he disused mine or thought of looking for her
there! With white cheeks and trembling hand she leaned against the side
of the shaft and called with what breath she could still muster.

There was a rustling among the heather above, and a face suddenly
blocked the blue of the sky--a vacant face that peered down with the
curiosity of a child. Lorraine gave a fluttering cry of relief.

"Landry!" she called. "Landry!"

How or from where he appeared she could not guess, though it was
possible that he had seen the school passing near Windy Howe and had
followed Claudia in the distance. He stared down at Lorraine with a
certain amount of interest, but as much unconcern as if she were a bird
or a rabbit.

"Landry!" she cried again. "Claudia is up by the tower. Go and tell her
I have fallen down the old mine!"

The bushes rustled, and once more that patch of blue sky appeared
above. Landry had gone indeed, but would he bring help? Lorraine feared
that all he cared about was to find Claudia, and that with his customary
taciturnity it was quite within the bounds of possibility that he might
never mention her predicament at all.

[Illustration: SHE STOOD UP CAUTIOUSLY]

She waited a while and then shouted, and kept on calling at intervals.
Her wrist watch told her she had been nearly an hour down the shaft.
Would help never come? She was very tired and her head swam. If she were
to faint, nothing could save her from falling down into that black gulf
below. Her voice was growing weaker. It seemed stifled inside the shaft.
What was that sound in the distance? Surely a shout! With all her
remaining energy she raised her voice in a wild halloo. Next moment
Dorothy peeped over the bushes and turned with a cry to summon Claudia.

Though she was found, it was more than an hour before adequate help
could be fetched from a farm, but at last two men appeared carrying a
ladder, which they lowered down the shaft on to the ledge of shale. Then
one of them descended and helped Lorraine to mount. Madame and a
thrilled group of girls were waiting for her at the top.

"Did Landry tell you?" Lorraine asked Claudia.

"Yes, he told me and brought me to the place," said Claudia. "Landry may
be very proud of himself to-day, the dear boy!"

"That mine did ought to be fenced round," remarked one of the men who
had brought the ladder. "Mr. Tremayne's been warned about it many a
time, but he's always put off having it done."

"Ah yes, it must be