sound. He realized at once that the “skip” had broken, and that the tons of rock were tumbling toward him down the shaft. Instinctively he flattened himself against the wall, and the rock came like an avalanche. Most of it he escaped, but heavy pieces struck his shoulders, causing painful bruises. But that was not the worst.     Soon the air was filled with hissing steam. The load of ore in its fall had broken a steam pipe above, and the inspector knew that in a few minutes more he would be smothered. The steam was blinding. It was hot end stifling in his nostrils and his lungs. But he had little time to think. Only one course was open. He plunged into the icy water of the tunnel and swam off into the darkness.     Then the break in the team pipe was discovered by those above. An engineer turned a valve and stopped the hot vapor’s flow. The inspector, seeing that the cloud of steam had diminished, swam back to the shaft and rang a signal bell. A car was lowered and he rode to the surface, weak with his bruises. And now he does not doubt the voice that spoke to him over his shoulder had said:     “Don’t go down the shaft to-night!"