Trapper Boy (6 page)

Chapter 17

JW
tried to eat some of the stew his mother placed before him.

“You better eat a bit of it, 'cause you'll be awake all night,” she said. “Don't want you hungry down there.”

He ate a few spoonfuls, but just wasn't used to eating at ten o'clock at night. “I'm trying, but I'm still full from my first supper,” he said. Forced laughter filled the kitchen as everyone pretended tonight was like any other night. But it wasn't, because tonight was the first night that John Wallace Donaldson would be entering the mine.

The stew was hot and delicious, but his throat felt as if it was closing in, and he laid his spoon down. He swallowed the last mouthful, aided by his tea.

He'd spent the last few hours lying in his bed, trying to sleep until it was time to get ready. The stars were bright tonight and would keep him company on his walk to the mine. Besides, his father would be with him for the first few nights. Although his father had asked for them to be on the same shift, it would only be for tonight and the next two. BESCO's president, Roy Wolvin, had cut the men's hours so they'd only be working three or four days a week. JW and his father would be working different shifts spread throughout the week.

JW pulled on his coat and reached for his satchel.

“What have you got there?” his father asked.

“My books for school. Tomorrow's the first day,” JW answered. “Is there a place to wash up in the morning, or should I come home first to wash?”

“There's a place to wash, but you might be better off coming home first to have some breakfast, so you can leave the satchel till morning. You might be a little tired after your first shift...” His father's voice trailed off.

“I know, but I gotta go on the first day to find out what classes I'll have and who'll be my teachers,” JW said. He laid the satchel aside and picked up the lunch box.

“My, look at the time,” his mother said. “You best be on your way before you're late.” Mary Donaldson kissed her husband and hugged her son.

JW saw the look on his mother's face and tried to reassure her. “Don't worry, Ma. I'm not scared. Da told me everything I need to know, so I'll be fine.”

“I know you will, dear. Just keep your wits about you, and remember to stay awake, 'cause it's an important job you'll be doing,” she said as JW and his father went out the door.

“I will, Ma, don't worry.”

JW felt something wet touch his hand. He pulled sharply into the path of his father.

“Whoa, it's only Gulliver wishing you goodnight,” his father said. They laughed and his father clapped him on the back. Gulliver followed them for part of the journey, but JW thought it best the dog return home so his mother wouldn't be alone. Dropping to one knee, he hugged Gulliver.

“Go on home, boy, and look after things.” Gulliver stood for a moment before turning and heading back home.

“I am sorry that you have to go to work. With the hours cut back, there isn't any other way to pay the bills.”

“I know, Da.”

“It was bad enough when there was the company store. At least we could get our supplies. But many miners, me included, didn't like that most of our pay went back to the company. We thought the strike would give us more money so that if we wanted to we could buy from the Co-op and other merchants. We were on strike for better rights.”

“Wasn't it the Premier who sent in the army to keep the men off mine property?” JW asked.

“Yes it was, and it didn't help when Wolvin's right-hand man, Vice-president McClurg, said we'd go back to work on their terms.”

“I remember reading Mr. McClurg's quote from the Sydney Post, talking about the miners. ‘They can't stand the gaff,' I think was what he said. What did that mean?”

“That's what he said, and it meant they'd put so much pressure on us that we'd give in and go back to work, and that only made the men more determined to stay on strike. The men are still angry over last year's strike, and you can't blame them. The coal company tried to starve us out. William Davis was killed, and the company stores are gone.”

“I guess the only good thing that came out of it is that Premier Armstrong was defeated,” JW said.

“That, and McClurg leaving Cape Breton. With any luck, Wolvin'll soon follow.”

JW felt a little nervous when he realized that they had almost reached the mine.

“You know, the men have a tradition. They let the rake travel faster than usual whenever there's a new man going under for the first time. It's their way of welcoming the man to a new way of life. Actually, it's a way of scaring the good out of a fella. Don't let on I told you, and act afraid,” his father said.

“I think I got the afraid part down already,” JW said.

