die twice over rather than put the stain of blood on my hands."
"Well, you've got the chance to try it once, an' I reckon you'll wish things was different before long. We'll take good care nobody comes this way too soon."
Then the party filed out of the room, one or two glancing back with undisguised pity, and as they passed along the drift the place was wrapped in profound darkness, with nothing to break the silence save the doomed man's heavy breathing.
Fred waited until believing the would-be murderers were beyond the sound of his voice, and then he called softly:
"Brace! Brace!"
"Who's there?"
"A breaker boy who came into the mine yesterday."
"Where are you?"
Fred explained to the best of his ability, and added:
"Do you know of any way I can get out of here?"
"No; that part of the mine has been closed a good many years, an' it would take a week to work up through the old slope. Before then the water on the lower level is bound to flood this end of the workings."
"And we shall be drowned."
"I don't see any help for it."
"But we can't stay here and be killed!" Fred cried in an agony of fear.
"It's tough, but there's no way out of it unless – "
"What? Speak quickly, for time mustn't be lost if we're to do anything toward helping ourselves."
"How large a cut is there through the wall where you are standing?"
"It's only a small one – perhaps four or five inches across."
"Couldn't you make it large enough to crawl through?"
"It wouldn't take long if I had a shovel; but without one it will be hard."
"Set about it, lad; work is better than idleness when a fellow is in this kind of a scrape."
Fred obeyed instantly, tearing away the earth regardless of the injury done his hands; but making very slow progress. The wall was composed of slate and gravel, and a pick would have been necessary to effect a speedy entrance.
Meanwhile Brace strove to cheer the boy by talking of the possibility that they might yet escape, and hour after hour Fred continued at the task until the moment arrived when it was possible, by dint of much squeezing, to make his way through the aperture.
"Do you think it is near the time when the men are to flood the mine?" he asked, groping around until his outstretched hands touched Brace's prostrate body, when he began feverishly to untie the ropes.
"No, lad, we must have half a dozen hours before us."
"Then we are all right!" Fred cried joyfully. "You know the way out, and Billings' plot can be made known in time to prevent the mischief."
"Don't fool yourself with the idea that matters have been straightened because I'm free," Brace replied, as he rose to his feet when Fred's task had been finished.
"But what is to prevent our leaving here?"
"Did you catch what Billings said when he left?"
"Yes."
"Then there's no need of sayin' anything more. Some of the murderin' crowd will be on guard at the entrance to the drift, and, knowing what we do of their plans, every means will be used to prevent our ever seeing daylight again."
"Don't you intend to do anything toward trying to escape?"
"Of course. I'm not quite a fool."
"Shall you go back with me, or try to find the shaft?"
"That would be useless. We will go straight through this drift."
"But if Billings' crowd are watching for you?"
"It's simply a case of fighting for life. There ain't much hope of overpowerin' them; the job will be child's play compared with tryin' to hold our own agin the flood that's sure to come soon."
Brace groped around for something which would serve as a weapon, but finding nothing, he said grimly:
"We'll have to go as we are, lad, an' remember that if we don't get through the drift you'll never see the breaker again."
CHAPTER IV
THE BARRIER
Brace did not so much as ask if Fred was willing to join him in the struggle which must surely ensue, if they met those who intended to work such great injury to the mine. He walked straight on without speaking until five minutes had elapsed, and then said in a whisper:
"It wouldn't be safe for any of that crowd to be found loafin' near the entrance to the drift, so we may expect to run across them before long. If they get the best of me, an' you can slip past while they are doin' it, don't wait, but make the most of your time."
"I wouldn't leave you to fight alone."
"Why not? My life don't count for anything when there are so many to be saved. Run if you can, and tell what Billings intends to do. The superintendent is the one who should hear it first, but if the time is short speak to any of the bosses."
Up to this moment Fred had thought only that he and Brace might insure their own safety; but now personal welfare seemed insignificant as compared with what might be done for others.
Following closely behind Brace, that there might be no possibility of an involuntary separation, he walked on in silence until the leader suddenly halted with a cry of dismay.
"What's the matter?" Fred whispered.
"The villains have taken good care we sha'n't escape. The drift has been filled up this side of the doors."
"Can't we dig our way through? They haven't had time to bring much stuff in here."
"More than likely two or three loads of coal have been dumped, and then the doors were fastened. The drift has been worked out, and none of the bosses would come here in time to suspect mischief."
"What can we do?"
"Wait a bit till I make sure what's before us."
Brace clambered upon the barrier, assured himself there was too much to be removed in the limited time at their disposal, and then came back to where Fred was waiting in painful suspense.
"It must be the old shaft or nothing. Walk fast now for the minutes are going mighty quick."
Alone, Fred would have had difficulty in retracing his steps, but Brace pushed forward as if it was possible to see every foot of the way, and when the chamber was reached immediately began forcing his body through the aperture which had seemed hardly large enough for Fred.
Neither gave any heed to possible injuries, and the man's clothes were in tatters when they emerged on the opposite side of the wall to make their way with all speed along the tunnel.
For a while the inclination of the path told
