The Apothecary’s Apprentice 18
The Apothecary's Apprentice
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- 1. The Apothecary’s Apprentice 18
THOMAS reached the scene of the disaster, sweating and breathless. It was mayhem.
One of the walling houses, where the salt was extracted from the water collected from the brine spring, was on fire, and a line of men with filled buckets was striving to douse the blaze.
Mostly women worked here, and several dazed and injured figures were being helped away by willing hands.
Two others lay ominously still on the ground.
There was the crackle and roar of flames, the acrid stench of burning and fretful voices of sweethearts, wives and mothers seeking their lost menfolk.
The thick swirl of charred timber and other debris fogged the air.
Thomas seized a troubled pit worker by the arm.
“What happened? How did the fire start?”
The man pointed to a gaping hole in a nearby salt pit.
“Us was directed to dig deeper to see if there was any evidence of salt caverns underground, like at the mine at Winsford.”
The man’s voice was choked from smoke and flying dust.
“The explosives must have gone off afore time. Happen the taper was faulty. The whole lot went up in a mighty blast.
“Shook the ground beneath our feet, it did that,” he added.
“Ned Parry? Have you seen anything of him?”
The man shook his head. He was blackened from top to toe from the sooty grime.
His clothes were charred, his hair and beard singed and grey with residue.
“Nay, lad. Happen Ned’s still inside with the others, poor beggars. They’re bringing some out now.”
“Will I go in and look?”
“Aye, but watch yourself. The roof could collapse any minute. ’Twere not shored up proper, to my way of thinking.
“Sinking a mine is skilled work. We’s nobbut a handful of novices. How could us be expected to know how tes done?”
Thomas gave the man an encouraging clap on the shoulder, then dived forward, dodging a cluster of women who were hastening to identify a row of stricken men propped against a stone wall.
The entrance to the tunnel was narrow, and Thomas had to crawl through on his hands and knees.
Groans and cries for help issued from the blackness beyond.
Edging along, Thomas collided with another helper, who was dragging a young boy to safety.
“It’s black as night in here. Are there no lanterns?” he asked the helper.
“Tes not safe to light them. Us ain’t sure about another set of explosives what’s stored ower yonder.
“Just carry onwards as best you can. If you come across anyone, get hold of him an’ drag him out.”
Thomas scrambled on into the abyss that seemed like the pit of hell itself.
Loosened stones and clods of earth fell around him.
Somewhere, the rushing roar and splatter of some underground water source could be heard.
Fear clutched at Thomas’s limbs, and all his senses raged at him to turn back.
He pressed on along the narrowing tunnel, deeper into the bowels of the earth, his thoughts with Ned’s wife and mother, who were surely among those at the pit-head, anxiously awaiting news.
The goodwife would have her simples box with her.
Chance was she was already out among the wounded, putting her skills to good use with calming words, potent cures and hands that healed.
He thought of Jennet, who was probably assisting her grandmother with a prayer on her lips for her father, hoping he would soon be accounted for.
“Ned!” Thomas hollered, his rasping voice echoing through the spaces. “Ned Parry! Where are you?”
He paused, ears straining, and heard only the drip and trickle of water.
He risked another shout and this time, faintly, he caught the hint of an answering voice.
“Over here! My legs. I can’t feel my legs . . .”
“Ned? Is that you?”
Spurred into action, Thomas crawled on. A few more yards into the tunnel, his hands met human flesh.
“Ned?”
“Aye. Who is it?”
“Thomas Tewke. Can you move at all?”
“There’s rocks holding me still. Can you shift them? Have a care. Mustn’t bring any more down.”
Weakness drained the words to a gasping whisper.
There was no pain evident. That would come later.
“Hold on, Ned. I’ll get you out of here, never fear.”
Thomas managed to locate the fall of rocks and carefully began to remove them, one by one, from Ned’s prostrate figure.
Fortunately they were not as big and heavy as he had first supposed.
Once he had shifted the bulk of them, he gripped Ned by the armpits and eased him free.
“Bear up, Ned. I’m going to drag you out. Mind me?”
There was no response.
Assuming that the activity had caused Ned to lose consciousness, Thomas edged backwards,inch by inch, towards the pinprick of light from the entrance.
It seemed to take for ever, and Ned’s stocky body felt heavier by the minute, but at last Thomas’s straining lungs took in fresher air that improved as he moved further.
Then they were out, followed by a deathly rumble from inside.
Strong hands grasped both men and hauled them away from danger.