He held out his hand. "I'm sorry you've had a fright. I fired that shot.
It was a signal to the men to line up for inspection."

He spoke with the utmost frankness, yet it came to Dot with an intuition
she could not doubt that Hill did not believe him. He returned the
revolver to his pocket, but he kept a hold upon it, and he made no
movement to take the hand Warden offered.

"We came to inspect the mine, not the men," he said, shortly. "Go back
and tell them to clear out!"

Dot, mutely watching, saw Warden's brows go up. He had barely glanced at
her. "Oh, all right, sir," he said, easily. "They've hardly left off work
yet. I'll let 'em know in good time. But first I've got something to show
you. Come this way!"

He turned towards the main passage, but in a second, sharp and short,
Fletcher's voice arrested him.

"Warden!"

He swung on his heel. "Well, sir?"

"You will do as I said--immediately!" The words might have been uttered
by a machine, so precise, so cold, so metallic were they.

Warden stood quite motionless, facing him, and it seemed to Dot that
his eyes had become two blue flames, giving out light. The pause that
followed was so instinct with conflict that she thought it must end in