“If anybody had told me six months ago that I should do this, I should have called him mad.”
“Never mind, old fellow,” said the Colonel, laughingly; “better than vegetating as we were, and doing nothing. It sets my old blood dancing in my veins again to have something like an adventure. Well,” he said aloud, “we may as well make a start. By the way, have you any lunch to take down?”
“Oh, yes,” said the Major, tapping a sandwich-box in his coat pocket; “too old a campaigner to forget my rations.”
“Right,” said the Colonel, tapping his own breast. “Well, boys, if we get lost and don’t come up again by some time next week, you will have to organise a search-party, and come down and find us.”
“Better let us come with you, father, to take care of you both.”
The Colonel laughed, and shook his head.
“Now, Major,” he cried, “forward!”
The Major stepped into the great wooden bucket, the Colonel followed, and then Sam Hardock took his place beside them.
“All ready!” cried the Colonel. “Now, Hardock, give the word.”
The mining captain obeyed, there was a sharp, clicking noise, as the engineer touched the brake, and the wheel overhead began to revolve; then the skep dropped quickly and silently down through the square hole in the rough plank floor formed over the great open shaft, the pump being now still. Then, all at once, as the boys caught at the stout railing about the opening and looked down, the lanthorns taken began to glow softly and grew brighter for a time; then the light decreased, growing more and more feeble till it was almost invisible, and Gwyn drew a deep breath and looked up at the revolving wheel.