danger-point of a collapse that had compelled him to withdraw from
the active search nearly an hour before.

His voice reflected the distressing strain under which he was laboring
as he put his next question:

"What became of them then?"

"That's the problem we've got to solve," Larkin replied. "Apparently
they were loaded in automobiles and rushed off to some retreat of the
scoundrels."

"How in the world could they do it without somebody's seeing or
hearing what was going on?"

"Oh," said the lieutenant without a suggestion of doubt in his voice;
"that wasn't very difficult if there were enough of them working
together. The evidence of cleverness and skill is not nearly so much
in the handling of this affair at the mill end of the mine as at the
house end. That was a mighty smooth piece of work, getting all of
those girls into that old house, however it was done. Mark my word,
you'll find that a very clever trap was set for them. But come on,
we've got to get busy before the snow makes it impossible to follow
them."

* * * * *