knows? Yes, it was about the last thing I thought of when I came
down. My idea was to get hold of a vein of some little-worked metal,
antimony, or nickel, or plumbago perhaps; but I have never found
anything to equal this, and I thank you, Will Marion, from my very
heart."

Will Marion looked from one to the other as if stunned by the tremendous
nature--to him--of the intelligence; then, unable to contain himself, he
rushed out of the room to see old Uncle Abram.

"Well, Dick, what do you think of it?" said Mr Temple as soon as they
were alone.

"Think, father? Why, I was never so pleased before in my life--at least
I don't think I was. Poor old Will! how pleased he is!"

There was not time to say much more, for there was a sharp tap at the
door, and Uncle Abram came in to have the matter explained.

"For you see, sir, I can't make neither head nor tail of Will here.
Seems to me as if he's been dreaming."

Then after it had all been explained the old man took three or four
pulls at an imaginary pipe.

"It's like being took all aback," he said, rubbing his grey head. "I
can't understand it like quite. I knew he was always off hunting
something, butterflies, or fishing up on the moor, but I didn't think it
would turn out like that, sir. And I was always making a fender of
myself 'twixt his aunt and him because she was wanting to know where he
was, and me pretending he was painting the bottom of the boat and
mending nets or something. Well, I've been terrible sorry sometimes at
his being away so much; but I feel right down pleased, sir, and--and if
you wouldn't mind shaking hands, sir, it would do me a power of good."

Uncle Abram shook hands then with Mr Temple, and then with Dick and
Arthur, and next with Will, after which he stared at all in turn, and
ended by saying as he went out:

"It's 'most more than I can understand after all."

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR.

WINDING UP WITH A DAB OF CLAY.

To enter into the occurrences of the next few years would be to give the
business career of young men, when the object of this book was to tell
of some of the pleasant adventurous days passed by three boys and their
friends in that beautiful rugged county in the far west of England which
the sea wraps so warmly that winter is shorn of half his force.

It is only right to tell, though, that Mrs Marion, upon being taught by
Mr Temple's treatment of her nephew that the boy was what some would
call a lad of parts