Part 12 (2/2)

”Good-morning, Hardock,” said the Colonel, coming upon the group suddenly.

”I hope you haven't been filling my boy's head with more stuff about mining. Why, halloa, Gwyn; how did you get in that state? Where's your cap?”

”Down the mine-shaft, father,” replied the lad; and he found no difficulty about beginning. In a few minutes the Colonel knew all.

”Most reckless--most imprudent,” he cried. ”You ought to have known better, sir, than to lead these boys into such a terrible position; and how dare you, sir--how dare you begin examining my property without my permission!”

”Well you see, Colonel,” began Hardock, ”I thought--be doing you good, like, and as a neighbour--”

”A neighbour, indeed! Confounded insolence! Be off, sir! How dare you! Never you show yourself upon my land again. There, you, Gwyn, come home at once and change your clothes; and as for you, Jollivet, you give my compliments to your father and tell him I say he ought to give you a good thras.h.i.+ng, and if he feels too ill to do it, let him send you down to me, and I will. Now, Gwyn; right face. March!”

The Colonel led off his son, and Hardock and Joe stood looking at each other.

”Made him a bit waxy,” said the miner; ”but he'll come round to my way of thinking yet; and it strikes me that he'll be ordering me on to his land again, when he knows all. I say, young Jollivet, mean to go down to him to be thrashed with the young Colonel?”

”Oh, he wouldn't thrash me,” said Joe, quietly. ”I know the Colonel better than that. I feel all stretched and aching like. I wish he hadn't taken Gwyn home, though.”

”I don't feel quite square myself, lad,” said the mining captain; ”but you see if the Colonel don't go looking at the mine.”

Hardock's prophecy was soon fulfilled, for that evening the Colonel was rowing in his boat with his son, who had a mackerel line trailing astern, and when they came opposite to the great b.u.t.tress the Colonel lay on his oars, and let his boat rise and fall on the clear swell.

”Now, then; whereabouts is the mouth of the adit?”

”I can't quite make it out from down here, father,” replied Gwyn. ”Yes I can; there it is, only it doesn't look like an opening, only a dark shadowy part of the cliff. No one could tell it was a pa.s.sage in, without being up there.”

”Quite right; they could not,” said the Colonel, thoughtfully. ”And you were drawn up from there, and right over the top of the cliff?”

”Yes, father.”

”Horribly dangerous, boy--hideous. There, your mother knows something about it, but she must never be shown how frightful a risk you ran.

Come, let's get back.”

Gwyn only caught one fish that evening, and his father was very thoughtful and quiet when they returned.

”Here, Gwyn,” he said next morning; ”come along with me, I want to have a look at the old pit-shaft, and the bit of cliff over which you were drawn.”

”Yes, father,” said Gwyn, and he led the way over their own ground; but before they reached the dwarf mine wall, he was conscious of the fact that they were observed; for, at the turn of the lane, Hardock's oilskin cap could be seen as if the man were watching there, and the next moment Joe Jollivet's straw hat was visible by his side.

Gwyn felt disposed to point out that they were not alone; but the next moment his father began talking about the slow progress made by the belt of pines he had planted between there and the house, so as to take off something of the barrenness of the place.

”Want of shelter, Gwyn,” he said; ”the great winds from the west catch them too much. I'm afraid they will always be stunted. Still, they would hide the mine buildings.”

”The mine buildings, father?” said the boy, looking at his father inquiringly.

”Yes; I mean if I were to be tempted into doing anything of the kind-- opening the mine again. Seems a pity, if it does contain wealth, to let it lie there useless. Money's money, my boy.”

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