Part 76 (2/2)

”Salt?” cried Gwyn, sharply.

There was no reply, and the lad followed his companion's example and tasted the water.

”Salt, sir?” said Hardock.

”As the sea,” said Gwyn, with a groan. ”Hah! good dog then. Here, here, here! Grip, Grip, Grip!”

For there had been a faint barking in the distance, but the noise ceased.

”Can we go round any way?” said Gwyn.

”No, sir; we must face it,” said Hardock; ”and as quick as we can, for it gets lower and lower, and the water sets this way fast, so it must be rising. Ready, sir?”

”Yes.”

”Then come on.”

Hardock stepped down into the rapid stream, which was ankle-deep, the others followed, and they splashed rapidly along, to hear the barking again directly; and soon after Grip, who must have been swimming, came bounding and splas.h.i.+ng along, barking joyously to meet them again, and barking more loudly as he found that his master was making for the way from which he had come.

”Can't help it, old fellow. When it gets too bad for you, I must carry you,” muttered Gwyn, as they hurried along; their progress gradually becoming more painful, for the water soon became knee-deep, and the stream harder to stem.

But they toiled on till it was up to their waists, and so swift that it began to threaten to sweep them away; so, after a few minutes'

progression in this way, with the water growing yet deeper, Hardock stopped at a corner round which the water came with a rush.

”It's downhill here, gen'lemen, all the way to the shaft, and even if we could face it, the water must be five-foot deep in another ten minutes, and round the next turn it'll be six, and beyond that the pa.s.sage must be full.”

”Then we must swim to the foot of the shaft,” said Gwyn, excitedly.

”A shoal of seals couldn't do it, sir,” said the man, gruffly. ”Come back, sir!” he roared, for, as if to prove his words, the dog made a sudden dash, freed himself from Gwyn's grasp, and plunged forward to swim, but was swept back directly, and would have been borne right away if Gwyn had not s.n.a.t.c.hed at his thick coat as he pa.s.sed, and held him.

”But we must make for the shaft,” cried Joe, pa.s.sionately.

”We can't sir! It's suicide! We couldn't swim, and just a bit farther on, I tell you, the place must be full to the roof. Why, there must be eight or ten foot o' water in the shaft.”

”Then are we lost?” cried Joe.

”A fellow's never lost as long as he can make a fight for it,” said Gwyn, sharply. ”Now, then, Sam, what's to be done--go back?”

”Yes, sir, fast as we can, and make for the highest part of the mine.”

”Where is that?”

”The water will show us,” said Hardock. ”I pray it may only be a bit of an underground pool burst to flood us; and they'll pump and master it before it does us any harm.”

”No, no,” groaned Joe; ”we've heard it beating overhead before, and the sea has burst in. We're lost--we're lost!”

”Then if the sea has bursted in,” cried Hardock, fiercely, ”it's that fellow Tom Dina.s.s's doing. He's a spite against us all, and it's to flood and ruin the mine.”

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