'We were workin' in here a bit for a change this afternoon after Peetree
hunted us, an' I broke through.'

'What's in there?' asked Jacker in an awed voice.

'Look,' said Dick.

Jacker backed away; the other three kept a respectful distance and stared
silently.

'It's on'y another drive,' Dick explained. 'It must come from the Red
Hand, I think.'

Dick was quite undisturbed, but the others were afraid, and even when
they had returned to their own drive cast many doubting glances back into
the darkness. In the mine as they had known it before everything was
definite, and there was nothing of which a boy of spirit need be afraid.
The shaft was choked with dirt a few feet below their landing-planks, and
there was no spot in which a mystery might lurk; but it was very
different now with that black hole leading Heaven knew into what awesome
depths, harbouring goodness knew what horrors. Ted's defection had
suddenly become the sentiment of the majority. At that moment Dick could
have counted on Peterson alone had need arisen.

'We'll go down there an' explore them workin's,' said Dick, having lit a
piece of dry root and composed himself for a smoke.

'In the daytime, Morgan,' said Jacker hastily and with diffidence.

'All right; but it don't make no difference down here, you know.'