Chapter 9

CHAPTER IX THE FIRE-MAIDENS

A WEEK after the events just related had taken place, James Starr's
friends had become very anxious. The engineer had disappeared,
and no reason could be brought forward to explain his absence.
They learnt, by questioning his servant, that he had embarked
at Granton Pier. But from that time there were no traces
of James Starr. Simon Ford's letter had requested secrecy,
and he had said nothing of his departure for the Aberfoyle mines.

Therefore in Edinburgh nothing was talked of but the unaccountable
absence of the engineer. Sir W. Elphiston, the President
of the Royal Institution, communicated to his colleagues
a letter which James Starr had sent him, excusing himself
from being present at the next meeting of the society.
Two or three others produced similar letters. But

though these documents proved that Starr had left Edinburgh--
which was known before--they threw no light on what had become
of him. Now, on the part of such a man, this prolonged absence,
so contrary to his usual habits, naturally first caused surprise,
and then anxiety.

A notice was inserted in the principal newspapers of the United Kingdom
relative to the engineer James Starr, giving a description
of him and the date on which he left Edinburgh; nothing more
could be done but to wait. The time passed in great anxiety.
The scientific world of England was inclined to believe that one
of its most distinguished members had positively disappeared.
At the same time, when so many people were thinking about
James Starr, Harry Ford was the subject of no less anxiety.
Only, instead of occupying public attention, the son of the old
overman was the cause of trouble alone to the generally cheerful
mind of Jack Ryan.

It may be remembered that, in their encounter in the Yarrow shaft,
Jack Ryan had invited Harry to come a week afterwards to the festivities
at Irvine. Harry had accepted and promised expressly to be there.
Jack Ryan knew, having had it proved by many circumstances,
that his friend was a man of his word. With him, a thing promised was
a thing done. Now, at the Irvine merry-making, nothing was wanting;
neither song, nor dance, nor fun of any sort--nothing but Harry Ford.

The notice relative to James Starr, published in the papers,
had not yet been seen by Ryan. The honest fellow was therefore
only worried by Harry's absence, telling himself that something
serious could alone have prevented him from keeping his promise.
So, the day after the Irvine games, Jack Ryan intended to take the railway
from Glasgow and go to the Dochart pit; and this he would have done
had he not been detained by an accident which nearly cost him his life.
Something which occurred on the