第6部分(第1/7 页)

ther　and　son　took　their　picks；　their　sticks；　and　their　lamps。 They　went　about　searching；　sounding　the　rock　with　a　sharp　blow；　listening　if　it　would　return　a　favor…able　sound。　So　long　as　the　soundings　had　not　been　pushed　to　the　granite　of　the　primary　formation；　the　Fords　were　agreed　that　the　search；　unsuccessful　to…day；　might　succeed　to…morrow；　and　that　it　ought　to　be　resumed。　They　spent　their　whole　life　in　endeavoring　to　bring　Aberfoyle　back　to　its　former　prosperity。 If　the　father　died　before　the　hour　of　success；　the　son　was　to　go　on　with　the　task　alone。

It　was　during　these　excursions　that　Harry　was　more　particularly　struck　by　certain　phenomena；　which　he　vainly　sought　to　explain。　Several　times；　while　walking　along　some　narrow　cross…alley；　he　seemed　to　hear　sounds　similar　to　those　which　would　be　produced　by　violent　blows　of　a　pickax　against　the　wall。

Harry　hastened　to　seek　the　cause　of　this　mysterious　work。　The　tunnel　was　empty。 The　light　from　the　young　miner's

lamp；　thrown　on　the　wall；　revealed　no　trace　of　any　recent　work　with　pick　or　crowbar。 Harry　would　then　ask　himself　if　it　was　not　the　effect　of　some　acoustic　illusion；　or　some　strange　and　fantastic　echo。　At　other　times；　on　suddenly　throwing　a　bright　light　into　a　suspicious…looking　cleft　in　the　rock；　he　thought　he　saw　a　shadow。　He　rushed　forward。 Nothing；　and　there　was　no　opening　to　permit　a　human　being　to　evade　his　pursuit！

Twice　in　one　month；　Harry；　whilst　visiting　the　west　end　of　the　pit；　distinctly　heard　distant　reports；　as　if　some　miner　had　exploded　a　charge　of　dynamite。 The　second　time；　after　many　careful　researches；　he　found　that　a　pillar　had　just　been　blown　up。

By　the　light　of　his　lamp；　Harry　carefully　examined　the　place　attacked　by　the　explosion。 It　had　not　been