"We'll go with you some other time," promised Tom. "But now I expect I'll have to get another blast ready."
He found the debris brought down by the second one all removed, and in a few days, preparations for exploding more of the powder were under way.
Many holes had been drilled in the face of the cliff of hard rock, and the charges tamped in. Electric wires connected them, and they were run out to the tunnel mouth where the switch was located.
This was done late one afternoon, and it was planned to set off the blast at the close of the working day, to allow all night for the fumes to be blown away by the current of air in the tunnel.
"Get the men out, Tim," said Tom, when all was ready.
"All right, sor," was the answer, and the Irish foreman went back toward the far end of the bore to tell the last shift of laborers to come out so the blast could be set off.
But in a little while Tim came running back with a queer look on his face.
"What's the matter?" asked Tom. "Why didn't you bring the men with you?"
"Because, sor, they're not there!"
"Not in the tunnel? Why, they were working there a little while ago, when I made the last connection!"