o of a most dismal character. He
realized even more fully than Derrick the dangerous position in which
they had placed themselves, and felt that his experience should have
warned him against such an undertaking.

Meantime those who were to meet in the old chamber at the bottom of the
air-shaft were already gathered together, and were earnestly discussing
the affairs of their order. Job Taskar, as presiding officer, made a
long speech. In it he denounced the mine boss for discharging several of
their members, and refusing to take them back, though petitioned to do
so by a large number of those who remained at work. He also charged him
with placing a spy in the mine in the person of Derrick Sterling, and of
having removed the son of one of their most prominent members to make
room for him. At this point he looked steadily at Monk Tooley.

"Don't yer say nothin' agin Derrick Sterling," growled that miner, "fer
I won't hear ter it. He's doin' fer my lad this minute what dere isn't
anoder man in de meetin' er in Raven Brook Colliery, nor I don't believe
in de State, would ha' done in his place."

"Do yer know what he's doing it for?" interrupted another member,
springing to his feet. "No, yer don't, an' yer can't make a guess at it;
but I can tell yer. It's for revenge, an' nothing else. I heerd him say
it his own self to Paul the cripple, coming down the slope, only
yesterday morning. 'I'm taking out my revenge on him,' says he; them's
his very words."

"All right," replied Monk Tooley, "if yer heerd him say it, den he's
doin' it fer revenge, and it's de biggest kind of revenge I ever knowed
of a man or a boy ter take out on anoder. Do yer know dat he's give up
his own bed ter my Bill, an' dat he sets up nights awaitin' on him an'
a-nussin' of him? No, yer don't know nothin' about it, an' I don't want
ter hear anoder word from yer agin him. I'm his friend, I am."

An awkward silence followed this announcement, for the members thought
that perhaps if Monk Tooley were Derrick Sterling's friend, he might
also be a friend of the mine boss, whom they had almost decided should
be put out of the way.

The silence was finally broken by Job Taskar, who asked sarcastically if
Monk Tooley knew who stole his three checks from the check-board two
days before.

"Yes, I do," answered the miner, promptly.

"Then you know it was this same sneaking boss's pet, Derrick Sterling."

"No, I don't."

"I tell you I saw him do it!" crie