MORNING SERIAL

“CASTING — that’s what we mean when we say up-ladle. All of us in the coreshop take things easy then. Take your coat in, and come with me to the watchman’s shanty for a sit down. I’ll wait here for you. O.K. ?” Not wishing to appear nervous, Ieuan fell in with the idea and hurried into the coreshop with his overcoat. He did not wait to hear what Bull had to say, and took no notice of Abraham and the two men.

Thomas took him along a narrow path between the coreshop and the boundary wall. Sheltered from the wind, they came presently to a small brick building near a wide door facing the side street down which the girls from the tinstamping works had gone earlier in the day.

The door of the building was in two halves, similar to a stable door. Thomas rapped on it, and the top half swung outwards.

“Room for two small ones?” he asked as a puckered face appeared over the edge.

“Yes, come on in — but be quiet.” The bottom half of the door opened and the two boys stepped inside. The shanty was no more than eight feet long and six wide. A wooden bench rested against one wall, and on this five men huddled close together. Facing it was a crude wooden table, and, above the table, a window across which a sack curtain had been drawn, leaving a narrow gap through which a look-out could be kept. A small fire burned in the grate built into the wall opposite the door, and looking down at it from the mantelpiece was a coloured painting of Christ walking on Galilee. To the right of the fireplace was a fretwork pipe rack, and hanging from a nail was the watchman’s dungaree jacket.

“You can sit by here and have a warm for a few minutes. Old Jonah, the watchman, has gone down to the main office,” one of the men invited. He nudged his neighbour, and the five moved up towards the door, turning their knees to allow the boys to pass.

“Thanks, Dai.” Thomas sat down uncomfortably close to the fire. He held his hands over the grate. “Been here long?” “About five minutes,” said Dai. “But don’t talk a lot, just be quiet and relax while the going’s good.” All at once, almost before Ieuan had time to seat himself, the man nearest the door jumped up in alarm.