noon
This was the farthest point from the shaft in the entire mine . The distance from the head of the plane alone was more than a mile , and it was from the head of the plane that Ralph took the cars . When he reached the end of his route he left one car of his trip at the foot of each chamber in which it was needed , gathered together into a new trip the loaded cars that had been pushed down to the main track for him , and started back with them to the head of the plane . He usually made from eight to ten round trips a day ; stopping at noon , or thereabouts , to eat the dinner with which the Widow Maloney had filled his pail . All the driver boys on that level gathered at the head of the plane to eat their dinners , and , during the noon-hour , the place was alive with shouts and songs and pranks and chattering without limit . These boys were older , stronger , ruder than those in the screen-room ; but they were no less human and good-hearted ; only one needed to look beneath the rough exterior into their real natures . There were eight of them who took trips in by Ralph 's heading , but , for the last half-mile of his route , he was the only driver boy .