“Humph!” ejaculated the Colonel, turning to the Major, “I’m glad I brought you out to have a look. Pretty good proof that someone believes the old mine to be valuable, eh?”
“Yes, or a trick to make it seem so.”
“Pooh! Impossible! It might be if someone wanted to sell the mine; but it is not for sale, and not likely to be. So you found him measuring—sounding, I suppose you mean?”
“Yes, sir,” said Joe. “Here’s the line, and it seems to have knots in it to show the depth.”
For the boy was busily reeling up the loose cord, and walking back toward where the leaden weight had twined it round the piece of granite.
Joe set this free, and it proved to be a regular fishing sinker.
“But what did the fellow say to give you an excuse for attacking him as you did?”
“Said he was fishing, father,” replied Gwyn; “but that was only his insolence.”
“Might have been stupid enough to think he could fish there,” said the Major.
“No; he meant to find out something about the place. It is being talked about the—”