The Call of the Beaver Patrol | Page 9

Somehow, they caught the impression that they would interfere with his plans if they remained.
"It might be well," Ventner said, directly, "to keep me posted as to any discoveries you may make. We must work together, you know."
"Certainly," replied Will, speaking with a mental reservation which did not include the giving up of any information worth while.
"Well, then, I'll be going," the detective said, strutting across the room, with his little round belly protruding like that of an insect. "You can always find me at the hotel down here, if I'm in this part of the country. Just ask for me and I'll show up."
Canfield was turning to depart with the detective when Will motioned to him to remain. The caretaker turned back with a surprised look.
Will waited until the door had closed on the detective before speaking. Even then, he went to the door and glanced down the passage.
"Something exciting?" smiled the caretaker, noting the boy's caution.
"Yes," Will answered, "there's something exciting. Tommy and Sandy disappeared during the night."
"Disappeared?" echoed the caretaker.
"Yes," George cut in, "there was some talk of their visiting the mine just before we went to bed, and we are of the opinion that they went down the shaft shortly after we fell asleep, and failed to find their way to the surface again. We are considerably alarmed."
"I should think you would be!" replied the caretaker. "In the first place, the Labyrinth mine bears the right name. There are old workings below which a stranger might follow for days without finding the way out."
"Then we'll have to organize a search for the boys," George suggested.
"Besides," continued Canfield, "there are things going on in the mine which no one understands. I have long believed that there are people living there who have no right to take up such a residence."
"I'm sorry you said anything to this detective about our being here," Will said, after this phase of the case had been discussed.
"As a matter of fact," the caretaker replied, "I didn't intend to say anything to Ventner about your being here, but in some way he received an intimation that you were about to take up the case and so pumped the whole story out of me."
"Perhaps he received his information from the New York attorney," suggested Will.
"I'm sure that he did not," answered the caretaker. "If the attorney had written to him in regard to the matter at all, he would have posted him so fully that when he cross-examined me such a proceeding would have been unnecessary."
"Has this man Ventner visited the mine often?" asked George.
"Yes, quite frequently."
"Does he always go alone?"
"Yes, he always goes alone," was the answer. "Once I accompanied him to the bottom of the shaft, but there he suggested that we go in different directions, and did not seem to want me anywhere near him."
"I don't like the looks of the fellow, and that's a fact!" exclaimed Will. "He doesn't look good to me."
After some discussion it was decided that the caretaker would accompany the two boys to the bottom of the shaft and direct them down gangways, which they could follow without fear of losing their way, and the illumination of which would be likely to be observed by anyone wandering about the blind chambers and passages of the mine.
When they reached the bottom of the shaft, climbing down the ladders, as Tommy and Sandy had done some hours before, they gathered in a little group at the bottom while the caretaker gave them a few general instructions regarding the general outlines of the Labyrinth of tunnels, chambers and cross passages which lay before them.
"Did any one come down after us?" asked Will directly.
"No one," was the reply. "Why do you ask?"
"Because," Will answered, "there's some one skulking off down that passage, and it looks to me like that bum detective!"
CHAPTER V
THE FLOODED MINE
"What makes you think it's Ventner?" asked the caretaker. "Did you see his face? I don't think he is here."
"I didn't see his face," answered Will, "but I saw the shape of his shoulders and the hang-dog look of him."
"You're prejudiced against Ventner," laughed Canfield.
"I admit it!" replied Will. "He looks to me like a 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. Here 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