and only served to quicken his pace.

Minute after minute passed; no shot was fired, his breath came in quick
gasps, and it seemed impossible to continue the flight many seconds
longer. The pursuers were now within a few yards, and nothing could be
seen ahead. Whether the lower level was close at hand or a mile away he
could not decide; but in his despair he shouted for help.

"Pick up some chunks of slate an' see if you can't hit him. At this rate
we shall soon have to turn back."

One of the men stopped long enough to gather an armful of fragments, and
as he continued the pursuit threw them with murderous intent at the
fugitive.

Two passed very near the almost exhausted boy's head; but none inflicted
any injury, and he shouted again and again for those who were working at
the pumps.

At the very moment when Fred lost all hope a tiny ray of light appeared
from out the gloom, and he cried for help once more; then fell headlong
to the ground.

When he next realized anything he was surrounded by miners, who had
evidently been running, and one asked, impatiently:

"Can you tell us what happened, lad, an' how them sneaks managed to get
in here?"

"Have they gone back?"

"Indeed they have; we chased them the matter of half a mile, an' then
concluded it was time we got the story from you, for it might not have
been safe to pass the first drift."

In a few words Fred told his story, adding as it was ended:

"There is a big crowd of them, and all hands are bent on flooding the
mine."

"We don't care to have them drown us out like rats, so I reckon there'll
have to be some fightin' done before that little game is played."

"But what about Sam?"

"They've got hold of him for sure; but he'll have to take his chances
with the crowd, for we can't help him now."

"They'll kill him!"

"I don't reckon there's much chance of that, lad; but if there was we
couldn't do a thing. I'd go farther than most anybody, for he was my
butty, an' a right good boy; but he's in the hole to stay 'till the
company get the upper hand of them as would kill their best friends to
injure the bosses."

Fred knew it was Bill Thomas who spoke in such a tone of utter
helplessness, and there could be no doubt as to the correctness of his
statements.

"I'd go back alone if I had the gun."

"Then it's lucky you left it behind. Best go up the slope an' tell
Donovan what has happened here, so's he can send men to the old shaft.
Say to him