Anyone owning real estate on which china clay can be discovered strikes a sort of gold mine." "Yes, and then--" The young man looked puzzled.
"The original 'Worm' so-called, from which the name of the place came, had to find a direct way down to the marshes and the mud-holes.

Now, the clay is easily penetrable, and the original hole probably pierced a bed of china clay.

When once the way was made it would become a sort of highway for the Worm.

But as much movement was necessary to ascend such a great height, some of the clay would become attached to its rough skin by attrition.

The downway must have been easy work, but the ascent was different, and when the monster came to view in the upper world, it would be fresh from contact with the white clay.