“I thought so. I knew I was right. I shall take a bottle of rum off Old Man Paterson now. I told him it was the result of some freakish wager—he would have it you had discovered it by accident.” “Do go on,” urged Alan. The situation was becoming desperate. Neither of the boys had the slightest idea of what Mr. Travers was talking about. “Well,” continued the cheery manager, “you may be sure it took some time to clear away the débris after the cave-in. When it was clear we saw a passage leading out of it, and followed it about a mile, when it became choked up; and as we had made no preparations we returned and decided to continue our investigations another day.” “Well?” from both boys. “It was a Thursday. John Cornlake, Bill Watson and one or two other good, all round pick hands came with Mennell and me. It was a long road—two and three quarter miles by our pedometer—pitch dark, as you know. Suddenly we saw a speck of blue in the distance. We moved the boulder aside—how cleverly it is hidden among the rocks and undergrowth! and we realized at once it was the exit of ‘Red Mark’s Tunnel’.” Neither of the boys spoke—they saw the humour of the situation, but were afraid lest by a word they might give themselves away. “It must be a hundred and twenty years since it was used. How did you come to discover it?” “A fellow told us about it,” said Alan vaguely after the fraction of a pause, and Mr. Travers was content. “Of course when the shaft of our mine was sunk, the workmen searched for the entrance to the tunnel, but it was never discovered, and I don’t suppose it ever would have been except by a lucky accident. I suppose you were unable to find your way back to Karragua—was that it? You were in a pretty bad condition when you were found. We have already informed the government of the discovery,” he went on, “and agents have been sent down to inspect it. We are not sure what the result will be. Every one in Walla Balla wants to have it opened up as a sort of showplace. It would certainly do the township an immense amount of good. Red Mark and his fellow convicts who escaped through it have certainly left a wonderful monument behind them.” So! It flashed on Alan’s mind at once. In some miraculous way the entrance to the passage by which they had come from Korah’s tomb was again blocked up. Their secret was still their own, but a subterranean passage made by early eighteenth century convicts had been unearthed instead. “Did Red Mark dig the passage himself?” asked Alan.