t once, an' I reckon you'll wish
things was different before long. We'll take good care nobody comes this
way too soon."

Then the party filed out of the room, one or two glancing back with
undisguised pity, and as they passed along the drift the place was
wrapped in profound darkness, with nothing to break the silence save
the doomed man's heavy breathing.

Fred waited until believing the would-be murderers were beyond the sound
of his voice, and then he called softly:

"Brace! Brace!"

"Who's there?"

"A breaker boy who came into the mine yesterday."

"Where are you?"

Fred explained to the best of his ability, and added:

"Do you know of any way I can get out of here?"

"No; that part of the mine has been closed a good many years, an' it
would take a week to work up through the old slope. Before then the
water on the lower level is bound to flood this end of the workings."

"And we shall be drowned."

"I don't see any help for it."

"But we can't stay here and be killed!" Fred cried in an agony of fear.

"It's tough, but there's no way out of it unless----"

"What? Speak quickly, for time mustn't be lost if we're to do anything
toward helping ourselves."

"How large a cut is there through the wall where you are standing?"

"It's only a small one--perhaps four or five inches across."

"Couldn't you make it large enough to crawl through?"

"It wouldn't take long if I had a shovel; but without one it will be
hard."

"Set about it, lad; work is better than idleness when a fellow is in
this kind of a scrape."

Fred obeyed instantly, tearing away the earth regardless of the injury
done his hands; but making very slow progress. The wall was composed of
slate and gravel, and a pick would have been necessary to effect a
speedy entrance.

Meanwhile Brace strove to cheer the boy by talking of the possibility
that they might yet escape, and hour after hour Fred continued at the
task until the moment arrived when it was possible, by dint of much
squeezing, to make his way through the aperture.

"Do you think it is near the time when the men are to flood the mine?"
he asked, groping around until his outstretched hands touched Brace's
prostrate body, when he began feverishly to untie the ropes.

"No, lad, we must have half a dozen hours before us."

"Then we are all right!" Fred cried joyfully. "You know the way out, and
Billings' plot can be made known in time to prevent the mischief."

"Don't fool