" said Gwyn; "I'm sure it was you, Sam. Now, wasn't it?"

He caught the man's hand in his, and there was a dim look in his eyes
which went straight to the miner's heart, and he said huskily--

"Well, s'pose it was, Master Gwyn, wouldn't you ha' been ready to jump
at anything as a last sort o' chance, when there was two lads lost away
down in a place like that? Why, I'd ha' done anything, let alone
depending on a dog. It warn't as if I didn't want to go myself: I did
go till I dropped and couldn't do no more, and begun to wish I'd never
said a word about the gashly old mine."

"Well, don't go on like that," cried Gwyn, laughing, as he warmly shook
the mine captain's hand, while Joe caught hold of the other and held on.

"Here, hi, don't you two go on like that," cried the man; "what's the
good o' making such a fuss. It was the dog saved your lives, not me, my
lads; and do leave off, please. You're making me feel like a fool."

"No, we're not; we're trying to make you feel that we're grateful for
what you did, Sam," said Gwyn.

"Why, of course, I know that," said the man, with his voice sounding
husky and strange; "but don't you see what you're doing, both of you?"

"Yes; shaking hands," said Joe.

"Nay; pumping my arms up and down till you've made the water come. Look
here, if, if my eyes aren't quite wet. Ah!"

Hardock gave himself a shake, as if to get rid of his feeling of
weakness, and then indulged in one of his broadest smiles.

"There," he said, "it's all over now; but my word, me and Harry Vores--
ay, and every man-Jack of us--did feel bad. For, as I says to Harry, I
says, it warn't as if it had been two rough chaps like us reg'lar mining
lads. It was our trade; but for you two young gents, not yet growed up,
to come to such an end was more than we could bear. But we did try, lot
after lot of us. It warn't for want o' trying that we didn't find you.
Wonderful place, though, aren't it?"

"Horrible!" said Joe.

"Oh, I don't know, sir; not horrible," said the man in a tone that was
half-reproachful; "it's wonderful, I call it, and ten times as big as I
expected."

"So big and dangerous that it will be no good," said Joe.

"What!" cried Hardock, laughing. "Did you look about you when you were
down there?"

"As much as we could for the darkness."

"And so did I, sir," said the man, with a chuckle. "Of course, most
when I was wandering about with your fathers. No good because it's so
bi