oke and fragments of earth and cement
which were falling all around.

"Oh, Mark, don't say you are hurt!"

"Why not?" said Mark slowly, as he snatched at Buck's extended hand and
struggled out from amongst the thorns. "I am, I tell you," continued
the boy.

"Not much, sir, are you?" said the driver. "Only a bit pricked, eh?"

"Well, I don't know," said Mark slowly, as he began to squirm and alter
the set of his clothes. "Yes, pricked a bit, though."

"And a good job it's no worse, sir."

"Here, you," cried Dean angrily, for the excitement of the incident had
brought on a curious attack of irritation. "You, Buck Denham, how dare
you snatch off my hat like that and send it flying!"

"Eh?" said the man, staring. "Oh, ah, so I did."

"Then don't do it again, sir!" And then turning hurriedly away with a
feeling of annoyance at his display of fault-finding with one who he
felt now had probably saved his cousin from serious hurt, he went on
after his hat, but only to meet the pigmy half way to the spot where it
had fallen, holding out the missing straw at the end of Mak's spear.

"Are you hurt much, Mark?" said the doctor sternly; and the words were
echoed by Sir James, who came hurrying up.

"Oh, no," said the boy hastily, feeling half annoyed now at the bearing
of those near; and then he stood looking at his father's frowning
countenance and listened to the doctor's sternly uttered whisper.

"Foolishly impetuous and thoughtless," said the doctor. "How often have
I told you to try to think before you act!"

"I--I'm very sorry, sir," faltered Mark. "And so am I," said the doctor
gravely, as he turned away. "Now, Denham," he continued, in his natural
tones, speaking as if to put an end to the incident by those last words,
"how has the fuse acted?"

"Splendid, sir," replied the man, who had followed Dan down into the
hole. "There's no end of pieces loose ready for you to have a look at
them. Yah! Mind where you are coming to, my lads!" he continued, to
the two keepers, who had now followed him down into the hole. "Don't
trample. Get your baskets and bring them to the edge here, and me and
Dan'll hand you out the bits to lay ready for the boss to look over.
Here's one or two of them, Dr Robertson, sir, as has got a touch of
gold in them."

And so it proved, for as the pieces were carefully picked up and passed
on for the doctor to examine, he found more of the little eighth or
quarter of an inch lon