Billings remained behind his companions to say:
"We gave you all the chance we could, an' now it's only yourself you've got to thank for what'll happen before forty-eight hours go by."
"I'd 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?"