Hey, Luke. Quick, come out of there.
It'll like come down on
us as it will on thee.
All right, then.
Fetch in some more pit
props and we'll shore it up.
Go in.
Whoa.
Get.
Hey you, Flash, what are you
doing with me bait box, eh?
Hey, do you think there's
something in there for you?
Go on with you.
All right. Here, now.
Ahh...
Go on.
Go on with ya.
Go on. Come here, Flash.
Beg pardon, sir.
They can't pull more
than mo tubs at a time.
Nay, sir. Each one of them
things weighs nearly half a ton.
Come on, Flash. Come on.
Come in. Come on.
Have you ever seen a
mane and tail hauler?
No, sir, I never have. I've heard
of them, but I've not seen one.
It's a machine that can handle,
oh, up to a hundred tubs at a time.
Brings empty ones in and
takes the full ones out.
- Oh, aye.
- Why are those men idle?
Oh, they're just waiting for
empty tubs to arrive, sir.
They've got a new pony
and he's a bit slow.
Not like old Flash here. You
won't find his team kept waiting.
He's making you sweat, Ginger!
Mind your leg, Mr. Amiss.
You'll have my leg
off one of these days.
Come on, come on. Come on, come on.
Come on. There. Easy, Flash.
- Come on.
Get up. Get up.
Come on! Come on!
You obstinate, mule-headed...
- Hey, Ginger, none of that!
- He tried to kick me!
So he will ifyou ty
to turn him around now.
- End of his shift.
- Thought I'd get empty tubs up
- for the morning.
- Not with old Flash, you won't.
You may as well turn him loose.
He knows when his shift's over
and he knows where he's going.
Nosey.
- Get!
Here comes Flash.
Hello, Flash. Look what I've brought ya.
There.
Eh, Flash, you're a beauty.
Best of all, you are.
He's no better than Lion, is he Bert?
Nay, Lion's a good 'un.
But he's only a young 'un.
He's not as knowin' as
Flash is, but he'll learn.
Tommy? Dave.
Don't be too long. Your
mother'll have your tea ready.
- Bert.
- Aye?
Best get the boys out of
sight. The gaffer's coming.
- Oh.
- Who's gaffer?
The new manager. Hey, now come
on. Let's have you out of here.
Get in behind this board.
Do as your father says.
- He's not our father.
- Your stepfather then.
- He's not our father.
- Get behind there and argue after.
Keep yourself hidden. Down there.
- Bert?
- ye.
- Just a minute.
- Coming, sir.
Now then, this is Bert Cawsden.
He looks after the ponies.
- Bert, Mr. Sandman.
- Afternoon, Cawsden.
Afternoon, sir.
Oh, yes. How long's
this one been down here?
- Fourteen years,
sir. - Uh-huh.
And he'd be three or four
years old when he came down?
- Aye.
- He must be past his best now then.
Flash? He's the best worker of them all.
Mm-hm.
All right, thank you.
All right, Mr. Carter.
- Cary on, Bert. Time's money.
- Right, sir.
- Which way now, Carter?
- West. Turn left.
Flash, past his time?
He's no' but a London
fella. He doesn't know much.
- I'll, uh, just get some tobacco.
- Right. Cheerio.
See you tomorrow.
- Hello, love.
- Hello, lass.
- Have you seen the boys?
- ye.
They're givin' Bert a
hand with the ponies.
Oh, no, not again. Will
they be home for their tea?
How should I know?
They never speak to me.
One for you and one for you.
Go on, lads, off with you.
- Thanks, Bert.
- Thanks, Bert.
Carter.
Sir?
- Who are those boys?
- Boys, sir?
- Yes, mo boys came out of the pit.
- Oh, them boys, aye.
That's Dave and Tommy Sadler. They
help the horsekeeper with the ponies.
- Too young to be on the payroll.
- Well, they just...
Bert gives them a penny now
and then. They like to do it.
Apart from anything else, there's
safety regulations to be considered.
- They've no business to be going down.
- No business?
Their father died down there.
Dave! Now that's good
food you've got there.
Be thanMul for it and don't
gobble it up as if it were nothing.
And where do you think you're going?
- I'm gonna take Danny out for a run.
- A bit late, isn't it?
We always used to take
Danny out last thing.
Yes, but your...
Not alone.
Can we go?
Oh, go! Go, why don't ya?
Come on, Tom. Danny, come on.
I'll have some more tea.
He's back, he's back!
Is he, dear? That's nice.
- Hello, my dear.
- Oh, Father,
- I thought you'd never get back!
Clara and I unpacked all the
pictures. We've done well, haven't we?
Vey well. I see you've
put the curtains up.
- Mother and Clara did that.
- Well done, Clara.
Thank you, sir.
Mother's putting the best china
away. Wouldn't let me help.
- She said I might drop it.
- Did she?
- Hello, dear.
- Hello.
- You're back.
- Yes.
Clara, you can serve dinner
now, the master's home.
All right, ma'am.
That girl! I wish she'd call me madam.
Ma'am is so vulgar.
