nging
over what appeared to be a deep hole, to be dropped with a suddenness
and force which, for the time being, deprived him of consciousness.

While he lay at the bottom of the shaft the regulators placed the
parcels taken from the store, in such a manner as to make it appear that
he had fallen in by accident, and when this had been done they went
swiftly toward the settlement, regardless of whether their victim lived
or died.

CHAPTER III

IN THE SHAFT

Mrs. Byram had no suspicion that her son might be exposed to any danger
until after he had been absent an hour, and then the remembrance of the
threats made by Skip Miller and his friends caused her the deepest
anxiety. Fred would not have staid at the store longer than was
absolutely necessary, and the fear of foul play had hardly gained
possession of her mind before she was on her way to search for him.

The company's clerk had but just finished explaining that the new
breaker boy left there with his purchases some time previous, when
Donovan entered in time to hear the widow say:

"I do not understand why he should remain away so long, for he must know
I would be troubled concerning him."

"Didn't your boy stay in the house after I left him at the gate, Mrs.
Byram?" the breaker boss asked.

Mrs. Byram explained why Fred ventured out, and the man appeared to be
disturbed in mind.

"This is just the time when he oughter kept his nose inside. Them young
ruffians are likely to do any mischief."

"Then you believe something serious has happened."

"I didn't say quite that; but it won't do much harm to have a look for
him. You go home, an' I'll call there in an hour." Then turning to some
of the loungers, he asked, "Has anybody seen Skip Miller lately?"

"You're allers tryin' to make out that he's at the bottom of everything
that goes wrong," Skip's father, who entered at this moment, said in a
surly tone.

"If he ain't, it's not for lack of willingness. Do you know where he
is?"

"Home, where he's been for an hour or more."

Donovan looked hard at the speaker, and Miller retorted:

"If you don't believe me, it won't take long to find out for yourself."

"That's exactly what I'm going to do. Mrs. Byram, I will see you again
in less than an hour."

With these words the breaker boss left the store, and Fred's mother
walked slowly home, the anxiety in her heart growing more intense each
moment.

Two hours passed before Donovan returned and