Deep Down, a Tale of the Cornish Mines, by

R.M. Ballantyne This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

Title: Deep Down, a Tale of the Cornish Mines

Author: R.M. Ballantyne

Release Date: June 7, 2007 [EBook #21726]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England

DEEP DOWN, A TALE OF THE CORNISH MINES, BY R.M. BALLANTYNE.

CHAPTER ONE.

BEGINS THE STORY WITH A PECULIAR MEETING.

Necessity is the mother of invention. This is undoubtedly true, but it is equally true that invention is not the only member of necessity's large family. Change of scene and circumstance are also among her children. It was necessity that gave birth to the resolve to travel to the end of the earth--of English earth at all events--in search of fortune, which swelled the bosom of yonder tall, well-favoured youth, who, seated uncomfortably on the top of that clumsy public conveyance, drives up Market-Jew Street in the ancient town of Penzance. Yes, necessity--stern necessity, as she is sometimes called--drove that youth into Cornwall, and thus was the originating cause of that wonderful series of events which ultimately led to his attaining--but hold! Let us begin at the beginning.

It was a beautiful morning in June, in that period of the world's history which is ambiguously

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