As they neared the company's office, they became aware of a dull pounding, as of some one hammering upon iron. It would cease for a moment and then begin again, louder than before. Not until they came quite near did any of the posse guess what it was; and it was Jed who guessed first. "There's somebody shut up in th' office," he said. "I'll bet th' robbers did it! Well, they're clever ones fer sure!" And this conjecture proved to be correct, as Jed found after a few moments' shouted conversation with the prisoners. The first thing to be done was to get them out, but this was not so easy as might appear, for, as has already been stated, the little building had been built to withstand a siege; it was lined with steel, the windows were heavily barred and the door was armoured. One of the prisoners explained that the door had been locked on them from the outside, but the key was not in the lock. "They probably throwed it away arter they locked th' door," said Jed. "But we can't find it in th' dark. Th' only thing t' do is t' break a couple o' bars out o' one o' th' winders, an' make a hole big enough fer 'em t' squeeze through." And, after twenty minutes' hard work, this was accomplished. There were four prisoners, one of whom was the paymaster and another the mine superintendent, and after they had crowded through the opening, they told the story of their capture. The horses had been hitched to the wagon in the company's stable, and it had then been driven to the homes of the superintendent and paymaster, picked them up, as the custom was, and then turned back toward the company's office to get the two guards who awaited it there and who were to accompany it to and from the station. The guards were there, and the superintendent had unlocked the door, and led the way in to get the guns with which the guards were always armed. He had left the door open and the key in the lock, as he expected to go out again immediately. It was at that moment that the door was slammed shut and the key turned. Those within the office had seen no one, nor heard any noise until the door closed. "But what was your driver doin' all that time?" asked Jed. "Why didn't he give the alarm? Did they git him, too?" "I don't know. Probably they did. I don't see how else his silence can be explained." "You didn't hear any struggle?" "No; still they might have silenced him with one blow." "Mighty hard to do," said Jed, reflectively, "with him up there on th' wagon-seat." "We'll know in the morning," remarked the superintendent. "We'll probably find his body hid around here somewhere." "Well, we haven't got time t' look fer him now," said Jed. "How many hosses kin we hev?" "We've got six in the stable yet."