The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-21

their tunnels in the hope of finally strik.
ing vein. At length, however, the
smaller operators gave up in despair
until now only one heavily capitalized
company remained at work.
Wa STRANGE DISCOVERY.
at is my belief that DR.. Max Syx is q
| deceiver."
| The person who uttered this opinion
was young engineer, Andrew Hall. who
had charge Of the operations of one of
the mining companies which were driving
| tunnels into the Grand Teton.
What do you mean by that?" asked
| President Boc.i who was the principal
hacker of the enterprise.
Il mean" replied Hall, that there is
| no free metal in this mountain, and DR..
Syx knows there is none"
But he is getting it himself from his
| mine" retorted President Boon.
80 he says, but who has seen 1t? No
one is admitted into the Syx mine, his
foremen are forbidden to talk. and his
| workmen are specially imported negroes
who do not understand the English Ian
guage."
But" persisted Mr. Boon, "how, then.
do you account for the nuggets scattered
over the mountain? And, besides. what
object could DR.. Syx have in pretending
that there is free metal to be had for the
digging?,'
He l.ay have sailed the mountain. for
all 1 know" said Hall. LAS for his OBJ
1ect. confess am entirely in the dark,
but, for all that, am convinced that We
shall find no more metal il We dig ten
miles for it,
Nonsense said the president. eff we
keep on We shall strike it. Did not DR..
Syx himself admit that he found no free
artemisium until his tunnel had reached
the core of the peak? We must go as
deep rs he has gone before we give up"
Il fear the depths he attains are be-
ycnd most peoples REACH was Halls
answer, while a thoughtful look crossed
his clear-cut brow, but, since you desire
it, of course the work shall go on.
should like, however, to change the d.
rection of the tunnel
Certainly" replied Mr.. Boon: bore
in whatever direction you think proper,
only don't despair"
About a month after this conversation
Andrew Hall, with whom a community
of tastes in many things had made me
intimately acquainted, asked me one
morning to accompany him into his tun-
mel.
81 want to have a trusty friend at my
elbow" he said, for unless am q
dreamer, something remarkable will hap |
pen within the next hour, and two wit
nesses are better than one"
/ knew Hall was not the person to make |
such remark carelessly, and my curl |
osity was intensely excited but knowing |
his peculiarities, l did not press him for |
an explanation. When We arrived at the |
head of the tunnel / was surprised at |
finding no workmen there.
Il stopped blasting some time ago."
said Hall in explanation, for a reason
which, hope. will become evident to you
very soon. Lately 1 have been boring
very slowly, and yesterday paid off the
men and dismissed them with the an
nouncement, which. ! am confident, Presi-
dent Boon will sanction after he hears my
report of this mornings work, that the
tunnel is abandoned. You see, 1 am now
using a drill which / can manage without
assistance. / believe the work is almost
and want you to witness the
end of it,
He then carefully applied the drill.
which noiselessly screwed its nose into
the rock. When 1t had sunk to depth of
a few inches he withdrew 1t, and taking
a hand drill capable of making hole not
more than an eighth Of an inch in dame
ter, cautiously began boring in the centre
Of the larger cavity. He had made hardly
1rill shot through the rock! gratified
mile illuminated his features, and he said
n suppressed voice:
Don't be alarmed: I'm going to put out
he light"