"Who—who was it?" stammered Bob.
"Steve Rush."
Jarvis uttered a half articulate cry and began to let himself down into the opening. The mine captain grabbed him.
"You'll be killed," he said sternly, dragging the lad back to the platform. "You cannot help your friend by going through that way."
The captain opened the door leading into the skip shaft and ran down the ladder. His quick glance took in the broken-down supports, but what he did not see was that the planking beneath the post had been sawed part way through. There was no planking there to see.
There were no signs of Steve on the platform below. The captain hurried back.
"Jarvis, run to the telephone on this level, and tell each level below to look for the body of a man who fell through the shaft."
Bob started on a run. Despite his pluck, Bob Jarvis was trembling from head to foot.
"He's dead, he's dead! They've done it. But how? No, it is impossible. They couldn't be to blame for that. It was an accident."