Page:Lorna Doone - a romance of Exmoor (IA lornadooneromanc03blac).pdf/113

 "Hail to the world of gold, John Ridd," said Master Huckaback, smiling in the old dry manner: "bigger coward never came down the shaft, now did he, Carfax?"

"They be all alike," said the short square man, "fust time as they doos it."

"May I go to heaven," I cried; "which is a thing quite out of sight"—for I always have a vein of humour, too small to be followed by any one—"if ever again of my own accord I go so far away from it!" Uncle Ben grinned less at this than at the way I knocked my shin in getting out of the bucket; and as for Master Carfax, he would not even deign to sinile. And he seemed to look upon my entrance as an interloping.

For my part, I had nought to do. after rubbing my bruised leg, except to look about me, so far as the dulness of light would help. And hercin I seemed, like a mouse in a trap, able no more than to run to and fro, and knock himself, and stare at things. For here was a little channel grooved with posts on either side of it, and ending with a heap of darkness, whence the sight came back again; and there was a scooped place, like a funnel, but pouring only to darkness. So I waited for somebody to speak first, not seeing my way to anything.

"You seem to be disappointed, John," said Uncle Reuben, looking blue by the light of the flambeaux; "did you expect to see the roof of gold, and the sides of gold, and the floor of gold, John Ridd?"