CHAPTER NINE.
THE RESULT OF THE SMELTING.
But there was nothing to see yet, and the brick was replaced, the fire roared once more, and for what must have been quite another quarter of an hour we waited before the doctor took out the brick again.
It was now possible to make out what seemed to be a regular ring red-hot in the midst of so much glowing ember with which the pot was filled; and into this the doctor thrust the poker, to find that it passed through what was light as feathers.
"I must be gentle," he said quietly, as he thrust the poker lower, till he could gently tap the bottom of the pot.
"It's quite sound," he said, as he gave the poker a stirring motion and ended by withdrawing it.
"I think we may let out the fire," he said; and we proceeded to bear away the slates we had used for screens, and then to take down the glowing bricks one by one, and toss them into the yard.
This done, I proposed throwing a bucket of water over the heap of embers, in the midst of which stood the pot.
"No, thank you, young wisdom," said Doctor Chowne.

"I should like to have some result to show your father when he comes back.

If you did what you say, the pot would fly all to pieces, and where would our work be then ?" "I say, Doctor Chowne," I said, looking at him rather wistfully, "I wish I knew as much as you do." "Learn then," he said.

"I did not know so much once upon a time." As he spoke, he slowly and carefully drew the ashes down from about the pot, and as they were spread about the brilliant glow began to give place to a pale grey feathery ash, which flushed red, and then yellow, whenever the air was disturbed, while the earthen pot that had been red-hot changed slowly to a dull drab.
"There, Sep," said the doctor, "that pot will take pretty well an hour to get thoroughly cool, so we may as well go and have some dinner.

What do you say ?" "I was thinking, sir," I said, "that if there is any metal in that pot now, it would be something like the lead when we are casting sinkers for fishing.