his companion in
distress. The next minute I saw that they had gained the stone wall at
the side, over which they clambered, and from there we heard them drop
down on to the gravel stones.

"They're gone, Cob," said my uncle.

"Shall we run after them?" I said.

"It would be madness," he replied. "Down, Piter! Quiet, good dog!"

"Now what's the meaning of it all?" he said after turning the light
round the place. "What did you hear? Were they getting in?"

"No," I said; "they were trying to draw this canister on to the fire
with the wire; but I heard them and got hold of it."

Uncle Jack turned the light of the bull's-eye on to the canister I held,
and then turned it off again, as if there were danger of its doing some
harm with the light alone, even after it had passed through glass.

"Why, Cob," he said huskily, "did you get hold of that?"

"Yes, I stopped it," I said, trembling now that the excitement had
passed.

"But was the fuse alight?"

"No," I said; "they were going to draw it over the fire there, only I
found it out in time."

"Why, Cob," he whispered, "there's a dozen pounds of powder here wrapped
round with all this fuse. Come with me to put it in a place of safety:
why, it would have half-wrecked our works."

"Would it?" I said.

"Would it, boy! It would have been destruction, perhaps death. Cob,"
he whispered huskily, "ought we to go on watching?"

"Oh, Uncle Jack," I said, "I suppose I am foolish because I am so
young!"

"Cob, my boy," he said softly; "if you had been ten times as old you
could not have done better than you have done to-night. Here, let's
place this dreadful canister in the water chamber: it will be safer
there."

"But the men; will they come again?"

"Not to-night, my lad. I think we are safe for a few hours to come.
But what of the future, if these blind savages will do such things as
this?"

CHAPTER NINE.

DROWNING AN ENEMY.

I did not sleep that morning, but kept watch with Uncle Jack, and as
soon as the men came to work I hurried off to Mrs Stephenson's to tell
the others of the night's adventures.

Half an hour later they were with me at the works, where a quiet
examination was made, everything being done so as not to take the
attention of the work-people, who were now busy.

We had first of all a good look round outside, and found that beneath
the window of the furnace-house there were some half dozen great nails
or spikes carefully dr