"Ah! Quick! quick! My poor boys! At last! at last!"

He hastened his steps, and the men exchanged glances and then looked at
Hardock, expecting him to speak.

But Hardock felt choking, and remained silent as they went on, till,
turning about an angle in the zigzagging gallery, they came suddenly
upon a nearly burned-out candle stuck against the wall, and beneath it,
plainly to be seen, one of the leaves of the Colonel's pocket-book.

It was some moments before the old officer spoke, for the finding of the
light confused him.

"Why, what's this?" he said, in an agitated voice; "you have taken some
turning by mistake, and worked round to the way we came. Then very
likely my poor boys have done the same, and found their way out by now."

No one spoke.

"Don't you think so, my lads?"

Still no one answered; and now he began to grasp the truth.

"Why, what's this?" he cried angrily. "Surely you men have not dared--
have not been such cowards--as to turn back! Halt!"

The last word was uttered in so commanding a tone of voice that the
little party stopped as one man.

"Hardock! Explain yourself, sir. Did you dare to change the
arrangements during my temporary indisposition?"

"Beg your pardon, sir, you were completely beat out, and we felt that we
must carry you back to the shaft."

"What insolence!" roared the Colonel. "Right about face. Forward once
more. But," he added bitterly, "if any man among you is too cowardly to
help me, he can go back."

He turned and strode off into the darkness, and Hardock followed just in
time to catch him as he reeled and snatched at the side of the gallery
to save himself from falling.

"You can't do it, sir, you can't do it," said Hardock, with his voice
full of the rough sympathy he felt. "We did it all for the best. We'd
have carried you farther in, but it seemed like so much madness, and so
we decided. Part's gone on with Harry Vores, and we're going to send in
another shift as soon as we get back."

The Colonel looked at him despairingly, for he knew that the man's words
were true, and that it would be impossible to go on.

"We did what we thought were right, sir," continued Hardock; "and it's
quite likely that the young gents have got safely back by now."

The Colonel made no reply, but suffered himself to be led back to where
the men were waiting, and then, growing more helpless minute by minute,
he was conducted, after a long and toilsome task, whi