his place behind him."

"No, he won't," said the deputy. "He is in the mine, that is one comfort;
and if he comes out alive his life won't be worth much, with the law on
one side of the blackguard and Judge Lynch on t'other."

"The first thing," said the Colonel, "is to save these precious lives.
God help us and them."

He then went to the Railway, and wired certain leading tradesmen in
Derby for provisions, salt and fresh, on a large scale, and for new
tents. He had some old ones stored away in his own house. He also secured
abundance of knives, forks, plates, buckets, pitchers, and jugs, and, in
short, he opened a commissariat. He inquired for his son Walter, and why
he was so late. He could learn nothing but that Walter had mounted a
hunter and left word with Baker that he should not be home till eight
o'clock. "John," said the Colonel, solemnly, "I am in great trouble, and
Walter is in worse, I fear. Let nobody speak to him about this accident
at the mine till he has seen me."

* * * * *

Walter Clifford rode to the Lake Hotel to inquire after the bracelet. The
landlady told him she had sent her husband over with it that day.

"Confound it," said Walter; "why, he won't know who to take it to."

"Oh, it's all right, sir," said she. "My Sam won't give it to the wrong
person, you may be sure."

"How do I know that?" said Walter; "and, pray, who did you tell him to
give it to?"

"Why, to the lady as was here with you."

"And how the deuce is he to find her? He does not know her name. It's a
great pity you could not keep it till I came."

"Well, sir, you was so long a-coming."

"That's true," said Walter; "let us make the best of it. I shall feed my
horse, and get home as quickly as I can."

However, he knew he would be late, and thought he had better go straight
home. He sent a telegram to Mary Bartley: "Landlord gone to you with
bracelet;" and this he signed with the name of the landlady, but no
address. He was afraid to say more, though he would have liked to put his
wife upon her guard; but he trusted to her natural shrewdness. He mounted
his horse and went straight home, but he was late for dinner, and that
vexed him a little, for it was a matter Colonel Clifford was particular
about. He dashed up to his bedroom and began to dress all in a hurry.

John Baker came to him wearing a very extraordinary look, and after
some hesitation said, "I would not change my clothes if