Boy Scouts in the Coal Caverns; Or, The Light in Tunnel Six

" asked the caretaker. "Did you see

ll, "but I saw the shape of his shou

against Ventner,"

Will. "He looks to me

ing he could do wou

rent directions. We'll leave one of the lights burning at the shaft, then we'll each take a light and proceed into the interi

these gangways

lf a mile straight a

tric searchlight, and Will and George pus

rt distance, George he

e in the gangway!" Will declared.

s that bum detect

rtain

. "We can't cover quite as much ground in that way,

em. A moment later they heard the caretaker's steps ringing on the hard floor of th

lared. "It was punk dry only two days ago, and now there are four o

nting, "you can see plenty of water ahead! I guess all the gangw

ntentionally flooded?" asked George. "There ma

, in what is known as the sump. Considerable water runs off in that way, and the rest of the drippings are taken out by the pumps. If this sump dr

ng," Will suggested. "We can't get into the

got a boat?"

. The operators placed them here thinking they might come in handy at some future t

ge and I'll look around for the boats. We may need them before

re penned in by water," George suggested, as the boys

stance, they ought to answer us when w

George answered. "Suppose w

ys did let out a couple of yells which broug

heir shouts when he arrived, and so they pai

find the beat, take a trip down the main gangway here and stick your lights into all the cross-headings and chambers you see. But

rs two rungs at a time, and soon disappear

but did not succeed in discovering it. At last, Will suggest

soon had it swinging to and fro on the surface of the w

he water with an oar, "if the water is four feet dee

, I should think!

ssage they proposed following, and started away in the boat. The flashlights illuminated only

arkness beyond. The sound was not repeated, and they were about to proceed when a

at. The blow echoed through the cavern as sharply as a pistol

in that o

ere's always a mystery in every trip we take! We found one on Lake Superior, and one in the Flor

e going to solve this one! You remember about my seeing

. "You thought it was

o yet," re

when he found that the mine was being flooded. He might at least have

" he went on, "why he was rowing away into a

you the answer you gav

he turned into crossheadings and chambers, as if to escape from their surveillance, but they kept steadily on afte

seeing that they came no nearer to the boat in advance. "We left the ma

oked back, facing

way," he said. "I don't even remember

ou see we followed this other boat w

lead us somewhere. The fellow rowing must know something abo

d of the fellow's oars," George went on, "but there's nothing d

my and Sandy, and the machinery of the mine has been interfered with and the lower levels

and listen a minute

en the sound George had heard was repe