fell, albeit he had previously felt inclined to
smile at the ex-mate's queer manner and abrupt speech.

Water! It was the cruellest, most persistent enemy with whom the miner
has to deal. Foul air and gas can be got rid of, but water, proceeding
from invisible springs, ever welling up, and the more the quantity
pumped up the greater the yield from the inexhaustible fountains of the
earth, was an opponent that could not be conquered, an enemy of the most
potent powers for ill indeed--a very vampire that sucked the blood of
energy.

Delving down, day after day, with superhuman exertions, through the
various strata, they had met with no sight as yet of that rich vein of
gold which they confidently hoped to encounter, although there were
occasional traces of an auriferous deposit here and there to encourage
them on, their hopes and hearts had never failed them until now. No
wonder that Ernest Wilton's arrival was hailed as an omen of good luck;
and that he was regarded by all as having arrived "just in the nick of
time" to extricate them from their difficulty!

"How long is it since you met with water?" asked the young engineer,
before he descended the shaft in order to inspect the works personally
below.

Mr Rawlings answered this time, while Seth Allport and Noah Webster
confirmed his statements by their looks, which were expressive enough!

"That is a question that none of us can reply to satisfactorily."

Ernest Wilton was surprised. He thought he had made one of the simplest
inquiries possible; and he looked his astonishment at the answer given
him before he said anything more. The idea of a practical man, as he
regarded Mr Rawlings, speaking so!

"How is that?" said he, after a pause. "I should think you would have
no trouble in telling me?"--and he looked from Mr Rawlings to Seth
Allport with some curiosity.

"Some things that appear simple enough," said Mr Rawlings somewhat
pragmatically, "are more difficult to answer, my clear fellow, than most
people would think; and you ought to know that from your engineering
experience!"

"Certainly," replied the other; "but here's a mine with men working in
it from day to day, and digging through each separate stratum in turn,
and knowing at the close of each day the result of that day's labour.
Surely, one would think that the day on which they struck water they
would not forget it?"

"Granted, my dear fellow," answered Mr Rawlings, who dearly loved a bit
o