It affected his purpose, though, for startled by the driver's fierce yell, and his attention being taken by the flying hat, Mark made a dash, climbed out of the hole, rose to his feet, and had begun to run for safety, when the explosion came with a roar; and it was as if a giant had suddenly given the boy a tremendous push which sent him flying into the nearest bushes, out of which he was struggling when Dean and Buck Denham came running through the smoke and fragments of earth and cement which were falling all around. "Oh, Mark, don't say you are hurt!" "Why not?" said Mark slowly, as he snatched at Buck's extended hand and struggled out from amongst the thorns. "I am, I tell you," continued the boy. "Not much, sir, are you?" said the driver. "Only a bit pricked, eh?" "Well, I don't know," said Mark slowly, as he began to squirm and alter the set of his clothes. "Yes, pricked a bit, though." "And a good job it's no worse, sir." "Here, you," cried Dean angrily, for the excitement of the incident had brought on a curious attack of irritation. "You, Buck Denham, how dare you snatch off my hat like that and send it flying!" "Eh?" said the man, staring. "Oh, ah, so I did." "Then don't do it again, sir!" And then turning hurriedly away with a feeling of annoyance at his display of fault-finding with one who he felt now had probably saved his cousin from serious hurt, he went on after his hat, but only to meet the pigmy half way to the spot where it had fallen, holding out the missing straw at the end of Mak's spear. "Are you hurt much, Mark?" said the doctor sternly; and the words were echoed by Sir James, who came hurrying up. "Oh, no," said the boy hastily, feeling half annoyed now at the bearing of those near; and then he stood looking at his father's frowning countenance and listened to the doctor's sternly uttered whisper. "Foolishly impetuous and thoughtless," said the doctor. "How often have I told you to try to think before you act!" "I--I'm very sorry, sir," faltered Mark. "And so am I," said the doctor gravely, as he turned away. "Now, Denham," he continued, in his natural tones, speaking as if to put an end to the incident by those last words, "how has the fuse acted?" "Splendid, sir," replied the man, who had followed Dan down into the hole. "There's no end of pieces loose ready for you to have a look at them. Yah! Mind where you are coming to, my lads!" he continued, to the two keepers, who had now followed him down into the hole. "Don't trample. Get your baskets and bring them to the edge here, and me and Dan'll hand you out the bits to lay ready for the boss to look over. Here's one or two of them, Dr Robertson, sir, as has got a touch of gold in them."