“Really? Are you sure?” said the Colonel.
“Yes, sir,” replied Denham. Then in a few words he told the Colonel that we had discovered two shafts within the walls, as well as the old furnace-house and the ingot-moulds.
“You astound me,” said the Colonel. “Here, come along and let me see.”
He followed Denham, and I went too, as one of the discoverers. The Colonel examined everything with the utmost interest.
“Not a doubt about it,” he said at last. “You two lads have made a most curious discovery. It may be valuable or worthless; but here it is. I think that, besides being a splendidly strong place for a base, it is otherwise worth holding.”
“You feel sure it is an old gold-mine, then, sir?”
“Undoubtedly, and it must have been of great value. This explains why it was made a favourite station by the ancient settlers who discovered the riches on the spot. I’ve heard rumours of old workings about here in the veldt; but I never thought much about them, or that they were of any consequence. I shall begin to think now that we must fight harder than ever to hold this part of the country. Which of you two made the discovery?”
“Both of us,” said Denham. “No; Moray first stumbled upon the hole there.”
“We were together,” I said quietly; “and Sergeant Briggs helped.”
“I didn’t see much of his help,” said Denham dryly. “We pushed, and he did the grunting.”