en the regulators halted for the second time.

The wrappings were removed from his head, and as nearly as the prisoner
could tell he was some distance from the breaker; at the mouth of what
appeared to be an abandoned shaft.

"Now, look here," Skip Miller said, as he stood before his prisoner.
"You've taken it into your head that us reg'lators don't 'mount to
nothin'; but by to-morrer mornin' you'll think different. What we say we
mean an' don't you forget it. If you'd been man enough to do like every
other feller it would 'a been all right; but instead of that you go
babyin' to old Donovan, an' we don't 'low sich funny business."

"What are you going to do now?"

"Show what the reg'lators 'mount to. When you come out of this I reckon
you'll be willin' to pay up like a man, an' join us."

"It will have to be a pretty stiff dose to make me do anything of the
kind," Fred said, angrily.

"That's jest what this is goin' to be. We're lettin' you off of a
poundin' so's to show what can be done, an' if you say so much as a
word to old Donovan we'll pretty near kill you."

"I shall talk to whoever I please."

"Not after you come out of this. Don't think we'll allers let you off so
cheap, an' at the first show of tellin' what's been done to-night we'll
give you another lesson."

Fred realized that it was useless to bandy words with those who held him
so completely in their power, and understanding also that he could do
nothing to better his condition, held his peace.

Skip showed himself to be an adept in the business of subduing
refractory breaker boys, by giving his orders promptly, and in such a
manner as would soonest accomplish the work. Under his energetic
directions Fred's hands were soon tied behind his back, a gag was
fastened in his mouth, and the rope placed under his arms.

"Now raise him up, an' you needn't be careful about lettin' him drop.
The sooner he gets to the bottom the quicker we can go back to the
store. Put the bundles near the mouth of the shaft, an' in a couple of
days somebody will find him."

"It'll go rough with us if he tells who left him here," one of the party
suggested.

"There's no danger of that. Before he gets out he'll know what it means
to fool with us."

Fred remained passive. He could not believe these boys would dare to do
anything very serious. And to attempt resistance would accomplish no
possible good.

"Raise him up!" Skip shouted, and in another instant Fred was ha