Menhardoc Part 37

"That's right," replied Mr Temple. "Hah: yes!" he said holding the lantern so that the light shone on the roof--"tin!"

"Tin, father?" cried d.i.c.k joyfully. "Have you found tin?"

"Yes, but too poor to be worth working;" and Mr Temple went on a little, and stopped to chip the side with his hammer. "Traces of copper here," he said. "Look: peac.o.c.k ore; very pretty to look at, but ruinous to work, d.i.c.k. Ah! we seem to be coming to the end now."

"Would seals be likely to live in a cave like this?" said d.i.c.k.

"I should think not," replied Mr Temple. "The entrance is not near enough to the water. I think they like a place where they can swim right in and out at all times of the tide."

"That's so," said Josh, who had overheard the remark.

"The cave we know, Master d.i.c.k," said Will, "is one where you can row right in."

"Can't we go now?" cried d.i.c.k excitedly.

"Wait, wait," said Mr Temple, "don't be impatient, my lad. All in good time. Ah! here is the end; and look here, my man, here are some of your strange creatures' drinking vessels."

As he spoke he stepped forward and let the light play upon some pieces of wood, beyond which were five or six very old empty tubs that were a little less than ordinary wooden pails, but narrow at each end like a barrel.

Josh came forward with Will to stare at the half-rotten fragments, which were black and slimy with the drippings from the roof, and the iron hoops were so eaten away that upon Mr Temple touching one of the tubs with his foot it crumbled down into a heap of black-looking earth.

"Fishermen's buoys," said Will, looking at the heap wonderingly.

"No, my lad; smugglers' brandy-tubs," said Mr Temple. "And you, Josh, here's the explanation of your c.o.c.k-and-bull story. Some fishermen once saw the smugglers stealing in here by night, and at once set them down as being supernatural. There, let's get out and climb up the rock to the old working. No. Stop; just as I thought; here is the adit."

For they had suddenly come upon the narrow pa.s.sage that led into the shaft--a low square tunnel, not so carefully-cut as the one they had previously explored.

"Is this likely to be an adit, father?" said d.i.c.k, who had caught the term. "Isn't it the natural cave hole?"

"Yes--enlarged," said Mr Temple, letting the light play on the wet sides. "Here are the marks of the pick and hammer, looking pretty fresh still. But we shall gain nothing by going in there except wet jackets.

How the water drips!"

For, as they listened, they could hear it musically trickling down, and in another part falling with a regular _pat, pat, pat_ on the rocky floor.

"But where does the water go?" asked d.i.c.k. "It ran out of the other in a little stream."

"Far behind us somewhere, I daresay," replied his father. "Don't you see how this floor upon which we stand has been covered with great pieces of rock that have fallen from above? All, d.i.c.k, since men worked here. Perhaps this place was worked as a mine a hundred years before the smugglers used the cave, and they have not been here, I should say, for two or three generations. Now let's get out into daylight once more. You would not be scared again about entering a dark cave, eh, d.i.c.k?"

"No, father--Oh! the light!"

"I'm glad of that," replied Mr Temple, "for the lamp has gone out. The wick was too small," he added, "and it has slipped through into the oil."

"A mussy me!" groaned Josh. "And in this gashly place!"

"Now, then, who'll lead the way out?" said Mr Temple sharply.

"Let me," cried d.i.c.k.

"Go on then, my boy. There's nothing to be afraid of but broken s.h.i.+ns.

No. Let Will guide, or--pooh! what nonsense! there's the light. We shall almost be able to see as soon as our eyes grow accustomed to the place."

Will went to the front, slowly feeling his way along with outstretched hands towards a faint reflection before them; and, the others following slowly, they were about half-way back, with the task growing easier each moment, when all at once they heard Arthur's cry for help. Forgetting his caution, Will began to run, and d.i.c.k after him, stumbling and nearly falling two or three times, Mr Temple and Josh hastening after him as eagerly, but with more care, till they rounded a huge ma.s.s of stone which shut out the sight of the sea, when they also ran, and joined d.i.c.k and Will.

"There isn't much the matter, father," said d.i.c.k, as Mr Temple came running to the boat, "he has only got the hook in his leg."

"Why, I thought he was 'bout killed," grumbled Josh.

"Let me look," said Mr Temple; and Arthur, as his leg was lifted, uttered a piteous moan, and looked round for sympathy.

Mr Temple drew out his knife, and as he opened the sharp blade Arthur shrieked.

"Oh, don't, don't!" he cried, "I couldn't bear it."

"Why, they're not your trousers, Taff, they're mine," cried d.i.c.k; and Mr Temple laughed heartily.

"Don't be a coward, Arthur," he said sternly. "I was only going to slit the flannel."

"Oh!" sighed Arthur, "I thought you were going to cut my leg to get out the hook."

"Well, perhaps I shall have to," said Mr Temple quietly; "but you are too much of a man to mind that."

"Oh!" moaned Arthur again.

"Be quiet, sir," said Mr Temple more sternly. "Take away your hands.

You are acting like a child."

"But it hurts so!" moaned Arthur. "Oh! don't touch it. I can't bear it touched. Oh! oh! oh!"

"Tut! tut! tut!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Mr Temple, as d.i.c.k caught his brother's hand.

"I say, do have some pluck, Taff," he whispered. "Of course it hurts, but it will soon be over."

"Yes; it will soon be over," a.s.sented Mr Temple, as with his sharp penknife he cut away the thin cord to which the hook was attached, and with it the remains of the bait.

"No, no! let it stop in till it comes out."

"But it will not come out, you stupid fellow," cried d.i.c.k.

"Of course not, my boy. It will only fester in your leg, and make it bad," said Mr Temple.

"Oh! oh! oh!" moaned Arthur. "Don't touch it. How it hurts! Couldn't I take some medicine to make it come out?"

"Yes," said Mr Temple quietly. "Three grains of courage and determination and it will be out. There, hold still, and I won't hurt you much. Catch hold of your brother's hands."

"A mussy me!" grumbled Josh as he looked on, scrubbing and scratching at his head with his great fingers all the time.

"Why, you are always talking about going in the army, Arthur," said Mr Temple, hesitating about extracting the hook, which was buried in the boy's leg, for he felt that he would have to make a deep cut to get it out--it being impossible to draw it back on account of the barb. "How would it be with you if the surgeon had to take off an arm or leg?"