_ CHAPTER TEN. FINDING AN INTRUDER
"Well, old man; on the sick list?" began the Colonel, shaking hands warmly with his friend. "What's the last bulletin?"
"Bad, bad," said the Major, sharply. "Just heard that a man I respected is going to make a fool of himself."
"Eh? What?" said the Colonel, flushing. "Who's been chattering about-- ahem! Are you alluding to the mine on my property, Major Jollivet?"
"No, sir," said the Major, sitting up, "I was speaking about the hole by the cliff that was dug by a pack of greedy noodles who were not satisfied with their incomes, and I felt that I should not like to see an old friend of mine go shovelling his money down into it, and breaking his wife's heart."
"Then it was like your--ahem, ahem!" coughed the Colonel, checking himself. "No, no; don't go away, boys," for Gwyn was stealing out, followed by Joe.
"No, don't you boys go," cried the Major; "it will be a lesson for you both."
"Father been very bad, Joe?" said the Colonel.
"Very bad, indeed, sir," said the boy.
"Silence, sir!" cried the Major. "Nothing of the sort. Don't exaggerate, Joe."
"No, father."
"He doesn't, Dick. You've had a nasty touch this morning, or you wouldn't have spoken to me like that."
"I couldn't help it, old man," said the Major, warmly. "But surely you will never be so mad as to go pumping out that old place."
"H'm! I don't know about mad. Be useful to make a little money for the sake of the boy."
"Very bad to lose a great deal for the sake of the boy."
"Nothing venture, nothing win, Dick. I'm beginning to think that it would be worth while to put some money in the venture, and I came up this morning to make you the first offer of joining in."
"And throwing away my bit of money, too. No, sir, not if I know it. I'm not quite such an idiot as that."
"You mean as I am," said the Colonel, quietly.
"I did not say so," retorted the Major. "I should not dream of insulting an old friend by using such language."
"No, but you would think it all the same," cried the Colonel. "Now, look here, Jollivet; you and I have enough to live upon comfortably."
"Quite."
"But there's nothing left to start these two young dogs well in life; now is there?"
"Well--er--rum--er--no; there is not much, Pendarve, certainly."
"That's what I have been thinking, and though the idle, reckless young dogs do not deserve it--do you hear, you two? I say you don't deserve it."
"Joe doesn't," said Gwyn, with a mischievous grin at his companion.
"No, not at all," said Joe. "I'm nearly as bad as Gwyn."
"Ah, you're a nice pair," said the Colonel. "But we, as fathers, must, I suppose, give you both a good preparation for the army--eh, Jollivet?"
"Yes, of course that must be done," said the Major.
"Exactly! Well, I've been thinking a great deal about it this last day or two, and I have quite come to the conclusion that I must do something."
"Well, do something," said the Major, testily; "don't go and fling your money down a mine."
"But there are mines and mines, Jollivet, old fellow. If I were asked to join in some company to buy a mine or open a new one, I should of course hesitate; but in this case I have one of my own, one that is undoubtedly very ancient, and must have had a great deal of tin or copper or both in it."
"No doubt, and it was all dug out and sold long enough ago. The old people had the oyster, and you've got the shell."
"I don't know so much about that, sir," said the Colonel, earnestly. "I brought home a piece of old ore that was dug out, and it's very rich in tin. There's plenty of room down below for there to be an enormous amount, and as the only outlay will be for machinery for pumping and raising the ore, I have made up my mind to start a company of the owners to work that mine."
"And lose all your money."
"I hope not. The mine is already sunk, and I believe when it is pumped dry we shall find that there are drifts with plenty of ore in them, waiting to be worked--plenty to pay well for the getting."
"And if there turns out to be none at all?"
"Well, that's the very worst way of looking at it. If it turns out as bad as that, I shall have spent so many hundred pounds in new pumping machinery, and have it to sell for what it will fetch to some fresh company."
"But you would only get half the value."
"If I got half the value, I should be satisfied. Then the loss would not be so very severe."
"Severe enough to make you repent it to the last day of your life," said the Major, shortly.
"I hope not. Money is not worth so much repentance."
"But you talk as if you really meant to do this, Pendarve," said the Major, warmly.
"I do. I have quite made up my mind."
Gwyn looked at his father, with his eyes flashing with excitement.
"My dear Pendarve, I implore you not to do so for that boy's sake," cried the Major.
"It is for his sake I am going to venture upon what seems to me a very safe piece of business."
"No, no; a wild-goose chase, sir."
"Mining is not so reckless as that, if carried out on business principles, my dear Jollivet."
"There, we shall never agree. But in the name of all that is sensible, why did you come to me?"
"Partly because you are my oldest friend, and one in whom I should confide any important business."
