Part 16 (1/2)

”Higher still, Sep, higher, higher,” the doctor kept on saying; and we tilted it more and more; but still nothing came till, just as we were about to turn it upside down, there was a flash of something bright and silvery, and a tiny drop of fluid metal ran out on to the mould, and down the side.

”That's it. Up with it, Sep. A little more this side. Now then.”

Up went the bottom of the pot higher still, and out came a little rush of glowing charcoal, and directly after a bit of heavy clinker, and that was all.

”Oh, I say, doctor,” I cried, ”what a pity!”

”Pity, my lad! I don't think so. Here, let me do it.”

He lifted up the piece of hard clinker and set it upon the slate slabs by itself, and then taking hold of the mould with the tongs, he raised it and gave it a tap or two on the floor, to get rid of the feather ash, and I could see that there was what seemed to be a piece of thin lead beginning in a sort of splash running to the edge in a thread, then down the side of the mould, to finish off in a little round fat b.u.t.ton of metal.

”Hah! I don't think we've done so badly after all, Sep,” he said, as he placed the mould upon the table; ”but first of all, brush those embers lightly aside, and let's see if there is anything left.”

I took a wisp of birch and did as I was told, but there was nothing to be seen, and when the doctor took the pot out into the yard, and carefully examined it, he found nothing there, and brought the little clay vessel back.

”You must take care of that pot, Sep,” he said. ”It is nothing to look at, but a thing which will stand fire in that way may prove valuable.

Now, then, my lad, bring that bit of refuse, and we will go in and have some dinner. These things will be quite cool by the time we have done.”

We carried our treasures into the parlour, and, to Kicksey's great delight, had a wash and our dinner, while she obtained leave to clear away what she was pleased to call our ”mess.”

But the doctor did not let the dinner pa.s.s without carefully examining the rugged piece of metal and the b.u.t.ton, and then the piece of refuse, the remains of the broken-up specimen.

For my part I was not at all dazzled by the result of our experiment, and at last, with my mouth full of jam and bread and cream, I said:

”But that's only a shabby little bit to get out of all those bits I broke up, isn't it, sir?”

”Do you think so, Sep?” he replied smiling.

”Yes, sir!”

”Well, I think quite differently. We put in rough stony uncleansed ore, and we have got out this piece. If there's plenty of it in the sides of the Gap, my boy, and it is properly worked, your father will be a rich man from the produce of the lead alone; and I feel pretty sure,” he continued, as he examined the sc.r.a.p of metal through his gla.s.s, ”that there is a great deal of silver in this as well. Here, what are you doing?” he cried.

”I was looking to see if father was coming,” I cried, as I turned back at the door.

”You need not look,” he said quietly, ”for it will be three hours at the least before he can get back. The pony must have a rest at the town.”

I came back slowly, for I felt that what the doctor said was true, and it seemed to be all so curious that our bit of mischief should turn out so strangely that I did what was a very unusual thing for me in those days, sat down and thought.

The piece of metal was lying before me, and I took it up and examined it, turning it over and over in my hands, while I could not keep a strong feeling of doubt from creeping in.

”Perhaps the doctor is wrong,” I said to myself, and this may be worth nothing at all; and as I thought in this fas.h.i.+on, I longed for my father to come back, so as to hear what he had to say about the value of the metal. For in those days I had a very frank loyal feeling towards my father, and a belief in his being about the best man anywhere in the neighbourhood, and that he knew better than anybody else.

The silence in the room was broken by the entrance of Kicksey to take away; and as she did so she took the opportunity of informing us that she had cleared everything away, and that the kitchen was as clean once more as a new pin.

As I have before said, the doctor, as my father's old friend and companion, was quite at home in our house, and, after refres.h.i.+ng himself with a pinch of snuff, he proceeded to have some tobacco in another form, for he went to the corner cupboard and got out the jar and a long pipe, which he filled and lit, and then sat there in silence, watching the piece of rugged metal.

As he sat watching the metal and surrounding himself with smoke, I sat and watched him, till it became so tiresome and dull that I rose quietly at last, and stole out into the garden and had a look at the sea, all aglow now with the evening suns.h.i.+ne, and looking curiously like the burning charcoal when it had been spread out on the kitchen floor.

It was very beautiful, but I had watched that too often, so I crossed the garden and went out into the lane to see if I could find anything amusing there.

For it seemed to me that it might be very nice for my father to have found a mine of lead and silver, and that it would be very interesting to see it dug out and melted, as we had melted those pieces that day--of course in a large way; but I did not feel as if I wanted to be rich, and I would a great deal rather then have been wandering out there on the cliff with Bob Chowne or Bigley Uggleston, when I heard a shout, and, looking in the direction, there, high up on the cliff path, and coming towards me with long strides, was my last-named school-fellow.