They discovered that they had been right
in suspecting that the massive columns had been undermined by blasting.
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 James Starr; "and who can say
what might not have happened had the sea, instead of a little loch,
been let in upon us?"
"You may well say that," cried the old overman, with a feeling of pride
in his beloved mine; "for nothing less than a sea would have drowned
our Aberfoyle. But, once more, what possible interest could any human
being have in the destruction of our works?"
"It is quite incomprehensible," replied James Starr. "This case is
something perfectly unlike that of a band of common criminals, who,
concealing themselves in dens and caves, go forth to rob and pillage
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 sometimes used to think,
that smugglers or coiners carried on their illegal practices
in some distant and unknown corner of these prodigious caverns,
and were consequently anxious to drive us out of them.
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