on in going forward. Some way
down, after leaving the door, the passage branched into two ways, for
Jennings came against a wall directly ahead. Wondering what this
meant, he struck a match, and the blue light revealed one passage
running down to the left and another opening up to the right. While
the detective hesitated which to take, the darkness was suddenly
illuminated with the glare of lamps. From a dozen electric lights at
the sides of the passage sprang a white glow. At the further end of
the sloping passage appeared the figure of a man. He gave a shout when
the figures of the police were revealed in the sudden illumination and
vanished suddenly. There was not a moment to be lost. Jennings, crying
to his men, dashed ahead. As he neared the end of the burrow, for it
was nothing else, a pistol shot rang out and he felt as though his
shoulder had been pierced with a red-hot iron. But the wound did not
stop him.

"Quick, men--quick! Some stop and guard the double way. They will try
and escape that way."

His orders were obeyed with precision, and two men stopped behind,
while the rest, with Twining at their head, pressed forward. They ran
against another door, but it also was open, as the watching man had not
had time to close it. Through this the police poured, and found
themselves in a large, dry cellar, brilliantly lighted. On every hand
were the evidences of the pursuits of the gang. But no one had time to
take in details. The startled and infuriated coiners were fighting for
their liberty. In a moment the lights were out, but not before
Jennings saw Clancy and Hale at the far end of the cellar, with white
faces and levelled revolvers. There were other men also. Shots rang
out, but in the darkness everyone fired at random. The coiners strove
to force their way to the door, evidently anxious to gain the forked
passage, so that they could escape by one of the two exits. Twining
uncovered his lantern and flashed the light round. It converted him
into a target and he fell, shot through the heart by Hale. The other
men made a dash for liberty, but the police also producing their
lights, managed to seize them. At last Hale, apparently seeing there
was no chance of escaping in the gloom, turned on the electric lights
again, and the illumination revealed a cellar filled with struggling
men. Jennings made for Clancy, as it struck him that this man, in spite
of the foolish look on his face, was the