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Sappers and Miners; The Flood beneath the Sea, a novel by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 45. Crystal, But Not Clear |
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_ CHAPTER FORTY FIVE. CRYSTAL, BUT NOT CLEAR Tom Dinass did not come back for the money Colonel Pendarve had ordered to be paid him, but he started off the very next day, as if he had shaken the Ydoll dust from off his feet, and made for the Plymouth road. The news was brought to Sam Hardock at the mine by Harry Vores, and Sam chuckled and rubbed his hands as he went and told the two lads. "Gone, and jolly go with him, Mr Gwyn, sir. We're well quit of him. I was going to warn you to keep Grip always with you, for I have heared say that he swore he'd have that dog's life; but perhaps it was all bounce. Anyhow he's gone, and I'm sure I for one shall feel a bit relieved to be without him." Gwyn said very little, but he thought a great deal for a few minutes about how much better it would have been if Sam Hardock had treated Dinass with a little more amiability. He quite forgot all about the matter for three days, and then he had fresh news, for Sam Hardock came to him chuckling again. "It's all right, sir," he said. "What is--the pumping?" "Tchah!--that's all right, of course, sir; I mean about Tom Dinass. Harry Vores' wife has just come back from staying at Plymouth, and she saw Tom Dinass there. He won't come back here. Do you know, sir, I've got a sort o' suspicion that he broke Grip's legs." "Eh! Why do you think that?" said Gwyn, starting. "Did anybody suggest such a thing?" "No, sir; but he always hated the dog, and he might have done it, you know." "Oh, yes, and so might you," said Gwyn, testily. "Me, sir?" "Yes, or anybody else. Let it rest, Sam. Grip's legs are quite well again." "That's what you may call snubbing a chap," said Hardock to himself as he went away. "Well, he needn't have been quite so chuff with a man; I only meant--Well, I am blessed!" Sam Hardock said "blessed," but he looked and felt as if it were the very opposite; and he hurried back to the office where Gwyn had just been joined by Joe, who had been back home to see how his father was getting on, for he was suffering from another of his fits. Hardock thrust his head in at the door, and without preface groaned out,-- "You'd better go and chain that there dog up, sir," and he nodded to where the animal he alluded to had made himself comfortable on the rug. "Grip? Why?" said Gwyn. "He's back again, sir." "Who is?" said Gwyn, though he felt that he knew. "Tom Dinass, sir. Talk about bad shillings coming back--why, he's worse than a bad sixpence." "Then it was him I saw crossing the moor toward the Druid Stones," said Joe. "Then why didn't you say so?" cried Gwyn, sourly. "Because I wasn't sure." "Never sure of anything, since you've grown so tall," grumbled Gwyn. "No, I sha'n't chain up Grip; and I tell him what it is--I'm not going to interfere if the dog goes at him again, for he must have done something bad, or Grip wouldn't be so fierce." The dog pricked up his ears on hearing his name, and gave the rug a few taps with his tail. "He never so much as growls at any of the other men. Pretty state of things if one can't have one's dog about because some man hates him. Pooh! I know, Joe." "Know what?" "He hasn't got a job yet, and he's coming for the money father said he was to have till he got an engagement." "Did the guv'nor say that, sir?" cried Hardock. "Yes." "Then Tom Dinass won't never get no engagements, but set up for a gentleman, and I think I shall do the same, for work and me aren't the best of friends." "Get out!" said Gwyn, laughing; "why, you're never happy unless you are at work--is he, Joe?" "No, he's a regular nuisance. Always wanting to do something else, and stop late in the mine wasting the candles." "What a shame, Mr Joe!" said Hardock, grinning. "It's quite true, Sam," cried Gwyn. "Done all that painting up of arrows on the walls near the water gallery?" "Not quite, sir; I'm going to have a good long day at it on Friday." "Friday's an unlucky day," said Joe. "Not it, sir, when you want to get a job done. And I say, Mr Gwyn, come down with me. There's a long drift you've never seen yet, where there's some cracks and hollows chock full of the finest crystals I ever see." "Crystals?" cried Gwyn. "In a new gallery?" said Joe, excitedly. "Well, you may call it a new gallery if you like, sir," said Sam, with a chuckle; "I calls it the oldest drift I was ever in." "I should like to see that," said Joe. "Come down then, sir, but aren't it a bit strange that you've taken to like going down of late." "No; I like going down now, for it's all strange and interesting in the unexplored parts, when one can go down comfortably and not feel afraid of being lost." "Nay, but you might be still, sir," said the captain, wagging his head. "There's a sight of bits yet that would puzzle you, just as they would me. I have got a deal marked with directions, though, sir, and I sha'n't be quite at rest till I've done all. Then you gents'll come down on Friday?" "Yes," said Gwyn, "and I'll bring a basket and hammer and chisel. Are they fine crystals?" "Just the finest I've ever seen, sir; some of 'em's quite of a golden-black colour like peat water." "But I don't want to come down all that way and find that someone has been and chipped them off." "Chipped 'em off, sir, when I gave orders that they weren't to be touched!" said the captain, fiercely. "There aren't a man as would dare to do it 'cept Tom Dinass, and he's gone. Leastwise, he was gone, and has come back. They're all right, sir; and I tell you what, if I were you gen'lemen, I'd bring down a basket o' something to eat, for you'll be down most of the day, and it wouldn't be amiss if you brought some o' that rhubarb and magneshy wire to light up in the crystal bit, for the roof runs up wonderful high--it's natural and never been cut like. Regular cave." "We'll come, Sam. This is going to be interesting, Joe. We won't forget the rhubarb wire neither." "That's right, sir. What do you say to d'rectly after breakfast--say nine o'clock, if it's not too soon for you, Friday--day after to-morrow?" "We'll be there, Sam. All right down below?" "Never more regular, sir. She's dry as a bone, and the stuff they're getting's richer than ever. Only to think of it! What a job I had to get the Colonel to start! I say, Mr Gwyn, sir, when he's made his fortune, and you've made yours, I shall expect a pension like the guv'nor's giving Tom Dinass." "All right, Sam. I'll see that you have it." "Thankye, sir," said the mining captain, in all seriousness, and he left the office. No sooner was he gone than Gwyn turned to his companion. "I say, Joe," he said; "you'd better not come." "Why not?" "You've grown too much lately; you'll be taking all the skin off the top of your head, and grow bald before your time." "Get out!" said Joe, good-humouredly; "didn't you hear him say that the roof was too high to see with a candle?" "Oh, of course," cried Gwyn. "Then you'd better come. There must be about room enough in a place like that." Joe laughed merrily; and then with a serious look,-- "I say, though," he cried, "I really would keep Grip tied up for a bit." "I sha'n't, not for all the Tom Dinasses between here and Van Diemen's Land. I will keep him with me, though; I don't want my lord to be bitten. Wonder whether that fellow will come soon for his money. We'll shut Grip in the inner office, for we don't want another scene." _ |
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