"Isn't a flood coming to sweep us away, is it?" said Vores, in a low
voice full of the awe he felt.
"Nay, that's no flood," said Hardock. "There'll be no flood, lads, that
I can't master with my pumping gear. Now, look here, all of you; I want
to try and find those boys, but we can't carry the guv'nor farther in.
What do you all say?"
The men gathered round him, a weird-looking company with their
lanthorns, turned to Vores as their spokesman, and the latter took off
his hat and wiped his streaming brow.
"And I want to find those two poor lads," he said; "but I want to go
back, for it's turrerble work searching a place that you don't know, and
in which you seem to lose your way. It's just madness to go on carrying
the guv'nor with us; and the captain here is dead beat, so it's nonsense
to let him go on."
"Then what must we do?" said Hardock, who looked quite exhausted.
"'Vide into two parties," said Vores. "One, headed by Sam Hardock, 'll
take the guv'nor back to grass; t'other party, all volunteers, 'll
choose a leader and go on searching till a fresh gang comes down and
brings some grub for 'em. That's all I can say. If some 'un 'll make a
better plan I'd be glad to hear it and follow it out."
There was a dead silence, during which every man thought of the frank
lads, who had won the hearts of those who knew them, but no one spoke.
"Well, boys," said Hardock at last, "has anyone anything to say? As for
me, I don't feel like sneaking out of it; I think I'll be for leading
the search-party if anyone volunteers."
"Oh, some on us'll volunteer," said one of the men. "I don't feel like
going home to my supper and bed--to can't eat, and to can't sleep for
thinking of those two merry lads as I've often gone out to fish with and
shared their dinner with 'em. Not me. I'll volunteer."
"Same here, my lads," said Vores; "I'm with you. That's two of us.
Anyone else say the word?"
"Ay!--ay!--ay!" Quite a chorus of `ays' broke out as the miners
volunteered to a man.
"Well done," cried Vores, "that's hearty; I feel just as if I'd had a
good meal, and was fresh as a daisy. But we can't all stay. Sam
Hardock, how many do you want to help carry the guv'nor back?"
"Three twos," said Hardock, "for I'm no use yet. I can only just carry
myself."
"That's seven then, so pick your men and we'll stay, five of us, and
find the lads somehow."
"I say that Harry Vores leads us," said the man who had first
volunteered.
"Hear, hear!" was chorused, and a few minutes only elapsed before
Hardock had chosen his party and turned to raise the Colonel, to go
back.
"What's limpet-shells and sand doing down here?" said Vores, as he held
a lanthorn to light the men.
"Forsils," said Hardock, glancing at a couple Vores had picked up.
"Nay, they aren't stony shells," said Vores. "I know; they used to eat
'em, and they're some the old chaps as did the mining brought down for
dinner."
"Ready?" said Hardock.
"Ay, ay," cried the men, who had made what children call a dandy chair
with their hands, and supported the Colonel, whose arms were placed
about their necks.
"Then as he says, and I wish I could hear him say it now, `Forward!'"
The men started, and Hardock turned to Vores.
"Seems like acting Tom Dinassy, my lad," he said bitterly. "I don't
feel as if I could go."
"Do you want to get up a row?" said Vores, sourly. "Be off and look
after the guv'nor; don't stop putting us chaps out of heart and making
us think you jealous of me doing your work."
Hardock held out his hand to his fellow-workman.
"Thank ye, my lad," he said. "Go on, then, and take care. I've kept
just enough candle to last us to the shaft foot; don't go farther than
you can find your way out."
"We're going to find those two boys," said Vores through his set teeth.
"By-and-by, if we don't come back, you send a fresh shift, and let 'em
bring us some prog and some blankets; but I'm hoping you'll find them up
at grass when you get there. Now off you go, and so do we."
They parted without another word, and the next minute the dim light of
the lanthorns borne by the men were dying away in two directions--the
party bearing the Colonel progressing slowly till he recovered himself
somewhat and ordered them to stop.
"Nay, sir, there's no need," said Hardock; "we keep on taking you in
three shifts, and can go on for long enough."
"Thank you, my lads, thank you," said the Colonel; "but I am better now.
Anxiety and fatigue were too much for me. I'm stronger, and can walk."
"Nay, sir, you can better ride."
"If I am overdone again I will ask you to carry me," said the Colonel.
"I am not a wounded man, my lads; only at the heart," he added bitterly
to himself. "How am I to face his mother if he is not found?"
