CHAPTER XXII.

AN UNDERGROUND RACE.

Let us see how it is faring with Little Snap.

As we have seen, his surprise knew no bounds, as he listened to the sound of the voice which was unmistakably his father's.

Anxious to see if he could learn what his father's presence there meant, while Bird Burrnock was speaking he cautiously advanced, crawling upon his hands and knees.

He soon paused as he found himself in a position to look into the cavern room containing the speakers, though they were not in sight of him.

He stopped abruptly as he heard his father's voice again answering the outlaw chief.

"The last of them must be put out of the way!" he was saying, "and I am the man to do it."

"Of course ye air," replied Bird Burrnock. "How soon can ye do yit?"

Little Snap was about to make another move forward, hoping to be able to get a view of the speakers, his hearing strained to its utmost tension to catch every word that was spoken.

He heard his father's voice again falling on the unnatural stillness of the place, when suddenly he was startled by a sound behind him which he recognized as the stealthy footstep of a man swiftly approaching him.

Expecting to meet none but enemies there, he put the voice from his mind instantly, and turned to look for some way of escape.

As he glanced into the gloom encircling him, he saw the faint outlines of a man's figure a few feet away. At the same time he perceived the entrance to a passage running off to his left.

It was his only avenue of escape, and without stopping to think whether it might lead him to safety or into worse dangers, he darted along its course.

"Help!" cried the man in pursuit of him. "Quick! that boy! He's gone this way!"

While giving utterance to the exciting alarm, the speaker rushed upon the heels of Little Snap, who found the way so crooked and filled with bowlders that he could advance only with great difficulty.

The cries of his pursuers were quickly answered by the others, and then the fugitive heard the entire party in pursuit of him.

The foremost almost within reach of him, the postboy continued his flight as rapidly as possible, at one time actually feeling the hand of his enemy on his shoulder, as he ran against one of the rocks often blocking his way. But gliding around the obstruction, he succeeded in eluding his pursuer.

For several yards he found a clearer course, while a faint halo of light filled the underground place.

The cause of this was explained in a moment, when he came upon the opening in the rocky passage discovered by him in his search for the Raggles.

Unable to cross this chasm, he suddenly found his flight cut off!

Feeling sure of their victim now, with renewed cries, the outlaws rushed to effect his capture.

Little Snap's first thought was that he was fairly caught! But no sooner had he recognized the spot than a desperate resolution entered his mind, and he felt no hesitation in carrying it out.

Ab Raggles had said that the water at the bottom of the fissure formed an underground stream leading to the valley below, and that he and his sons had followed it without trouble to safety. Why could not he do the same?

Wild cries came from his pursuers, as they saw him keep on to the very brink of the abyss without checking his speed. Then, to their greater amazement, they saw him plunge into the opening, to disappear instantly from their sight.

"Let th' fool go!" said Bird Burrnock. "He's saved us a heap o' trouble in lookin' after him. He's out o' our way sure nough now."

The fall to the water was greater than Little Snap had expected, and he was nearly deprived of his breath by the force with which he struck the subterranean river. But he quickly recovered himself, and as the current was not swift, he was soon swimming along with the tide at a leisurely rate.

The stream was nearly straight, and the postboy had not gone far before a streak of daylight told him that he was nearing its outlet.

The mouth of the river seemed to be in the midst of the Greenbrier, and so completely was the smaller stream swallowed up by the larger that, excepting a slight increase in the current, there was no sign of the addition of water.

But Greenbrier River, as we have seen, was rapid in this vicinity, so our hero had to look sharp for himself, as he followed its course to a place where he could scale its precipitous bank.

This he did not succeed in doing until he had got within a short distance of the wrecked bridge, where he had had his thrilling experience that morning.

"Poor Fairy!" he thought, as he looked for trace of her, "you must have been killed outright by the fall. It was a fearful chance, but—hark! I hear horsemen coming."

Not caring to take any risk, he sought the concealment of the bushes, to await the appearance of the riders.

He didn't have to wait long before they dashed into sight, pulling up smartly at the sight of the chasm of roaring waters where the bridge should have been.

A glad cry left Little Snap's lips, as he saw that the foremost horseman was John Rimmon of Six Roads, and regardless of his personal appearance, he bounded into the road.

"Why! Dix Lewis, as I live!" cried the postmaster. "Where in the world have you been, and what has happened? You look as if you had been through fire and water."

"I have nearly that," replied Little Snap, with a laugh. "I am glad you have come along, for I am afoot and pretty well used up. I have lost both of my horses. Poor Fairy will carry me no more on my trips to the Loop."

"Don't be too sure of that, lad. She's safe and sound in your stable at this blessed minute. So is Jack, too! You see, their coming without you was what started us in your quest.

"But the folks are too anxious about you at home for us to tarry here. Jump up here behind me, and as we ride along you can tell me your story. When we get to Diamond we'll hunt you up an extra horse and a dry suit of clothes.

"Right-about face, boys, and seeing that you can get ahead faster than we, you can go on and tell them we have found the missing sheep all right."

Mr. Rimmon's companions willingly complied with this request, without dreaming that it was a clever artifice on his part to hear Little Snap's full story alone.

He had anticipated there might be some startling disclosures, and he was not disappointed, as the postboy told him all that had happened to him since leaving Six Roads, omitting the single fact of his father's presence among the outlaws in the cave. He hadn't the heart to tell that part.

"My stars! adventures enough for a trip around the world. But say, Dix, if you had let me know that you were going, I should have put a stop to it, though I can see that it has resulted in gaining some valuable truths, which might not otherwise have been gained."

"I promised mother that I would let you know I was going. I did call up to your house, but no one was stirring, and I thought it was too bad to disturb you. I did not think it would make any difference."

"All's well that ends well, they say. By the by, I do not believe it will be best to tell all you know of this affair just at present. There is a mystery to me concerning the origin of all this trouble, and I don't understand the actions of some of our leading citizens. In my humble opinion it will be best to watch and wait in this matter a while. I will stand by you if no one else does. Shag came round in a terrible stew to have the mail pouch, but I knew better than to let him.

"You can say that you went to Volney and saw Mr. Calvert, and in coming back you undertook to cross the bridge stringers and fell in, which will be the truth as far as you go.

"In regard to that gang you saw in the cave, I don't know what to do with them. We can't exactly arrest them, even could we catch them, as it would bother us to prove anything against them. They are desperate characters to handle, too. No doubt as soon as they find you have escaped they will pitch into you again. If you have any scruples about continuing on your route, I will get a trusty man to take your place. I wouldn't blame you if you did, and it might be better so for a time. You shall have your job back again when it is over."

"I don't wish to give it up at this time, Mr. Rimmon. I thank you for your kindness, and I want to go through with this. I am going to get at the bottom of this matter if it is possible."

"Spoken just like a Lewis. Well, you have one who will see you through. You are true grit."

"I am afraid I shall be late at the Loop, to say nothing of the other offices," said Little Snap, with a slight laugh.

"You won't be expected to go at all. If Uncle Sam's servants do not keep the way open, he certainly cannot expect you to perform your task. Perhaps by to-morrow it will be so you can go."

"I will be ready then," replied the postboy, earnestly.