it seemed to gerald like a terrible dream, as he tried with his unpractised eyes to peer through the blackness. but it was completely dark. it seemed to be an excavation which had been abandoned. it was at some distance from that part of the mine in which active operations were going on. how long he would be kept here he could not conjecture. whether, indeed, the superintendent would dare to keep him in captivity, perhaps even let him starve to death, he could not tell. he felt it hard to realize the position he was in.

leaving him to his troubled thoughts, we will go back to the hotel where joshua burdoch and he were guests.

when gerald left the house with the superintendent, burdoch was temporarily absent. twenty minutes later he returned, and looked about for gerald. not seeing him he concluded that he had gone out for a walk. but an hour passed, and still gerald was absent. he did not feel anxious about him, but he and gerald were such constant companions that he felt lonesome and uneasy without him.

he walked up to the desk of the hotel and asked the landlord: "have you seen anything of the boy?"

"yes, he was here rather more than an hour ago."

"did he go out?"

"yes; he went out with mr. hawk."

"the superintendent of the mine?"

"yes."

this surprised mr. burdoch. for, so far as he knew, the two had never held any communication.

"did they appear to be talking together?" he asked.

"yes."

"where do you think they went?"

"i believe hawk proposed that the boy should go with him to the mine."

"i wonder what that means?" thought burdoch, puzzled.

he took his hat and walked out in the direction of the mine.

near by he saw nelson hawk conversing with one of the miners.

"mr. hawk," he said, walking up to the superintendent, "where is gerald lane?"

nelson hawk shrugged his shoulders.

"i don't know," he answered.

"lockard told me he left the hotel in your company."

"yes, we walked a little way together."

"and then you separated?"

"yes."

"did he go back?"

"i presume so."

"he did not go down into the mine?"

"no. why should he?"

"i don't know. i merely asked."

"i am busy. i can't talk with you any more."

joshua burdoch, more puzzled than ever, walked slowly away. a hundred yards distant he met a man he knew, and asked if he had seen anything of gerald.

"an hour or two ago i saw him with mr. hawk."

"where were they?"

"just going down into the mine."

"i'll warrant, there's some mischief here!" exclaimed burdoch. "hawk has been deceiving me."

"you didn't see the two come up again?"

"no; but i saw hawk coming out of the mine alone."

this confirmed the suspicion of burdoch, and he guessed the truth.

"mckee," he said, "i scent trouble. that man has left the boy in the mine, and i propose to get him out. are you with me?"

"yes; i hate hawk, and i will help you cheerfully."

"then come back with me."

burdoch strode back and walked up to the superintendent.

"mr. hawk," he said, "you have shut up the boy in the mine. unless you release him i will shoot you!"

hawk turned pale, but tried to bluster.

"you are mistaken," he said. "at any rate, i won't be talked to in this style."

"you can't help yourself."

"what motive could i have for confining the boy?"

"you have probably found out that he represents your partner, old tom nixon, and that he has come here to find out the real state of the mine."

"you astonish me, and i don't believe you. nixon wouldn't send a kid like that."

"we won't argue the point. that boy must be released!"

"he is not in the mine."

"i intend to go down and see."

"oh, very well; you can go!"

"you must go with us."

"i have not time."

in reply, burdoch put a pistol to the side of his head.

"be careful," said the affrighted superintendent, "it might go off!"

"will you go down?"

"yes."

they started, burdoch watching hawk closely, ready at the slightest sign of treachery to shoot him.

but hawk had made up his mind to deceive him if he could. he did not dare to resort to violence in the case of a man so strong and determined as joshua burdoch. they descended to the bottom of the mine, and the party got out.

"now," said hawk, waving his hand, "you are at liberty to search for yourself, and if you can find the boy, do so!"

burdoch and his friend went about the mine, peering everywhere, but no trace of gerald's presence could be found.

burdoch became uneasy and discouraged. he had no confidence in the superintendent. he felt convinced that he was being deceived, but how could he prove it?

"well," said hawk, who had not accompanied them, "have you found him?"

there was a triumphant smile on his face, which excited burdoch's suspicions.

"not yet," he answered, briefly.

"oh, well, you can continue your search," and he walked away.

"mckee," said burdoch, abruptly, "have you ever been in this mine before?"

"yes; two years ago i was employed here for a few weeks."

"is there any place—any secret place—besides those that we have visited where the boy could be confined?"

"yes," answered mckee, with a sudden thought, "there is a vault not now used, rather apart from the rest of the mine, where he might be concealed."

"can you guide me there?" asked burdoch, eagerly.

"yes, i think so."

"then do so in mercy's name!"

mckee's memory served him well. he led the way to the side excavation. it was shut off from the rest of the mine by a wooden door. that door was locked.

"this is the place," said burdoch. "now to find out if gerald is here!"

he struck with his heavy jack-knife on the door, and then waited.

there was an answering knock.

"that is he!" he exclaimed.

he bent down and called through the keyhole:

"are you inside, gerald?"

there was a faint sound. he could not hear the words, but he was convinced that it was gerald's voice.

now to open the door. it was heavy and the lock was strong. there seemed no way except to use the key. that key undoubtedly the superintendent had. just then nelson hawk came in sight. he had been afraid the secret room would be found.

"well, gentlemen," he said, uneasily, "you seem to have gone astray. what brought you here?"

"give me the key of that door!" said burdoch, sternly.

"i have no key."

"give me that key!"

"i tell you i have none," and the superintendent started to go away.

instantly burdoch had him by the throat.

"now search his pockets, mckee."

"you will repent this outrage," said nelson hawk, in a choking voice.

"i will risk that."

from his pockets a bunch of keys was taken by mckee, and one of them was found to fit the door.

burdoch inserted it in the lock, and in a moment the door swung back, revealing gerald, who gladly stepped outside.

"you scoundrel!" said burdoch, shaking his fist in the superintendent's face. "now tell your story, gerald."

gerald did so.

"what have you to say for yourself, hawk?" demanded burdoch.

"it must have been a mistake," whined the superintendent.

"you will hear from us again. now, gerald, we will go out."

"now," said burdoch, "do you know what i have decided to do?"

"no."

"i shall go back with you to campville, make mr. nixon an offer for his share in the mine, come back and force hawk out. i mean to control it and manage it myself. you shall introduce me to tom nixon."

"i will with pleasure."