Part 42 (1/2)
”Only come to talk to you, Master Mark,” said the boy humbly.
”Then you can be off. I don't want to talk.”
”I'll talk, then, and you listen, Master Mark,” said the boy coolly; and Mark opened his eyes, and was about to order the lad off, but Dummy went on quickly. ”I've been thinking it all over,” he said. ”That gunpowder's the thing. When we go next we'll take a lot in bags. When we get there, and they're hiding in that narrow bit, I'll untie the bags and throw two or three in. Then we can throw three or four torches, and one of them's sure to set the powder on fire, and start 'em; then we can all make a rush.”
”Oh, then you think that we shall go again?”
”Oh yes, we must go again, Master Mark. Why, if we didn't go, the robbers would think we were afraid, and come at us. You're not going to sit down and look as if we were beat?”
”Well, it would be too bad, Dummy,” said Mark, thoughtfully.
”Bad? I should think it would, Master Mark. I say, wasn't it grand last night?”
”Grand?”
”Yes; when we were in the cave, with the lights s.h.i.+ning, and the pikes sparkling. If they had only come out and fought fair, it would have been splendid.”
”Then you would like to go again, Dummy?”
”Of course, sir. Wouldn't you?”
”Yes, I suppose so,” said Mark thoughtfully.
”Yes, you must go again, and take 'em all prisoners. But I suppose you won't go to-night?”
”Go to-night? No!”
”Well, there's nothing going on in the mine to-day. Father's too sore to head the men, and he's going to lie down and rest till his arm's better. What do you say to having a good long day below there, and finding which way the river runs--the one we heard?”
”Bah! Stuff! Rubbis.h.!.+ After being up fighting all the night! You must be mad.”
”No, I aren't,” said Dummy. ”I only want you to come. It'll do you good. You don't know how much better you'll feel after a good walk and climb down there.”
”What's the good, Dummy?”
”We want to find out where the water goes to that is always falling.
I'm sure some of it comes out of our river, where the hole's in the stream.”
”And what good will it do to know where the water goes?”
”I don't know, but I want to. Can't go to work after such a night as we had. There's n.o.body down the mine to-day.”
Mark put his hand to the place where he had received the blow.
”Headache, Master Mark?”
”Yes. All jarred-like.”
”Then come down. I've often had a bad headache when I've gone down into the mine, and it's been so quiet and still there that it has soon got better. Do come, Master Mark; it'll be better than sitting thinking about being beaten last night.”