"Do you think he was drowned?" asked Sandy.

"It would seem so."

"Drowned nothing!" exclaimed Tommy. "He sneaked those provisions
into the mine under cover of the darkness and the three little rascals
are feeding on them yet. You can see the end of that without a
telescope!"

"Now, smarty!" exclaimed George. "You've told us where the boys went,
and where the provisions landed, and all that, now tell us why these
kids hid themselves in the mine. And while you are about it, you may
as well tell why they gave the Wolf call and refused to reply."

"This story," replied Tommy with a grin, "is not a novelette, complete
in one number. It's a serial story, and will be continued in our next
issue. What did you say about the pumps stopping, Canfield?"

"They've stopped, all right!" the caretaker replied.

"Are you going to let the ginks flood the mine?" asked Sandy.

"While I was out a few moments ago," Canfield explained, "I notified
one of the clerks in the company's office to send up a gang of men to
repair the machinery. They ought to be here by this time."

"How long will it take to repair the pump?" asked Tommy.

"It may take an hour and it may take twenty-four.