Say, I
hope Will finds that old ladder we used to play with. I'd hate to lie in
here waiting for you to go all the way to camp and get a rope," grumbled
the imprisoned one.
"I hear voices, and I reckon Will must have met some one. Yes, there
they come."
"With the ladder?" demanded Jerry, eagerly.
"They seem to be carrying something between them. Why, I ought to know
that fellow. As sure as you live, it's Andy Lasher," declared Frank,
somewhat surprised.
"Then it's all right; I'm satisfied," said Jerry, resignedly.
The others came forward, and as Frank had said they bore between them a
long, slender tree upon which many slats had been nailed by the boys.
This formed a rude but effective ladder, upon which one might ascend
and descend when desirous of seeing what the interior of the abandoned
shaft was like.
"I came across Andy down the trail. Only for him I guess I'd never have
lit on the ladder, for they'd carried it some distance off, and hid it,"
cried Will.
Andy looked Frank straight in the face, and the latter explained:
"It's mighty funny, but you see I remembered about this here trap the
boys had set, hopin' some of your crowd would take a tumble. I told 'em I
wouldn't stand for it after what had happened; so a bunch o' us was on
the way out here to put back the planks, when we heard shouts, and
guessed somebody had fallen in.
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