When the clock struck two, he sat up in the bed and looked at Andy Gilgallon with a sternness in his face that was seldom seen there.

“Andy,” he said, “tha’s summat ye’re a-keepin’ fra me.  If aught’s happenit to the lad I want ye s’ould tell me.  Be he hurt, be he dead, I wull know it.  Coom noo, oot wi’ it, mon!  D’ye hear me?”

Andy could not resist an appeal and a command like this.  There was something in the man’s eyes, he said afterwards, that drew the truth right out of him.

Bachelor Billy heard the story calmly, asked about the means being taken for the boy’s rescue, and then sat for a few moments in quiet thought.

Finally he said:  “Andy, gi’ me ma clothes.”

Andy did not dare to disobey him.  He gave his clothes to him, and helped him to dress.

The man was so sick and dizzy still that he could hardly stand.  He crossed the room, took his cap from its hook and put it on his head.

“An’ where do yez be goin’ to I donno?” inquired Andy, anxiously.

“I’m a-goin’ to the breaker,” replied Bachelor Billy.

“Ah, man! but ye’re foolish.  Ye’ll be losin’ your own life, I warrant, an’ ye’ll be doin’ no good to the boy.”

But Billy had already started from the door.

“I might be able to do a bit toward savin’ ‘im,” he said.  “An’ if he’s beyon’ that, as mos’ like he is, I s’ould want to get the lad’s body an’ care for it mysel’.  I kenned ’im best.”

The two men were walking up through the narrow street of the village.

“I hear now that it’s Mrs. Burnham’s son he is,” said Andy.  “Lawyer Goodlaw came yesterday wid the news.”

Billy did not seem surprised.

He trudged on, saying simply:—­

“Then he’s worthy of his mither, the lad is, an’ of his father.  I’m thankfu’ that he’s got some one at last, besides his Uncle Billy, happen it’s only to bury ’im.”

The fresh, cool air seemed to have revived and strengthened the invalid, and he went on at a more rapid pace.  But he was weak enough still.  He wavered from side to side as he walked, and his face was very pale.

When the two men reached the site of the burned breaker, they went directly to the opening to learn the latest news concerning the search.  There was not much, however, for them to hear.  The shaft was entirely cleaned out and men had been down into the mine, but they had not been able to get far from the foot, the air was so very bad.

A rough partition was being built now, down the entire depth of the opening, a cover had been erected over the mouth of the shaft, and a fan had been put up temporarily, to drive fresh air into the mine and create an atmosphere there that would support life.

It was not long after the arrival of the two men before another party of miners stepped into the bucket to be lowered into the mine.

Bachelor Billy asked to be allowed to go with them, but his request was denied.  They feared that, in his present condition, the foul air below would be fatal to him.