“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.”