to grow much
uglier every day, and yet I liked him better.

The end of it was that I saw the steel lifted out of the furnace in
crucibles and poured forth like golden-silver water into charcoal
moulds, but I did not speak about the dog.

CHAPTER TEN.

"'NIGHT, MATE."

As it happened, Mr Tomplin came in that evening, and when he asked how
matters were progressing at the works, Uncle Dick looked round and
seemed to be asking his brothers whether he should speak.

"Ah! I see," said Mr Tomplin; "they have been up to some tricks with
you."

"Tricks is a mild term," said Uncle Jack bitterly.

"They have not tried to blow you up?"

"Indeed but they did!" said Uncle Jack fiercely; "and if it had not been
for the coolness and bravery of my nephew there the place would have
been destroyed."

"Tut! Tut! Tut!" ejaculated Mr Tomplin; and putting on his spectacles
he stared at me in the most provoking way, making me feel as if I should
like to knock his glasses off.

"Is it customary for your people here to fire canisters of gunpowder in
the workshops of those who are newcomers?"

"Sometimes," said Mr Tomplin coolly.

"But such things would destroy life."

"Well, not always life, my dear sir," said Mr Tomplin, "but very often
great bodily injury is done."

"Very often?"

"Well, no, not very often now, but we have had a great many trade
outrages in our time."

"But what have we done beyond taking possession of a building for which
we have paid a large sum of money?"

"It is not what you have done, my dear sirs; it is what you are about to
do. The work-people have got it into their heads that you are going to
invent some kind of machinery that will throw them out of work."

"Nothing of the kind, my dear sir. We are trying to perfect an
invention that will bring a vast deal of trade to Arrowfield."

"But you will not be able to make them believe that till the business
comes."

"And before then, I suppose, we are to be killed?"

Mr Tomplin looked very serious, and stared hard at me, as if it was all
my fault.

"My dear sirs," he said at last, "I hardly know how to advise you. It
is a most unthankful task to try and invent anything, especially down
here. People are so blindly obstinate and wilful that they will not
listen to reason. Why not go steadily on with manufacturing in the
regular way? What do you say, my young friend?" he added, turning to
me.

"Why not ask the world to stand still,