Part 13 (1/2)

”Yes, father,” I exclaimed with a sort of gasp, and then I told him what we had done with the powder.

”Humph! Nice fellows!” he exclaimed as I ended. ”Why, you might have blown each other to pieces. Powder wants using only by an experienced man, and young Chowne, who seems to have played first fiddle, seems to know more about his father's powders than that out of a keg. Humph! So you blew down one of the lumps of stone?”

”Yes, father.”

”Well, why didn't you say so at once?” he continued tartly, ”and not shuffle and s.h.i.+rk. It was a foolish, monkeyish trick, but I suppose no great harm's done. What did you do it for?”

”To see the stones rush down, sir,” I said.

”Humph! Well, don't do so any more.”

”I will not, father,” I said hastily.

”That's well. Now we will not say any more about it. Many stones come down?”

”Yes, father, they swept a bare place down the side of the cliff right to the old rock.”

”Here, Sep,” said my father excitedly, holding out the lump of mineral, ”did you pick this up before or after?”

”After, father; where the rock was swept bare.”

My father looked at me quite excitedly.

”Done breakfast?” he said sharply.

”Yes, father.”

”Put on your hat and come with me to the Gap. Stop a moment. Did your school-fellows notice that piece of rock--did you show it to them?”

”No, father. I was alone when I found it.”

”So much the better. Then, look here, Sep; don't say anything to them about it, nor about what you see to-day.”

”No, father; but--”

”Don't ask any questions, boy. I am not sure but you may have made a very important discovery in the Gap. I had no idea of there being any metals there.”

”And are there, father?”

”We are going to see, my boy. So now, keep your counsel. Put on your cap and we will walk over to the Gap at once, when you can show me the exact spot where you found this piece.”

I grew as excited as my father seemed to be, but with this difference, namely, that as I grew warmer he grew more cool and business-like.

After I had given him some better idea of the place where the specimen had been found, he decided that we would not go round by the cliff path, and past Jonas Uggleston's cottage, but take a short cut over the high moorland ground at the back of the bay, and so on to the Gap, where we could descend just where we lads had blown down the rock.

It was not a long walk that way, though a hilly one, and before half an hour had pa.s.sed we were close to the edge of the ravine, and directly after on the spot from whence the stone had been dislodged.

Here for the first time I noticed the handle of a hammer in my father's pocket as he stooped down and examined the place where the rock lay, and then shook his head. ”No, not here,” he said. ”Go on first.” I led the way and he followed, noting where the rock had bounded off, and then descending to where it had charged the other pieces and rushed on down, baring a portion of the side of the ravine, as I have said, to the very rock.

”Hah!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed my father suddenly, as he seemed to pounce upon a fragment of stone something like the first I held. ”Here's another, and another, and another,” I said. ”Yes, plenty,” he replied rather hoa.r.s.ely, as he picked up a couple more pieces. ”Place them in your pocket, boy.”