Part 6 (1/2)
”No. If that had been true old Big would have been bouncing about it at school, and told us that story, as he always does everything he knows, nine hundred thousand times, till we were all tired of hearing it.”
”But I'd forgotten all about it till just now,” pleaded Bigley.
”Ah, well,” said Bob, who was sitting on the big stone swinging his legs to and fro, ”I don't believe it, and if I did, what then?”
”Why, I thought,” said Bigley eagerly, ”if we were to put some powder under that stone, and make a train, and strew some wet powder on a piece of rag--”
”And light it, and make it fizzle, and then run away,” cried Bob, mimicking Bigley's speech.
”Yes,” cried the latter eagerly, ”it would topple it over right down into the glen.”
”There's an old stupid for you,” said Bob, looking at me. Then turning to Bigley he said sharply, ”Why, I haven't got my pockets full of powder, have I?”
”N-no,” stammered Bigley, who was taken aback by his fierce way.
”And powder don't grow in the furze pops, does it?”
”N-no,” faltered Bigley; ”but--”
”Here, Sep Duncan,” cried Bob, ”go and see if any of the rabbits have got any in their holes. There, get out! I shall go home. What's the good of fooling about here?”
”But father's got lots of gunpowder in the shed,” cried Bigley.
”Eh?” said Bob starting.
”I could go and get a handful. He'd give it me if he was at home, and he wouldn't mind my fetching some.”
”Wouldn't he?” cried Bob, whose sour looks changed to eagerness.
”Hooray, then! Cut off and bring your handkerchief full, and we'll send the stone sky-high.”
”All right,” said Bigley eagerly.
”And bring a flint and steel.”
”Yes: anything else?”
”No, that'll do.”
”But, I say,” I ventured to put in, ”wouldn't it be dangerous?”
”Dangerous! Ha, ha, ha! Hark at him, Big. Here's Miss Duncan very much afraid that the powder might go off and pop him. Oh, here's a game!”
”I'm not afraid,” I said; ”only I shouldn't like to do anything dangerous.”
”Well, who's going to, stupid?” said Bob importantly. ”Think I don't know what powder is. There, cut off, Big, and see how soon you can get back. We'll make a hole for the charge, same as they do in the quarry, and have it ready by the time you come. Run.”
CHAPTER FOUR.
THE EXPLOSION.