nd, setting his teeth and holding the lanthorn well
above his eyes, Gwyn led the way further into the solemn darkness of the
newly dried-out mine.

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

REVERSAL OF POSITION.

The afternoon had glided by, and evening was approaching fast, as the
men gathered about the mouth of the mine sat and chatted over the place
and its prospects. Work had been suspended for the greater part of the
day, to allow the owners to make an inspection, and the men held quite a
discussion meeting as to how matters would prove.

Some were of opinion that they would have perhaps a few weeks' work, and
then be dismissed; but among those who took the opposite view was Harry
Vores, the miner who had behaved so well that day.

"I don't think it will be so," he said. "This is a gashly old mine; and
depend upon it when it was worked they didn't get half out of it. I
begin to think that we shall soon find a lot; more men will be wanted;
and I hope it will be so, for the pluck these two gentlemen have shown.
We want a few more good mines to be going in the country, for things
have been bad enough lately."

Others took his side, and as the time went on and there was no signal
from the bottom of the shaft, that was discussed as well.

"Oh, they'll be all right," said Harry Vores. "The place is bigger than
we thought; but we ought to have known, seeing what a sight of water was
pumped out. They've only gone farther than they expected, and we shall
be having them all up in a bunch directly."

He had hardly uttered these words when the gong arranged for signalling
gave three tings, and the engineer responded by standing by to hoist.

Another signal was sent up, and the wheel began to revolve, the wire
rope tightened, and the empty skep descended.

"Won't bring 'em all up at once, will you, mate?" said Harry Vores.

"No; two lots," said the engineer; and the men all eagerly gathered
round the place to see the explorers of a mine which had not been
entered probably for hundreds of years when they came up, and to learn
what report they would have to give of the prospects of the place.

The rope ran over the wheel almost silently, for the work had been well
done; and as they were waiting, Grip, who had passed the greater part of
his time watching the place where he had seen his master disappear, grew
more and more excited. He kept on bursting into loud fits of barking
till the ascending skep appeared, when he bounded a