"And partly," cried the Major, warmly, "because you thought I should be weak enough to join you."
"Quite right, all but the question of weakness," said the Colonel.
"Absurd! There, I am obliged to speak plainly; I could never dream of such a thing."
"I don't want you to dream," said the Colonel, smiling; "I want you to act--to join me; and upon this basis: I will find the mine, and half the money for the machinery, if you will find the other half."
"It would be folly. Look at the money we know to have been lost on mines."
"Yes, in companies, and over very doubtful affairs. In this case we have the proof of mining having been carried on. We have the mine, and we should not have to share profits with a number of shareholders."
"Nor losses neither," said the Major, testily.
"Nor the losses neither," assented the Colonel. "Then we live on the spot and could oversee matters."
"Bah! What do we know about mines? I could manage a regiment, not a hole underground."
"We could soon learn, my dear boy," said the Colonel; "and it would be very interesting to have such an occupation. I have felt for years past that you and I have been wasting time. No occupation whatever, nothing to do but think about our ailments. It's rusting, Jollivet--it's rusting out; and I'm sure that if we both worked hard, we should be healthier and better men."
"Humph! Well, there is something in that. But, no, no, no, I'm not going to be tempted to spend money that ought some day to come to Joe."
"Oh, I don't mind, father, if it's going to do you good," cried the boy, eagerly. "I should like for you to have a mine."
"Shall I have any money some day, father?" said Gwyn.
"I suppose so, my boy, what I leave when I die," said the Colonel, frowning.
"Oh, then, I'll give it to go into the mine, father," cried Gwyn; and the stern look passed off the Colonel's face. He nodded, and looked pleased.
"Think of the anxiety that such a venture would bring," said the Major.
"I have thought of it, and also of the anxieties and worries which come to a man who has nothing to do. Look here, Jollivet, I firmly believe in this adventure, and I should very much like it if you would join me, for I feel that it would do you good, and that we should get on well together."
"Oh, yes, I've no doubt about that," said the Major, "and if you really do make up your mind to venture, I don't say that I will not lend you some money if you need it."
"Thank you, I know that you would, Jollivet; but I don't want to take it in that way. Think it over for a few days, and see how you feel about it."
"No, I can give you my answer now without any hesitation. It is quite out of the question, Pendarve. Even if it were a gold mine, I should say--"
"Don't decide rashly, old fellow," said the Colonel. "A few days ago I should have answered you in the same way, if you had come and proposed the thing; but since I have thought it over, I have quite changed my mind. Do the same, and let me hear how you have concluded to act at the end of a week."
"But I tell you, my dear sir--"
"Yes; tell me at the end of a week," said the Colonel, smiling. "What do you think of these fellows beginning to investigate the mine for themselves? There, Gwyn, you need not stay for me if you want a run with Joe: I'll walk home alone."
"Father is not well enough to be left," said Joe.
"Yes, yes, my boy," cried the Major; "I don't want to make a prisoner of you. Go and have a run with Gwyn, by all means."
The boys required no second permission, but were off at once, their fathers hearing the beat of their feet on the road directly after.
"Where have they gone?" said the Major, turning on his couch.
"Over to the mouth of the mine, for certain," said the Colonel.
He was quite right. There was no proposal made by either of the boys, but as soon as they were outside the gate, they started off together at a rapid trot, making straight for the Colonel's land, springing over the stone-wall, and threading their way amongst stones and bushes, till they were compelled by the rough ground to go more slowly.
"Makes one want to see more of what it's like," said Joe.
"Yes; I didn't know father was thinking about it so seriously. Why, it'll be splendid, Joe. I say; you'll have to go down the mine first this time."
"Yes, I suppose so, but not your way."
"Hist!" whispered Gwyn, as they drew near. "What does that mean?"
"What? I don't see anything."
Gwyn ducked down behind one of the great, grey weathered lumps of granite, and signed to his companion to follow his example.
This was done on the instant, and then Joe looked inquiringly in his face.
"Something wrong," whispered Gwyn. "Trespassers. Got to know that father means to work the mine."
Gwyn raised his head slowly, so as to peer over the block of granite, and plainly made out a hand and arm working about at the side of the low protection wall of the old mine.
"Sam Hardock," whispered Joe, who had followed his example. "What's he doing? Measuring the depth?"
"'Tisn't Sam," whispered Gwyn, "it's someone else--stranger, I think. Then the mine must be valuable or he wouldn't be there. What shall we do?"
"He has no business there. It's on your father's property, perhaps it'll be ours, too," whispered Joe. "I say, Ydoll, we're not going to stand that; let's go and collar him."
"Agreed!" said Gwyn, excitedly. "We've right on our side. Come on." _