We had hardly dressed ourselves and made our scanty toilet the morning after our arrival, when the inspector made his appearance, looking none the worse for the tumult which summoned him away the night before.
"You are stirring early," he said, warming his hands by a fire which Smith had started for the purpose of getting breakfast; "I expected to find you sleeping off your fatigue, for men with nothing to do generally like to lie abed mornings."
"Late sleeping will not earn the fortune that we expect to get," replied Fred.
"So you still think of sinking a shaft here, do you?" inquired the inspector, with a grave smile.
"Of course, such is our intention at present, if we can get a license for mining."
"The license is obtained easily enough—government is very happy to receive ten shillings per month for the privilege of allowing a man to try his luck," the inspector answered, with an attempt at a laugh.
"Then if you will oblige us by getting a license, we will commence operations to-day," Fred answered.
"Why, you are in a hurry," Mr. Brown replied, seating himself composedly, and lighting a pipe which he carried in a small box in his pocket.
"Wouldn't you advise us to commence mining?" I asked.
"To answer you frankly, I would not, because I know that you can do better than by spending your days under ground, and emerge at night to find that you are killing both mind and body."