Will waited until the door had closed on the detective before
speaking. Even then, he went to the door and glanced down the
passage.

"Something exciting?" smiled the caretaker, noting the boy's caution.

Will answered, "There's something exciting. Tommy and Sandy
disappeared during the night."

"Disappeared?" echoed the caretaker.

"Yes," George cut in, "there was some talk of their visiting the mine
just before we went to bed, and we are of the opinion that they went
down the shaft shortly after we fell asleep, and failed to find their
way to the surface again. We are considerably alarmed."

"I should think you would be!" replied the caretaker. "In the first
place, the Labyrinth mine bears the right name. There are old
workings below which a stranger might follow for days without finding
the way out."

"Then we'll have to organize a search for the boys," George suggested.

"Besides,"' continued Canfield, "there are things going on in the mine
which no one understands. I have long believed that there are people
living there who have no right to take up such a residence."

"I'm sorry you said anything to this detective about our being here,"
Will said after this phase of the case had been discussed.