“Seems rather childish,” he said suddenly; “but should you mind, Pendarve, if I dislodged this stone and let it fall down the shaft?”
“Mind? Certainly not. Go on. Here, shall I do it?”
“No. I should prefer doing it myself,” said the Major; and standing his cane against the wall, he took hold of the stone and stood it upon the edge.
“Stop!” cried the Colonel as he noted that the under part of the stone glistened, as granite will.
“What’s the matter?”
“That piece of stone,” said the Colonel, excitedly. “Why, man, look; it is rich in tin ore.”
“That blackish-purple glittering stuff?”
“Yes; those are tin grains. But there, it does not matter. Throw it in. We can have it sent up again when the mine is pumped out. In with it.”
The Major raised the stone with both hands face high and threw it from him, while all watched him, and then stood waiting for the heavy hollow-sounding splash which followed, with the lapping of the water against the sides.
“It is strange,” said the Major, “what a peculiar fascination a place like this exercises over me, Pendarve. I feel just as if I could leap down into—”