"What have you been doing?"
"Billings made me dig an' shovel all day, an' most of the night."
"Trying to get into the lower level, eh?"
"Yes, an' when I got played out he pretty near pounded my head off."
"I reckon we heard you yelling. Where is Billings now?"
"He ran ahead of me when the earth began to cave in, an' that's the last I've seen of him. Say, it won't hurt you a bit to let me stay here, an' I'll do the square thing if I ever get out of the scrape."
"You'd starve to death."
"I'd rather take the chances of that than go to jail, or let father get hold of me."
"But what good will it be to stay here?" Fred asked. "Hiding won't mend matters, and you'll have to come out some time."
"That may be; but I don't want to go now," and once more Skip fell on his knees in front of those whom he had wronged.