quite as valuable as a gold-mine. Naturally, it was to my interest to buy their

land before they discovered its true value, but unfortunately I had no capital

by which I could do this. I took a few of my friends into the secret, however,

and they suggested that we should quietly and secretly work our own little

deposit and that in this way we should earn the money which would enable us to

buy the neighbouring fields. This we have now been doing for some time, and in

order to help us in our operations we erected a hydraulic press. This press, as

I have already explained, has got out of order, and we wish your advice upon

the subject. We guard our secret very jealously, however, and if it once became

known that we had hydraulic engineers coming to our little house, it would soon

rouse inquiry, and then, if the facts came out, it would be good-bye to any

chance of getting these fields and carrying out our plans. That is why I have

made you promise me that you will not tell a human being that you are going to

Eyford to-night. I hope that I make it all plain?’


“‘I quite follow you,’ said I. ‘The only point

which I could not quite understand was what use you could make of a hydraulic

press in excavating fuller’s-earth, which, as I understand, is dug out

like gravel from a pit.’


“‘Ah!’ said he carelessly, ‘we have our own

process. We compress the earth into bricks, so as to remove them without

revealing what they are. But that is a mere detail. I have taken you fully into

my confidence now, Mr. Hatherley, and I have shown you how I trust you.’

He rose as he spoke. ‘I shall expect you, then, at Eyford at

11:15.’


“‘I shall certainly be there.’


“‘And not a word to a soul.’ He looked at me with a

last long, questioning gaze, and then, pressing my hand in a cold, dank grasp,

he hurried from the room.


“Well, when I came to think it all over in cool blood I was very much