have　you　not　found　the　hole　which　connects　New　Aberfoyle　with　the　Dochart　pit？〃

〃No；〃　replied　Harry；　whose　impatient　hands　met　with　nothing　but　a　solid　wall。

The　old　overman　stepped　forward；　and　himself　felt　the　schistous　rock。　A　cry　escaped　him。

Either　the　explorers　had　strayed　from　the　right　path　on　their　return；　or　the　narrow　orifice；　broken　in　the　rock　by　the　dynamite；　had　been　recently　stopped　up。 James　Starr　and　his　panions　were　prisoners　in　New　Aberfoyle。

CHAPTER　IX　THE　FIRE…MAIDENS

A　WEEK　after　the　events　just　related　had　taken　place；　James　Starr's　friends　had　bee　very　anxious。 The　engineer　had　disappeared；　and　no　reason　could　be　brought　forward　to　explain　his　absence。　They　learnt；　by　questioning　his　servant；　that　he　had　embarked　at　Granton　Pier。 But　from　that　time　there　were　no　traces　of　James　Starr。 Simon　Ford's　letter　had　requested　secrecy；　and　he　had　said　nothing　of　his　departure　for　the　Aberfoyle　mines。

Therefore　in　Edinburgh　nothing　was　talked　of　but　the　unaccountable　absence　of　the　engineer。 Sir　W。　Elphiston；　the　President　of　the　Royal　Institution；　municated　to　his　colleagues　a　letter　which　James　Starr　had　sent　him；　excusing　himself　from　being　present　at　the　next　meeting　of　the　society。　Two　or　three　others　produced　similar　letters。 But

though　these　documents　proved　that　Starr　had　left　Edinburgh……　which　was　known　before……they　threw　no　light　on　what　had　bee　of　him。 Now；　on　the　part　of　such　a　man；　this　prolonged　absence；　so　contrary　to　his　usual　habits；　naturally　first　caused　surprise；　and　then　anxiety。

A　notice　was　inserted　in　the　principal　newspapers　of　the　United　Kingdom　relative　to　the　engineer　James　Starr；　giving　a　description　of　him　and　the　date　on　which　he　left　Edinburgh；　nothing　more　coul