Part 20 (1/2)
It was soon evident that the old ht The sudden influx of water had rushed to the very lowest bed of the vast mine, and its only ultimate effect was to raise the level of Loch Malcolm a few feet
Coal Toas uninjured, and it was reasonable to hope that no one had perished in the flood of water which had descended to the depths of the mine never yet penetrated by the workmen
Simon and histo the overflow of a subterranean sheet of water penetrating fissures in the solid rock, or to soh its worn bed, and precipitating itself to the lowest level of thethey knehat to think about it, for the local papers published an account of the marvelous pheno neas soon after confir with all possible speed to the cottage, learned with extree was done in New Aberfoyle
The bed of Loch Katrine had fairly given way The waters had suddenly broken through by an enormous fissure into the mine beneath Of Sir Walter Scott's favorite loch there was not left enough to wet the pretty foot of the Lady of the Lake; all that remained was a pond of a few acres at the further extreular eventunheard of that a lake should in the space of a few minutes empty itself, and disappear into the bowels of the earth There was nothing for it but to erase Loch Katrine from the map of Scotland until (by public subscription) it could be refilled, care being of course taken, in the first place, to stop the rent up tight This catastrophe would have been the death of Sir Walter Scott, had he still been in the world
The accident was explicable when it was ascertained that, between the bed of the lake and the vast cavity beneath, the geological strata had beco the weight of water
Now, although to most people this event seemed plainly due to natural causes, yet to James Starr and his friends, Simon and Harry Ford, the question constantly recurred, was it not rather to be attributed to malevolence? Uneasy suspicions continually harassed their enius about to renew his persecution of those who ventured to work this rich e, some days later, James Starr thus discussed the matter with the oldwe must class this circumstance with the others for which we still seek elucidation, although it is no doubt possible to explain it by natural causes”
”I am quite of your mind, Mr Ja about it; let us make all researches ourselves”
”Oh, I know the result of such research beforehand!” cried the engineer
”And ill it be, then?”
”We shall find proofs of malevolence, but not the malefactor”
”But he exists! he is there! Where can he lie concealed? Is it possible to conceive that the le-handed, carry out an idea so infernal as that of bursting through the bed of a lake? I believe I shall end by thinking, like Jack Ryan, that the evil de invaded his domain”
Nell was allowed to hear as little as possible of these discussions
Indeed, she showed no desire to enter into theh it was very evident that she shared in the anxieties of her adopted parents The itation
It was at length resolved that Jaether with Simon and Harry, should return to the scene of the disaster, and endeavor to satisfy themselves as to the cause of it They mentioned their project to no one To those unacquainted with the group of facts on which it was based, the opinion of Starr and his friends could not fail to appear wholly inadmissible
A few days later, the three friends proceeded in a small boat to examine the natural pillars on which had rested the solid earth for the basin of Loch Katrine They discovered that they had been right in suspecting that the
The blackened traces of explosion were to be seen, the waters having subsided below the level of these mysterious operations Thus the fall of a portion of the vast vaulted dome was proved to have been premeditated by man, and by man's hand had it been effected
”It is impossible to doubt it,” said Jaht not have happened had the sea, instead of a little loch, been let in upon us?”
”Youof pride in his belovedless than a sea would have drowned our Aberfoyle But, oncehave in the destruction of our works?”
”It is quite inco perfectly unlike that of a band of co thee the surrounding country The evil deeds of such men would certainly, in the course of three years have betrayed their existence and lurking-places
Neither can it be, as I solers or coiners carried on their illegal practices in soious caverns, and were consequently anxious to drive us out of theoods only to conceal them!
”Yet it is clear that an implacable enemy has sworn the ruin of New Aberfoyle, and that soes him to seek in every possible way to wreak his hatred upon us He appears to be too weak to act openly, and lays his scheence as to render him a most formidable foe
”My friends, he must understand better than we do the secrets of our doilance He , skilled beyond the h of that
”Let me see! Have you never had a personal eneht point? Think well! There is such a thing as hatred which time never softens Go back to recollections of your earliest days What befalls us appears the work of a stern and patient will, and to explain it deht and memory”
Sied in a close and candid survey of his past life Presently, raising his head, ”No,”