window."

"I say, you oughtn't to watch people," I said sharply.

"I know that," replied Bigley; "but I was afraid there was going to be a
bother, and I wanted to tell you if there was."

"Well, what did he do?"

"Why, if he didn't seem to make it all out exactly just where we had
been, and he followed down the place where the stone fell, and then went
on down till he came to the rough part where the rock was all bared, and
stooped and looked it all over and over. Oh, he has got eyes, my father
has. I could see as plain as could be through the spy-glass that he
picked up bits of the stone, and once he knelt down and I think he smelt
the stones."

"Smelt them!" I exclaimed.

"Yes, to find out about the gunpowder. He has found it all out, I'm
sure."

"So am I," I said sadly, but without telling Bigley I meant something
else.

"And then he went right down slowly just where the big rock slipped
along, and down to the stream, and washed his hands and came home."

"And did he speak to you about it?"

"No," replied Bigley. "I expected him to say a lot. I didn't mind, for
I should have told him all about it, and I don't think he would have
been very cross with me; but he didn't say a single word about it,
though I saw him shake his fist several times when he was talking to
himself, and soon after he set off to walk in to Barnstaple, and, as I
told you, he hasn't got back."

Just then there was the clattering of hoofs, and I looked up and saw my
father coming down the zigzag road.

"I must go now," I said. "Don't think me unkind, Big, old chap. Or you
stop and I'll come out to you again."

"Yes, do," he said. "I'll go and sit down on the rocks till you come.
Only, mind you do."

I promised that I would and we parted, one going down towards the sea,
the other along the lane, where I met my father looking very hot and
tired; but he seemed in good spirits, so I supposed that he had not met
old Jonas.

"Well, Sep," he cried, "how about the experiment? What luck?"

"Oh, we melted the stones, father, and got out of them a little bit of
lead."

"It was lead, then?" he said eagerly, as we reached the cottage.

"Yes, father, and Doctor Chowne says he thinks there's silver in it as
well."

"You young dog!" cried the doctor, coming out pipe in mouth. "Why, you
are telling all the news, and there'll be nothing left for me to do."

"Only show the stuff," I said.

"Ah, yes; show the result," said the d