I saw him yesterday, and I am quite sure he will not go away till he tries to do some mischief.

He little knows that there is nothing here to hurt but me." The hermit chuckled as he said this, and resting his gun against the cliff near the entrance to the first cave, which was a small one, he passed on to the next.

Holding the spear in his left hand, he threw a stone violently into the cavern.

Barney and Martin listened and gazed in silent expectation; but they only heard the hollow sound of the falling stone as it dashed against the sides of the cave; then all was still.
"Och, then, he's off," cried Barney.
"Hush," said Martin; "don't speak till he has tried the other cave." Without taking notice of their remarks, the hermit repeated the experiment at the mouths of two caverns further on, with the like result.
"Maybe the spalpeen's hidin' in the little cave where ye laid down yer gun," suggested Barney, going towards the place as he spoke.

"Och, then, come here, friend; sure it must be the mouth of a mine, for there's two o' the beautifulest di'monds I iver--" Barney's speech was cut short by a low peculiar sound, that seemed like the muttering of far-distant thunder.