“But there may be deep holes here and there, and it would be horrible if they had slipped down one.”
“They wouldn’t all slip down a hole. If one did, the others would come for help. No; they’re thoroughly exploring the place and chipping off specimens. I daresay they’ll bring up quite a load.”
“I hope so,” said Joe, solemnly, and Gwyn, who felt very uncomfortable, tried to cheer him up, but in a low voice, so that the others should not hear.
“I say, how strange it is that if anyone doesn’t come back when you expect him you are sure to think he has met with an accident.”
“I don’t, if they’ve only gone out,” said Joe, with a shiver. “This isn’t like that. This place seems to me now quite awful.”
“Pooh! I say, I believe you’d go down and look for them if you might.”
“Yes,” said Joe, quickly; “I shouldn’t like to, but I would.”
“I wonder what it’s like down below—all long, narrow passages roughly-cut through the rock,” said Gwyn; “they wouldn’t cut so carefully as they do now.”
“No, as they say, the old people would only cut where the lode of ore ran, of course. But I hope there’s nothing wrong.”
“Of course you do; so do I. What’s the good of fidgeting.”