"What, workable stuff, sir?" said the man sharply. "Perhaps; but what I meant was this tremendous hole and the water. Why, Sturgess, man, it's worth thousands." "Don't see it, sir," said the man roughly. "I do. A natural drainage of the mine. No expenditure for keeping the workings dry." "Oh, yes, that's right enough, sir," said the man, with a laugh, "if you've got anything to work." "I'm afraid Mr Sturgess and I will not get on together," said Reed to himself, as he led the way on, examining the wall from time to time, and now and then chipping off a piece for a specimen. "If this cockney jockey's going to be over me," muttered Sturgess, "he's got to be tough; but he don't know everything." They reached the entrance to the grotto-like portion of the mine, where Reed halted, took out a sandwich-box and flask, and began to refresh himself, handing both to his companion first; and as Reed ate, he lifted the lanthorn from time to time, and examined the neighbouring walls, roof, and floor. "All pretty well cleared out, sir," said Sturgess, with a grin. "Yes--clean," replied Reed quietly; and soon after they resumed their exploration, following the track of the old veins here and there through an almost interminable maze of passages, and going farther and farther into the depths of the mountain. But it was always the same, passage after passage through the limestone, following the old lode of lead ore which had been diligently quarried and picked out any time during, probably, the past two thousand years, and there was no plan, no special arrangement in driving the various tunnels. Where nature had run her mineral in veins, there the old miners had followed; and, as Reed had noticed before, there was scarcely a passage that had water lying about, the drippings from the roof and cracks in the walls having worn for themselves little channels, which found their way into others, and then by degrees went to swell the fall by whose side he had stood some hours before. At last, with his bag growing heavy with specimens, and the supply of candles getting less, and after the termination of the workings had been found and examined in several places, Reed stopped. "Back now," he said. "Satisfied, sir?" "Oh yes, for to-day. I shall follow the other leads, of course, till I have well examined all, and mapped it out." "And settled where you shall begin work, sir," said the man, with a grin. "Oh, I have settled that," replied Reed. Sturgess stared. "Been a lot of good stuff got out of here, sir, no doubt." "Evidently." "More than there ever will be again." "That's more than we can say, Sturgess. Take the lanthorn now, and lead on straight for the mouth. Good heavens! Why, it's five o'clock." "Yes, sir, I thought it must be," said the man. "Time goes when one is interested. There, have a cigar. Light up. We have not done a bad's day work. Can you lead back pretty straight?"