Onward and upward. If any of you readers are bronies, keep an eye out for a subtle reference to "Sleepless in Ponyville"! Same goes for anyone fond of SiF's Extended Railway Series, or the most recent Thomas movie, "Tale of the Brave".

Chapter 6: Disaster at the Mine

Although the Miao siblings were glad to have new friends to talk to, they soon grew restless once again. They had seen plenty of Ulfstead Road Station - now they wanted to know what the rest of the railway was like!

Dongwa, in particular, grew increasingly fascinated with the idea of hitching a ride up to Cas-ny-Hawin, to check out life at the mines. "Just imagine!" he said to his sisters. "Lots of hustle and bustle to keep up your energy; lots of workmen to watch me practice my Kung Fu; and best of all," Dongwa added, with mischief in his voice, "huge explosions going off hour upon hour - KABOOM!"

"Aaaaaah!" shrieked Sheegwa.

"Haha! Made ya jump!" crowed Dongwa.

Sagwa rolled her eyes. "Real mature, Dongwa," she said sarcastically. "Anyway, why the mine? I'm pretty sure we wouldn't be allowed there: it'd be too dangerous for animals."

"Sure we'd be allowed!" objected Dongwa. "If we could help Uncle Miao with that expedition for a meteorite, who says we can't hang around a mine? Besides," he went on, with an admiring twinkle in his eye, "it'd give us a chance to get to know Bertram better."

Sagwa raised an eyebrow. "Wanna spend time with your idol, eh Dongwa?" she teased.

"He's not my idol!"

"Don't play dumb: I've heard you pretending to talk to him! 'Oh, Bertram, you're so awesome!'" Sagwa mimicked, as she struck a mock Kung Fu pose. "'Please let me hang out with you! We'd be the best engine-cat team the world ever saw! Hi-yah!'"

Sheegwa burst into a fit of giggles, while Dongwa gave an annoyed sigh. "Alright, alright!" he conceded. "I do kind of admire him. I mean, he's called the 'Old Warrior', and he works with gunpowder! It'd be great to show him how tough I am!"

"Well," admitted Sagwa, "we do see Bertram a lot less often than Duke, Tim, and Albert; and he'd definitely be nicer to spend time with than Albert! I guess we could at least ask Mama and Baba if we could go to the mine. And see if we can get a ride up there."

Fortunately for Dongwa, Mama and Baba recalled the quest for the meteorite as well, and they decided that it was alright for him and his sisters to see the mine. "After all," said Mama, "you've all grown a bit since then."

"Just remember to be careful," warned Baba. "Bertram and the workmen have been there much more frequently than you three, so follow their advice at all times. Safety first!"

"Yes, Baba!"

A few days later, in the cold light of dawn, the kittens sat, with Fu-Fu, on the platform at Ulfstead Road. The bat had thought it best that he come to the mine as well, in case there were any dangers he could spot from the air. All the quartet had to do now was wait for one of the engines to come along, and see if he could give them a ride. Sadly, the first engine they saw just so happened to be..."Albert?!" cried Sheegwa.

"That's me name, innit?" the little blue engine growled, as he came to a stop by the water column. "Be off with ya: I'm in a bad-enough mood as it is! That pathetic ol' worrywart Tim burst his safety valve yesterday; so now I'm stuck workin' at the mine wi' Duke's brother. Pah! I expect 'e's no better than ol' Granpuff..." Albert continued to grumble as his fireman filled up his tank.

"Alright, you three: here's our chance!" whispered Fu-Fu. He strode forward, cleared his throat, and was about to speak to Albert when Sagwa pulled him back. "Are you crazy?!" she hissed incredulously. "He's bound to say no. You saw how grumpy he is!"

"Yeah," Sheegwa added, trembling a little. "That big fat meanie really scares me!"

"Well then, let's see how tough he is after I talk to him!" smirked Dongwa confidently, drawing himself into a Kung Fu pose.

"No, Dongwa," said Sagwa firmly. "We don't want to make a scene in front of Albert's driver and fireman."

At that very moment, the guard from Albert's brakevan blew his whistle. "Quick!" said Dongwa, dashing along the platform. "In there!" All three kittens leapt into the van just as Albert pulled away, and Dongwa motioned to Fu-Fu to follow them from the air. "Now what?" Sagwa whispered.

"Try not to let the guard see or hear you; that's what!" Dongwa replied.

The Miao siblings tried hard to keep silent, but the dust in the van started to tickle Sheegwa's nose. She eventually let out a loud sneeze, grabbing the guard's attention. Although surprised to see the kittens, he was far from cross, and was kind enough share his sandwiches with them. "You three belong to the Magistrate visiting His Grace; don't you?" he smiled. "I'll have the foreman look after you once we get to the mine, and contact the estate to let your master know where you are."

Sagwa, Dongwa, and Sheegwa all felt a bit dismayed when they heard this: they had expected to be out exploring and keeping Bertram company - not be held back by the men in charge! They all agreed that they'd sneak away when the foreman wasn't looking.

