r masses of rock, and Jimmy had a narrow escape
from being crushed.

"Yes," added Ned, hastily, "better leave that alone for the present,
Jimmy. For every pound you take away three will drop down, because you
can see how the shock has loosened everything above you."

"But my stars! we ain't goin' to stand for being sealed up here like a
lot of old mummies, are we?" gasped Jimmy. "Why, whatever would we do
for grub; and then a feller wants to have a fresh drink every once in a
while? Ned, we've just _got_ to break out of this!"

"You bet we do!" added Frank, who did not like the bitter prospect any
more than the one who was putting up such a savage protest.

"Tell me, how you're going to do it then," said Teddy.

Neither of the scouts answered. The fact of the matter was that while
they were so vehement in their declaration not to stand, they did not
have the least idea how the trouble might be remedied.

As usually happened, it became more and more evident that they must
depend on Ned to lead them out of the wilderness. Instead of talking he
had been doing some hard thinking; and was now able to suggest a plan.

"I don't know whether there can be anything in it boys," Ned started in
to say, "but it seems queer that they should shut their companions up in
here with us, if there wasn't some other means for escaping. Our plan
then is to hurry back, and try to get in touch with that giant and his
bunch. By now they'll have taken warning, and be hustling for the open
air."

"Whee! then we'd better be on the jump," Jimmy jerked out.

All of them saw the necessity for prompt action. Now that Ned had
suggested such a possibility they could understand how it might be just
as he said. And if those toilers were already making in hot haste for
the second exit, the sooner the scouts got close in touch with them the
better.

They had already been over this ground two times, so that they should
know it fairly by now. Every fellow had his electric light in service,
gripping it in one hand, while his gun was held in the other.

In this fashion, then, they reached the bend around which they had
peered at the trio of industrious "salt" workers.

All was as black as a pocket there now.

"Why, they're gone!" burst out Jimmy, just as though he had an idea the
miners, after hearing the horrible crash of the explosion, would be kind
enough to linger there, so as to show the intruders the back door of the
mine.

"Keep right on