I've been brought here by Lord Harrogate
to make his colliey pay. I'll do it.
If I don't, he'll close down
the pit and I'll lose my job,
as well as the miners' livelihood.
What exactly is the problem, dear?
Alice, do drink your soup quietly.
The real problem is we
can't get the coal out
in sufficient quantities.
And, therefore, it's too expensive
at that price, we can't sell it.
That's why they had
to stop the nightshift.
- What will you have to do, Father?
- Well, for a start,
I shall get rid of those pit ponies.
Come on, Tommy, I'll
race you to the top!
It's not fair! You started off first!
Don't wory, I'll wait
for you when I get there.
Oh, no you won't. I'll beat
you yet. See if I don't.
- Bye, Daddy.
- Goodbye, my dear. Have a nice day.
Alice, where are you going?
Just going to fly my kite, Mother!
Don't go too far!
I don't like her going
up on the moors alone.
It's a bit lonely for her here.
I don't want her playing with any
of those rough miners' children.
I shall be glad when the governess
arrives to keep her out of mischief.
- Well, goodbye, dear.
- Hm.
- I do hope His Lordship is agreeable.
- Yes, so do I.
Uh, Mr. Sandman to see Lord Harrogate.
His Lordship is expecting you, sir.
Now then, Sandman, what
do you propose to do
about this colliey of mine?
Well, one of the problems is...
Uh, no, thank you... is that
Emsdale is a small colliey,
and the seam is a long
way from the surFace.
Yes, yes, I know all about that.
But the point is that
it doesn't make a profit.
Now Kirkdale's colliey makes a profit,
but my colliey does not make a profit.
In fact, my colliey
keeps... keeps losing money.
Now, as my new manager, tell me,
what do you propose to do about that?
I'd like to explore the possibility
of using machiney in the pits, My Lord.
Machiney?
Are you suggesting we might use
machiney instead of miners, perhaps?
Um... Well, no, My Lord.
But it might be possible to bring
the coal from the face to the shaft
by means of machiney instead of ponies.
Hm, yes, yes, at least, I am
prepared to explore that idea.
Hm. Look into that for
me, will you, Sandman?
And find out all about the costs,
and, uh, show me things, you
know, like plans and so on,
- you know, that sort of thing.
- I will, My Lord.
My goodness, just look at
those rabbits all over the lawn,
simply ruining it.
Go away!
- Go away, you horrible dog! Go home!
- It's a girl up a tree.
- ye.
- Come on.
Go away, you horrible dog!
- What you doing up there?
- Go away!
- Can you get down?
- Yes, of course I can.
No!
- Come on.
- I want my kite.
You don't want much, do you?
You best get yourself down first.
Come on, that's the way.
Go on. Down a bit more.
Be careful!
Why did you put your kite in the tree?
I didn't do it on purpose.
I can't run fast enough to
get it up in the air properly.
Dave could.
Pull, Dave, pull! It's nearly there!
- Run faster, Dave!
- There it goes!
I can feel the wind take
it! Come on, kite, come on!
Oh, Dave, it's flying!
You've done it! Well done!
- Oh, let me have a go, please.
- Here you are.
Thank you.
- Why aren't you in school?
- Why do you think? Summer holidays.
You're lucky. I've got a
horrible governess coming,
and she'll want me to stay
indoors all day doing lessons.
- What's a governess?
- She's a sort of teacher, isn't she?
Why don't you go to school like us?
Because it's a colliey
school and she's a lady.
- I'm not a lady!
- Oh, yes, you are.
I'm not a lady, I'm not!
- I said you're a lady.
- How dare you.
- Take that back.
- Nothing wrong with that.
Oh, yes, there is, the way you said it.
Watch what you're doing.
You'll tear your dress.
I don't care! I'm not a lady!
I'll make you take it back!
- Stop it, you. That's enough!
- What?
Ladies don't fight.
I wonder what it's like down the pit.
Ain't you ever been down?
We go down all the time.
You're too young. Boys aren't allowed
to work in the mines until they're 14.
- We don't work, exactly.
- We help Bert with the ponies.
The ponies? You help
with the pit ponies?
Yes. We go to the stables near eveyday.
We help look after 'em.
You'll miss them when
they're gone then, won't you?
Gone?
- The ponies! Mum, the ponies!
- Now where have you been?
- The ponies!
- What about the ponies?
They're gonna get rid of them.
They're putting machiney in instead.
What will become of the ponies?
What will they do with them?
What can they do? Nobody's
going to pay for their keep
if they can't work.
Come on. Sit down and have your tea.
- What will happen to them?
- How should I know?
Be thanMul it's only the ponies
they're getting rid of and not the men.
Of course, you wouldn't care. You're
the one who left my father in the pit.
You got out and left him to die!
Luke!
Dave...
How could you say such a thing to him?
I don't care.
He's no right to be here in our house.
It's his house now. He
works all day down that pit
- to keep us in food and clothes...
- I don't want him here.
- Nor do I.
- What does it matter what you want?!
Go to bed, both of you!
You can go without your tea.
