"You're prejudiced against Ventner," laughed Canfield.

"I admit it!" replied Will. "He looks to me like snake in the grass.
I don't think anything he could do would look good to me."

"Now," Canfield said, "perhaps we'd better be mapping out a plan of
campaign. There are three gangways leading in three different
directions. We'll leave one of the lights burning at the shaft, then
we'll each take a light and proceed into the interior, making as much
noise as we conveniently can, and flashing the light into all the
chambers and cross headings we come to."

"How long are these gangways?" asked Will.

"Somewhere near a half a mile straight ahead," was the answer.

The caretaker went away swinging his electric searchlight, and Will
and George pushed forward in their respective passages.

After proceeding a short distance, George heard Will calling to him.

"There's some one just ahead of me in the gangway!" Will declared. "I
think we ought to go together!"

"Do you think it's that bum detective?" asked George.

"I certainly do!"

"Well, we can go together if you like," George said. "We can't cover
quite as much ground in that way, but I guess we can accomplish more