white scared face. Dick had worked with him; he was
one of the company to which Red George belonged.

"What is it, Saunders?"

"My God! they are lost!" the man replied. "I was at the windlass when
they shouted up to me to go up and fetch them a bottle of rum. They had
just struck it rich, and wanted a drink on the strength of it."

Dick understood at once. Red George and his mates were still in the
bottom of the shaft, ignorant of the danger which was threatening them.

"Come on," he cried; "we shall be in time yet," and at the top of his
speed dashed down the hill, followed by Saunders.

"What is it, what is it?" asked parties of men mounting the hill.

"Red George's gang are still below."

Dick's eyes were fixed on the water. There was a broad band now of
yellow with a white edge down the center of the stony flat, and it
was widening with terrible rapidity. It was scarce ten yards from the
windlass at the top of Red George's shaft when Dick, followed closely by
Saunders, reached it.

"Come up, mates; quick, for your lives! The river is rising; you will be
flooded out directly. Everyone else has gone!"

As he spoke he pulled at the rope by which the bucket was hanging, and
the handles of the windlass flew round rapidly as it descended. When it
had run out Dick and he grasped the handles.

"All right below?"

An answering call came up, and the two began their work, throwing their
whole strength into it. Quickly as the windlass revolved it seemed
an endless time to Dick before the bucket came up, and the first man
stepped out. It was not Red George. Dick had hardly expected it would
be. Red George would be sure to see his two mates up before him, and the
man uttered a cry of alarm as he saw the water, now within a few feet of
the mouth of the shaft.

It was a torrent now, for not only was it coming through the dam, but
it was rushing down in cascades from the new channel. Without a word the
miner placed himself facing Dick, and the moment the bucket was again
down, the three grasped the handles. But quickly as they worked, the
edge of the water was within a few inches of the shaft when the next
man reached the surface; but again the bucket descended before the rope
tightened. However, the water had begun to run over the lip--at first,
in a mere trickle, and then, almost instantaneously, in a cascade, which
grew larger and larger.

The bucket was halfway up when a sound like thunder was heard, the
ground