ask by Mrs Penrose and a few sympathising friends.

With some difficulty he got them to explain this mystery.

"What! baby gone lost?" he exclaimed; "where away?"

When it was told him what had occurred, Maggot's eyes gradually opened,
and his lips gradually closed, until the latter produced a low whistle.

"I think that I do knaw where the cheeld is," he said; "come along, an'
I'll show un to 'ee."

So saying, the wily smith, assuming an air of importance and profound
wisdom, arose and led his wife and her friends, with a large band of men
who had prepared torches, straight to the old shaft. Going down, but
sternly forbidding any one to follow he speedily returned with the baby
in his arms, to the surprise of all, and to the unutterable joy of the
child's mother.

In one sense, however, the result was disastrous. Curious persons were
there who could not rest until they had investigated the matter further,
and the tubs were not only discovered, but carried off by those who had
no title to them whatever! The misfortune created such a tumult of
indignation in the breast of Maggot, that he was heard in his wrath to
declare he "would have nothin' more to do with un, but would go into the
bal the next settin' day."

This was the commencement of that series of events which, as we have
stated at the beginning of this chapter, were brought about by that
wonderful baby--the baby Maggot.

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.

DESCRIBES SETTING-DAY AT THE MINE, ETCETERA.

That very evening, while Maggot was smoking his pipe by the fireside,
his son Zackey referred to the bunch of copper which Penrose had
discovered in the mine. After a short conversation, Maggot senior went
to the wounded man to talk about it.

"'Twas a keenly lode, did 'ee say?" asked Maggot, after he had inquired
as to the health of his friend.

"Yes, and as I shall not be able to work there again," said Penrose
sadly, "I would advise you to try it. Zackey is entitled to get the
benefit of the discovery, for he was with me at the time, and, but for
his aid, dear boy, I should have been suffocated."

Maggot said no more on that occasion about the mine, being a man of few
words, but, after conversing a short time with the wounded man, and
ascertaining that no hope was held out to him of the recovery of his
sight, he went his way to the forge to work and meditate.

Setting-day came--being the first Saturday in the month, and no work was
done on that day