"Well, I never sent it. I haven't been down there recently. I had started to go there to-day when some other matters came up calling me back to the office." "You did not send for me?" "I certainly did not." "Then whoever did send that message must have done so for the purpose of getting me down there to do me up. I begin to understand." "But, Steve, who could bear you such ill will?" "I don't know." "It isn't Steve alone they are after," interjected Jarvis. "The rascals seem to have it in for the mine, too. Take, for instance, the cage. They've put that out of business." "The villains! I should like to catch them--I should like to get my hands on the man who pushed me in this afternoon." "You did not finish telling me of the occurrence," said Mr. Penton. Steve related the story of his adventure, the others listening with grave faces as the narrative proceeded. "Now, tell me how you found me," he said in conclusion. "Jarvis missed you. But did you not get sight of the man at all?" "No, sir." "You do not know whether there was more than one?" "I do not. I didn't know there was one until he placed his hands against my back and pushed me in. When I came up, after the first plunge, I tried to see who was on the platform, but I neither saw nor heard anyone. I can't understand why he didn't hit me." "The scoundrel probably wanted it to appear to be an accident. He thought you would not get out of that hole very easily," said Bob. "Nor should I, in all probability, had it not been for you." "Rush, we must go into this matter very thoroughly. The man who let you through the trap on number seventeen is no longer with us. He has not been with us for several months, but the attacks on you have been renewed. Next thing we know damage will be done to the company's property. I don't want to confess that we are beaten and send for detectives." "You leave it to us--we'll catch him," spoke up Bob Jarvis. "I have an itching at my finger tips and I won't do a thing to him when I get them on him." "That is exactly what I want you boys to do--find the man or men guilty of this outrage, and I shall not be as lenient as I was in the other affair." Steve lay with half-closed eyes thinking deeply. Instinctively there appeared to his mental vision the picture of the bewhiskered man whom he had seen several weeks before, and who made such an unfavorable impression upon him. "Yes; I shall be very glad to do what I can," he said, glancing up at Mr. Penton. "I am ready to begin at once. Doctor, don't you think it is about time you were letting me get up?" After taking Steve's temperature and thumping him upon the chest, the physician decided to let the lad get up and dress. He did, however, most emphatically protest against Rush climbing the ladders all the way to the surface.