ayed and fallen that, had Derrick continued a few steps further on
his way, instead of stopping to indulge his grief, he must have walked
into the pit and fallen to the bottom.

The sound of voices that he had heard came up through this opening, and
he was just about to call for help, to whoever was down there, when his
attention was arrested by one voice louder and harsher than the others.
It sounded like that of Job Taskar, the blacksmith, and it said, as
though in settlement of some dispute,

"I don't care a rap who does it, or how it is done, Jones must be put
out of the way somehow or other."

Another voice, which was hardly audible, asked, "What about the kid?"

To this came answer in a voice which there was no mistaking for other
than Monk Tooley's,

"De Young Sleepers is lookin' arter him. Dey're givin' him a big scare.
Blinded him, and toted him back and for'ard, going in and out t'old
gangway door between whiles to make him think he was a long ways off.
Den dey left him just inside t'old gangway, nigh de slope. He thinks
he's at de far end of nowhere by dis time. Dey'll soon drive him from de
mine."

"If they don't, others will," said Job Taskar's voice. "We don't want no
boss's pets spying round this mine. Now, lads, we'll get out of this.
Remember, next regular meeting's on the 27th. We'll fix then how all's
to be done."

There was a confused murmuring after this, but Derrick could make
nothing out of it, and in a few minutes a strong draught of air sucked
down the hole over which he hung, and the dim light disappeared. As it
did so, the poor lad gave one wild cry for help. It only reached the
ears of the last of those below as he was leaving the chamber in which
they had held their meeting. To him it sounded so awful and supernatural
that he was greatly frightened, and hurried on after the others, leaving
the door open behind him, whereby the strong draught down the air-shaft
was continued.

For a few minutes Derrick thought he was indeed lost, and gave himself
up to despair. Then he gradually recalled the words of Monk Tooley that
referred to himself, and received a gleam of hope from them. If indeed
he had been left just inside the door of an old gangway, near the foot
of the slope, might he not find his way back to it and escape? He
shuddered as he thought of the long walk through the awful darkness, but
he was no better off where he was. So, with much thinking and
hesitation, he finally starte