Perhaps that'll teach you to
remember who earns it for you.
I brought you some bread and milk.
Come on.
If he's asleep, you eat it all.
Shove over a bit.
Dave, you know Luke
didn't leave your father.
- Yes, he did.
- No, he didn't.
Luke was injured in the fall, and
your father went in to rescue him.
- Then the second explosion came.
- I know.
But Luke could've done
something to help him.
He was brought up
unconscious. What could he do?
God bless.
Well, that's the lot. The rest of
my men will be here on Saturday.
Right.
I wish I could go down and
see the ponies before they go.
- Girls aren't allowed down the pit.
- Nor are boys.
But you get down, and
I'm bigger than you are.
But not much.
Alice! No, Alice, you can't!
- Morning, Bert.
- Morning, boys.
- Hello.
- Evening, Bert.
- Got some spares?
- Aye. There you are.
Thanks.
- Sir?
- If I see those boys going down again,
you'll be dismissed.
Watch it.
And Jester and Bertie and Bluey
- And you know which one this is?
- No.
- This is Flash.
- Flash. Flash!
Watch it. He's not used to
strangers. He might lash out.
Oh, Flash, you wouldn't
hurt me, would you?
- See the machiney on top?
- Machiney?
Them big crates with the
engineers from Sheffield.
Poor beasts won't be here much longer.
- But that's wonderFul.
- WonderFul?
What do you mean, wonderFul?
If they've no more work, they'll
be brought out of the mine
and let out into the fields. We can go
and visit them evey day and feed them.
Flash and Jester and
Bluey and all of them.
They'll run about in the
sunshine and be happy and safe.
- That's what you think, is it?
Ask thee father.
Ask thee father what will
become of the pit ponies.
Father!
- Mother, do you know where...
- Alice!
Alice.
This is Miss Coutts. She has
come to be your governess.
Had you forgotten she
was arriving today?
How do you do, Alice?
Dear me! We are Miss
Grubby Paws, aren't we?
I'm afraid we have
rather let her run wild.
Never mind, Mrs. Sandman.
I'm sure we'll soon get Alice
back into ladylike ways again.
Mother, when will Father be home?
I wanted to ask him about the pit.
Where are your manners? Miss
Coutts was just going upstairs.
Would you like to go with her
and show her the school room?
Will they really put them in
the field and let them run about?
- Yes, of course, they will.
- They'll like that, won't they?
Aye, that they will.
- Good night, Tommy.
- Good night, Dave.
Here, Flash, what do you think
of that? See the sunshine?
- Look, there's grass and trees.
- Bluey.
You'll like it in the field with Lion.
They'll all like it. Come on,
Flash, Sandie, Jimmie, Jester,
Soldier, come on, Star.
Flash will show you the way.
- And no tubs to pull, neither.
- They're free, aren't they?
- They're free.
- Flash, you're a beauty...
- Morning, Clara.
- Morning, love.
Mother, I must see Father. Do you
know if he'll be home for lunch?
Alice, dear, you mustn't bother
him. He has a lot on his mind.
And, you know, little girls
should be seen and not heard.
- But I must ask him something.
- Well, Alice, perhaps I can tell you
- what you want to know.
- It's about the ponies.
- Ponies?
- The pit ponies.
Father's bringing machiney to the mine
to do the work the ponies used to do.
And I want to know what
will happen to them.
Well, I suppose if their usefulness
is finished, they'll have to go.
But go where?
Mother?
Well, I suppose...
I don't really...
I'm sure your father will
have made plans for them.
But what plans? What
will become of them?
Well, if there's no work for them
to do, I imagine they'll be sent...
Sent where?
To the slaughter house!
No!
No, Father wouldn't
do a thing like that!
Alice!
Runner! Runner!
Well, what's going on here, then?
Engineers came at him with a
bale of wire and frightened him.
That wire cable's got to be laid.
We can't work with them and
their gear all over the place.
- You'll have to go home then.
- What, and lose our money?
Alice?
Come on.
What's up, Alice?
We've had to stop work in
the lower drift heading.
- Oh? Why?
- They can't work while cable's laid.
- Alice, what are you doing here?
- I wanted to ask you something.
Not now, dear. I'm
busy. Come on, Carter.
Show me exactly where they've stopped.
- Now they're laying the cable here.
- That's right, sir.
And there's the lower drift heading.
Yes, I see.
Send the men home then, shall I?
Oh, yes, vey well.
Run along home. I've got a lot to do.
- Please, Father.
- All right, what is it?
It's about the pit ponies.
What will happen to them?
- Alice, I haven't got time...
- Please, Father, I want to know.
We can't turn them loose on the moors.
Not used to fending for themselves.
Isn't there a field somewhere where
they can live happily and run about?
- Who pays for their feed?
- The colliey owner.
- They work.
- Out of the question.
You can't pay for animals that
do nothing, anymore then men.
Then what will become of them?
They won't... be sent to the
slaughterhouse, will they?
Father...
Alice, you run along home. Why
aren't you with your governess?
I've got enough on my mind without
being bothered about a lot of ponies!
