"I beg your pardon, sir," said Steve, "but have you had those poor fellows who fell in looked up?"

"I have just sent a rescue party to the lower level to look for them. I had not been here ten minutes when you came up. Nothing was being done.

Everyone seemed to have lost his head----"

"One man didn't," interrupted Bob Jarvis grimly. "Steve Rush didn't, or three of us would have been down there now, smashed flat."

Mr. Penton nodded.

"You two may go home, if you wish."

"For what, sir?" asked Rush.

"Your nerves no doubt are a little shaken, and----"

"Our nerves are all right, sir. Besides, we may be needed here. I think we had better go down on one of the skips and see if we can be of any service to the men who fell----"

Just then the superintendent was called to the telephone by the side of the shaft. He returned after giving some brief directions.

"It's all over, boys," he said.

"Have they found them?"

"Yes. The men are dead. It could not have been otherwise after that terrible fall. They are sending the bodies up on a skip. I shall be busy here for the next hour. If you will meet me at my office, at the end of the hour, I shall be there. I want to say something to you both. I had intended seeing you some time to-day."

"Very well, sir," replied Steve. "I don't know that I want to stay here, unless there is something that I can do to help you."

"There is nothing," replied Mr. Penton.

The boys walked away, thoughtful and silent. They had taken part in a grim tragedy, such as was likely to happen at any time in the busy mines. To-morrow it would be forgotten and the work of burrowing under the earth would go on just as though nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.

"It was a close call," said Bob, glancing into the thoughtful face of his companion.

Steve nodded.

"Poor fellows," he murmured. "Did they leave families?"

"I don't know."

"We will find out. Perhaps we may be able to do something for them."

Not long after the youths had reached the office of the superintendent, Mr. Penton came in. He shook hands with the boys again, after which he called in the claim adjuster.

"This affair will cost us something in damages," Mr. Penton said. "But the company will pay willingly. Will you two boys make a statement, giving the adjuster all the facts?"

"Certainly, sir," answered Steve.

"Dominick will not get over his fright before to-morrow, and even at that, his testimony would not be of much value to us."

After a stenographer had been summoned, Steve related in a concise manner the story of the accident to the cage, not neglecting to mention the speed at which the car was traveling when the cage turned turtle.

"Have you anything to add to that, Jarvis?" asked Mr. Penton after Steve had concluded.

"Not a word. I couldn't have told it better."

Mr. Penton did not smile. He regarded Rush thoughtfully.

"That is the clearest and most comprehensive statement of an accident that I have ever listened to, Steve. After it has been transcribed I shall ask both of you to sign it."

This the boys did, swearing to the truth of the statement they had made.

The claim adjuster then thanked them and left the room. It was a clear case against the company, for there had been neglect on the part of some employe. The accident would cost the company thousands of dollars, but to the credit of the company there was to be no effort to evade responsibility.

The Iron Boys rose to leave.

"Sit down," said Mr. Penton, motioning them back to their chairs. "As I told you over at the shaft, I desire to talk with you. How long have you been in the mines?"

"I have been here a year. Jarvis has been here a little longer than that," answered Steve.

"Just so. In that time you two have proved yourselves out. You have done well all that has been given to you to do, and you have gone somewhat beyond that, I may add," said Mr. Penton, with a smile. "I want to ask you a personal question."

"Yes, sir."

"Is it your intention to remain in the mines permanently?"

Steve thought a moment before replying.

"I have thought that I should like to familiarize myself with the entire iron and steel business. After I have learned all I can in the mines, I think I should like to go on--to go further----"

"The mills, for instance----"

"Yes, sir."

Bob Jarvis nodded his approval of what Steve had said.

"I rather thought so. While I shall not want to lose you, you may rest a.s.sured that I shall leave nothing undone to push you along. You have a career before you, each of you. The keynote of success in the industrial world is patriotism. There is patriotism for flag and country and there is another kind as well--patriotism of achievement. It is this patriotism which accomplishes great works in the industrial world.

Without it our great industries could not exist."

"Yes, sir; I feel it, sir," said Steve brightly.

"I know that. I have known it for a long time. It is such patriotism as yours that accomplishes results in the world. The president of the company is aware that you possess it. I had a letter from him yesterday regarding you boys."

Mr. Penton turned over the papers on his desk. Selecting the letter he was in search of, he read it, then laid the paper back on his desk.

"Mr. Carrhart, the president, is deeply interested in you. This letter is in reference to you, making certain suggestions. Have you any idea what they are?" laughed the superintendent.

"No, sir."

"I hope he isn't going to discharge us," interjected Bob Jarvis whimsically.