disappeared on the same day, an'
that looks suspicious to me, though Mr. Wright won't listen to anything
of the kind."

"It's a big satisfaction to know they have left," Fred added, "and we
have gotten rid of them cheaply. Do you know where they went?"

"Out of the village somewhere; Harvey saw them walking up the track."

"Then we can reckon that there'll be no more mischief done for a while.
Come on, Fred, let's get down the slope."

The boys left the breaker without noticing that Chunky was trying to
attract their attention, and were soon in the lower level making a
systematic search.

Shoveling over the loose dirt along the track, they continued on until
the cutting which had so nearly been a grave for Fred was passed, and
then Sam said as he halted:

"It's no use to hunt here. It couldn't have got up this way."

"The draught may have carried it quite a distance."

"There isn't air enough stirrin' to move it a foot; but it won't do much
harm to look."

They were nearly at the chamber where Sam was taken prisoner before Fred
abandoned the hunt, and as he turned to retrace his steps both came to a
sudden halt.

As if from beneath their feet arose a muffled cry of distress.

The boys looked at each other in alarm, and as they stood motionless the
mysterious sound was repeated.

"What can it mean?" Fred asked in a whisper.

"That's more'n I can tell. There's no drift below this."

"That was surely a human being, and in trouble of some kind."

"Perhaps the cry comes from the end of the drift which has been
closed."

"It sounds under the ground right here," and Fred stamped with his foot
just as the noise was heard for the third time.

"There's no question about it's being a man. Come on; let's bring some
of the miners to help find him."

The boys ran down the drift at full speed, and half an hour later
returned with two of the miners.

"It was right here that we heard it," Sam said, as he pointed to the
shovels they had left behind, in order to mark the spot.

The party listened intently, but no sound save their own breathing could
be distinguished.

"I thought you'd been frightened about nothing," one of the miners said
with a laugh. "You might as well tell us the mine was haunted as to give
out such a yarn. I'll guarantee that nothin' larger'n a mouse could hide
here."

"But we surely heard a cry," Fred insisted.

"And it seemed to come from beneath our feet."

"Nonsense. It's foolish to