What is it, Alice? What's the matter?
The ponies.
He's going to kill the ponies.
There's only one thing to do.
We'll have to steal them.
Steal them?
You mean, get them out of
the mine and keep them safe?
Oh, yes!
How'll we do it?
I dunno.
- Bert would help us.
- No.
- You're not to mention it to Bert.
- But you said...
I was wrong. He might tell Luke.
- Luke likes the ponies.
- He'd be afraid of losing his place.
Couldn't we come along
at night and wind them up?
No. Somebody would hear us.
Besides, there are always people
about doing maintenance and that.
Then how can we get to them?
There must be another way in.
There'd be some old workings.
Might be a way of
getting in through them.
How do we know where they are?
Oh, they always keep
plans of all the workings.
Where?
In your father's office.
Carter. What's going on, Carter?
You'd better come over, unless you
want the whole pit standing idle.
- What's going on?
- He says I can't take this stuff down.
I've warned you time and time
again, no naked flames down there.
- Mr. Sandman!
- Well, that's enough.
- Should be somewhere here.
- Yes, but where?
Let's look up here.
Look, I've found it!
Come on.
Watch yourself!
That could've been you.
That should be the old
engine house there. Let's see.
Aye, it's a winding engine.
You know, for winding
the cage up and down.
And if we can get it working,
we could bring the ponies up!
Father, how does a winding engine work?
Alice, dear, that's hardly a
suitable subject for a young lady.
Miss Coutts, I want my
daughter to be a young lady.
And to learn French and
sewing and watercolors.
But I also want her to take an
interest in the things about her.
So, Alice, if you'd
like to come to my study,
I'll show you how a
winding engine works.
Thank you, Father.
- This should go in there.
- No, it shouldn't.
- You're doing it all wrong.
- No, I'm not.
What do girls know about machiney?
You can't put this in there.
- Any fool can see that.
- Ty lifting it up and putting it in.
Now all it needs is some grease.
Hello, Tommy. What do you want?
It's a big engine, ain't it, Hary?
Aye, it's a big engine.
And it's got a lot to do.
- Hary?
- ye
- What does it have to do?
- You know what it does.
It winds the cage up and
down and pumps the water out.
Where does the water come from?
I don't know where the water
comes from. Eveywhere, I suppose.
If you didn't pump the pit out
evey day, it would soon be flooded.
- Hary!
- ye
Goodbye, Hary.
Hey, we'd best not get too mucky
or they'll wonder where we've been.
Dave.
Come and look. I think
I've put enough on.
It must work. It must.
That valve, turn it the other way.
I've tried it. It doesn't help.
What's going on here then?
Tying to get the old
engine to go, are you?
- Well...
- What are you gonna do with it?
We're going to get the ponies up.
- Oh, Tommy!
- Up out of the pits, are you?
- And how do you think you'll do that?
- Through the old workings.
You're gonna get the
ponies up out of the pit?
You and Tommy and the little miss?
If only we could get the engine to work.
It shouldn't be too hard. It's
not so long since it was running.
First, clear the shaft-head.
Get it up.
- Right, Bert!
- Here you are, then.
Hooray!
- We did it!
I should run it up and down a
few times to work the grease in.
But not for too long.
Someone'll hear it.
Well, I must be off to the stables.
- You'll not tell Luke, will you?
- Me? I'll not tell anyone.
Now, mind, I've never seen you here
and I don't know what you're doing.
I'll go down tomorrow and find a
way through to the present workings.
- And the stables.
- ye.
If you go down to old workings
by yourself, you'll get lost.
- No, I won't.
- Yes, you will.
- Oh, give over.
- You will get lost.
Miss Coutts, I think I would
like to learn to crochet.
Really, dear?
I think I have a spare
ball ofthread here.
Ta.
- All right.
- Good luck, Dave.
Aye, good luck.
All right, Tommy.
- My dad died down in the pit.
- Was it an explosion?
I've heard my father
talk about firedamp.
That's sort of gas, isn't it?
Aye. It builds up and then
you get a spark and it goes up.
You never know when it'll happen.
Come on, Flash. Come on, lad.
Come on, Flash. What's
the matter with you?
Go on, lad. That's it.
How far will he have to go to get
through to the present workings?
Hard to say. Them levels run for miles.
- Most likely, he'll get lost.
- Tommy!
His candle will burn out and
he'll wander about in the darkness
until he falls exhausted and
lies until he's clemmed to death.
Nothing left but a skeleton.
Alice. Alice.
- Miss Coutts, where's Alice?
- Well, she...
I'm afraid Alice has been given
too much libem, Mrs. Sandman.
But I thought she was in here with you.
Yes, well, uh...
I went for my little nap
after lunch, as usual,
leaving her here with her crocheting.
Clara tells me she went out for a walk.
But where is she now?
- Tommy?
- ye
I'm...
- I'm going down.
- You mustn't!
I'm going to. I'm sure he's lost.
You haven't got a candle.
You'll get lost as well.
- It's him!
Go!
I knew you could do it!
Dave, did you get
through? What did you find?
