though Skip had tried to kill them, the boys felt a certain sense of
aversion to dragging him away while he pleaded so piteously, and in
order to gain time in which to think the matter over, Sam said:

"Tell us how you got into the lower level."

In a faltering voice Skip gave a truthful account of all his movements
on that particular day.

"Have you been here ever since?"

"Yes."

"And Billings, too?"

"He went out twice for whisky an' some water."

"What have you been doing?"

"Billings made me dig an' shovel all day, an' most of the night."

"Trying to get into the lower level, eh?"

"Yes, an' when I got played out he pretty near pounded my head off."

"I reckon we heard you yelling. Where is Billings now?"

"He ran ahead of me when the earth began to cave in, an' that's the last
I've seen of him. Say, it won't hurt you a bit to let me stay here, an'
I'll do the square thing if I ever get out of the scrape."

"You'd starve to death."

"I'd rather take the chances of that than go to jail, or let father get
hold of me."

"But what good will it be to stay here?" Fred asked. "Hiding won't mend
matters, and you'll have to come out some time."

"That may be; but I don't want to go now," and once more Skip fell on
his knees in front of those whom he had wronged.

"What do you think about it, Fred?" Sam asked, in a whisper.

"I don't like to yank him out, no matter what he tried to do to me."

"Nor I."

"Then why not let him stay? He'll get punishment enough by hiding here
alone in the darkness with nothing to eat."

"But we shall have to give him a little grub. We can't think he's hungry
when we're got plenty."

"I'll agree to whatever you say."

Sam was silent for a moment, and then turning to the kneeling boy, he
asked:

"Could you find your way out of here?"

"I might if I had a lamp; but the oil has all been burned in mine."

"How long do you count on staying?"

"Jest as many days as I can."

"Well, see here, we're going off, an' leave you to take the dose in your
own way; but it's on the agreement that you try to be a decent fellow
after gettin' out."

"I'll promise anything, an' won't so much as say the name regulators
agin."

"If it's possible, Fred an' I'll bring you some grub; but you mustn't
count on it."

"Don't take any risks," Skip replied, humbly. "I can live on wind a
couple of days if that villain of a Billings don't come back."

"You needn't worry about that. If he