sk your life, Harry."

"All right, Jack, I'll risk it willing for you. You risked yours for me
at the old shaft."

"Dost know what's going to be done to-night Harry?"

"I've heard summat about it."

"It must be stopped, Harry, if it costs you and me our lives. What's
that when the whole district depends upon it? If they wreck the engines
and flood the mines there will be no work for months; and what's to
become of the women and children then? I'm going to Mr. Merton to tell
him, and to get him to write a letter to Sir John Butler--Brook's place
would be watched--he's the nearest magistrate, and the most active about
here, and won't let the grass grow under his feet by all accounts. The
letter must tell him of the attack that is to be made to-night, and ask
him to send for the soldiers, if no police can be had. I want you to
take the letter, Harry. Go out the other side of the village and make a
long sweep round. Don't get into the road till you get a full mile out
of the place. Then go as hard as you can till you get to Butler's.
Insist on seeing him yourself; say it's a question of life and death. If
he's out, you must go on to Hooper--he's the next magistrate. When you
have delivered the letter, slip off home and go to bed, and never let
out all your life that you took that letter."

"All right, Jack; but what be'est thou going to do?"

"I'm going another way, lad; I've got my work too. You'd best stop here,
Harry; I will bring the letter to you. It may get out some day that
Merton wrote it, and it's as well you shouldn't be seen near his place."

CHAPTER XI.

THE ATTACK ON THE ENGINE-HOUSE.

No sooner did Mr. Merton hear of the resolution of the miners to destroy
the engines, than he sat down and wrote an urgent letter to Sir John
Butler.

"Is there anything else, Jack?"

"I don't know, sir. If the masters could be warned of the attack they
might get a few viewers and firemen and make a sort of defence; but if
the men's blood's up it might go hard with them; and it would go hard
with you if you were known to have taken the news of it."

"I will take the risk of that," Mr. Merton said. "Directly it is dark I
will set out. What are you going to do, Jack?"

"I've got my work marked out," Jack said. "I'd rather not tell you till
it's all over. Good-bye, sir; Harry is waiting for the letter."

Mr. Merton did not carry out his plans. As soon as it was dark he left
the village, but a hundred yards o