ld in his hand, and a trail of dust rose
behind him.

Out of the village and into the country the lame horse bore the
fugitive. Not far from Fardale was a big stone quarry, and, by chance,
the man had selected the road which skirted the jagged hole in the
ground.

His pursuers were gaining on him, and he continued to use the knife
mercilessly as the horse bore him along the road past the quarry.

Of a sudden a large dog bounded into the road in front of the man in
black, and the horse which the man bestrode gave a snort and whirled
sideways, coming with a crash against the rail which ran along by the
roadside.

At that point the rail was somewhat rotten, and a shriek of horror
broke from the man's lips as he saw it break. He made one desperate
effort to spring from the saddle and escape going down into the quarry
with the horse, but the pursuers were dismayed to see man and beast
disappear into the yawning hole.

"He won't get away to-day, my boy," said the man in the foremost
carriage, at whose side was Frank. "We'll find him down at the bottom
of the quarry, dead as a flounder."

Finding a place to hitch the horse at the side of the road, the man did
so, and they went forward together, while the other pursuers kept
coming up.

Reaching the point where the man and horse had fallen into the quarry,
they looked down.

Amid the jagged rocks far below were two motionless forms.

"Come," said the man; "we'll go down there by the regular road."

They passed round the quarry till they found a road that wound downward
till it reached the bottom. By this road they descended, with scores
of others at their heels.

When they came to the man and the horse, great was their astonishment
to hear the man moaning and to see him open his eyes and look at them.

"Why, the critter an't dead yet!" exclaimed the constable. "I think
it's my sollum duty to arrest him on the spot."

Frank quickly knelt by the side of the mysterious man, who faintly
whispered:

"So I didn't kill you, boy. Well, I have crimes enough to answer for.
The ring is here in my vest pocket. Take it. It will never do me any
good now."

Frank quickly extracted the ring from the man's pocket, and slipped it
upon his finger.

"I am dying," murmured the man.

"Perhaps not. We'll have you taken back to town, and see what a doctor
can do for you."

"No use; I wouldn't live to get there. My time has come. The hidden
mine will never reveal it