egs, on which hung a number of wooden tags. Each of these tags,
or checks, had cut into it the initials or private mark of the miner to
whom it belonged. When a miner working in the underground breasts or
chambers filled a car with coal and started it on its way to the slope,
he hung on it one of his checks. When the same car reached the top of
the slope the "check boss" stationed there took the check from it and
hung it in its proper place on the check-board. At the end of
working-hours the number of checks thus hung up for each miner was
counted, and the same number of car-loads of coal credited to him.

Acting on Derrick's suggestion, the boys turned to the check-board, and
quickly saw that there were more checks marked M. T. than anything else.

"Why, Monk Tooley has got the most by three loads!" exclaimed Derrick,
counting them.

"He must have worked all through lunch-hour, and like a mule at that. I
wonder what's got into him?"

"Perhaps he's trying to make up for what Bill won't earn now," suggested
Paul, quietly.

"That's so," said Derrick. "I never thought of that, Polly; and I
haven't thanked you yet for going down into the mine to look for me last
night, or told you what a splendid fellow I think you are."

"Please don't, Derrick," interrupted Paul, with a troubled expression;
"you mustn't thank me for anything I tried to do for you. Don't I owe
you more than anything I can ever do will pay for? Didn't you bring me
out of the burning breaker? and don't I love you more than most anybody
on earth?"

"Well, you're a plucky fellow anyway," said Derrick, "and I'd rather
have you down in the mine if there was any trouble than half of the men
who are there. Let's stop and see how Bill Tooley's getting along on our
way home."

"All right," assented Paul; "only if his mother's there I shall be
almost afraid to go in."

As the boys walked away from the vicinity of the check-board, a man who
had come up the slope but a few minutes before, and had been watching
them unobserved, stepped up to it. He was Job Taskar the blacksmith,
known to the men who met in the chamber at the bottom of the air-shaft,
in the old workings, as Body-master of Raven Brook. The check boss had
asked him to stop there a minute, and look out for any cars that might
come up, while he stepped inside the breaker.

Casting a hurried glance around to see that no one was looking, Job
Taskar slipped three of Monk Tooley's checks from their pe