Part 23 (1/2)

A SUSPICION OF EVIL.

The result of the morning's work was that Sam Hardock received a message from the Colonel, delivered by Gwyn, and the man rubbed his hands gleefully.

”I thought he couldn't refuse such a chance,” cried Hardock. ”It's a big fortune for him.”

”I hope so,” said Gwyn. ”But how came those people at Plymouth to hear about it?”

”I dunno, sir. But they got hold of the gashly news somehow.”

”You did not send them word, of course?”

”Me? Not I, sir.”

”But how could that man have heard of it, and come over to sound the mine and examine the place?”

”What man?” cried Hardock, anxiously.

Gwyn explained, and, in answer to questions, the lad gave a pretty good description of his awkward adversary.

Hardock struck his fist upon the table.

”That's the chap! I often wondered who he was. Been hanging about here these two months past.”

”Then you did tell him.”

”Me, Master Gwyn? Not a bit of it. I'm too close.”

”Then you must have talked about it to other people, and he picked up what you said. But there, come along. He will not get it now.”

”He must have been sent by someone out Plymouth way, that's for certain, sir. But come along. I want to hear what the Colonel has to say.”

”And the Major, too.”

”Why, he's not in it, sir, is he?”

”Of course. He will be my father's partner.”

Hardock whistled, and was very silent all the way up to the house by Ydoll Cove.

He was talkative enough, though, when he came away, but in a very mysterious fas.h.i.+on.

”It's all right, Mr Gwyn,” he whispered. ”Going to be a very big thing. I mustn't talk about it; but you're like one of us, and I may tell you. I'm off to Truro this afternoon to talk to an old friend of mine--engineer, and a very big man on working mines. He'll advise on the best kind of pump to have.”

The engineer came, examined the shaft, gave his opinions, and in a week's time masons were at work setting up an engine-house, ready for the steam machinery that was to come round by s.h.i.+p from Liverpool; and in a short time the wild slope at the top of the great cliffs was invaded by quite a colony of workmen. The masons' hammers were constantly chipping as they laboriously went on building and raising a platform above the mouth of the shaft, while, whenever a few rich pieces of ore, after possibly lying there many hundred years, were turned up, they were solemnly conveyed to the two old officers for examination.

Here the two boys were soon in their element, and began working away with a great deal of enthusiasm in a small, corrugated iron shed which had been erected in the garden, and dignified by the name of laboratory.

For, to the boys' great delight, a model furnace had been made, with bellows, and a supply of charcoal was always ready. There was a great cast-iron mortar fitted on a concrete stand, crucibles of various sizes, and the place looked quite s.h.i.+p-shape.

Both the old officers worked hard at a.s.saying the ore brought from about the mouth of the pit, dug no one knew when, and though they spent a good deal of time, they were very soon superseded by Gwyn and Joe. Hardock gave them a little instruction; everything about the work was interesting and fresh; and in a few weeks they were able to roughly declare how much pure metal could be obtained from a ton of the quartz which they broke up in the great mortar, powdering, and was.h.i.+ng and drying, and then smelting in one of the plumbago crucibles of the laboratory.