“I guess it’s a hundred and more feet deep—” began Darry, when of a sudden the lamp slipped from his hand and fell down into the opening, leaving them in total darkness.
CHAPTER XXIV
LOST IN A COAL MINE
“The lamp, Darry!” gasped Frank.
“I—I—it slipped from my hand!” returned the frightened boy. “Oh, what shall we do now?”
Frank leaned over the opening and looked down. The lamp had disappeared into a pool of black water and could no longer be located. All was pitch-dark around them.
“I should have kept it fastened to me,” wailed Darry Field. “Then it couldn’t have dropped into this hole.”
“Have you a candle with you?” questioned Frank.
“I have not. I meant to bring one, too, but it slipped my mind.”
“And I did the same,” said our hero. “We are in a pickle truly. All I have are half a dozen matches.”