The next trip Jarvis was drawn up. He found the superintendent a little dazed, but holding himself together firmly. "Thank you," he said shortly, flashing a look at Bob. "We must get Rush up at once where he may have care. Carry him over to the cage. Leave everything as it is here. We have no time to attend to anything but the boy." The men picked up the lad and bore him through the sub-level. Steve was still limp and unconscious. Reaching the cage, Mr. Benton gave the signal to hoist. The car did not move, whereupon the superintendent, with an impatient exclamation reached out, giving the signal lever another pull. "What does this mean?" He rang again to hoist the cage. "Bob, run up to the telephone on the next level and find out what's the matter. The Evil One himself seems to have taken possession of this mine of late." Jarvis came running back a few minutes later. "Well, what is it?" "The cage-tender says the machinery has broken down." "Did he say what the trouble is?" "He said the engineer had sent word that the big cog wheel had stripped itself. They can't move the cage, and probably will not be able to do so for some hours. They are taking the old wheel off now, preparatory to putting on the spare wheel." Mr. Penton clenched his hands to keep from expressing himself as he would like to do. "We must get this boy somewhere where we can warm him up, or he will die on our hands. The only place I know of is the pump station and----" "Then we will carry Steve up the ladders," interrupted Bob. "But, boy, it is nearly a thousand feet from here to the pump station. We can't get him up there by hand." "I'll show you whether we can or not. One of you go ahead and light the way. Help me through the manholes at the platforms and we'll get him up there in short order. Mr. Penton, will you have somebody follow close behind me to help a little?" "Do you think you will be able to do it?" "I don't think! I know!" "Then I will carry him myself." "No, sir; I will carry him. You are not able. You are still suffering from the bump you got." Without further words Jarvis picked up the limp form of his companion. He staggered a little as he swung Steve over his shoulder, the boy's head drooping over on Bob's left breast. Then began a climb that is talked of to this day in the Cousin Jack Mine. Up ladder after ladder staggered Bob Jarvis with the form of his companion over his shoulder. Now and then he would pause on a landing for a breathing spell, where, with heaving chest, he would lean against the rocky wall with eyes closed and everything swimming dizzily about him. Mr. Penton and the searching party followed him up the ladder, but he would let none of them relieve him of his burden. "Had--hadn't you better telephone for a surgeon to meet us at the pump station?" asked Jarvis. "Yes, but how will he get down?" "Let him climb down the ladders. I guess he can climb down if we can go the other way."