Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 8.djvu/66

34 MINING AND COUNTERMINING. C II A P. I. Todleben's skill and jiower in the science of mining. His counter- mines. Progress of the mining and coun- termining operations. haps one more thoroughly practised, more highly skilled in its mysteries, more eager to use its resources than any other mortal then living ; ( 12 ) and before they had burrowed their way to the ground required for their purpose, an enemy — like themselves subterranean, but — silent, un- heard, unsuspected, was awaiting them in his listening galleries. The great engineer whose sagacity they were going to encounter scarce awaited the reports of deserters; for, when he saw that the French (after having had time for the venture) did not visibly push their approaches beyond the third parallel, he inferred that — almost as of course — they would try to work their way underground, and therefore at a huge cost of labour, he re- solved to meet any such enterprise by a vast, spreading system of countermines. ( 13 ) The work he thus set on foot was continued with unflag- ging energy, though during several weeks it did no more than aim darkly at an enemy — unseen and unheard — who was only to be reconnoitred by inferences, and as yet earned no certain re- ward. But at length, on the 30th of January, the expected reward of long toil was attained and joyfully welcomed; for then Colonel Tod- leben learnt that at the extremity of one of his listening galleries the French could be heard, and he even proved able to assure himself that — burrowing through the same stratum (a stratum of yellow clay) in which he had estab- lished his countermines — they were piercing