When Albert reached the mine, the guard gathered the kittens up and brought them to the foreman's office. Sneaking away turned out to be harder than the Miao siblings expected - they had to strain to open the office door, and then be on the lookout for any other people coming in. But at long last, they made it out into the open, and once reunited with Fu-Fu, the group set off to explore the vast quarry.

Little Sheegwa was prancing merrily along, singing a little tune to herself, when she suddenly heard a rumble from behind her. In all her excitement, she had failed to realize that she was crossing a track - there, to her horror, were four heavily loaded trucks heading straight for her! Sheegwa screamed, shut her eyes, and waited for them to hit her - but they never did! Fu-Fu had seen the imminent danger from above, and flew the tiny kitten to safety just in time, while the trucks hurtled into some buffers with a loud bang. "You okay?" Fu-Fu asked, concerned.

"Y-yeah," stammered Sheegwa, sounding pretty shaken up. "Just f-f-f-fine!"

The two suddenly heard an angry voice. "For Stephenson's sake, Albert, mind how you go! Bump the trucks like that and you're likely to break something!" Bertram was talking severely to Albert - so he had sent the trucks Sheegwa's way!

Fu-Fu flew angrily toward the two engines. "He very nearly broke Sheegwa's neck, thank you very much!" he snapped.

Albert only snorted derisively. "Not my fault! You shouldn't've been up 'ere in the first place!"

"What's going on, Fu-Fu?" Dongwa called, as he and Sagwa hurried up.

"This klutz almost got your sister run over! That's what's goin' on!"

"He what?!" shouted Sagwa and Dongwa together.

"Oi!" snapped Albert, staring daggers at Fu-Fu. "Who're you callin' a klutz?!"

"That's enough!" Bertram interjected fiercely. "Albert," he went on in a calmer tone, "keep up this nonsense, and I'll see to it that Manager gives you an earful this evening at the shed. Back to work, now!" Albert just gave him a dirty look, then puffed away. Bertram turned his attention to Fu-Fu and kittens. "As much as I disagree with Albert's attitude, I'm afraid he had a valid point just now: a mine isn't exactly the right place for animals. What on Earth are you four doing here anyway?"

"Our parents said we could come!" protested Dongwa.

"We've been in places like this - well, sort of like this - before!" chimed in Sagwa.

"We just wanted to get to know you, Bertram," said Sheegwa meekly. "Let us stay, please."

"I am qualified to look out for them, Bertram," added Fu-Fu helpfully.

Bertram looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, alright," he conceded. "But just make sure to stay where the foreman, the miners, or I can see you. Now then, I must get back to work. We'll have plenty of time to talk during the men's lunch break."

As Bertram headed off, a workman came striding toward the kittens. "There you are, you little rascals!" he said severely. "Back to the foreman's office with you - he was worried sick!"

Remembering what her father had said about listening to the miners' instructions, Sagwa hung her head shamefully. "Come on, guys; we better go," she said quietly, and the kittens followed along behind the workman.

At lunchtime, the foreman let the Miao siblings out again, while he went to join the workmen for a chat. The trio found Bertram talking to Fu-Fu in a siding nearby, and eagerly ran to greet them. It wasn't long before all five of them were chatting and laughing together like old friends, even though this was the first time the animals had truly gotten to know Bertram. Dongwa, for one, couldn't stop talking about how brave the old engine must be to work around dangerous substances like gunpowder. "How do you even deliver it up here without getting blown up?" he asked.

"It's quite simple, really, Dongwa," replied Bertram. "The gunpowder vans are usually put right in the middle of our trains, so they'll have a sort of cushion whenever we stop. Mind you, it's much more difficult if no other trucks are available, or if multiple loads are gunpowder are needed; but even with extra trucks, we need to take extra care and travel slowly."

"Phew!" remarked Fu-Fu. "Talk about stressful!"

"It doesn't end there, though!" said Bertram grimly. "Gunpowder's dangerous stuff, and everyone up here at the mine must be alert should a blasting go horribly wrong. I'd do anything to get the miners out of harm's way, even if it meant risking my life."

"Wa!" exclaimed Dongwa, awed. "No wonder they call you the 'Old Warrior' - you're not afraid of anything!"

"Oh, no," Bertram chuckled modestly. "I'd be afraid, alright; but sometimes the bravest thing you can do in those kinds of situations, is to face your fears head on. You remember that, little ones, and one day, you might be 'warriors' yourselves."

Dongwa grinned smugly. "In that case, I'd be a real tough warrior - a Kung Fu warrior! Hi-yah!" he shouted. Bertram couldn't help but laugh.

Later on, Bertram had to take some loaded trucks down to the port at Arlesburgh, which meant that Fu-Fu and the kittens had no-one to talk to but Albert until he returned. Naturally, they decided to avoid the cantankerous blue engine, and explore the mine from where the workers could still see them...or at least most of them...

Dongwa bounded along toward the entrance to a nearby mineshaft. "Hello in there!" he called into the darkness.

"Hello in there!" his echo called back.

Dongwa laughed exultantly. "I bet only the bravest of the brave could go down there!"

