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Page 48
"First," suggested Will, "we'd better make sure that the fellow got
the money. The bank note I found may have never been in the
possession of Mr. Carson. And even if it was, it may be the only one
to be blown out of its hiding place by the explosion. It strikes me
that we'd better give the place a thorough search before we waste much
time looking for Ventner. If, as Tommy says, he never left the mine
by way of the shaft, we've got him blocked in, all right!"
The boys now began a careful examination of the cross-cutting where
the explosion had taken place. As has been stated, more than one
pillar had been blown out. There was a great heap of debris on floor,
and this the boys attacked with a vim.
Tommy and George were now standing guard at mouth of the cross-cutting
so that no one could pass down the gangway toward the shaft.
"Suppose that fellow did get the money?" asked Sandy, as the boys
cleared away the heaps of slate, "what then?"
"Then we'll have to take it away from him."
"We'll catch him first."
"We've got him blocked in, haven't we?" asked Sandy.
"Oh, we know that he can't get out," Dick cut in, "but we know, too,
that there are a lot of shallow benches along that gangway. We can't
walk in and pick him out in a minute. Besides," the boy continued,
"when we find him, we may find his pockets empty."
"That's just what we will do!" Elmer agreed. "He'll hide the money in
another place, and swear that he never found it!"
"I wish we'd kicked him out of the mine!" exclaimed Sandy.
The boys continued the search until daylight, and then, leaving Tommy
and George still on guard, they went up to the old tool house for
breakfast. The lads were by no means elated over what had taken
place. They believed that Ventner had succeeded in finding the money,
and were certain that, even if located in the mine, he would deny any
knowledge of it.
"I guess we got you boys into a mess by insisting on having the
detective roaming around," admitted Elmer, as the boys were eating a
hastily prepared breakfast. "I guess we should have listened to you
in regard to that. There is no knowing how much trouble we have
made!"
"He may help us find the money after all!" laughed Will.
"Yes," cut in Sandy, "it may be easier to get it away from him than to
find the place where it was hidden."
"Oh, yes, if we could lay our hands on him and order him to give up
two hundred thousand dollars, and he, would say: 'Yes, I've been
waiting to find the owner,' that would be all right, too! But the
thing isn't likely to turn out in that way! He'll hide the money,
and swear he never found it! Then, when everything quiets down,
he'll sneak back and get it!"
This from Jimmie, who seemed to a take a rather gloomy view of the
situation. The boys remained at the old tool house only a short time.
Their minds were fixed so intently on the work in hand that they
hardly knew whether they had had any breakfast at all.
As they passed down the ladders to the lower level, they heard
something which resembled a shot, and almost tumbled over each other
going down into the gangway. Will and Elmer were first to reach the
cross-heading where the explosion of dynamite had taken place.
They called to Tommy and George, but received no answer. They walked
for some distance down the gangway without hearing any sound
indicating the presence of their companions, or of any one else.
"Now that's a funny thing!" exclaimed Will. "I don't see why those
boys should go rambling about the mine at a time like this just for
the fun of the thing!"
"They never did!" replied Elmer. "You remember the shot we heard?"
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