A DISCOVERY
After the first alarm passed away, Fred understood that he had fallen
but a few yards, and the earth which covered him represented only a very
small portion of the upper tunnel's floor.
Scrambling to his feet he fancied for a moment that the sound of
scurrying footsteps could be heard, and while listening, Joe said:
"Hello! Are you hurt?"
"Not a bit."
"Where are you?"
"It seems like a regular cutting, and the air is pure."
"Light your lamp an' look around."
Obeying this command, Fred found his suspicions correct, and so
reported.
"Can you get back?"
"Not unless you pull me up."
"We'll attend to that in a minute."
The rush of air from below had so far checked the gas, now partially
shut off, that the men could also light the lamps in their caps, and
the remainder of the task was quickly accomplished.
With a couple of timbers as braces the aperture to the old mine was
closed securely, and then the attention of the men was turned to the
boy.
"Look out down there!" Bill shouted. "I'm goin' to drop a couple of
joists so's we can come back."
"Let them go."
"Now drag 'em out of the way, an' we'll follow."
When this had been done the men and Sam descended, all completely
mystified by this new discovery.
"Here's somethin' that I reckon Mr. Wright didn't know about," Bill
said, as he surveyed the scene, and then he added with great emphasis as
a sudden thought occurred to him. "Now we can come pretty nigh guessing
what them noises meant. Some one has been tryin' to get into the other
level, an' when a big hole was made Fred put an end to the work by
fallin' through."
This could be told by the mound of earth a short distance away, as well
as by the marks of a pick around the edges of the aperture; but further
proof was found in the shape of a shovel which Sam stumbled over.
"This belongs to the company," he cried, pointing to the brand.
"Yes, an' a blind man can figger who's been here. Cale Billings didn't
leave town as he tried to make folks believe."
"Then let's have him. This cuttin' can't be so long but that we'll get
all over it before sunset," Joe cried, as he wrenched the shovel handle
from the iron work to serve as a weapon.
"I thought I heard somebody running in that direction when I first
fell," Fred said, pointing toward the quarter in which it was reasonable
to suppose the old shaft might be found.
Joe led the way, the others following close behind until, when half a
mile had been traversed, they arrived at two slopes or inclined tunnels,
running at right angles from the level.
"It won't do to pass these," Bill cried. "We'll take one, while the boys
search out the other."
He darted into the right-hand opening as he spoke; but returned before
Joe could join him, saying:
"That was a false cutting. It only runs a dozen yards, an' there's
nothin' in it. Sam, you an' Fred look into the other one while we keep
on."
The idea of coming upon Cale Billings while they were unarmed was not a
pleasant idea for the boys; but they would have braved considerably
greater danger rather than show signs of fear, and both obeyed promptly.
This slope ran at an inclination of nearly forty-five degrees for about
fifty yards when it turned sharply to the right, terminating in a small
chamber where the vein had probably came to an end.
As Sam and Fred entered the place a figure darted from one corner and
attempted to rush past them; but the flight was checked very suddenly.
"Why it's Skip Miller!" Sam cried, as he lowered his lamp that the rays
might fall upon the prisoner's face.
"Yes, it's me," Skip said, piteously. "Please don't drag me off."
[Illustration: "Please don't drag me off," Skip said, piteously. "I'll
never hurt you or anybody else again."]
"How did you come here?"
"With Billings; he made me do jest what he said, an' I didn't dare to
show up in town."
"Why not?"
"'Cause I knew Mr. Wright would have me 'rested on account of pretty
nigh killin' you."
"What?" Fred cried, in surprise. "Then it wasn't an accident?"
Skip literally groveled on the ground in his fear. He understood now
that his share in that business had not been known until he himself
betrayed the fact.
"Don't lug me off," he screamed. "I'd have to go to jail."
"You wouldn't so long as we kept the thing a secret," Fred replied, with
a feeling of mingled pity and contempt because of the abject terror
displayed. "We must take you with us; but needn't tell about your
villainy."
"Then father would just about beat me to death for runnin' away. Why not
let me stay here? I'll never hurt you or anybody else again."
Although Skip had tried to kill them, the boys felt a certain sense of
aversion to dragging him away while he pleaded so piteously, and in
order to gain time in which to think the matter over, Sam said:
"Tell us how you got into the lower level."
In a faltering voice Skip gave a truthful account of all his movements
on that particular day.
"Have you been here ever since?"
"Yes."
"And Billings, too?"
"He went out twice for whisky an' some water."
"What have you been doing?"
"Billings made me dig an' shovel all day, an' most of the night."
"Trying to get into the lower level, eh?"
"Yes, an' when I got played out he pretty near pounded my head off."
"I reckon we heard you yelling. Where is Billings now?"
"He ran ahead of me when the earth began to cave in, an' that's the last
I've seen of him. Say, it won't hurt you a bit to let me stay here, an'
I'll do the square thing if I ever get out of the scrape."
