His tirade was interrupted by the arrival of Phillipe. The miner’s grimy face was pale beneath his broad, floppy hat.
“Come quick, Senor!” he urged.
“Trouble in the pit?”
“Si, Senor, the men refuse to dig. They say it is not safe—danger of a slide.”
“That’s rot! There’s no danger!” Rhodes fumed. “I’ll have a look.”
Temporarily forgetting his feud with the Scouts, he went quickly with Phillipe. Curious to learn what was happening, Mr. Livingston and the Explorers followed.
Miners had clustered at the top of the pit, chattering excitedly in their own tongue. As Rhodes came up, they showed him a crack which had developed in the rock wall above the big hole.
“It’s nothing,” Rhodes assured them. “Back to your digging!”
The miners sullenly refused to budge. Rhodes whipped out a revolver.
“There is no danger!” he shouted. “Get back to work!”