s been so quiet and still there that it has soon got
better. Do come, Master Mark; it'll be better than sitting thinking
about being beaten last night."

"Very well, Dummy," said Mark at last: "I don't feel as if I could go to
bed and sleep, and I don't want to be thinking."

"And you'll have too much to do down there to think."

"Yes, I suppose so; and if I stay up, I shall be meeting my father and
catching it. Oh, I only wish we had won the day."

"Couldn't; 'cause it was night," said the boy thoughtfully.

"Well, be ready with the candles, and I'll come in half-an-hour, as soon
as I've seen how the men are."

"Oh, they're all right, and gone to sleep. They don't mind. But you
ought to have let us beat the Darleys, as we didn't beat the robbers."

"You go and get the candles," said Mark sourly.

"Like to have torches too, master?" said the lad, with a cunning grin.

"You speak to me again like that, you ugly beggar, and I won't go,"
cried Mark wrathfully. "Think I want all that horrible set-out with the
torches brought up again?"

"I'm off to get the candles ready, Master Mark," said Dummy humbly; and
he hurried down the steep steps to get to the mouth of the mine.

"Wish I'd kicked him," muttered Mark, as soon as he was alone. "I do
feel so raw and cross. I could fight that Ralph Darley and half-kill
him now. Here, let's go and see how miserable all the men are; it'll do
me good."

He hesitated about going, though, for fear of meeting his father; but
feeling that it was cowardly, he went to where the men lay now, found
them asleep, and came out again to go into the dining-room and make a
hasty breakfast; after which he went out, descended the steep steps out
in the side of the rock upon which the castle was perched, glanced up at
it, and thought how strong it was; and then came upon Dummy, waiting
with his candle-box and flint and steel, close by the building where the
blasting-powder was kept.

"Let's take these too, Master Mark," he said, pointing to the coils of
rope which had been brought back from the cave; "we may want 'em."

He set the example by putting one on like a baldric, Mark doing the same
with the other.

"Now for a light," he said, taking out his flint, steel, and tinder-box.

"Well, don't get scattering sparks here," said Mark angrily. "Suppose
any of the powder is lying about, you'll be blowing the place up."

"Not I," said the boy, smiling; "I'm always careful about that