where we were hidden!"

"That idiot of a detective," the other boy went on, "undermined a pillar
and let about half an acre of roof down into this chamber. When the roof
fell, it broke the cribbing and the rats began pouring out."

"They won't hurt you!" declared Tommy. "Only you mustn't go to picking a
quarrel with them. They're fighters when they get their tempers up. Just
let them alone and they'll let you alone!"

"Who's that talking?" demanded Jimmie.

"That's the relief expedition!" laughed Elmer.

"You ought to be fired out of the Wolf Patrol for not answering Boy
Scout signals!" Tommy broke in. "We called to you more than a dozen
times, and you never answered once!"

"Well, we had to wait until Elmer reported what kind of fellows you
were, didn't we?" asked Dick. "We couldn't go and make friends with you
without knowing what you were here for, so we kept out of your way until
Elmer could find a way to learn more about you."

"And instead of finding a way," Jimmie took up the argument, "he goes
off and gets lost in a thicket about six feet square and never shows up
with any grub for twenty-four hours! So we had to go and steal grub off
the boys!"

"Yes, and we're going to have you pinched when you get out!" laughed
Tommy. "You'll get ninety days for that."

"Where'd that bum detective go?" asked Jimmie. "When the roof fell, we
heard him go clattering down the gangway running as though he had only
about thirty seconds in which to get to New York."

"He's a long distance from the mine by this time," Elmer suggested.

"Well," Jimmie said, "I don't like the company of these rats, so if
you'll kindly dig into the refuse on your side, we'll work from this
side and we'll soon be out. These rats look hostile."

"You let 'em alone!" advised Tommy.

"Yes, I'll let 'em alone--not!" shouted Jimmie. "You wait until I get an
armful of rocks and I'll beat some of their heads off!"

"For the love of Mike, don't do anything of the kind!" yelled Tommy.
"They'll climb onto you nine feet thick if you injure one of them!"

But it was too late! Jimmie acquired an armful of large sized pieces of
slate and began tossing them into the huddle of rats in the corner.

For an instant the rats squealed viciously as they Were struck by the
sharp edges of the slate, then they seemed to confer together for a
moment or two, then they spread out like a fan and began moving toward
the two boys.

"Now you've done it!" cried Tomm