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