the　opening　we　got　in　at。　After　that；　it　is　the　old　mine。 We　know　that；　and　it　won't　be　the　first　time　that　Harry　and　I　have　found　ourselves　there　in　the　dark。 Besides；　there　we　shall　find　the　lamps　that　we　left。　Forward　then！ Harry；　go　first。 Mr。　Starr；　follow　him。　Madge；　you　go　next；　and　I　will　bring　up　the　rear。　Above　everything；　don't　let　us　get　separated。〃

All　plied　with　the　old　overman's　instructions。　As　he　said；　by　groping　carefully；　they　could　not　mistake　the　way。　It　was　only　necessary　to　make　the　hands　take　the　place　of　the　eyes；　and　to　trust　to　their　instinct；　which　had　with　Simon　Ford　and　his　son　bee　a　second　nature。

James　Starr　and　his　panions　walked　on　in　the　order　agreed。　They　did　not　speak；　but　it　was　not　for　want　of　thinking。 It　became　evident　that　they　had　an　adversary。 But　what　was　he；　and　how　were　they　to　defend　themselves　against　these　mysteriously…prepared　attacks？　These　disquieting　ideas　crowded　into　their　brains。 However；　this　was　not　the　moment　to　get　discouraged。

Harry；　his　arms　extended；　advanced　with　a　firm　step；　touching　first　one　and　then　the　other　side　of　the　passage。

If　a　cleft　or　side　opening　presented　itself；　he　felt　with　his　hand　that　it　was　not　the　main　way；　either　the　cleft　was　too　shallow；　or　the　opening　too　narrow；　and　he　thus　kept　in　the　right　road。

In　darkness　through　which　the　eye　could　not　in　the　slightest　degree　pierce；　this　difficult　return　lasted　two　hours。　By　reckoning　the　time　since　they　started；　taking　into　consideration　that　the　walking　had　not　been　rapid；　Starr　calculated　that　he　and　his　panions　were　near　the　opening。　In　fact；　almost　immediately；　Harry　stopped。

〃Have　we　got　to　the　end　of　the　gallery？〃　asked　Simon　Ford。

〃Yes；〃　answered　the　young　miner。

〃Well！