- Did you get lost, Dave?
- Course not.
We can get right through to the
coalface where they're working now.
- I saw Flash.
- Hooray!
- We can bring 'em here.
- Don't people work here?
Only a shepherd in
winter with his sheep.
The lead miners used to work here,
but their pit's been closed for years.
Yes, this'll be the best
place to keep the ponies.
No one will ever see in.
Now then, there's some fodder
in the barn behind the pithead.
We can get it up here, and then...
Then we can keep the
ponies safe forever.
ye.
I'll shut the door.
- Dave?
- Uh?
I'm sory about your father.
Bert says the pit belongs to him
and to all them that died there.
Alice!
- Alice!
- Quick, run!
Alice.
Alice, what are you doing out
here? Who was that I saw with you?
Uh, iust some boys.
Their... Their father owns the mine.
- Really?
- Yes.
You must invite them
home to tea one day.
Oh, they wouldn't come.
You mean because your father
is only the manager of the mine?
Alice, you must remember that to the
true aristocrat, all men are equal.
Yes, Miss Coutts.
Come on, love, you'll be late.
- Where's me bait, then?
- It's ready.
Dave, they're connecting
up the machiney today,
and tomorrow the ponies will be
brought up and sent to Barnsley.
This is their last day in the pit.
If you want to go down and see them,
I'll make it all right with Sam Carter.
- No, thanks. I'm not bothered.
- Don't you want to say goodbye?
- Not even old Flash?
- They're only ponies.
Poor beasts, they don't know
they're haulin' that to their death.
ye.
Well, what will you do, Bert,
after the ponies have gone?
I've not thought.
Nay, there'll be no place
for me in Emsdale now.
I'll have to trudge and look for a iob.
Aye. And some others,
too, I shouldn't wonder.
ye.
Sam, any work for me
and me mate tomorrow?
Might be, Luke. Depends
how them engineers get on.
You best turn up and see.
Are they bringin' in
machiney to cut coal, Sam?
How many of us will be put out of work?
None, I hope. Now the manager says...
What was that?
Have they just started
up machiney down below?
Aye. But I thought that
came from over the hill.
Go on, Tommy. More coal.
- Isn't Alice coming?
- She should be here.
Aye. She should.
Has Alice gone to bed
already? She's not ill, is she?
I don't think so. She just
seems vey sleepy tonight.
Oh, well, I'll iust say good night.
Dave!
- Sory I'm late.
- That's all right.
Here, you cary on stoking.
I'll see to the engine.
Them engineers haven't got
their machines working up there?
Nay. Up at face. It sounds
farther away than that.
- That's a winding engine.
- Aye, it's a winding engine.
I shouldn't wonder.
I've heard it before.
It comes from the old workings.
And yet, it's been blocked off
since five men were killed there.
Aye, that's true.
Nay, I'd not go near
there for a hundred pounds.
I be afraid of hobgoblins
draggin' me down into old workings.
You're an old woman,
Bert. Hobgoblins, indeed.
Come on, lads.
Go on. Offyou go, Flash.
He always knows when his shift is over.
It's over this time with a vengeance.
That's the end of the ponies.
- Whoa, Flash!
- Dave, don't lose him!
Whoa, Flash, whoa!
They've never been as
late as this before.
You don't think they've
run away, do you?
- Why should they do that?
- You know why.
I'm going to look for them.
That's the last.
Come on, Tom, let's get into the cage.
We'll never get them into the
cage. They're not used to it.
Yes, we will.
Come on, Flash, come
on. Get on. Come on.
Come on, good lad. Come on. Good boy.
Ring the bell, Tom.
Ring the bell again, Tommy.
- Oh, what's the matter with her?
- Supposing she can't work it?
We'll be stuck down here, won't we?
We'll be stuck down here with the ponies
until there's nothing
left of us but skeletons.
- Want some help, then?
- Oh, Bert!
There, Flash. You're gonna like this.
Come on, Flash. Come on.
Come on, Flash, come on. Come on.
Flash! What's the matter?
It's all strange to him.
He's not been up above
ground for 14 years.
He'll like it when he gets used to it.
Yes.
You take him. I'll go
down and get the others.
- Come on, Flash.
- Go on, Flash.
Come on, come on.
Come on, Flash. Come on, boy.
You're all right, Flash.
Look where you're going.
Don't be afraid. We're
not going to hurt you.
It's all right, Flash. It's all
right. Come on, Flash. This way.
- Hello, love.
- Hello, dear.
How did your meeting go in Sheffield?
- Oh, not too bad.
- You look tired, dear.
- Your supper's all ready.
- Fine. I'll just look in on Alice.
Have your supper first.
She's sound asleep.
- Yes, all right.
- Clara.
I heard you, ma'am.
- Tommy.
- ye
- Think you can take his bridle off?
- Sure, I can.
Alice?
Blue was the last one.
We've got them all up.
- Good.
- Stand still, Bluey.
You better go and help
him with that harness.
Right.
- You'll have to manage now. I'm off.
- Thanks, Bert.