“You'll have a fella with you for part of the night, but after that, you'll be on your own. So pay attention to what he says. Not everyone you meet is gonna be friendly, so just do your job and you should get along fine. Okay?”

“Okay, Da.”

JW heard the men laughing as he and his father approached. They were talking about dances and card games they'd been to and ones they would be going to. The men stopped talking as he drew nearer.

“Looks like we got some new blood. We got a special seat for you up at the front of the rake since tonight'll be your first trip down the travelling way,” a large man said.

JW was glad he'd paid attention to his father's lessons. He knew the travelling way was the tunnel the men and horses used to get in and out of the mine.

His father whispered, “You'll be fine, don't be scared.”

“Okay, Da.” He wondered why his father didn't ride in the trip with him, but he soon noticed no one took the seat beside him. It was all part of his initiation.

“Keep your head low and hold on,” someone said.

The beating of his heart pounded in his ears as the rake started its descent. Soon it felt as if his heart would explode from his chest as the trip picked up speed. He didn't have to close his eyes because the darkness was complete. The blackness was overwhelming and a scream escaped his lips.

JW felt the blood rush to his cheeks as laughter erupted from every man on the rake, except perhaps one. He heard a man say, “Poor little fella. He'll find the time long down there.” Another man added, “Too bad about him. He'll learn like all the rest. My boy's been at it for months now, and that's after a couple years at the breakers.”

JW recognized the voice of Mickey McGuire's father. He wondered if he'd be working with Mickey, but quickly remembered he'd be alone at the trap door. The sudden stop made JW rise up in his seat and he bumped his head. He refused to call out this time, for he knew more ridicule would follow. He felt his father's hand on his shoulder.

“Remember to keep the flame on the lamp as low as you can, or you'll run out of oil,” his father said. “See you in the morning.”

The men stopped long enough to light their lamps and were off again. The height of the tunnel was just over four feet, and everyone had to bend to keep from bumping their heads on the beams that supported the ceilings. Bobbing lights speckled the road ahead of JW until, one by one, they disappeared, and he was alone.

Chapter 18

JW
turned around in the absolute darkness. He hadn't gotten his lamp lit before the men left. Where was the man who was to train him? Panic paralyzed him for a moment. He jumped when he heard a sound to his left.

“Just giving you time to get used to the darkness before I take you to the trap,” the man's voice said.

“Who are you?”

“Name's Red Angus. You're Andy's boy, aren't you?”

“Yes, sir, I am. John Wallace Donaldson, sir.”

“Sir? I've never been called ‘sir' before. Just call me Red. That's the colour of my hair. Everyone down here's got a nickname. I think I'll call you JW. Yeah, that's your new name, JW.” JW smiled to himself and watched with relief as Red pulled his oil lamp from underneath a wooden box, the wick turned so low that the flame was barely visible.

“I just wanted you to see how dark it really is down here,” Red said as he turned up the wick, and a small ray of light illuminated the area around them. “I'm gonna spend a couple of hours with you until you get the hang of the door. It's not hard, but sometimes it gets sticky, so you gotta pull real hard on the rope. I s'pose Andy's told you about how important it is that the trap door is closed, to keep the air in?” Red Angus asked.

“Yes, sir,” JW said.

“Red Angus, or just Red'll do. Okay, JW?”

“Yes, s– Red Angus.”

“Pass me your lamp, JW. I'll get her lighted up for you.”

With his lamp lit, JW felt some of the tension leave his body. He could see his surroundings a little better than with just Red's lamp. They walked for ten or fifteen minutes before Red said they'd reached their destination.

“Trap boys are the first in the mine and the last out, 'cause you control the air. We just gotta wait here until the horse and tram comes along, then I'll show you how the door works.”

Within a half hour, Red announced that it was time. JW watched as Red pulled the trap door open, and the horse and tram, led by a miner, made their way through. The trap door was immediately pulled closed. He watched closely as Red showed him the counterweight on the door. He learned that he had to pull the door open with the rope and then let go of the rope. The counterweight would pull it closed.

“Be sure to give the door a push to make sure it's closed all the way.”

“I will.”

