"We'll hold on in the old drift till they get back, an' try to prevent them from coming up here by saying we've searched this slope," Fred said, after a moment's thought. "That's the only way I know of to keep the secret."
"It won't do any harm to make the attempt," Sam added. "Don't light your lamp, and keep perfectly quiet."
Skip retreated once more to the farther corner of the chamber, and the boys walked slowly down to the drift, halting a short distance from the mouth of the slope as Sam picked up a shovel.
"Here's another tool belonging to the company. It must have been thrown away by Billings or Skip when you dropped on their heads."
"Keep it to show we've been hunting; it can't be long now before the men come, and we'll need some good excuse for loafing here."
"Let's sit down till we hear them. I'm tired enough to want a rest."
Seated on the decaying timbers of the car track the boys discussed in whispers the possibility of aiding Skip to escape from his unenviable position, with never a thought of the deed with which Billings was to crown his villainous career.
The leader of the mob had immediately begun to look about for a chance to wreak his vengeance on the company, when Joe and Bill with their helpers left the level, and he was yet at the farther end of the passage when the boys returned with supplies for Skip.
Their desire to avoid attracting the attention of the workmen caused them to move noiselessly, consequently he was ignorant of the fact that they were in the mine.
It was hardly five minutes after they descended to the old drift when he came back to the cutting, and the odor of gas brought him to a stop.