The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1906-04-20

lnen IL IS McClOShy hiu lAoS
gone at last!'' said Timothy Ryan
with genuine sorrow.
His luck's with him, yet" said
Strickly, quietly. Hes safe in the
cellar with his mother" An expressive
look went around.
The boys born an raised for moth
in but to challenge an chate the
DEVIL" Grogan said, his untimely grin
shared by the others.
You're wrong there, said a new
conner Its the Kid l saw not tin
minutes ago, scamperin' up the Gulch
like mad. called to him-but he niver
turned; an l durs'n't call louder, for
sometimes whispers enough TO start
the snow"
They stared at him, doubting-but a
hasty search confirmed his statement.
The Kid had disappeared. The ex-
cited throng poured out of the store to
] the platform, and started up the Gulch.
Straining their eyes against the blind
(; ing snow-light, they saw small figure
appear on the road above far bend
of the hill 1t was the Kid, making his
way with hasty strides toward the
home shanty A groan went UP from
the group.
Not one of the crowd stirred. They
stood fearful, lest sound or gesture
disturb the shrouded masses piled to
the topmost crest behind McClosky's
| house.
Ten-15 minutes passed.
Its a longer time comm than the
last Riley whispered-and stopped
suddenly. 1t was coming now. The
men drew back instinctively toward the
door, but stood there, fascinated by the
spectacle.
From the edge of the hills above the
Gulch fell sound as of the collapse
of heavy walls. Then from the top
most crests a thick, white spray shot
upwa1 !. There was a roar as of mighty
waters bursting a dam, and down the
steep slopes a monstrous, believing,
topping snow-food swept to the bot
tom of the hills, filling the Gulch high
for hundred yards with it's crumbling
white. Where it had passed, stood bare
and bleak the long-hidden stretches of
hill, shorn clean of loose rocks and
trees-and habitations.
Ten minutes later crowd of men
with ropes, picks and shovels started
up the Gulah, and as they. neared the
spot below the stretch of hills where
had stood McClosky's house, another
line issued from the upper tunnel.
The two squads set to work breath
less1y, tenderly-lest a blow from a
pick or shovel mar an upturned face.
The Kid--there were nothing but low
ing thoughts of him now. 1t was hard
to think of him white and still under
the drifts.
Fifteen, 20 minutes they toiled in
steady silence. Then Grogan, near the
upper end of the line, set up yell.
The rest turned with dread expectancy
and stared-dazed.
Coming down the slope, his eyes re-
garding them with sincere and disinter-
ested curiosity, was the Kid. A silence
of superstitious awe fell upon the men.
What are you all dom here?" asked
the Kid.
Answer first fer yerself," cried Gro
gan. Where we yez ben whilst this
this"
''In my cave" said the Kid loftily;
and then, with a belligerent look
around-"and it's mine-and nobody
else's. l found it and l lived in it
an if any of you claim it I've got the
law on you! There's coal in it, and I'm
goin' to work tine and Terence
I've promised half to him for acting
rummy when l told him the slide was
COMM
Terence" they calculated, in Q
breath.
81 thought he'd cry" said the Kid,
with no intended condescension But
he was chuck full O. sand. He just
turned pale, an then said, quiet as a
mouse: You take Katy, Jim, an save
her an yourself. I'm no use anyway,
an it won't matter for me--like it
would for you I took Katy first
an then 1 got him on my sled an drug
him there, too"
"Do you mean, Jimmy" said Strickly
under the stress of the moment ad-
dressing him by his given name-"do
you mean to say that Terence and the
baby are-are-"
They're in my cave, l tell you!" the
Kid rejoined, superciliously. IF they
wasn't they'd be down under all that
stuff
There was another silence of awe,
mingled with something more human
and tender Then the men of both
squads rushed for the small figure. and
laughing, yelling, crying, they bore him
on their shoulders to the town.
Strickly and the others who went
for the children found them in the
chamber of deserted coal-tunnel,
whose mouth, opening hardly stones
throw from McClosky's back door, was
sheltered partly by the cliff and partly
by a great boulder which faced the
shanty. Here they not only found
| Terence and the baby, but various
articles that had been missed from the
house in periods of the Kids absences.
That night, after the Gulch had be-
come somewhat Gained the mine SUI