“Whew!” ejaculated his chum, suddenly. “By the last hoptoad that was chased out of Ireland! I know who did it, sure!”
“Who?” queried the other boy wonderingly.
“Who told us we couldn’t get into this shaft? Why, that lame Indian!”
“John Peep?” muttered Chet.
“Yes! Don’t you remember?”
“Of course he must have known the shaft was filled up,” agreed Chet Havens. “But do you suppose he had anything to do with it? Why should he cave in the pit?”
“Dunno,” grumbled Dig. “But it looks funny. You don’t suppose one cave-in had anything to do with the other, do you?”
“Of course not!” exclaimed Chet. “Only, the Indian boy knew of this. He may have been over here recently. You can see that the marks on this sapling are fresh. Well, this isn’t going to help us any,” he added hopelessly. “We might as well go back. Oh dear, Dig! how will they get father and the boys out of tunnel Number Two?”
“They’re working hard, Chet,” his chum said, trying to speak hopefully. “We’d better go back, I expect.”
“Let’s breathe the horses a little,” proposed his friend. “There’s no particular hurry, goodness knows! I hate to go back to Silver Run and tell mother just how the matter stands. It’s a terrible thing, Dig.”