"I don't wanter be after losin' me job for the dirthy spalpeen," he growled to me. But he came near it in a way he wasn't looking for later in the week. It was Friday and half a dozen of us had been sent down to work on the second level. It was damp and suffocating down there, fifty feet below the street. I felt as though I had gone into the mines. I didn't like it but I knew that there was just as much to learn here as above and that it must all be learned eventually. The sides were braced with heavy timbers like a mine shaft to prevent the dirt from falling in and there was the constant danger that in spite of this it might cave in. We went down by rough ladders made by nailing strips of board across two pieces of joist and the work down there was back-breaking and monotonous. We heaved the dirt into a big iron bucket lowered by the hoisting engine above. It was heavy, wet soil that weighed like lead. From the beginning the men complained of headaches and one by one they crawled up the ladder again for fresh air. Others were sent down but at the end of an hour they too retreated. Dan and I stuck it out for a while. Then I began to get dizzy myself. I didn't know what the trouble was but when I began to wobble a bit Dan placed his hand on my shoulder. "Betther climb out o' here," he said. "I'm thinkin' it's gas." At that time I didn't know what sewer gas was. I couldn't smell anything and thought he must be mistaken. "You'd better come too," I answered, making for the ladder. He wasn't coming but I couldn't get up very well without him so he followed along behind. At the top we found the foreman fighting mad and trying to spur on another gang to go down. They wouldn't move. When he saw us come up he turned upon Dan. "Who ordered you out of there?" he growled. "The gas," answered Dan. "Gas be damned," shouted the foreman. "You're a bunch of white livered cowards--all of you." I saw Dan double up his fists and start towards the man. The latter checked him with a command. "Go back down there or you're fired," he said to him. Dan turned red. Then I saw his jaws come together. "Begod!" he answered. "_You_ shan't fire me, anyhow." Without another word he started down the ladder again. I saw the Italians crowd together and watch him. By that time my head was clearer but my legs were weak. I sat down a moment uncertain what to do. Then I heard someone shout: "By God, he's right! He's lying there at the bottom."