"You take my advice, Mr Sturgess; that place is turning ugly. You go and lie down again, and let the doctor see it when he comes." "You hold your tongue for a fool," said Sturgess savagely; and then he made a lurch as if he had turned giddy, but he recovered himself directly. "Here, some of you: where's Mr Jessop Reed?" "I told you," said Robson, who came up just then, "he has gone to town." "It's a lie!" said Sturgess. "He wouldn't have gone without telling me." "Then he told it himself on paper," said Robson coolly. "I read you what he said." "And it's a lie, and so is what Smithers says like a fool." "Ah! you told me there was something wrong below just as I was off this morning," said Robson eagerly. "Nobody hurt, Smithers?" "Nobody hurt?" said the man, with a coarse laugh; "well, I suppose everybody concerned. It's a general burst up, Mr Robson." "A lie. All a lie," said Sturgess, stretching out his hands and groping as if to save himself from falling. "All a big flam." "Is it? you'll see," muttered the captain. "A lie, I say!" growled Sturgess, half-deliriously, as he looked round from one to the other, pressing his hand to his heated shoulder all the while. "A lie, I say, to frighten the people into selling their shares, and they did, the fools. Bah! The `White Virgin's' the richest mine in England, and I'll break the neck of any one who says it arn't!" "No, you won't break anybody's neck," said the man gravely, "unless it's your own, Mr Sturgess, and unless you take care you're going to be very badly. It's all true, Mr Sturgess. I thought that lode couldn't go on yielding like it did." "In Heaven's name, man, what do you mean?" cried Robson. "Only this, sir: we've come upon a blind lead." "What?" "The lode has stopped dead in the rock, and we can't find any more trace of it. Nothing but the stone, and I don't believe there'll be another scrap of ore ever found." "A blind lead," cried Robson, astounded. "Yes, sir, that's it; and if Mr Clive Reed holds any shares still it's a cruel bit of news for him. As for the other chaps--well, they can take their chance.--Ah, I thought so!" For Sturgess had reeled and nearly fell, to be lowered down by the man, breathing stertorously, evidently insensible to all that passed around. The news was true. The rumour Wrigley and Jessop Reed had set afloat for their own nefarious ends had proved prophetic. Hoist with their own petard, they had yet to learn that they were ruined men. CHAPTER THIRTY SIX. THE DAYS OF PERIL.