e cottage. There we shall
ascertain the truth."

Jack Ryan shook his head, as if not at all convinced. Then, taking a
lamp from the hands of one of the men, he proceeded with a rapid step
along the principal passage of the Dochart pit. The others all followed
him.

In a quarter of an hour the party arrived at the excavation in which
stood Simon Ford's cottage. There was no light in the window. Ryan
darted to the door, and threw it open. The house was empty.

They examined all the rooms in the somber habitation. No trace of
violence was to be found. All was in order, as if old Madge had been
still there. There was even an ample supply of provisions, enough to
last the Ford family for several days.

The absence of the tenants of the cottage was quite unaccountable. But
was it not possible to find out the exact time they had quitted it? Yes,
for in this region, where there was no difference of day or night, Madge
was accustomed to mark with a cross each day in her almanac.

The almanac was pinned up on the wall, and there the last cross had been
made at the 6th of December; that is to say, a day after the arrival of
James Starr, to which Ryan could positively swear. It was clear that on
the 6th of December, ten days ago, Simon Ford, his wife, son, and
guest, had quitted the cottage. Could a fresh exploration of the mine,
undertaken by the engineer, account for such a long absence? Certainly
not.

It was intensely dark all round. The lamps held by the men gave light
only just where they were standing. Suddenly Jack Ryan uttered a cry.
"Look there, there!"

His finger was pointing to a tolerably bright light, which was moving
about in the distance. "After that light, my men!" exclaimed Sir
William.

"It's a goblin light!" said Ryan. "So what's the use? We shall never
catch it."

The president and his men, little given to superstition, darted off in
the direction of the moving light. Jack Ryan, bravely following their
example, quickly overtook the head-most of the party.

It was a long and fatiguing chase. The lantern seemed to be carried by a
being of small size, but singular agility.

Every now and then it disappeared behind some pillar, then was seen
again at the end of a cross gallery. A sharp turn would place it out of
sight, and it seemed to have completely disappeared, when all at once
there would be the light as bright as ever. However, they gained very
little on it, and Ryan's belief that they could ne