of
the train, which came faintly down the valley. There was no smoke, but
Daly would put out his fire when it got light. Crossing the wet snow
noiselessly, he made for the shack and when he reached it beckoned to
Pete.

"Stay here for about ten minutes, and then if I'm not back, you had
better come in," he said. "If anybody runs out, don't let him pass."

Pete's nod showed he understood and Foster, moving forward quietly,
stopped again for a moment at the mouth of the adit. Pete had
vanished, but could be trusted to watch the mine as a terrier watches a
rat-hole, and Foster knew that if he were attacked and overcome his
assailant would not escape. A gray sky hung over the black tops of the
firs and the wet snow threw up a curious livid light. It was an
unpleasant raw morning, and Foster felt half daunted.

The adit was dark; he was embarking on a rash adventure, and wondered
with some misgivings what would happen before he came out again. He
heard nothing, and it was rather curious that he could not smell smoke,
but bracing himself he stooped and crept into the dark hole.

The floor sloped, following the inclination of the strata, and seemed
to be strewn with fallen stones, but he had put on rubber shoes and
made very little noise. He did not want to warn Daly that his
hiding-place had been discovered, until he was near enough to explain
that he had nothing to do with the police. There would not be much
danger when the fellow knew who he was and that the mine was watched,
but he wanted to get as close as possible before alarming him. Daly,
no doubt, carried a pistol.

Stopping for a moment, he raised his head incautiously and smothered an
exclamation when he struck it against the roof. He could hear water
dripping somewhere below and the slope felt steep. It was nervous work
creeping down hill in the dark, and there was, perhaps, a risk of his
falling into a pit. When he dislodged a stone that rattled he held his
breath as he listened. He heard nothing, and set his lips as he
overcame an impulse to turn back. If Daly had heard the stone, he was
probably waiting for him with his finger on the trigger.

For all that, Foster went on, feeling for the rough wall, until he
struck his foot against a big stone and losing his balance staggered
and fell. He made a noise that echoed through the adit and, worse than
all, the pistol shot out of his hand. He felt for but could not find
it, and for a few momen