Don't tell me where you'll
put them. I haven't seen ya.
If anyone asks, I don't
know where they are.
I should get them away
from here if I was you.
Someone might've heard
the engine. Night.
Night. Come on! We must get
them to the hiding place quickly.
Think they'll follow
us across the moors?
Yes, of course they will.
Come on, Flash. We'll give the lead.
Come on, Flash.
- Is Flash all right, Dave?
- Yes, of course he is.
- Keep up, Tommy, can you?
- Come on, Lion.
Come on, Sandie. Come on.
Emily! Emily!
- What is it? What's happened?
- Alice isn't in...
- Miss Coutts!
- Richard!
- Miss Coutts!
- Mr. Sandman...
- Have you seen my daughter?
Why, no, sir.
It's the ponies, sir. They've gone.
Here you are.
Come on, Flash. Come on,
Flash, it's all right.
What's the matter with Flash?
I don't know. It must be after
being below all those years.
- Evemhing's so strange to him.
- He'll like it when he gets used to it.
Yes.
We did it, didn't we? We saved them.
ye.
Father, you won't take the ponies away,
will you?
Take her home, Miss Coutts.
- What's up?
Nay. Come on, come on, me little lad.
Want something to eat?
Best get to bed then.
Dave?
Go on. Go up to bed.
- They're ready, Mr. Carter.
- Oh, right, Joe.
Now then, get this straw out of the
way. Clean the ramp, quick as you can.
All right, lads. Don't hang about here.
Cary on up to the pit and get below, eh?
That new machiney might take
a bit of getting used to,
but you can work a full shift and
we'll just see how we get on. Right?
Bert, get them ponies loaded
up. Take old Flash up first.
- The others will follow.
- Leave them where they are.
- What? Bert, get them ponies loaded.
- I said leave them. Leave them be.
Listen, lads.
Them ponies have served us well.
Helped us to win coal
and earn our living.
Will you let them be
taken off to be slaughtered
like they was so much raw meat?
Yes?
What is it?
Listen!
When I give an order, I
expect it to be obeyed.
Get those ponies back to
the station, put in the vans.
Them ponies belong in
the pit, SaMe aS US.
- Aye.
- Look.
The ponies have been
replaced by machiney,
which will enable you
to earn more money.
We didn't earn more money
yesterday when we were laid off.
There's dislocation at
first, when we're changing...
- From men to machines!
- Aye!
- Not...
- That's the dislocation!
They're changin' over
from men to machines.
And we'll not have it. We
never asked for machines.
- We don't want 'em.
- ye.
We'll work with the pit
ponies like we always have.
But for machiney, the pit would be
closed and you out on the streets.
That machiney is here to
protect your livelihood.
- And if you weren't such fools...
- We'll not be miscalled by the bosses.
- That's right, we won't.
You can work your own pit,
mister, with your own machiney,
if you think it's so fine. Hey, come on.
Where do you think you're
going? Want to lose a day's pay?
Time and more you were all on
shift. Come on. Get down there.
- Let's have no more of this.
- We're on strike, Sam.
And if you put them ponies in that van,
we'll never come back.
Thanks to you, I've got
a strike on my hands.
I hope you've thought over your
behavior and are ashamed of yourself.
Now, I'm not going to punish you.
I hope it will be enough punishment
for you to know that I'm vey angy,
and I'm disappointed in you.
I hope your future behavior will show
that you understand what you've done.
And are vey sory for it.
Well?
What will happen to the ponies?
You'd better go to bed now.
Will the union give you their backing?
- They might.
- Then again, they might not.
If they don't, we don't
get any strike pay.
What are we going to live on?
Dave, I don't know what
you've got to grin about.
Haven't you got anything better to do?
Aren't you glad they're
not gonna kill the ponies?
Ponies. Ponies. I'm
sick and tired of ponies.
Ponies won't put food in your
belly or clothes on your back.
- Come on, love.
- And, as for you,
I'm not having you
under my feet all day.
You can have your breaMast
tomorrow, then get out of the house.
If you're gonna be on strike, you can
go and be on strike somewhere else.
When does the owner get back, sir?
In a week's time.
They better be back at
work by then, or else...
Can't he see at all?
No, they call it anthracitus.
It's inflammation
caused by the coal dust.
A lot of old pit ponies get it.
When he was down underground, he
knew his way about, so nobody noticed.
Strike! But what the devil
have they got to strike about?
I'm the one who's losing
the money. Mm? Mmm?
They'd better be careful, or I'll beat
them to it and go on strike myself.
Then they'll be sory,
won't they? Won't they?
- Yes, My Lord.
- Yes.
All right, all right.
What's the trouble this time?
I suppose they want more money, hmm?
No, My Lord, it's a
question of the machiney.
The men feel that in
replacing the ponies with...
Machiney, eh? Are you saying
they're refusing to use the machiney?
Not exactly, My Lord. It's more
that they want assurances...
Shh, shh. Please, please.
Sit down somewhere and listen vey
carefully to what I have to say,
will you do that?
Yes, My Lord.
