, all this conversation was carried on very cautiously. No one
dared to raise his voice above the softest sort of whisper; and usually
spoke directly into the ear of the chum he wanted to address. On this
account, the workers not far away did not suspect the presence of
interlopers, or that their actions were being carefully noted.

Ned managed to let the two guides know that it was now up to the party
to execute a masterly retreat. If they could quit the mine as easily as
they had entered, it would be a big feather in their caps.

All of them were immediately in motion, and after the bend in the
passage had been negotiated they could once more use a light. As before,
Ned brought his means of illumination into service, and guided by the
soft white glow ahead, that showed up all inequalities of the path, they
set out for the exit.

They had gone perhaps half-way, when Ned stopped to listen. All of them
could hear what had come to his ears. Shouts without were sounding the
alarm. Plainly, something must have occurred to excite the few who had
been in the tented settlement. Perhaps after all some one witnessed
their entrance to the mine, and had hurried to the camp with the news.
There were two or three men there, as Ned had noted before; and these
were now trying to communicate their discovery to the three miners
engaged in "salting" the works.

There seemed to be only one course open to the scouts, and this was to
make all haste possible to attain the exit. Here, they might sally
forth, and by taking advantage of the confusion cause the few guards to
disperse, by firing a volley over their heads.

This plan flashed into the head of the young leader of the explorers, as
he listened to the shouts that were ringing forth.

"Hurry along, fellows!" he urged his companions, knowing only too well
the value of prompt action in a case like this. "We must rush the
opening, and scatter that howling bunch like wolves. Shoot to frighten,
then if that doesn't work, try to cut them in the legs. Understand?"

They all answered in the affirmative, even Jimmy showing that he had
caught the idea. And bent upon carrying it out, without the loss of even
a second, the party pressed forward eagerly.

Just for another minute, and then they met with a sudden surprise, that
came as unexpectedly as lightning might from a clear sky.

As though some giant hand had brushed them all over into a heap, so the
five scouts and their two husky gui