I begin to
believe Billings has given up his thoughts of revenge. The only strange
thing is that Miller's boy has disappeared, and his father can think of
no reason why he should run away."

"Farley's won't be the loser if he never comes back," Joe replied. "That
boy is a bad one, an' it wouldn't take much to make me believe he an'
Billings are firm friends."

"There is no necessity of talking about him; we are not afraid of boys.
The question is whether we are warranted in guarding the lower level
much longer."

"That's for you to say, sir. We had rather be at our regular work."

"Well, we'll try it a day or two more. Perhaps you'd better break
through into the old drift, and then we shall know whether it is
possible for evil-disposed persons to find a hiding place there."

This closed the interview so far as Mr. Wright was concerned, and on his
leaving the house the others discussed the work to be done the following
day; but Skip Miller's disappearance had little place in the
conversation.

Bill mourned the loss of the plan, which was supposed to be the only
guide to the old mine, but Joe did not think it was of such very great
importance.

"All we care to know is whether the air's foul, an', of course, the best
way is to finish the tunnel which came so near finishin' us. That work
can be done without any guide."

"But we may want to follow up the drift, which will be a long job if we
have to go on blindly."

"There's no use fussin' over what can't be helped. The paper got
trampled into the dirt, most likely, otherwise them as have been lookin'
would 'a found it before this."

"I don't feel like givin' over the search so easy; s'pose we four have a
reg'lar hunt in the morning?"

"Sam and I will go now," Fred said. "We shall feel better for a little
exercise after being cooped up in the house so long."

"Very well. Take a turn at it this afternoon, an' if you don't succeed
Joe an' I'll try to-night."

The boys set off without delay, but they were a long while reaching the
slope, for every person on the street thought it necessary to
congratulate them upon having escaped a terrible death, and at the
breaker Donovan delayed the search by making minute inquiries as to the
condition of affairs in the drift just prior to the accident.

"Any one would think from all these questions that you believed somebody
was responsible for the trouble," Sam said with a laugh.

"P'rhaps I do. Billings an' Skip Miller