"Yeah!" said a voice from behind him. "Too bad you're not one of them!" Dongwa turned and saw Sagwa staring bluntly at him, while Sheegwa and Fu-Fu stood by. "Hey! Who's the older sibling here?" he snapped, taking her remark as a challenge.

"Age has nothing to do with this, Dongwa," said Sagwa firmly. "We need to stay where the miners will still be able to see us."

"Besides," Sheegwa put in nervously, "it's dark and scary down there!"

"Pah!" snorted Dongwa. "Bertram wouldn't like you saying that, Sheegwa! Especially after we explored that old shrine with Uncle Miao! Besides, Mama and Baba said we'd grown since then!"

"They also said to be safe!" countered Sagwa. "And listen to Bertram and the miners' advice!"

"Well, you clearly haven't been listening to Bertram!" Dongwa shot back. "We'll never be 'Old Warriors' if we can't even face our fears! That's true bravery!"

"Bertram only meant we should do that in life-threatening situations!"

"You're just being a fraidy cat!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Uh," said Fu-Fu cautiously, "can I get a word in this?"

"NO!" Sagwa and Dongwa yelled together.

"Okay!"

"You know what, Dongwa?!" Sagwa huffed, losing her patience at last. "Fine! Go in that mineshaft and show Bertram how 'brave' you are; but we're not!"

Dongwa sneered derisively at his sister. "Way to let the 'Old Warrior' down, Sagwa!" With this last biting remark, he sauntered off into the tunnel.

Sagwa glared crossly after him, until Fu-Fu's reprimanding voice brought her back to reality. "What were you thinking?!" he demanded. "You just let your own brother wander off into potential danger!"

"He wanted to!" said Sagwa defensively. "I tried to talk him out of it, but..."

"Your parents told you to stay where authorised personnel could see you!" continued Fu-Fu. "Dongwa might have been in the wrong to begin with; but now here you go and make matters worse! Now I suggest you go in there and bring him back."

"Hmph!" Sagwa sniffed.

"Please, Sagwa," Sheegwa pleaded.

Sagwa looked at the worry in her little sister's eyes, and knew that Fu-Fu was right. "Okay," she sighed, and, gathering as much courage as she could, walked slowly into the mineshaft.

Little did Fu-Fu and the Miao siblings realise that disaster was about to strike. Albert was just a few yards back from the mineshaft, grumpily marshalling trucks into place. "Who does that old wart Bertram think he is, tellin' me how to shunt trucks properly?!" he muttered darkly. "They wouldn't know who's boss if I didn't rough 'em up!"

"Fair play, lad," said his driver. "Bertram has worked here quite a bit longer than you."

"Oi! Who's side are you on?!"

"I'm on yours, which is why..."

"Which is why you should mind your own bloomin' BUSINESS!" Albert hollered, ramming some trucks in his frustration. The force of his blow sent them rolling away, picking up speed as they headed towards...the entrance to the mineshaft...

Sagwa, meanwhile, had just caught up with her brother. "Dongwa, wait!" she called out to him.

Dongwa only turned up his nose when he saw her. "I thought you wanted me to show how brave I am!"

Sagwa sighed in shame. "I know I said that; but we need to go back. That's what Mama and Baba would want."

Before Dongwa could reply, they both heard Sheegwa and Fu-Fu yell, "LOOK OUT!" from outside the tunnel, then a loud rumbling noise. They looked back, and gasped in horror as four heavily loaded trucks came barrelling along, straight towards them! "Dongwa, move!" Sagwa screamed, tackling her brother out of the way just in time.

But the trouble was only just beginning: the trucks suddenly veered off the track and smashed into a roof support, demolishing it within seconds. The tunnel walls shuddered and shook, then started to crumble! Sagwa and Dongwa turned tail and ran back toward the tunnel mouth as fast as they could, as rocks began to fall all around them. But they were too late: another avalanche had blocked their way out! The two kittens slammed on the brakes and braced themselves in fear, as more and more rocks and dirt came tumbling down...

"Sagwa! Dongwa! Are you alright?!" It was Fu-Fu, calling to them from outside.

"Fu-Fu!" cried Sagwa, coughing from the still settling dust. "Yes, we're fine; but we're stuck!"

"We can't come back out, or go further in!" Dongwa added.

The two eldest Miao siblings suddenly heard more anxious voices from beyond the blockage: workmen must have seen what had happened and come to investigate. Thinking quickly, both Sagwa and Dongwa started meowing at the top of their voices. After awhile, they heard one workman shout urgently to another, and then footsteps hurrying away. "It's alright, you two!" Fu-Fu called to them. "They're getting the foreman right now; I think they said something about a - um -a 'breakdown gang' too!"

"Don't worry, guys!" piped up Sheegwa. "They'll get you out! I hope," she added anxiously.

"I hope so too," murmured Sagwa. Then an even more chilling thought struck her: would she and Dongwa get out alive? There was only so much oxygen for the two kittens to survive on, in that small, enclosed space - they could only help that help would arrive sooner, rather than later...

Will Sagwa and Dongwa get out of the mineshaft in time? Stay tuned!