Sappers and Miners Part 43

"Oh, yes, sir, bigger than I thought for."

"Some mines are very far to the end, aren't they?"

"Miles," said the man calmly, and Gwyn gave his companion a nudge.

"I've been in some of 'em myself. Why, I know of one long 'un--an adit as goes from mine to mine to get rid of the pumpings--and it's somewhere about thirty miles."

"Hear that, Joe?" whispered Gwyn.

"Yes, I hear," said the lad, breathlessly.

"I don't say there's anything of the kind here, of course; but I know one place where there's more than sixty miles o' workings, and it would take some time to go all over that, wouldn't it?"

The boys were silent, and the engineer went on.

"Oh yes, that's right enough," he said; "and to my mind it's rather bad for any folk strange to go down a mine they know nothing about."

Joe started violently.

"You see it's all noo to 'em," continued the engineer, "and they may wander away into places they know nothing about, and never find their way out again."

"Gwyn!" groaned Joe.

"Hush! Be quiet!" was whispered back.

"I have heard of such things."

"But that was in deserted mines," said Gwyn, sharply.

"Yes, I believe it was in deserted mines, now you say so, sir."

"Of course it was, Joe, where n.o.body knew that they had gone down."

"How could they have gone down without anyone knowing?" cried Joe.

"There must have been someone to let them down."

"Nay, they might have been venturesome and gone down by ladders, same as the old ones used to be from sollar to sollar."

"What's a sollar?" said Gwyn, more for the sake of saying something than from a desire to know.

"What you calls platforms or floors," said Dina.s.s. "Well, I will say one thing; I do hope the guv'nors haven't lost their way."

"Of course, mate," said the engineer; "so do I; but if I was you young gents, I should begin to feel a little uncomfortable about them below."

"We are horribly," cried Joe, wildly.

"Exactly so, sir, for you see it must be getting on for four hours since they started."

"Nay, not so much as that," cried Dina.s.s.

"I didn't say it was, mate--I only said it was getting on for four hours. There mayn't be nothing wrong, but there may be; and there wouldn't be no harm in doing something now. What do you say to getting some of the lads to go? They was talking about it when I went outside, as I told mate Dina.s.s here--didn't I, my son?"

"Ay, you did--What do you say, Mr Gwyn?"

"It is time to act," cried Joe, excitedly.

"Yes," said Gwyn, as he drew a deep breath, "we must do something. Get lanthorns and candles."

"Shall I call to some of the men, sir," said Dina.s.s, "and hear what they say?"

The answer came from the doorway, where three or four heads appeared, and one of the owners said:

"I say, mates, aren't it time we heerd something about them as is gone down?"

"Yes," said Gwyn, firmly; "we're going down to see. Will you come with me, Joe?"

The boy's lips parted, though no words came; but he put out his hand and gripped his companion's fast.

"Get lights, some of you, quick!" cried Gwyn; and a murmur was heard outside, a murmur that increased till it was a loud cheer; and then, distinctly from outside, a voice was heard to say,--

"Hear that, mates? The young masters are going down."

And as if to endorse this, Grip, who had suddenly grown excited, burst into a loud bark.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

TRUE TO THE CORE.

"Do you mean it, Master Gwyn?" said Dina.s.s, sharply.

"Mean it? Of course. You'll come with us and help."

The man's mouth opened widely, and he stared for a few moments before he spoke,--

"Help to get lanthorns and candles, sir? Yes, of course."

"Come down with us," said Gwyn, sharply. "You can't let us go alone."

"Not let you go alone, sir," growled the man, surlily. "Well, you see--"

"Yes, we see," cried Gwyn, "you have been used to mines, we have not."

"Much used to this one as I am, sir. I don't know no more about it than you do."

"'Course you don't, matey," said the engineer, "but you can't say you won't go with 'em to look for the guv'nors and our mate."

"Can't I? Yes, I can," cried Dina.s.s, fiercely; "easy; I won't go-- there!"