Part 63 (1/2)

Time went on, and at the end of a year Ydoll Mine was in working order, with a good staff, the best of machinery for raising the ore, a man-engine for the work-people's ascent and descent, a battery of stamps to keep up an incessant rattle as the heavily-laden piles crushed the pieces of quartz, and in addition a solid-looking building with its furnaces for smelting the tin.

They were busy days there, and Gwyn and his companion found little time for their old pursuits--egging, rabbiting and fis.h.i.+ng--save occasionally when, by way of a change, they would spend an evening on the rocky point which formed one of the protecting arms of Ydoll Cove, trying with pike rods, large winches and plenty of line, for the ba.s.s which played in silvery shoals in the swift race formed at the point by the meeting of two currents, and often having a little exciting sport in landing the swift-swimming, perch-finned fish.

For the fis.h.i.+ng was too good off that part of the Cornish coast to be neglected, and the Colonel made allusions to the old proverb about all work and no play making Jack a dull boy.

One afternoon Gwyn loosened Grip for a run, to the dog's great delight, and, after seeking out Joe, who had been at home for days attending on his father, who was troubled with one of his old fits--Joe called them fits of the Jungle demon--the boys went down to the mine, Grip trotting behind them, save when some rustle to right or left attracted him for a frantic hunt to discover the cause.

At the mine Tom Dina.s.s was found, looking very sour and grim, for he was still not the best of friends with his fellow-workmen; but as he was one of the most steady in his devotion to his work he stood well with the owners.

Gwyn caught sight of him first, and Dina.s.s saw him at the same moment, but, instead of coming forward, he pretended to have something to do elsewhere, and went off into the smelting-house.

”What has he gone off like that for?” said Gwyn; and the boys followed just in time to hear some blows being struck in the gloomy place where a fierce fire was roaring and sending thin pencils of light through cracks in the furnace door.

The next minute some pieces of hard burned clay crumbled beneath the blows, and there was a dazzling stream of molten metal poured out, to run along channels made in the floor to form flat, squarish ingots of tin, and display the colours of the rainbow, intensified to a brilliancy that was almost more than the eye could bear.

”Please father when he hears of the casting,” said Joe. ”So much money has been laid out that he likes to hear of anything that will bring a return.”

”Well, there's plenty of return coming in now,” said Gwyn. ”We've got one of the richest mines in Cornwall. Here, Tom Dina.s.s! What's he mean by sneaking away? Here, Tom Dina.s.s!”

”Want me, sir?” said the man, looking from one to the other suspiciously as he came up, his face s.h.i.+ning in the wonderful glow shed by the molten tin.

”Yes, of course. Didn't you see us coming to you before?”

”Me, sir? No, I didn't know as you wanted me,” and he seemed to draw himself up for defence.

”Well, we do,” said Gwyn. ”We want to have out the seine to-night; the tide will fit, and there have been mullet about.”

”Oh, that's it, sir,” said the man, who seemed much relieved. ”Here, keep off with you,” he growled, ”my legs aren't roast meat.”

”Come here, Grip!” cried Gwyn. ”To heel, sir! I wish you two would be better friends.”

”'Taren't my fault, sir; it's Grip. He's always nasty again' me.”

”Well, never mind the dog. What time will you be off duty to-night?”

”Five, sir.”

”That will do. See that the net is ready. I'll speak to the others.

We'll be down there at five--no, half-past, because of tea.”

”I'll be there, sir,” said Dina.s.s; and the boys went off, with the man watching them till the door swung close after them. ”Nay, my legs aren't roast meat, but,” he continued, as he glanced towards the molten metal still glowing, ”it would soon be roast dog if I had my chance.”

Meanwhile the boys went on to continue their preparations, and then hurried home for their meal; then for the first time Gwyn thought of Grip, and whistled to him to come and be tied up, but the dog did not come.

”Smelt a rabbit somewhere,” said Gwyn, and thought no more about the dog.

In due time Dina.s.s appeared down by the sandy cove, and after the long seine had been carefully laid in the stern of the boat, and the end lines left in charge of a couple of miners on one of the points, the boat was rowed straight out, with Gwyn paying out the net with its lead line and cork line running over a roller in the stern. Then at a certain distance the boat was steered so as to turn round to the right, and rowed in a curve, with the net still being paid out, till the rocks on the other side by the race were reached, and the sandy cove shut in by a wall of net, kept stretched by the leads at the bottom and the line of corks at the top.

At this point the boys landed with their trousers tucked up to the highest extent, jackets off, and arms bare as their legs, to start inland dragging the lines, the men on the other point starting at the same time, and bringing the dot-like row of corks to a rounder curve as the strain on the ropes grew heavier.

Tom Dina.s.s now started for the point at the head of the cove to run the boat well ash.o.r.e, and then go to the help of the boys as they toiled steadily on, stepping cautiously over the rocks, which were slippery with reddish-yellow fucus, till the broken part gave place to the heavy, well-rounded boulders which rattled and rumbled over one another in times of storms. Then the boulders gave place to s.h.i.+ngle, which was rather better for the fishers, and lastly to the fine level sand over which the seine was to be dragged.