I went just inside once." "I went in fifty yards or more, with Nick Garth," said Ralph, "and we had candles.

We were looking for lead, but it was all stone shells." "Oh, there's no lead there," said Mark confidently.

"We've got all the lead worth working at the Black Tor." "Yes, I'm afraid so; but there's a warm spring of water in there, and from where we stopped, you could hear water running and falling, ever so far-off." "But what was it like, as far as you went in ?" "Just as if the mountain had been cracked, and both sides of the crack matched, only sometimes they were two feet apart, and sometimes twenty or more, making big chambers." "Yes; some of our mine's like that," said Mark thoughtfully.

"I say, enemy: think they set any sentries ?" "No, I don't believe they would." "Then we'll rout them out; and if we can't do that, we'll drive them farther in, and pile up big stones at the entrance, and starve them till they surrender." "Yes," cried Ralph eagerly, as he looked at his companion with the same admiration Mark had displayed when he had proposed taking the torches.
"Capital: for the place is so big, that I don't believe we could find them all.

Yours will be the way." "Well, I think it is right," said Mark suddenly; "but we must catch old Purlrose to-night." "We will if we can," said Ralph.
"Well then, that's all.