A short while later, JW heard the approach of another horse. The bobbing light of the miner's lamp illuminated the horse's face somewhat, and JW thought of how his father referred to their horse as a beast of burden.
What a terrible existence
, JW thought. He stood ready, waiting for Red's instructions.

“Get ready,” Red said. “Wait'll he gets a little closer, then pull her hard.”

“Yes, Red,” JW said. He stood poised to pull the door.

“Pull her now, JW.”

JW pulled the door and was relieved when it slid open. Once the tram cleared the doorway, he let go of the rope and watched the door close, then pushed on it, as he'd seen Red do.

“Good job, JW. Good job,” Red said. “I'll watch you do another two and then leave you to it.”

JW had been starting to relax, but felt his heart rate quicken at the thought of Red's leaving. The two oil lamps cast enough light for JW to take in his surroundings, but the area was far from bright. Water splashed beneath his feet each time he took a step. Overhead, a small trickle dripped a few inches left of the door, which he assumed accounted for the water that accumulated underfoot.

Movement crossed his line of vision, and JW followed the shadow with his lamp. He drew in a breath at the sight of several rats scrambling over each other.
Gee, they're big
, he thought to himself and shivered.

“Here comes another. You do her all this time,” Red said.

JW swallowed and noticed his mouth was dry. He stood ready, but before he pulled the door open, the miner leading the horse called out.

“Hurry, boy! Open her up. No time for lollygagging down here. Time to grow up, boy.”

As he drew nearer, JW looked into the face of Mickey McGuire's father. He pulled open the door and stood aside, closing it as the cart cleared the doorway. From the other side of the trap door, he heard: “Careful, boy! You almost hit the horse.”

JW felt Red's hand on his arm.

“Don't pay any attention to Shawn McGuire, JW. He's angry at the world. I'm surprised young Mick is as friendly a lad as he is. But you did good. Pulled the door at the right time. Just remember, there's a lot of nice fellas down here, but not all the fellas you meet are friendly-like.”

JW nodded and remembered his father saying something similar. As long as they weren't mean, he didn't care if they were friendly.

“You ain't sixteen yet, are you?” Red asked.

“Not yet, Red.”

“Your Pa musta signed a paper like Shawn did for Mick to get you underground. Years ago, kids as young as six and seven were trap boys, but they changed the age to go underground back in 1923. Now they say you gotta be sixteen before going in the pit.”

JW knew his parents must be pretty desperate if they had to seek permission to get him the job. “I don't know. All I know is I'm here now.” If he'd been able to wait another three years, he would have completed grade eleven. Perhaps the economy would have been better and he could have stayed in school. JW pushed the thought from his mind.

“What time do I finish up in the morning, Red?”

“You'll be heading for the surface about six-thirty,” Red answered. “Why?”

“Tomorrow's the first day of school, and I was wondering how much time I'll have before classes start.”

“Can't see you being able to work all night and attend school all day,” Red said.

“I have to finish high school if I'm ever going to get to college. I don't want to spend my life underground. Not that there's anything wrong with the work. It's just that I want to travel, you know, explore the world.” JW stopped talking, because he felt embarrassed. His dreams sounded silly, even to himself.

A chill had set into his bones and he shivered. The thought of spending his life in these mines was suffocating, but very real. Water splashed as he stepped toward the door. A few drops reached his lips; the taste was metallic and gritty. He heard a horse whinny and readied himself at the door.

“If you get this one okay, then I'll be off,” Red said.

JW pulled the door open and watched as the miner struck the horse hard in the ribs to get him to move faster.

“Hey!” JW said.

“Shh...” Red said. “Mind your business.”

The horse plodded its way through the doorway, and JW closed it as soon as the tram cleared.

“He shouldn't hit the horse like that,” JW said.

“You're right. But if you say anything to him, it might be you he hits next. Most of the horses get treated better than the men, 'cause it don't cost nothing to get men, they're free. But the horses are owned by the company, and they had to pay for them. They get the best of food and water, and the lodgings ain't too bad either, if you don't mind bunking down with rats.”

JW shuddered and turned his lamp in the direction he had seen the rats. They were still there.

