" asked Will directly.

"No one," was the reply. "Why do you ask?"

"Because," Will answered, "there's some one skulking off down that
passage, and it looks to me like that bum detective!"

CHAPTER V

THE FLOODED MINE

"What makes you think it's Ventner?" asked the caretaker. "Did you see
his face? I don't think he is here."

"I didn't see his face," answered Will, "but I saw the shape of his
shoulders and the hang-dog look of him."

"You're prejudiced against Ventner," laughed Canfield.

"I admit it!" replied Will. "He looks to me like a snake in the grass. I
don't think anything he could do would look good to me."

"Now," Canfield said, "perhaps we'd better be mapping out a plan of
campaign. Here are three gangways leading in three different directions.
We'll leave one of the lights burning at the shaft, then we'll each take
a light and proceed into the interior, making as much noise as we
conveniently can, and flashing the light into all the chambers and cross
headings we come to."

"How long are these gangways?" asked Will.

"Somewhere near a half a mile straight ahead!" was the answer.

The caretaker went away swinging his electric searchlight, and Will and
George pushed forward in their respective passages.

After proceeding a short distance, George heard Will calling to him.

"There's some one just ahead of me in the gangway!" Will declared. "I
think we ought to go together!"

"Do you think it's that bum detective?" asked George.

"I certainly do!"

"Well, we can go together if you like," George said. "We can't cover
quite as much ground in that way, but I guess we can accomplish more in
the long run!"

The boys had proceeded only a short distance when they heard Canfield
calling to them. A moment later they heard the caretaker's steps ringing
on the hard floor of the gangway down which they were advancing. He came
up to them panting, in a moment.

"There's something mighty queer about this mine," the caretaker
declared. "It was punk dry only two days ago, and now there are four or
five feet of water where the gangway I started to follow dips down.

"And look there!" Will exclaimed holding his light aloft and pointing,
"you can see plenty of water ahead! I guess all the gangways are taking
a washing, and the water seems to be rising, too!"

"Is there any way by which the mine could be intentionally flooded?"
asked George. "There may be some one planning trouble for the owners."