came down the old shaft.

"Me for the elevator!" shouted Tommy.

All four boys, Will, Elmer, Tommy and Sandy, started in a mad race down
the gangway. As they carried their searchlights with them, and as Mr.
Carson and Mr. Buck moved at a slower pace, the latter gentlemen were
soon feeling their way through a dark tunnel.

"We've just got to head 'em off!" grunted Tommy, as the boys passed
along at a pace calculated to break the long distance running records.

"I don't believe they'll make for the main shaft anyway," Sandy panted.

"I don't believe they will, either," Will declared, "but if we get to
the lift first, we'll be dead sure they don't get out!"

Will was in advance as they swung into the lighted space about the
shaft. The first thing he observed was that one of the cages was just
starting upward. He sprang to the push button and almost instantly the
cage dropped back to the third level again. The power was on in honor of
the visit of the president of the company.

"Pile in, boys!" he shouted. "We'll stop at the second level!"

The man at the top responded nobly to the quick signals given to start
and stop, and in a very short space of time the elevator stood at the
second level. The bar was down, but Will threw it aside and stepped out
into the passage. There he saw the bank cashier and the miner standing
cowering against the wall only a few feet from the shaft.

"What are you doing here?" asked Will.

"We started to the top," the miner replied, "but stopped here because we
thought there might be need of our assistance on this level."

"Why on this level?" asked Will, observing that the miner was pretty
thoroughly frightened. "I haven't heard of any disturbance here!"

"But there has been a disturbance here!" insisted the cashier. "We heard
scuffling out there in the darkness, but as we had no lights, we could
not investigate. My friend, the miner, had a light on the lower level,
but he lost it as we made our way out to the shaft."

"Has any one passed up the shaft?" asked Will.

The miner shook his head.

"Then we're in time all right!" cried Will exultantly. "We have the
outlaws headed off!"

The heavy voices of the two men who had been left on the lower level now
came rumbling up the shaft.

"What do you mean by leaving us in this plight?" demanded Carson. "Lower
the cage instantly, and take us to the top!"

"Stay down there and look after your money!" cried Sandy, mockingly.

"I thin