ch included several
pauses to rest, to the foot of the shaft.

The water had increased till it was nearly knee-deep when they waded to
where the skep was waiting, and the Colonel was half fainting from
exhaustion; but the feeling that the boys might be safely back revived
him somewhat, and he strove hard to maintain his composure as they all
stepped in, the signal was given, and they began to rise. But he was
hanging heavily upon the arm of one of the men before the mouth of the
shaft was reached, and he looked dazed and confused, feeling as if in a
dream, when the engineer cried,--

"Well, found 'em?"

"Then they've not come back?" said Hardock.

The Colonel heard no more, but just as his senses left him he was
conscious of a trembling hand being thrust into his, and a voice
saying,--

"Our poor lads, Pendarve; can nothing more be done?"

Something more could be done, for the work-people about the place--
carpenters, smiths and miners--volunteered freely enough; and in the
course of the night two more gangs went down, and Vores and his party
gave them such advice as they could, after returning utterly wearied
out; but it became more and more evident that the lads had either fallen
down some smaller shaft, as yet undiscovered, in one of the side drifts
of the mine, or wandered right away--how far none could tell until the
place had been thoroughly explored.

And at this time anxious watchers in the shed over the mouth of the mine
had been recruited by the coming of one who said little, her pale, drawn
face telling its own tale of her sufferings as she sat there, ready to
start at every sound, and spring up excitedly whenever the signal was
given for the skep to be raised.

But there was no news, and she always shrank back again, to seat herself
in a corner of the shed, as if desirous of being alone, and to avoid
listening to the words of comfort others were eager to utter.

"Not a word, Jollivet, not a word," whispered the Colonel once during
the horrors of that long-drawn night. "She has not spoken, but her eyes
are so full of reproach, and they seem to keep on asking me why I could
not be content without plunging into all the excitement and trouble
connected with this mine."

The Major groaned.

"Don't you look at me like that," said the Colonel, appealingly. "I am
doing everything I can; and as soon as I can stir, I will head a party
to go right on as far as the mine extends."

CHAPTER THIRTY.