The weekly examiner., 1901-07-06
events which the evenings strange ad- ventl1ra had hepun

| events which the evenings strange ad. venture had begun.
 Louise had gone out somewhere to spend the evening with her friends, the Vasplaines, so Stuart and the doctor and the new minister sat down to a
 late dinner by themselves, and it was
 while eating that Stuart learned the
 details of his rescue.
 There was little more for MT. Burke to tell. He was a stranger to the place,
 but in the two days of his residence in Champion Le had evidently made the most of his time. He had inquired of passing miner about the Beury tun- nel just before entering it on his search for crystals. The miner had volun- teered the statement about the con- nection with the Davis lower level Burke had not thought of that again until he heard Stuart's cry for help.
 ''Do you always carry a rope with you on your afternoon walks?' asked Stuart.
 'No, I have not been in the habit of doing so, but I think it might be a very useful custom in this mining country" replied Burke. 'sThe rope was lying on the platform at the head of the last row of ladders, and I nat urally carried it down with me, not knowing what might be needed at the bottom. I suppose the men left it there when the strike was declared. I noticed their tools lying around in va rious places as I came through the drift.''
 The doctor looked at the new minis ter with gruff approval. A man who could note details like that was worth knowing. The Rev. Andrew Burke was evidently on the way to the doc tors friendship.
 'But how did you happen to come after us?" asked Stuart, turning to the doctor.
 '1 was up at Rollins, the pump man who was hurt, you remember, when the boy, the same one who came to the office the other day, came in and said the engine house was on fire, and after what seemed like a years time we managed to pry out of him that he had seen you and Eric go down the ladders little while before. rushed over to the shaft, and here is the mystery of it to me. Not a soul was in sight. The engineer, fremen and pump men were all gone. The ladders were blazing, so that there was no hope of descent by them. Some of the other men ran up from down town. Then we thought of the Beury tunnel and made a run for that. You know, Stuart, it's over a quarter of a mile from the shaft, but q in foxxy inn r folI over on a rock and smashed a lot of valuable bottles in my case. You've cost me a good sum, Stuart, counting all the days since you were born-you and Erie. don't know that believe in stubbing nay toe very much for that hot headed young socialist and agita- tor. He will make a peck of trouble in the world, and I don't know but in the interest of humanity I ought to give him a little dose of something to finish him up.
 Just then Erie, in the room across the hall, stirred and groaned. The doctor heard him, and, dropping his napkin absentminded1y into his soup, he hur- ried in to see his socialist patient.
 Before he came back Stuart and ulSCuSSOu lue 1dCL OI Ile cuSluS house fire. There was something to be cleared up about that. It seemed also to Stuart that the mass of iron ore which fell upon Erie was something more than a loosened fragment of the mine. The doctor was right about it. The absence of the men from the spot when the fire broke out also needed explanation.
 Tie doctor had come back, and the meal was progressing while the three men were trying to solve the facts of the burning and the injury to Eric when a tramp of marching men was heard coming up the avenue.
 The three men rose from the table to- gether There was a menace in the sound that was not easily mistaken. Stuart went directly into the hall and opened the great front door. By the light of the porch lamp could be seen a crowd, at least 200 men, each one car rying his stick, which in most cases ap- proached more nearly the dimensions of club. They were formidable ap- bearing mob of men, their sullen, heavy faces brought into distinct relief in the light of the electric lamp.
 "Well, men," called out Stuart clear ly, 'what is this?'
 The men meanwhile crowded up close about the veranda. One of them, act ing as spokesman, came up on the steps and said in a loud voice, eve want to see Eric" "
 "You can't see him. He's hurt. He isn't fit to see any one?' shouted the doctor, who stood just behind Stuart in the doorway.
 "What do you want to see him for?" asked Stuart calmly.
 The spokesman appeared confused and did not answer at once. Then ] here and there through the crowd rdsa l cries from the men.
 "There's been foul playv'
 NWn'lI strinp un the men that did itY