“Oh, don’t bother,” cried Gwyn, petulantly. “I suppose we shall have our turn.”
“No offence meant, sir,” said the man. “Better let me go down with you. Dessay I can show you a lot about the mine.”
“I suppose it will be all one long passage from the bottom,” said Joe.
“Not it, sir,” said Dinass, holding out his bare arm, and spreading his fingers. “It’ll go like that. Lode runs along for a bit like my wrist, and then spreads out like my fingers here, or more like the root of a tree, and they pick along there to get the stuff where it runs richest. But you’ll see. We don’t know yet; but, judging from the water pumped out, this mine must wander a very long way. There’s no knowing how far.”
“I say, how long will they stop down?” said Joe.
“Oh, I don’t know,” replied Gwyn. “Hours, I daresay.”
“Plenty of time for you young gents to take a boat and have half-a-day with the bass. There’s been lots jumping out of the water against Ydoll Point. I should say they’d be well on the feed.”
“That’s likely!” said Gwyn. “You don’t suppose we shall leave here till they come up?”
“Oh, I didn’t know, sir. Makes no difference to me; only it’ll be rather dull waiting.”
Grip uttered a low, uneasy growl again, and looked up at his master, and then went to the opening and peeped down.