ose," said Gwyn; "but I
certainly thought he wanted to cut us off for some reason. Well, it's a
good job he has gone."

But a little later they found that Dinass had not gone, for all the
while Grip had had an eye on his movements and had acted after the
manner of a dog.

For, after about five minutes, there was a sharp barking heard as the
boys trudged on.

"Why, where's Grip?" said Gwyn. "I thought he was here."

The barking was repeated, and the dog was seen close to the edge of the
cliff a hundred yards away, barking at something below him.

"What's he found?" said Joe.

"Oh, it's only at the gulls lower down. There's that shelf where it
looks as if the granite had slipped down a little way. Let's see what
he is about."

The dog kept up his barking, and the boys walked up, to find no gull
below, but Tom Dinass seated in a nook smoking his pipe, with a couple
of ominous-looking pieces of stone within reach of his hand, both
evidently intended for Grip's special benefit should he attack, which he
refrained from doing.

"Mornin', gentlemen," said the man. "Wish you'd keep that dawg chained
up when you come to the mine; you see he don't like me."

"He won't hurt you if you don't tease him," said Gwyn. "Come to heel,
Grip."

The dog uttered a remonstrant growl, but obeyed, and Dinass drew himself
back against the cliff.

"Safer down here," he said.

"Yes, you are safer there," said Gwyn. "Good-morning."

"One minute, sir, please. Don't go away yet; I want just a word with
you."

"Yes, what is it?" said Gwyn, shortly, while Joe gazed from the man to
the depths below, troubled the while by some confused notion that he
meant mischief.

"Only just a word or two, Mr Gwyn, sir," said the man in a humble
manner, which accorded badly with his fierce, truculent appearance; and
for the moment the lad addressed thought that he meant treachery, and
he, Joe, could not help glancing at the precipice so close at hand.
"You see, I'm an unlucky sort of fellow, and somehow make people think
wrong things about me. You and me got wrong first time you see me; but
I didn't mean no harm, and things got better till the other day over the
bit o' fuss about going down."

"When you behaved like a cur and left us to take our chance. Quiet,
Grip?"

"Look at that now!" cried Dinass, appealing to nobody--"even him turning
again' me. Why, I ought to say as you two young gents went and forsook
me down the old pit. Su