he detective now moved farther along the cross-cutting and attacked a
column of mingled rock and coal which helped to support the roof.

"The blithering idiot is going to try that trick again!" exclaimed Dick.
"He'll have the whole mine down on our heads if he doesn't stop that
business. He's always cutting down pillars."

"Just say the word," declared Tommy, "and I'll go stop him!"

"Let him go his own gait," replied Dick. "We'll manage to keep out of
the way of the falls, and he can run his own chances."

Presently they saw the detective take something which resembled a stick
of dynamite from a pocket and begin the work of setting it into the
pillar. The boys moved hastily back.

"Now what do you think of that for a fool?" exclaimed Dick. "He'll have
the whole mine down on our heads some day, just as sure as he's a foot
high! I hope he'll be broken in two when the fall comes."

The boys stood some distance away watching the detective as he awkwardly
manipulated the stick of dynamite.

CHAPTER XVI

CAUSED BY A FALL

In the meantime Sandy, Elmer and Jimmie, reaching the old tool house,
found Will and George very wide awake and doing the most extraordinary
stunts of cooking.

"You said that your friends would be hungry," laughed Will, "and so
we're preparing to feed them up fine. After that, you know, you've got
to go on and tell us why we were sent down here without any real
information as to the work we were to do."

"Where did you leave Tommy and Dick?" asked George.

"They went back to see what the detective was up to."

"So he's in the mine again, is he?"

"Yes," replied Sandy, "and if I had my way about it, he'd go out so
quick that he'd think he'd struck a barrel of dynamite."

"If he keeps fooling with dynamite, he's likely to do that anyhow,"
Elmer cut in. "The boys say that he uses dynamite in the search of the
mine he is making. He doesn't know how to use it, either!"

"Then he's got to be fired out of the mine!" declared Will. "We can't
have him around here carrying dynamite in his clothes, and dropping it
on the ground. You might as well give a baby a box of matches and a
hammer to play with. Some day there'll be an explosion."

"Aw, leave him alone for a few days!" Jimmie advised. "He's doing us a
lot of good just now, and we don't want to lose his help."

"His help?" repeated Will.

"He's bully help!" shouted George, with fine sarcasm.

"I guess I'll have to tell you about t