famous
engineer. Perhaps, because the surface of the earth yielded a
sustenance so grudgingly, a love of burrowing was born in the family.
Copper was dear and the speculative public well disposed towards
British mines. When current prices permitted it, a little copper had
been worked from time immemorial in the depths of Crosbie Fell, so
Geoffrey, continuing where his grandfather had ceased, drove the
ancient adit deeper into the hill, mortgaging field by field to pay for
tools and men, until, when the little property had well-nigh gone, he
came upon a fault or break in the strata, which made further progress
almost impossible.

When Thurston reached the mouth of the adit, he turned and looked down
upon the poor climbing meadows under the great shoulder of the Fell.
Beyond these, a few weatherbeaten buildings, forming a rude quadrangle
pierced by one tall archway, stood beside a tarn that winked like
polished steel. He sighed as his glance rested upon them. For many
generations they had sheltered the Thurstons of Crosbie; but, unless he
could stoop to soil his hands in a fashion revolting to his pride, a
strange master would own them before many months had gone. An angry
glitter came into his eyes, and his face grew set, as, placing a
lighted candle in his hat, he moved forward into the black adit.

Twenty minutes had passed when Thurston stood on the brink of a chasm
where some movement of the earth's crust had rent the rocks asunder.
Beside him was a mining engineer, whose fame for skill was greater than
his reputation for integrity. Both men had donned coarse overalls, and
Melhuish, the mining expert, held his candle so that its light fell
upon his companion as well as upon the dripping surface of the rock.
Moisture fell from the wet stone into the gloomy rift, and a faint
monotonous splashing rose up from far below. Melhuish, however, was
watching Thurston too intently to notice anything else. He was a
middle-aged man, with a pale, puffy face and avaricious eyes. He was
well-known to speculative financiers, who made much more than the
shareholders of certain new mining companies.

"It's interesting geologically--wholly abnormal considering the
stratification, though very unfortunate for you," said Melhuish. "I
give you my word of honor that when I advised you to push on the
heading I never expected this. However, there it is, and unless you're
willing to consider certain suggestions already made, I can