Part 42 (1/2)

”Oh, I didn't know, sir. Makes no difference to me; only it'll be rather dull waiting.”

Grip uttered a low, uneasy growl again, and looked up at his master, and then went to the opening and peeped down.

”Like us to send him down in the skep, sir?” said Dina.s.s, grinning.

”Better not, p'r'aps, as he might lose his way.”

”No fear of Grip losing his way--eh, Joe?”

Joe shook his head.

”He'd find his way back from anywhere if he had walked over the ground.

Wouldn't you, Grip?”

The dog gave a sharp bark as he turned his head, and then looked down again, whining and uneasy.

”What's the matter, old boy?” said Gwyn. ”It's all right, old man, they've gone down. Will you go with me?”

The dog uttered a volley of barks, then turned to Dina.s.s and growled.

”Quiet, sir!” cried Gwyn. ”Look here, Tom Dina.s.s, you must tease him, or he wouldn't be so disagreeable to you.”

”Me? Me tease him, sir! Not me.”

”Well, take my advice,” said Gwyn, ”don't. He's a splendid dog to his friends; so you make good friends with him as soon as you can.”

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.

ANXIOUS TIMES.

An hour glided by and not a sound was heard from below. Then another hour, and the boys began to grow impatient.

”Why, the place must be very big,” said Gwyn, after straining over the rail and looking down for some time. ”Shall I shout?”

”Couldn't do no harm,” said Dina.s.s; and Gwyn hailed several times, and then gave place to Joe, who was beginning to look uncomfortable.

But the second series of shouting produced nothing but a dull smothered echo, and the lad spoke quite hoa.r.s.ely when he turned to Gwyn, who was looking angrily at Dina.s.s and the engineer, both of whom sat coolly enough close to the skep shaft, waiting the signal to lift.

”Think there's anything wrong?” said Joe in a whisper to the engineer.

”Oh, no, the place is big. See what a while it took to pump it out.”

”But there may be deep holes here and there, and it would be horrible if they had slipped down one.”

”They wouldn't all slip down a hole. If one did, the others would come for help. No; they're thoroughly exploring the place and chipping off specimens. I daresay they'll bring up quite a load.”

”I hope so,” said Joe, solemnly, and Gwyn, who felt very uncomfortable, tried to cheer him up, but in a low voice, so that the others should not hear.

”I say, how strange it is that if anyone doesn't come back when you expect him you are sure to think he has met with an accident.”