You see, I just simply
don't care what they want.
They're here to work, and you're
here to see that they do work.
Now you told me that this
machiney would, in time,
or should, in time, make the
colliey begin to pay. Good.
Vey well. All right. But
if that doesn't happen,
then I'll have no alternative but
simply to close the pit altogether
and use the land for something else. Hm.
Shooting. Anything. I
don't care. Not a bit.
But if that happens, not a single
man jack of them will have a job
or even anywhere to
live, for that matter.
If I could just go
back to the men and...
Please, please, Sandman.
I'm sory, but there's just nothing
more to be said. Nothing at all.
We won!
So it's tuppence you owe me, right?
Quiet, me beauties.
Quickly, Alice, come away.
Those dreadful miners.
There they are on strike,
and they have the impudence to be
seen out here playing with their dogs.
You have to keep a whippet exercised.
Besides, they've nothing else to do.
Hey!
We've won!
Hey, we've won!
Sam Carter iust put a notice up!
The manager's called
a meeting at the pit.
Quick, come on, then. We've won!
- Come on!
Either you come back to work
tomorrow, or the pit closes. For good.
- I mean what I say.
The Emsdale Colliey is making a loss,
and there's only one way
for it to make a profit.
That's by using machiney to fetch
the coal out in greater quantities.
And so, more cheaply.
I've obtained an offer from
the owners of a steelworks
to take all our coal for
a whole year, on contract.
But it must be cheap.
Then we'd be assured of
work for the whole year?
- Exactly.
What about the ponies?
No place for ponies in this pit.
Oh, come on, Amos. That's an ultimatum.
We can't take an ultimatum.
At least make terms.
We struck for the ponies,
but it weren't just that.
We struck for a bit of
respect for us and our work.
But if they can turn ponies
out without a thought or a word,
they can turn men out, too.
If we go back on his say-so,
- without making terms...
- How can we make terms?
It's a colliey village. And
we live in colliey houses.
Aye. If pit closes, we're
out on street, all of us.
And our wives and bairns.
We'll have no money.
Nowhere to live. No food and no work.
Aye. Nowhere to find none, neither.
There's not a pit in Yorkshire
that hasn't got some men idle.
Nay, Luke. If colliey
closes, we're done for.
So think on.
I say we give it a chance.
- It's agreed, then. We go back.
We should have a vote!
Let's vote.
Them as wants to go back and them
as wants to hold out for terms.
All right, then. We'll
have a show of hands.
Them as wants to go
back to work tomorrow.
Them who's against.
- Morning.
- Morning.
Alice. Father's just
going to the colliey.
Aren't you going to kiss him goodbye?
I shall never kiss him
again, as long as I live.
Get those ponies loaded!
- What's going on?
- Come on. Get them on.
Come on, get a move on!
Come on!
By next week we should drive
south from the forward heading.
Aye. It's a pity we couldn't
find the ponies a home, sir.
Well, it would have made it easier for
the men to go back with a good heart.
They would only have seen
it as a sign of weakness.
Get out of the way there.
Martin. One of the engineers.
- Well?
- There's been an explosion
and a fall in the drift heading.
We don't know yet what caused it.
And there are eight men cut
off in the forward heading.
- Who? Who are they?
- Who's that?
- Mrs. Armstrong, sir.
- I'm sory, Mrs. Armstrong.
I'm afraid that your
husband is one of them.
- Amos.
- Bless you.
Naught.
How's the leg, Amos?
Hey, don't touch it.
All right, lad, all right.
If there's a buildup of
afterdamp beyond the fall,
it could be days
before they get through.
Aye. Cheer us up, why don't ya?
I'm gonna ty the other heading.
See if I can hear anyone.
Alf?
Mind how you go. One spark from your
boots might be enough to set it all off.
- We think they're there.
- I see.
And there's no way of
getting through to them?
It's not a vey big fall,
as far as we can judge.
But it's knocked out the
main ventilation shaft.
And the afterdamp is vey bad.
Afterdamp, that's the suffocating gas.
- That's right.
- When there's firedamp
- and afterdamp together...
- I know. It ignites.
It can do.
There's no other possible
way of reaching them?
No, My Lord, and it may be as
much as 48 hours before we can get
- the ventilation.
- We'll get through to them.
- Come on, let's get down there.
You'll be suffocated ten minutes
after you left the shaft bottom.
We could get in through the old
workings. Like we did with the ponies.
They got the old winding
engine workin' again.
Well, I'm prepared to ty it.
You'll never find your way through,
sir. And we can't take the lad down.
You'll not use anything but safety lamps
because of danger of
firedamp after the explosion.
There's not much light.
You'll be traveling in the dark
- through a pit you don't know.
- Flash doesn't need lights.
He knows the way.
Alice!
- Where are you going?
- The old workings, Mother.
Father's going down again.
Come on.
Mrs. Sandman, you're not going to...
...with all those miners' wives!
Keep it moving!
- Is the pony ready?
- Aye, sir.
- All right. Bring it up then.
- Let me go with Flash.
No. No, it's out of the question.
- Please, sir.
