There were some rough stone sheds, a stack of oak props, and a rough-looking pump worked by a large water-wheel, which was set in motion by a trough which brought water from the side of the hill, where a tiny stream trickled down.
There was one very large heap of rough stone that looked as if barrows full of broken fragments were always being run along it, and turned over at the end, for the pieces to rattle down the side into the valley; there was a small heap close by, and under a shed there was a man breaking up some dirty wet stuff with a hammer.
That was all that was to see except some troughs to carry off dirty water, and the rough framework and trap-doors over what seemed to be a well.
"Why, Sep," said my father laughing, "how blank you look! Don't you admire the mine ?" "Is--is this a silver mine, father ?" I faltered.
"Yes, my lad, silver-lead.

Doesn't look very attractive, does it ?" I shook my head.
"But is it going to be worth a great deal of money ?" "Yes, my boy; only wait and you'll see.

But I suppose you expected to see a hole in the earth leading down into quite an enchanted cave--eh ?-- a sort of Aladdin's palace, with walls sparkling with native silver ?" "Well, not quite so much as that, father," I replied; "but I did expect to find something different to this." "So do most people when they go to see a mine, Sep, and they are horribly disappointed to find that they have not used their common sense.

They know that if they dig down into the earth to make a well, in twenty feet or so, perhaps less, they come to water; and it has never occurred to them that if they dig down to form a mine, it must naturally be a wet dark muddy hole just like this one upon which you look with so much disgust.

But wait a bit, my boy.