“Well, boys,” said Hardock at last, “has anyone anything to say? As for me, I don’t feel like sneaking out of it; I think I’ll be for leading the search-party if anyone volunteers.”
“Oh, some on us’ll volunteer,” said one of the men. “I don’t feel like going home to my supper and bed—to can’t eat, and to can’t sleep for thinking of those two merry lads as I’ve often gone out to fish with and shared their dinner with ’em. Not me. I’ll volunteer.”
“Same here, my lads,” said Vores; “I’m with you. That’s two of us. Anyone else say the word?”
“Ay!—ay!—ay!” Quite a chorus of ‘ays’ broke out as the miners volunteered to a man.
“Well done,” cried Vores, “that’s hearty; I feel just as if I’d had a good meal, and was fresh as a daisy. But we can’t all stay. Sam Hardock, how many do you want to help carry the guv’nor back?”
“Three twos,” said Hardock, “for I’m no use yet. I can only just carry myself.”
“That’s seven then, so pick your men and we’ll stay, five of us, and find the lads somehow.”
“I say that Harry Vores leads us,” said the man who had first volunteered.
“Hear, hear!” was chorused, and a few minutes only elapsed before Hardock had chosen his party and turned to raise the Colonel, to go back.
“What’s limpet-shells and sand doing down here?” said Vores, as he held a lanthorn to light the men.