The two boys stood still; the strange light approached, and, with the light, appeared, to Tom's astonished eyes, the huge form and bearded face of Jack Rennie.
"Why, lads!" exclaimed Rennie; "lads!" Then, flashing the light of his lamp into the boys' faces, "What, Tom, is it you? you and the blind brither? Ah! but it's main bad for ye, bairnies, main bad--an' warse yet for the poor mither at hame."
When Tom first recognized Rennie, he could not speak for fear and amazement. The sudden thought that he and Bennie were alone, in the power of this giant whose liberty he had sworn away, overcame his courage. But when the kindly voice and sympathizing words fell on his ears, his fear departed, and he was ready to fraternize with the convict, as a companion in distress.
"Tom," whispered Bennie, "I know his voice. It's the man 'at talked so kind to me on the day o' the strike."
"I remember ye, laddie," said Jack. "I remember ye richt well." Then, turning to Tom, "Ye were comin' up the fall; did ye find any openin'?"
"No," said Tom, speaking for the first time since the meeting; "none that's any good."
"An' there's naught above, either," replied Jack; "so we've little to do but wait. Sit ye doon, lads, an' tell me how ye got caught."
Seated on a shelf of rock, Tom told in a few words how he and Bennie had been shut in by the fall. Then Jack related to the boys the story of his escape from the sheriff, and how his comrades had spirited him away into these abandoned workings, and were supplying him with food until such time as he could safely go out in disguise, and take ship for Europe.
"Noo ye mus' wait wi' patience," he said. "It'll no' be for lang; they'll soon be a-comin' for ye. The miners ha' strong arms an' stoot herts, an' ye'll hear their picks a-tap-tappin' awa' i' the headin'--to-morrow, mayhap."
"It mus' be, lad. I ha' naught to mark the time by, but it mus' be along i' the evenin'."
"But," interrupted Tom, as the thought struck him, "if they find you here, you'll have to go back to the jail."
"I ha' thocht o' that," answered Jack. "I ha' thocht o' that, an' my min's made up. I'll go back, an' stan' ma sentence. I ha' deserved it. I'd ha' no peace o' min' a-wanderin' o'er the earth a-keepin' oot o' the way o' the law. An' maybe, if I lived ma sentence oot, I could do some'at that's better. But I'll no' hide any longer; I canna do it!"