aped and slotted for a cross-bolt, but it looked rough and
scaly, and giving the blower a few more strokes he tapped it once or
twice. The scale fell off and the metal looked sound. Then while the
flame spread about the fuel he glanced round the shop. There was no
horseshoe iron, but the bar of steel had recently been cut, and he
thought the wedge had been forged out of its end.

Charnock did not think this mattered much. Festing had urged the smith
to finish the job, and the man knew his business. Since he had been
forced to use steel, he had no doubt taken the necessary precautions. It
was dark when Charnock got back to the frame, but a blast-lamp threw out
a dazzling glare and he climbed to a beam on which Festing sat. At
the timber's inner end a fire burned on a shelf of rock and a man was
stirring something in an iron pot.

"We're melting lead to fill up the hole, though I don't know if it's
necessary," Festing said. "Have you got the bolt?"

"It's here. He has made it out of steel; the iron he expected hasn't
arrived."

"That's all right. They now use steel for many jobs instead of iron, and
the softer kinds are quite as tough. Anyhow, we can trust the smith not
to burn the metal. Help Black while I get the tie ready for fastening."

Half an hour later the big cross-beam was in position and Charnock
watched Festing fit the bolt into its fan-shaped socket. He did so with
fastidious care and then standing on the beam swung the hammer a workman
gave him. The blast-lamp roared upon a timber overhead, throwing down
waves of light that flooded the rock face, but the twinkling brightness
rather puzzled the eye. For all that, Festing struck the wedge
squarely and drove it home with a few heavy blows. Then he fastened
the cross-bolt and Charnock filled a ladle with the melted lead. A blue
flame flickered about the cavity as he poured in the stuff, there was
an angry sputtering, and he afterwards found some holes in his coat.
Festing dropped his hammer with a gesture of satisfaction.

"That's an awkward piece of work finished, and I feel happier now! You
can put out the lamp and quit, boys; I'll mark you up full time."

Then they got down from the frame and went home to supper, earlier than
usual. In the morning they began to build a wall of roughly-cut stones
among the timber, filling in the space behind with rubble; and kept
on until at noon, a day or two later, heavy snow began to fall. It
was impossible to work,