In this rags-to-riches saga set in the 1800s in the coal-mining district of Wales, Mr. Henty has created o­ne of his grandest heroes. Jack Simpson is a fearless, sturdy lad destined to become a miner until a chance encounter irrevocably alters the course of his life. When danger threatens his family, his friends, and o­n o­ne occasion, the mine itself, he unhesitatingly risks his life to save them.