He tore a half-sheet from the letter in his pocket, scribbled a few words upon it, and put it into Mary's hand. The woman, with her shawl over her head, ran past the lamphouse towards the entrance-gate as fast as her age would let her, while George rejoined Madan. "Ah, there he is!" For the small, lean figure of the inspector was already passing the gate. Tressady hurried to meet him. By the time the first questions and answers were over, Tressady, looking round for Madan, saw that the manager was speaking angrily to a tall man in a rough coat and corduroy trousers who had entered the pit premises in the wake of Mr. Dixon. "You take yourself off, Mr. Burrows! You're not wanted here." "Madan!" called Tressady, "attend to Mr. Dixon, please. I'll see to that man." And he walked up to Burrows, while the men standing near crowded over the line they had been told to keep. "What do you want?" he said, as he reached the newcomer. "I have come to offer myself for the rescue party. I've been a working miner for years. I've had special experience in accidents before. I can beat anybody here in physical strength." As he spoke the great heavily built fellow looked round him, and a murmur of assenting applause came from the bystanders. Tressady studied him. "Are you fit?" he said shortly. Burrows flushed. Tressady's penetrating look forced his own to meet it. "As fit as you are," was his haughty reply. "Well"--said Tressady, slowly, "we don't want to be refusing strong men. If Madan'll have you, you shall come. Mind, we're all under his orders." He went to the manager, and said a word in his ear. Madan, in response, vouchsafed neither look nor remark to the man, whom he hated apparently more bitterly than his employer did. But he made no further objection to his joining the search party. Presently all preparations were made. Picked bands of firemen and timbermen descended first, with Madan at their head. Then George, Mr. Dixon, a couple of local doctors who had hurried up to offer their services, and Burrows. As they shot down into the darkness George was conscious of a strange exhilaration. Working on the indications given him by the first exploring party, his mind was alive with conjectures as to the cause of the accident, and with plans for dealing with the various obstacles that might occur. Never during these weeks of struggle and noise and objurgation had he felt so fit, so strenuous. At the bottom of the shaft he had even to remind himself, with a shudder, of the dead men who must be waiting for them in these blank depths.