They set him down, and he walked on slowly for a few hundred yards; but
after that one of the men saw him display a disposition to rest, and in
his rough way offered his arm.
"May help you a bit, sir, like a walking stick," said the man, with a
smile.
"Thank you, my lad. God bless you for your kindness," said the Colonel
as he took the man's arm; and they went on again for some time till far
ahead there was the faint gleam of a light reflected from the wet
granite rock, and the Colonel uttered a cry--
"Ah! Quick! quick! My poor boys! At last! at last!"
He hastened his steps, and the men exchanged glances and then looked at
Hardock, expecting him to speak.
But Hardock felt choking, and remained silent as they went on, till,
turning about an angle in the zigzagging gallery, they came suddenly
upon a nearly burned-out candle stuck against the wall, and beneath it,
plainly to be seen, one of the leaves of the Colonel's pocket-book.
It was some moments before the old officer spoke, for the finding of the
light confused him.
"Why, what's this?" he said, in an agitated voice; "you have taken some
turning by mistake, and worked round to the way we came. Then very
likely my poor boys have done the same, and found their way out by now."
No one spoke.
"Don't you think so, my lads?"
Still no one answered; and now he began to grasp the truth.
"Why, what's this?" he cried angrily. "Surely you men have not dared--
have not been such cowards--as to turn back! Halt!"
The last word was uttered in so commanding a tone of voice that the
little party stopped as one man.
"Hardock! Explain yourself, sir. Did you dare to change the
arrangements during my temporary indisposition?"
"Beg your pardon, sir, you were completely beat out, and we felt that we
must carry you back to the shaft."
"What insolence!" roared the Colonel. "Right about face. Forward once
more. But," he added bitterly, "if any man among you is too cowardly to
help me, he can go back."
He turned and strode off into the darkness, and Hardock followed just in
time to catch him as he reeled and snatched at the side of the gallery
to save himself from falling.
"You can't do it, sir, you can't do it," said Hardock, with his voice
full of the rough sympathy he felt. "We did it all for the best. We'd
have carried you farther in, but it seemed like so much madness, and so
we decided. Part's gone on with Harry Vores, and we're going to send in
another shift as soon as we get back."
The Colonel looked at him despairingly, for he knew that the man's words
were true, and that it would be impossible to go on.
"We did what we thought were right, sir," continued Hardock; "and it's
quite likely that the young gents have got safely back by now."
The Colonel made no reply, but suffered himself to be led back to where
the men were waiting, and then, growing more helpless minute by minute,
he was conducted, after a long and toilsome task, which included several
pauses to rest, to the foot of the shaft.
The water had increased till it was nearly knee-deep when they waded to
where the skep was waiting, and the Colonel was half fainting from
exhaustion; but the feeling that the boys might be safely back revived
him somewhat, and he strove hard to maintain his composure as they all
stepped in, the signal was given, and they began to rise. But he was
hanging heavily upon the arm of one of the men before the mouth of the
shaft was reached, and he looked dazed and confused, feeling as if in a
dream, when the engineer cried,--
"Well, found 'em?"
"Then they've not come back?" said Hardock.
The Colonel heard no more, but just as his senses left him he was
conscious of a trembling hand being thrust into his, and a voice
saying,--
"Our poor lads, Pendarve; can nothing more be done?"
Something more could be done, for the work-people about the place--
carpenters, smiths and miners--volunteered freely enough; and in the
course of the night two more gangs went down, and Vores and his party
gave them such advice as they could, after returning utterly wearied
out; but it became more and more evident that the lads had either fallen
down some smaller shaft, as yet undiscovered, in one of the side drifts
of the mine, or wandered right away--how far none could tell until the
place had been thoroughly explored.
And at this time anxious watchers in the shed over the mouth of the mine
had been recruited by the coming of one who said little, her pale, drawn
face telling its own tale of her sufferings as she sat there, ready to
start at every sound, and spring up excitedly whenever the signal was
given for the skep to be raised.
But there was no news, and she always shrank back again, to seat herself
in a corner of the shed, as if desirous of being alone, and to avoid
listening to the words of comfort others were eager to utter.
"Not a word, Jollivet, not a word," whispered the Colonel once during
the horrors of that long-drawn night. "She has not spoken, but her eyes
are so full of reproach, and they seem to keep on asking me why I could
not be content without plunging into all the excitement and trouble
connected with this mine."
The Major groaned.
"Don't you look at me like that," said the Colonel, appealingly. "I am
doing everything I can; and as soon as I can stir, I will head a party
to go right on as far as the mine extends."