the hole,"
he heard one of the new-comers say, and recognized the voice as that of
Cale Billings.

"Are you goin' to give up beat!"

"Not much. Inside of an hour we'll have fifty men here, and while the
fools think we are trying to get in by the slope a tunnel can be made
from one of the smaller cuttings."

"What good will that do?"

"If I ain't mistaken we shall come out on the second level where it'll
be no more than child's play to get the best of both crowds."

"But suppose Wright has sent for soldiers? I heard he telegraphed to the
governor."

"We'll be in possession of the mine, an' I reckon they'll be willin' to
make terms with us, for a regiment couldn' drive us out."

"Well, what are you stoppin' here for?"

"I want to see where that boy is. We mustn't lose him yet awhile."

"He's in here."

"An' I reckon he'll stay till we want him," Billings replied with a
laugh, after apparently examining the bolt.

Then the two men passed on, and Sam began his slow task again. Hope was
strong in his breast, for he knew from the conversation that Fred had
succeeded in warning the miners.

He used the small blade, and it wore away so quickly that there could be
no chance it would last to complete the work.

"If I could get a purchase on the door it might be broken open now the
bolt is cut so much," he said, looking around once more.

Near the uprights was an extra piece of joist standing on end as if
forming a portion of the side.

The floor of the cutting was full of irregularities where the slate had
been broken or taken out, and this gave him the opportunity to get the
required purchase.

With one end of the joist pressed firmly against a slight elevation, and
the other on the doors just over the bolt, he clambered up until near
the top, when all his weight and strength were brought into play.

Once, twice, he swayed up and down, and then inch by inch the metal
yielded until the heavy timbers swung outward, and he was free so far as
liberty of movement in the drift was concerned.

At the moment when he emerged there was no one in the passage, and he
hurriedly re-closed the doors that his escape might not be discovered by
those who should pass.

After some difficulty he succeeded in pushing the broken piece of iron
into the sockets in such a manner that a casual observer would hardly
notice anything wrong, and then, extinguishing the light in his cap, he
went swiftly toward the shaft, arriving there