"You'd starve to death."
"I'd rather take the chances of that than go to jail, or let father get
hold of me."
"But what good will it be to stay here?" Fred asked. "Hiding won't mend
matters, and you'll have to come out some time."
"That may be; but I don't want to go now," and once more Skip fell on
his knees in front of those whom he had wronged.
"What do you think about it, Fred?" Sam asked, in a whisper.
"I don't like to yank him out, no matter what he tried to do to me."
"Nor I."
"Then why not let him stay? He'll get punishment enough by hiding here
alone in the darkness with nothing to eat."
"But we shall have to give him a little grub. We can't think he's hungry
when we're got plenty."
"I'll agree to whatever you say."
Sam was silent for a moment, and then turning to the kneeling boy, he
asked:
"Could you find your way out of here?"
"I might if I had a lamp; but the oil has all been burned in mine."
"How long do you count on staying?"
"Jest as many days as I can."
"Well, see here, we're going off, an' leave you to take the dose in your
own way; but it's on the agreement that you try to be a decent fellow
after gettin' out."
"I'll promise anything, an' won't so much as say the name regulators
agin."
"If it's possible, Fred an' I'll bring you some grub; but you mustn't
count on it."
"Don't take any risks," Skip replied, humbly. "I can live on wind a
couple of days if that villain of a Billings don't come back."
"You needn't worry about that. If he went up the drift Bill an' Joe will
most likely nab him. Come, Fred, we mustn't stay any longer, or they'll
think something is wrong."
As the boys turned to go Skip tried to thank them for the mercy shown;
but did not make a great success at it. He had been literally trembling
with fear, and now his gratitude rendered him almost incapable of
speech.
"That's all right, Skip. We'll see whether you mean it or not after you
get out."
"I'll be square as a brick if I ever get through with this scrape," he
replied, and then as the boys turned the angle of the slope he was
hidden from view in the darkness.
"I don't know as we're actin' very sensible," Sam said, slowly, when
they were in the drift once more; "but it's better than draggin' the
poor beggar off to be arrested."
"A good idea, Sam, and I'm sure Skip will be a decent fellow after this.
We must try to get back here to-night with food and oil."
"Unless Joe and Bill keep us at work we'll have plenty of time,
for--hello! Here they come now!"
The two miners could be seen in the distance, or, rather, the light of
their lamps was visible, and when they were within speaking distance,
Fred asked:
"Did you find him?"
"No; we've followed up the drift as far as we dared, an' are now goin'
back to see if any of the day crew know these old works. Where did that
slope lead to?"
"It ends about fifty yards from here."
"Didn't see anything of the villains, eh?"
"Billings isn't there, that's certain," Fred replied after a brief
hesitation.
The men did not appear to notice the equivocal answer, and Bill
suggested that they return to the workings without further delay.
"We'll have a guard set at the shaft, so he can't give us the slip in
that way, an' if any of the boys know these drifts it won't be a long
job to smoke him out."
"He may get off before we can reach the top of the slope," Fred
suggested, hoping by this means to prevent the conversation from
reverting to their long delay.
"Then so much the better, lad," Bill replied, in a tone of satisfaction.
"All we want is to be rid of such trash, an' if he leaves town that's
enough."
If at this moment either of the party had turned it would not have been
difficult to distinguish even in the gloom the form of Cale Billings, as
he followed ready to work further mischief, or escape as might be most
convenient.
Unsuspicious of the nearness of their enemy, the little party continued
on to the hole through which Fred had fallen, and as they clambered up
the joists the leader of the rioters muttered:
"Don't think you can smoke me out so easy. I'll leave my mark on this
mine before bein' run down, or know the reason why."
Neither Sam nor Fred gave so much as a passing thought to the man who
was responsible for all the damage which had been done; they were so
engrossed with the desire to aid Skip without being discovered by those
who might call him to an account for his crime that all else seemed as
trifles.
"I'll tell mother, and she will cook for us what may be needed," Fred
whispered, after they were in the lower level walking rapidly toward the
slope.
"That part of it don't trouble me so much as how we're to come back to
the mine without bein' seen by some of the men," Sam replied, and,
turning sharply Bill asked:
"What are you fellers chinnin' about?"
"There's no harm in talkin', eh?" and Sam assumed an air of impudence
such as the men had never seen before.
"I don't reckon there is, lad; but seein' as how we've hung together so
long, it wasn't strange to ask."
"I didn't mean to be too fresh, Bill," Sam replied, understanding that
he had spoken in a disagreeable manner. "Fred and I were only figuring
about coming back to make sure Billings didn't get into the level while
you were outside."
"That part of it can be fixed easy. Joe shall go to the store while I
see if anybody here knows about the old drift, and with three on guard I
don't reckon he can do much mischief."
"Then you can stay with him while I run home for some provisions," Fred
whispered, and during this conversation Cale Billings was clambering up
the joist which led to the last level.