"I have been very rude to your brother," said the Major. "Let me have
my shares as soon as you can."
"Yes; he shall have his shares, and they shall double his income,"
thought Clive.
Walking as swiftly as he could, he soon reached the mine, and found
Sturgess standing by the new cottage he occupied in his capacity of
foreman and guardian of the place.
The man seemed to be scowling savagely at him, or else it was the shadow
cast by the porch as he stood listening to his chief's words, nodding
from time to time.
"You understand: no one is to inspect the mine without my permission.
No one is to have any information given to him whatever."
"Yes, I understand," growled Sturgess.
"I shall hold you accountable."
The man made no reply, and Clive continued his walk of two miles more
over the hills, to the farmhouse where he lodged temporarily.
"Hold me accountable, eh?" muttered Sturgess; and he went in and shut
the door, to throw himself into a chair and sit gnawing portions of his
thick beard.
That night, when the mine gap was dark and still, a lanthorn was visible
swinging here and there as it was borne towards the mouth of the pit,
where it disappeared in the cage, and a dark shadowy figure followed it.
"Sit fast!"
"Stop!" came in a husky whisper; "how are we to get back?"
"I can manage that. Not afraid, are you?"
"Afraid!" was the scornful reply.
"All right, then. Now, down."
The ingenious mechanism was started, and the two men, with their
lanthorn, descended swiftly into the bowels of the earth, while a
perfectly-balanced empty cage rose to take its fellow's place.
"Any one likely to come and surprise us?" said the man who had been told
to sit fast.
"Not likely. There! you shall see for yourself. But that's it. You
can't better it. A blind lead."