have you looked down below? We can't pass through the cuttings, then?"
[448]
