"I daresay we're wrong, Joe," said Gwyn; and the dog uttered another growl which sounded wonderfully like the word "_Bah_!"

"Yes, sir, wrong you are; and seeing how scarce work is, and so many mines not going, you won't mind putting a word in for me to the Colonel and the Major."

"What for? What about?" said Gwyn, sharply. "Your character?"

"Nay, sir, I don't want no character. Sam Hardock says the mine's rich, and I want to stay on. You say the right word to the Colonel, and he'll keep me on."

"I don't feel as if I could, Dina.s.s," said Gwyn, thoughtfully.

"Not just this minute, sir," said the man, humbly; "but if you think about it, and how hard it is for a man to lose his bread for a thing like that, you'll feel different about it. Do try, sir, please. I'm a useful man, and you'll want me; and I'll never forget it if you do."

"Well," said Gwyn, "I'll think about it; but if I do ask my father, he may not listen to me."

"Oh, yes, he will, sir; he'd do anything you asked him; and so would yours, Master Joe. Do, please, gentlemen, and very thankful I'll be."

"Come along, Joe," said Gwyn.

"And you will speak a word for me, sir--both of you?"

"I'll see," said Joe; and with Grip trotting softly behind them, the two lads hurried off.

"You won't ask for him to stay, Ydoll?" said Joe, earnestly, as soon as they were out of earshot.

"Why not? Perhaps we're misjudging him after all."

"But I never liked him," said Joe.

"Well I didn't, and I don't; but that's no reason why we should be unfair. He isn't a pleasant fellow, and n.o.body seems to take to him; I believe he is right about all the men being set against him."

"Well, then, it's right for him to go."

"Oh, I say, Jolly, don't be hard and unfair on a fellow. One ought to stick up for the weaker side. Let's go and see if father's in the office."

"And you are going to speak for him?"

"Yes; and so are you;" and Gwyn led the way to the new mine buildings where the carpenters and masons were still busy, pa.s.sing the shaft where the pump was steadily at work, but going very slowly, for there was very little water to keep down.

As the boys approached the doorway they saw Hardock come out and go on to the mine, while on entering they found the Colonel and the Major examining a rough statement drawn up by the captain who had just left.

"Well, boys," said Major Jollivet, "have you come in to hear about it?"

"No," said Gwyn, staring; "about what, sir?"

"The venture, my boy. Hardock reports that the mine is very rich in ore, and that we have entered upon a very good speculation."

"Yes, that is so, Gwyn," said his father; "and we are going to begin work in real earnest now--I mean, begin raising ore; and we must engage more men. Well; you were going to say something."

"Yes, father," said Gwyn, rushing into his subject at once. "We have just seen Dina.s.s."

"Yes," said the Colonel, frowning; "he goes in about ten days, and we want someone in his place. What about him?"

"He has been telling us about his trouble--that he is dismissed."

"He need not worry you about it, boy. He should have behaved better."

"Yes; rank cowardice," said Joe's father, shortly.

"No, Major; he has been explaining how it was to us, and he tells me it was all accidental. He says we left him behind, and that he searched for us for long enough afterwards, till he was quite lost. It is an awkward place to miss your way in."

"Yes, you boys ought to know that," said the colonel. "Then this man has been getting hold of you to pet.i.tion to stay?"

"Yes, father; he asked us to speak for him."

"Well, and are you going to?" said the Major.

"Yes, sir; I should like you and my father to give him another trial."

"But you don't like the man, Gwyn," said the Colonel.

"No, father--not at all; but I don't like to be prejudiced."

"And you, Joe," said the Major, "don't you want to be prejudiced?"

"No, father; Ydoll here has put it so that I'm ready to back him up.

Dina.s.s says he wants to get on, and doesn't like the idea of leaving a good rich mine."

"Humph!" said the Colonel. "We don't want to dismiss men--we want to engage them. What do you say, Jollivet; shall we give him another trial?"

"I think so," said the Major. "He's a big, strong, well set up fellow.

Pity to drum a man out of the regiment who may be useful."

"Yes," said the Colonel, sharply. "Well, Gwyn, perhaps we have been too hard on him. He is not popular with the other men, but he may turn out all right, and we can't afford to dismiss a willing worker; so you may tell him that, at the interposition of you two boys, we will cancel the dismissal, and he can stay on."

"And tell him, boys," said the Major, "that he is to do your recommendation credit."

"Yes, of course," came in duet, and the boys hurried out to look for Dina.s.s and tell him their news.

"Thank ye, my lads," he said, smiling grimly. "I'll stay, and won't forget it."

That night Dina.s.s wrote a letter to somebody he knew--an ill-spelt letter in a clumsy, schoolboyish hand; but it contained the information that the old mine was rich beyond belief, and that he was beginning to see his way.

Gwyn did not know it then, but he had committed one of the great errors of his life.

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT.

SAM HARDOCK BRINGS NEWS.