“How long have you been down there?”
Our hero consulted his watch.
“Just three hours.”
“But it seemed like three years,” put in Darry.
“You were foolish to go in without a guide,” said the old man.
“I thought I knew the way. But when I dropped the lamp down a hole, I got scared and took a wrong tunnel, and then I got all mixed up.”
“Some men have gone crazy from being lost in a mine,” came from the younger man.
“We owe you something for hauling us out,” said Frank.
“Well, you can pay us for what it’s worth,” said the old man. “I’m poor and every little helps.”
“Do you live around here?”