Mike Corcoran that went out. Is Conway back
yet?"

"He is!" exclaimed Ralph, "he is just a-comin'. I'll tell 'im to
hurry."

Another blazing stick fell as the lad darted out from among the men
and ran toward the foot of the plane.

"Come back, Ralph!" shouted some one, "come back; ye've no time; the
carriage is here!"

"Hold it a minute!" answered the boy, "just a minute; I'll see 'im on
the plane."

The carriage struck the floor of the mine heavily and threw a shower
of blazing fragments from its iron roof. At the same moment a man
appeared from a lower entrance and hurried toward the group.

"It's Conway!" cried some one; "he's come across by the sump. Ralph!
ho, Ralph!"

"Why, where's Ralph?" asked Conway, as he crowded on to the carriage.

"Gone to the plane to warn ye," was the answer."

"Wait the hoisting bell, then, till I get 'im."

But the carriage was already moving slowly upward.

"You can't do it!" shouted some one.

"Then I'll stay with 'im!" cried Conway, trying to push his way off.
"Ralph, oh, Ralph!"

But the man was held to his place by strong arms, and the next moment
the smoking, burning carriage was speeding up the shaft for the last
time.

Ralph reached the foot of the plane and looked up it, but he saw no
light in the darkness there. Before he had time to think what he
should do next, he heard a shout from the direction of the shaft:--

"Ralph! oh, Ralph!"

It was Conway's voice. He recognized it. He had often heard that voice
coming from the breast of Mike's chamber, in kindly greeting.

Quick as thought he turned on his heel and started back. He flew
around the curve like a shadow.

"Wait!" he cried, "wait a minute; I'm a-comin'!"

At the foot of the shaft there was a pile of blazing sticks, but there
was no carriage there, nor were there any men. He stumbled into the
very flames in his eagerness, and called wildly up the dark opening:

"Wait! come back! oh, wait!"

But the whirring, thumping noise of a falling body was the only answer
that came to him, and he darted back in time to escape destruction
from a huge flaming piece of timber that struck the floor of the mine
with a great noise, and sent out a perfect shower of sparks.

But they might send the carriage down again if he rang for it.

He ran across and seized the handle of the bell wire and pulled it
with all his might. The wire gave way somewhere above him and came
coiling down upon his head. He threw it