and Joe took their places in
the box-like vehicle. "We're willin' to go alone, if you'll stay
behind."

"No man shall encounter dangers from which I shrink. Lower away slowly,
boys," he added to those who were fastening a rope to the car, "and keep
a sharp look-out for our signals."

"An' it was his house my Jim helped try to burn!" the woman who had
spoken before said in a whisper.

"Make haste," Mr. Wright cried, impatiently. "Remember that every second
is precious."

The miners crowded around the car to shake its brave occupants by the
hand as if they were never to return, and it was absolutely necessary to
push them away in order that the terrible journey might be begun.

With their safety lamps held so that the condition of the air might be
ascertained at each stage of the descent, the men slowly disappeared
from view, and at the mouth of the slope the crowd surged to and fro in
painful suspense; but not a sound could be heard, save as some wife or
mother gave vent to a sob of distress.

CHAPTER XVII

DOWN THE SLOPE

During the time that Billings was making his preparations for the last
act of his life, Sam and Fred remained seated a short distance from the
cut which led to Skip's hiding place.

Both were listening intently for the first sound which should betoken
the coming of the miners, and the falling earth which was displaced by
Billings' feet as he worked in the cutting attracted their attention.

"There's some one in the tunnel we made," Sam whispered. "Let's creep up
and find out who it is."

"That won't do, for there's no chance Billings would come back if he
once got out, and we should arouse suspicions."

Despite this warning Sam advanced a short distance, and on becoming
convinced that the tunnel really had an occupant rejoined Fred, as he
whispered:

"We'd better sneak further along. I reckon somebody is on guard up
there, and we musn't be seen so far down."

He had held the shovel during this excursion, and still retained it as
they walked noiselessly along the drift until arriving at the mouth of
the short slope.

Here the two halted at the moment when the confined gas, ignited by the
open lamp, burst its bonds, and the shock sent them headlong up the
incline.

Huge masses of earth were detached on every hand, except directly in the
narrow way leading to Skip's hiding place, and on scrambling to their
feet a solid wall shut them out from the drift.

"What was that?" F