“You're a quick learner, JW, so I'm gonna head back to the surface. You got your lunch with you, so you can eat whenever you feel like it. Just be ready to open the door at all times,” Red said.

JW asked Red the time before he left. It was only two o'clock, almost five hours before the end of shift. He watched as Red's light moved away from his area.

“Oh, Red, what about the toilet? Where's it at?” JW asked.

“All around you. Cat sanitation,” Red said.

“Cat sanitation?”

“Yeah. Just cover up your business like a cat does,” Red hollered as he turned down a tunnel, and his light was gone.

JW felt his stomach rumble and was glad his mother had packed him a lunch. He hadn't thought he would get hungry, but he was. He remembered his father telling him to hold the corner of his sandwich with two fingers, and to throw the remaining crusts to the rats.

The strawberries he'd picked in the summer tasted delicious as he swallowed a large bite of his jam sandwich. A few bites later, he was down to a small piece of crust, which he threw toward the place he had last seen the rats. The tea was cold, but it helped wash down bites of the molasses cookie. He took a large bite and felt his fingers touch his lips. He spit some of the cookie at his feet and heard the rats scurry toward him. He threw the remainder back along the track and heard the rats splashing in the water in their bid to be the first to reach the food.

He quickly closed his lunch box and stood next to the door. Suddenly, he felt something move across his feet and a small scream escaped his mouth. He was glad he was alone, so no one could hear him. Moments later, small feet made their way up his pant leg. JW jumped up and down and slapped his leg, but the rat continued to climb inside his pants.

JW undid the top of his pants and reached inside. Grabbing the rat's tail, he flung it toward the wall and heard a loud smack, followed by a pain-filled squeal. Immediately, he wished he hadn't thrown it so hard. The forceful pounding of his heart echoed loudly in his ears, and he leaned back against the wall.

Against advice and better judgement, JW turned up the wick on his lamp. Although the light was only marginally brighter, he felt a little better being able to see his surroundings. Squeaking and squealing noises seemed louder, and JW angled his head toward the rats. Some of them stood on their back legs and sniffed the air, unconcerned by the light. He noticed one rat dragging its injured leg and again wished he hadn't thrown it so hard.

A horse's whinny and then a gruff “get up now” told JW it was time to open the trap door. He stood at the ready and hoped it was one of the friendly miners, who could dispel the fear he was feeling.

“Long night, eh, lad?” the miner asked as he passed through the doorway.

“Yes, sir, it is,” JW answered. As he let the door close, he heard the man call out.

“Best turn...”

The rest of the words were muffled as the door closed. JW listened as the horse and cart sounds became fainter. He wondered what the man wanted to tell him, then realized he had left the light on his lamp turned up. Grudgingly, he turned the light down, and once again the darkness encroached on the space that had been dimly lit.

Two more drivers came through before Red Angus appeared to tell him he had completed his first night. His eyes felt droopy as he followed behind Red. The blackness and absence of time was unnerving. JW knew the rats had helped keep him awake.

“You made her through the night, JW,” Red said. “So it's off to home and bed for you.”

“I'm off to school for the day, Red. Like I said earlier, it's the first day of school. I'll go home and have a quick wash before I go.”

“You'll need more than a quick wash from a night below. You don't have to handle coal to get dirty down here. The coal dust'll do that to you.”

JW put his hands in front of his lamp and saw they were filthy. Soon they were standing with the other men, waiting for the trip to take them to the surface. He stood quietly and felt exhaustion wash over him. A strong hand squeezed his shoulder.

“Hi, JW. Got any stories to tell?” his father asked.

“I've got a few,” JW said. Some parts of the stories he would keep to himself.

His father grinned. “You can wash up here. That way you'll be ready for school on time.”

“I don't have soap or towels with me.”

“I brought towels and a change of clothes for you with me last night. They're up top with mine.”

The uphill ride to the surface was slower than last night's descent. There was no one to scare this morning, and most of the men were too tired for pranks. Within the bathhouse, a large pipe drilled with holes splashed water over the men. JW watched as his father took a spot next to another man.