One fine summer
evening, as he and a comrade were on their way to
'night-core' they were surprised to see a man
named Thomas Richards, whom they knew to be
working the preceding shift, already on the
surface and going off in the direction of his
home.
They hailed
him, but receiving no answer, supposed that
having come up from underground early, he did not
wish to be recognized.
They,
accordingly, passed on without giving the matter
much thought.
On arriving at
the mine, however, they were met by serious
faces, and learnt on inquiry that a fatal
accident had occurred a few hours before, and
that in the engine-house was lying the dead body
of Thomas Richards, who had just been brought to
the surface!
Although,
ordinarily, the very reverse of a superstitious
character, Captain John Peters retained to the
end of his days the absolute conviction that the
spirit of the dead man which he and his companion
had seen.