- Keep those people back.
I'm afraid I can't allow it, my boy.
You stay and look after your mother.
We'll get your father out, if we can.
Don't wory, I'll take
Flash down. I'm his driver.
Come on, Flash. Come on. Come on.
You stay there, son. Come on, Flash.
- What's the matter with him?
- He'll be all right underground.
Come on, Flash. Come on. That's it.
Keep the canay up front.
If there's gas about,
he'll give you warning
before anything else.
- Right, Hary?
- Right.
Right. Come on, then.
Watch your lamps.
Now which way?
Well, see if old Flash
knows the way. Go on, Flash.
Go to the face. Go on, lad.
- Is that better?
- ye.
- I can walk 20 mile on it now.
- ye.
I wouldn't ty it, if I were you.
- Is that you, Alf?
- Aye.
- My God, it's bad up there.
- Did you hear anything
- from beyond the fall?
- Not a sound.
It'll take mo or three days
before the gas clears enough
to let them through.
They probably think we're dead, anyway.
- Won't be long before they're right.
- Hey, Jake, you're a real tonic.
Just a minute. Stop. I'm
going to test for firedamp.
Yes, there's a show here.
- Great heavens, vey heavy.
- Is it that bad, sir?
It's up to the limit.
We don't have much time.
- Yes, straight away.
- Tell her she'd be most welcome.
Mrs. Sandman. Harrogate was wondering
whether you'd like to sit in the car.
Oh, thanks...
Uh, would you thank His Lordship,
but say I prefer to wait here.
Righto.
Me mum wondered if you want a blanket.
Thank you, dear. Thank you vey much.
- Thanks, Luke.
- All right, George?
Aye, I'm all right, lad. How is he?
He's poorly. Real poorly.
- What is it, Flash? What is it?
It's blocked.
He's brought us to a dead end.
- What's that?
- It's them!
- He's done it! Good old Flash.
- They found 'em!
Doctor? Doctor, they
need you down below.
That's it, lads. Follow me.
Steady-like. Mind his legs.
- Right, Ginger.
- Sir.
Come on, lads.
- Thank you, sir. Good work.
- Follow the stretcher.
- You all right?
- Aye, sir. There's three other lads.
There's three lads comin' up now!
- Alf Ramsden.
- George Snape.
- Snape's in there.
- Peter Holroyd.
Right, Hary.
Look out. One spark might
send the whole place up.
- Quick as you can, doctor.
- Right.
- Good to see you, Joe.
- All right, Ken?
- How's things down there?
- How is it, Joe?
Like a powder keg.
I only hope we can get them
all out before it goes up.
Come on, Ginger, up you
go. You done well, lad.
- There's no one else.
- Then, for God's sake, sir,
let's get out while we can.
- Roy Laycock.
- Amos Burley.
- Jake Arbuthnot.
- Come on, then.
- Ginger Truman.
- Luke Armstrong.
- Anybody else below?
- Nobody. Only Bill
and the manager, and
they're on their way up.
- Mr. Sandman!
Richard!
Father, I'm sory.
Well done, Sandman, my
boy! Well done, indeed.
In fact, well done,
evey single man of you.
And thank you. Thank you, eveybody.
Where... Where's Flash?
I unhitched him from the
sledge. I thought he would...
I reckon he thought his shift were
over so he headed back for the stables.
- I'll go down and fetch him.
- No, Luke, no!
He'll have gone through ventilation
doors. You'll never find him.
- Don't do it, Luke.
- Flash saved our lives.
- No.
- I'm not going to leave him there.
No, Luke, don't go.
- Don't go, Luke!
- Aye, lad.
Good night.
Good night, My Lord.
Well, Sandman, my goodness,
a truly miraculous escape.
- But thank God, all's well, hm?
- That's right, My Lord.
Tell me, Sandman, why
are the children cying?
One of the ponies got
left behind, My Lord.
A pony?
But surely they know all
the men have been saved.
Yes, My Lord, that may
make sense to... outsiders,
but those ponies mean a lot to them.
- Yes, but...
- Good night, My Lord.
My... My few words are simply this:
Welcome, eveybody,
to the miners' picnic.
Ah, Mrs. Ramsbottom, as you see,
has prepared this excellent tea for you.
Now after you have enioyed your tea,
we have a little ceremony to perForm.
Oh, yes, well, no more of that now.
To tea, eveybody. Enjoy your tea.
Aye, the best of them all were Flash.
It seems it's always the best that go.
Your father were the
best friend I ever had.
I reckon I'll miss him to me dying day.
Oh, I wish it could have been
Flash out here in sunshine.
No.
No.
When he was above ground,
Flash knew that he was blind.
Well, are you gonna stand
there all day looking at horses?
Or are you gonna come and have some tea?
Ladies and gentlemen, in honor of Flash,
I have vey great pleasure
in donating this field
in which all his friends,
the other pit ponies,
will live out the rest of their
lives in comfort and freedom.
So I now call upon Miss Alice Sandman.
Are you ready?
Vey well then, cut that ribbon.
Come on!