Gwyn sprang from his seat, dashed at the dog, and caught him by the
collar.
"Grip! Down!" he roared. "Let go--let--go!"
He dragged at the furious beast, while Dinass wrenched himself away.
Then there was a struggle, and Gwyn roared out,--
"Open the door, Joe. Quick! I can't hold him."
The door was flung open, and, with the dog fighting desperately to get
free, Gwyn hung on to the collar, passed quickly, and dragged the dog
after him right out of the office; then swung him round and round,
turning himself as on a pivot, let go, and the animal went flying,
while, before he could regain his feet, Gwyn had darted inside and
banged-to the door, standing against it panting.
"I don't think you need want to come back here, Master Tom Dinass," he
cried.
_Bang_!
The dog had dashed himself at the door, and now stood barking furiously
till his master ran to the window and opened it.
"Go home, sir!" he roared; but the dog barked and bayed at him, raised
his feet to the sill, and would have sprung in, had not Gwyn nearly
closed the sash. "Go home, sir!" he shouted again; and after a few more
furiously given orders, the dog's anger burned less fiercely. He began
to whine as if protesting, and finally, on receiving a blow from a
walking cane thrust through the long slit between sash and window-sill,
he uttered a piteous yelp, lowered his tail, and went off home.
"Don't seem to take to me somehow, Mr Gwyn, sir," said the man. "The
chaps used to set him again' me."
"Are you hurt?"
"No, I aren't hurt, but I wonder he didn't get it. Puts a man's monkey
up and makes him forget whose dorg it is."
"Look here, Tom Dinass," said Gwyn, quickly. "Did you ever forget whose
dog he was, and ill-use him?"
"Me, Mr Gwyn, sir? Now is it likely?" protested the man.
"Yes; very likely; he flew at you. Did you hurt him that time when he
was found down the man-engine?"
"Why, that's what Mr Joe Jollivet said, sir, ever so long ago, and I
telled him I'd sooner have cut off my right-hand. 'Taren't likely as
I'd do such a thing to a good young master's dog."
"Now, no cant, sir, because I don't believe in it. Look here, you'd
better go somewhere else and get work."
"Can't, sir," said the man, bluntly; "and as for the dog, if you'll let
me come back and tell him it's friends he'll soon get used to me again.
I seem to belong to this mine, and I couldn't be happy nowheres else.
Don't say you won't speak for a poor fellow, Mr Gwyn, sir. You know I
always did my work, and I was always ready to row or pull at the net or
do anything you young gen'lemen wanted me to do. It's hard; sir--it is
hard not to have a good word said for a poor man out o' work. I know I
hit at Sam Hardock, but any man would after the way he come at me."
"We're not going to argue that," said Gwyn, firmly; "perhaps there were
faults on both sides; but I must say that I think you had better get
work somewhere else."
"No good to try, sir. Some o' the mines aren't paying, and some on
'em's not working at all. Ydoll's in full fettle, and you want more
men. Ask the guv'nors to take me on again, sir."
"Yes, do, Gwyn," said Joe. "It must be very hard for a man to want
work, and find that no one will give him a job."
"Hard, sir? That aren't the word for it. Makes a man feel as if he'd
like to jump off the cliff, so as to be out of his misery. Do ask 'em,
sir, and I'll never forget it. If I did wrong, I've paid dear for it.
But no one can say I didn't work hard to do good to the mine."
"Well, I'll ask my father when he comes back to the office."
"Won't you ask him now, sir?"
"I don't know where he is. And as for you, I should advise you not to
go near my dog; I don't want to hear that he has bitten you."
"Oh, he won't bite me, sir, if you tell him not. We shall soon make
friends. Do ask soon, and let me stop about to hear, and get out of my
misery."
"You will not have to stop long, Tom Dinass," said Gwyn, as a step
outside was heard--the regular martial tread of the old soldier, who
seemed to be so much out of place amongst all the mining business.
"Yes; here comes the Colonel," said Joe, quickly; and he went and opened
the door to admit the stiff, upright, old officer.
"Thank you, Jollivet," he said. "Hallo! What does this man want?"
"He has come with his humble petition, father, backed up by Joe Jollivet
and by me, for him to be taken on again at the mine."
"No," said the Colonel, frowning; "it's impossible, my boy."
"Beg pardon, sir, don't say that," said the man.
"I have said it, my man," said the Colonel, firmly.
"But you'll think better of it, sir. I'll work hard for you."
"No," said the Colonel; "you had a fair chance here for doing well, and
you failed. The men would be ready to strike if I took you on again."
"Oh, but you've no call to listen to what a lot of men says."
"I am bound to in a certain way, my man. You made yourself universally
unpopular among them, and all that culminated in your savage assault
upon the captain. Why, my good fellow, many a man has gone into penal
servitude for less than that."
"Yes, sir, I know I hit him; but they was all again' me."
"I cannot go into that," said the Colonel.
"Give him a trial, father," said Gwyn, in answer to Joe's appealing
look.
"Do, sir. I've been out o' work a long time, and it's precious hard."
"Go right away, and try somewhere else, my lad."
"I have, sir," said Dinass, imploringly. "I served you well, sir, and I
will again."
"I have no fault to find with your working, my man, but I cannot
re-engage you."
"Do, sir; it's for your good. Do take me on, sir. I want to do what's
right. It is for your good, sir, indeed."
The Colonel shook his head.
"No; I cannot alter my decision, my man," said the Colonel. "Do as I
said: go right away and get work; but I know it is hard upon a man to be
out of work and penniless. You are a good hand, and ought not to be
without a job for long, so in remembrance of what you did--"
"You'll take me on, sir? I tell you it's for your good."
"No," said the Colonel, sternly. "Gwyn, give this man a sovereign for
his present necessities, and for the next few weeks, while he is seeking
work, he can apply here for help, and you can pay him a pound a week.
That will do."
"Better do what I said, sir," said Dinass, with a grim look, "I warn
you."
"I said that will do, sir," cried the Colonel, firmly. "Gwyn, my boy,
pay him and let him go."
Joe's chin dropped upon his chest, and he rested his hand upon the back
of the nearest chair.
Then he started and looked at the door wonderingly, for, scowling
savagely, Tom Dinass stuck on his hat very much sidewise, and, without
pausing to receive the money, strode out of the place and went right
away.
"Specimen of sturdy British independence," said the Colonel, sternly.
"I'm sorry, but he is not a man to have about the place. He is
dangerous; and when it comes to covert threats of what he would do if
not engaged, one feels that help is out of the question. Be the better
for me if I engage him--means all the worse for me if I do not. There,
it is not worth troubling about; but if he comes back for the money,
when he has cooled down, let him have it."
"Yes, father," said Gwyn, and he went on with his letters, but somehow,
from time to time the thought of the man's fierce manner came back to
him, and he could not help thinking how unpleasant a man Dinass could be
if he set himself up for an enemy.