as his word, but he
still lingered, casting about helplessly for an excuse, a hope of escape.

'Blast you, won't you speak?'

Dick felt the knife cut into the rope above his head, and shrieked aloud
in a paroxysm of terror.

'Stop, stop! I'll tell!'

'Tell then, an' be quick. That's one strand o' the rope gone; there's two
more. Speak!' He raised the knife threateningly.

'It's under that big flat stone near the spring in the Gaol Quarry.' The
lie came almost involuntarily from the boy's lips in instantaneous
response to a new impulse. But he was doomed to disappointment.

'Good!' ejaculated the man. 'Now, you go with me. I don't trust you;
you're too smart a kid to be trusted.' As he spoke he twisted the gag
into Dick's mouth again. 'No,' he cried with a sudden change of
intention, 'you'll stay where you are. You're safe enough here. While I'm
away think o' what's below you there, an' pray yer hardest in case you've
lied to me, because if you have you're done fer. I'll kill you, s'elp me
God, I will!'

Rogers took a bee line through the scrub in the direction of the quarry,
leaving Dick hanging over the open shaft. The Gaol Quarry was not more
than half a mile off, and Rogers ran the whole of the distance. He made
his way clumsily down the rocky side from the hill, falling heavily from
half the height and bruising himself badly, but paying no attention to
his injuries in the anxiety of the moment. He found the big flat stone
after a minute's search, and succeeded in turning it only after exerting
his great strength to the utmost. There was nothing underneath. Yes,
there was something; a snake hissed at him in the darkness and slid away
amongst the broken rock. Rogers fell upon his knees and groped about
blindly, but the ground was hard. There was no sign of the gold anywhere,
and not another stone in the quarry that answered to the boy's
description. Possessed with a stupid blundering fury against Dick, Rogers
turned back towards the Piper. He breathed horrible blasphemies as he
ran, and struck at the scrub in his insensate rage. He was a man of
fierce passions, and meant murder during those first few minutes-swift
and ruthless. He reached the Piper breathless from his exertions and wild
with passion. He did not even pause to resume his disguise, but ran to
the shaft, cursing as he went. There he stopped like a man shot, his
figure stiffened, his arms thrown out straight before him; his eyes, wide
and full of t