re as goodness, I thought you both did it as a
lark. Why, it warn't in me to do such a thing; and if you'd only waited
a few minutes till I'd got my candle right, I'd perhaps ha' been able to
save you from being lost. Anyhow I would ha' tried."

"Do you expect us to believe that you did not sneak back and leave us?"
said Gwyn.

"Well, as young gents, I do hope you will, sir. Why, I'd sooner have
cut my head off than do such a thing. Forsake yer! Why I was half mad
when I found you'd gone on, and I run and shouted here and there till I
was hoarse as a crow; and when I found I was reg'lar lost there, I can't
tell you what I felt. That's a true word, sir; I never was so scared in
my life."

"Ah, well, perhaps we'd better say no more about it, Dinass."

"Tom Dinass, sir. Don't speak as if you was out with me, too."

"We both thought you had left us in the lurch; but if you say you did
not, why, we are, bound to believe you."

"_Bah_!" said Grip, in a growl full of disgust.

"Quiet, sir!"

"Ay, even that dawg don't take to me," said Dinass, in an ill-used tone.
"But there, I don't care now you young gents believe me."

"All right; good-morning," said Gwyn, shortly. "Come along, Joe."

"Nay, nay, don't go away like that, Mr Gwyn, you'll think better of me
soon, when you aren't so sore about it. For I put it to you, sir, as a
gentleman as knows what the mine is, and to you, too, Master Joe
Jollivet, you both know--Aren't it a place where a man can lose himself
quickly?"

"Well, yes, of course," said Gwyn.

"Exactly; well, I lost myself same as you did; and because I warn't with
you, everybody's again me--Sam Hardock and Harry Vores, and all the men,
even the engine tenter; and that aren't the worst of it."

"What is, then?" said Joe.

"Why this, sir," said the man, earnestly: "They've made a bad report of
me to the guv'nors just when I was getting on and settling down to a
good job in what seems like to be a rich mine with regular work, and I'm
under notice to leave."

"Serve you right for being such a sneak," said Joe, angrily.

"Oh, Master Joe, you are hard on a man; but you'll try and believe me,
sir. I did work hard to find you both."

"I daresay we're wrong, Joe," said Gwyn; and the dog uttered another
growl which sounded wonderfully like the word "_Bah_!"

"Yes, sir, wrong you are; and seeing how scarce work is, and so many
mines not going, you won't mind putting a word in for me to the Co