The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-10-21

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 l am
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 a remark careiessly, and my \
curiosity was intensely excited. but
knowing his peculiarities. did not press
him for an explanation. When We ar
rived al the head OF the tunnel l was
surprised at finding no workmen there.
II stopped lasting some months ago"
said Hall IL EXPLANATION, flor a reason
which, hope. will become evident to
you very soon. Lately I have been bor-
ing very slowly, and yesterday paid
off the men and dismissed them with the
announcement, which. am confident.
President Boon will sanction after he
hears my report of this mornings work.
that the tunnel is abandoned. You see.
I am now using drill which can man.
age without assistance. believe the
work is almost completed. and I want
you to witness the end of it."
He then carefully applied the drill.
which noiselessly screwed its nose into
the rock When II had sunk to a depth
OF a few inches he withdrew II. and,
taking a hand drill capable of making a
mole not more than an eighth OF an inch
in diameter. cautiously began boring In
the center Of the larger cavity. He had
made hardly a hundred turns of the
handle when the drill shot through the
rocki A gratified smile illuminated his
features. and he said in a suppressed
voice:
Don't be alarmed: am going to put
out the light"
Instantly we were in complete dark
ness but being close at Halls side I
could detect his movements. He pulled
out the drili, and for half a minute re-
manned motioniess as IL listening. There
was no sound
Il must enlarge the opening" he whis-
pered and Immediately the faint grating
Of sharp tool cutting through the rock
Informed me of his progress.
There at last he said II think that
will do; now for look"
l could tell that he had placed his
breathless attention. Presently he pulled
my sleeve.
Put your eve here" he whispered
pushing me into the proper position for
looking through the hole.
At first l could discern nothing ex-
cept a smoky blue glow But soon my
vision cleared little. and then / per-
4
row tunnel which met ours directly end
to end. CHANGING along the axis OF this
gallery, | saw. some 200 yards away.
faint light which evidently indicated the
mouth of the tunnel
At the end where We had met II the
mysterious tunnel was considerably
widened at one side. az II the excavators
had started to change direction and then
abandoned the work. and in this elbow
4 ttr -
three fiat cars loaded with broken stone.
while a heap of the same material lay
near them. Through the center of the
tunnel was railway track
do you know what you are looking
att" asked Hall In my ear
II begin to suspect, / replied. that
you have accidentally run into DIR. Syxs
mine"
III DR.. Syx had been on his guard this
accident wouldn't have happened" re-
piled Hall. with an almost inaudible
chuckle.
II heard you remark month ago.
said, that you were changing the direc-
ton of your tunnel. Has this been the
aim of your latnrs ever since?''
"Nou have hit it, he replied. Long
ago | became convinced that my company
was throwing away its money IN a vain
attempt to strike lode or pure artemi-
stun. But President boon has great faitn
in IL. Syx, and would not give up the
work. so | adopted what l regarded
the only practicable method OF proving
the truth of my opinion and saving the
company's funds. An electric indicator or
my invention enabled me TO locate the
Syx tunnel, when / got near 1t. ana 4
have met IL end on ana opened this peep
mole In order TO observe the Doctors OPP
erations 1 feel that such spying is en-
tireiy justified in the circumstances. Al
though | cannot yet explain just now or
why. / feel sure That Dr. Syx was tins
cause OF the sudden discovery OF the sur
face nuggets. and that he has encouraged
the miners for his own ends until he
has brought ruin 10 thousands who nave
spent their last cent In driving useless
tunnels into this mountain. II u right
eous thing 10 expose him.
"But." l interposed. Il do not see that
you have exposed anything yet except
the interior OF tunnel
''You VIII more clearly after
wntie" was the reply