“Why?—because there were bogies and goblins in it?”
“No, sir, because they broke through one day into an underground river; and you can’t never pump dry a place like that. But there, I don’t know, gentlemen—that’s only what I think.”
The man went about his work, over which he was so assiduous that even Hardock could not complain, and the latter soon after encountered the lads.
“Don’t say Dinass told us,” whispered Gwyn. “Sam hates him badly enough as it is. Let him think that it’s our own idea.”
“Not got to the bottom of the water yet, then?” said Gwyn.
“No, sir—not yet, not yet,” replied the captain, blandly; “and it won’t come any the quicker for you joking me about it.”
“But aren’t you beginning to lose heart?”
“Lose heart? Wouldn’t do to lose heart over a mine, sir. No, no; man who digs in the earth for metals mustn’t lose heart.”
“But we’re not digging, only pumping.”
“But we might begin in one of these galleries nearly any time, sir. I’ve been down, and I’ve seen better stuff than they’re getting in some of the mines, I can tell you, sir. But we’d better have the water well under first.”