and then thought we had gone down."

"Sets one thinking of being lost and his coming after us," said Joe,
slowly. "Well, he can't lose his way."

"But how do you know he went down, Sam?" asked Gwyn, as they approached
the mine.

"Harry Vores heerd him."

"What, barking?"

"'Owlin'."

"Oh, at the bottom of the shaft. Dull because no one was down. Then
why did you suggest that there was an accident? You gave me quite a
turn."

"'Cause there was an accident, sir," said Hardock, quietly; and he led
the way into the great shed over the pit mouth, where all was very
still.

Gwyn saw at a glance that something serious had happened to the dog,
which was lying on a roughly-made bed composed of a miner's flannel coat
placed on the floor, beside which Harry Vores was kneeling; and as soon
as the dog heard steps he raised his head, turned his eyes pitifully
upon his master, and uttered a doleful howl.

"Why, Grip, old chap, what have you been doing?" cried Gwyn, excitedly.

"Don't torment him, sir," said Vores; "he's badly hurt."

"Where? Oh, Grip! Grip!" cried Gwyn, as he laid his hand on the dog's
head, while the poor beast whined dolefully, and made an effort to lick
the hand that caressed him, as he gazed up at his master as if asking
for sympathy and help.

"Both his fore-legs are broken, sir, and I'm afraid he's got nipped
across the loins as well."

"Nay, nay, nay, Harry," growled Hardock; "not him. If he had been he
wouldn't have yowled till you heerd him."

"Nipped?" said Gwyn. "Then it wasn't a fall?"

"Nay, sir; Harry Vores and me thinks he must ha' missed you, and thought
you'd gone down the mine, and waited his chance and jumped on to the
up-and-down to go down himself."

"Oh, but the dog wouldn't have had sense enough to do that."

"I dunno, sir. Grip's got a wonderful lot o' sense of his own! 'Member
how he found you two young gents in the mine! Well, he's seen how the
men step on and off the up-and-down, and he'd know how to do it. He
must, you know."

"But some of the men would know," said Gwyn.

"Dessay they do, sir, but they're all off work now, and we don't know
who did. Well, he must have had a hunt for you, and not smelling you,
come back to the foot o' the shaft, and began to mount last thing, till
he were close to the top, and then made a slip and got nipped. That's
how we think it was--eh, Harry?"

"Yes, sir; that's all I can make of it," said Vores. "I was coming