Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1907-01-25

was pouring out thick from the tall red
chimney, while the wheels ware spinning
round in the poppet-heads as the mine
slowly disgorged the men who had been
working all night.
Mcintosh came slowly along with his
hands in his pockets and a puzzled look
on his severe face. He could not make up
his mind whether to like or dislike this
young man, but Madame Midas had seem
ed so impressed that he had half made up
his mind TO dislike him out of a spirit of
contradiction.
women are so easy pleased, poor
bodies,' he said to himself, "a bonny
face is all they bother their heads ABBOTT
He looked grimly at the young man as
he came briskly forward with a gay smile.
"Ye're a very early Bird he said,
fondling his frilI of white hair. and look
ing keenly at the tall, slim figure of the
Frenchman.
Cease of must my friend returned
Vaudeloup, coolly Tits only rich men can
afford to be in bed, not poor fellows like
me-
"Your no much like other folk said
the suspicious old Scotchman, with a con-
demnatory sniff.
"Of that | am glad" retorted Vande-
Ioup, with suavity. as he walked beside
him to the mems quarters. What a hor-
rible thing to be the duplicate of haIf-a-
dozen other men. BY the way" break
ing off into n new subject, Madame
Midas is charming"
aye. aye said Archie, jealousy, 1--WE
know all ABBOTT the French-fangled way o
giving pretty words, and not a scrap Of
truth in any O Them
#- CnaEnp MOS ohnut ~ ,,raInet that ha
said no more than he felt. which was
indeed the truth, but Archie impatiently
hurried him off to breakfast at the office.
They made a hearty meal, and, having
had a talk, prepared to go below.
First of all, they arrayed themselves
in underground garments, which consisted
of canvas trousers, heavy boots, blue
blouses of a rough woolIen material, and
a sou'wester each. Thus ACQUIRED, they
went along to the foot of the poppet
heads, and Archie having opened a door
therein, Vandeloup saw the month of the
shaft yawning dark and gloomy at his
feet. As he stood there, gazing at the
black hole which seemed TO pierce down
into the ~entrails of the earth, he turned
round to take one last look at the sun
before descending to the neither world.
This is quite a new experience to me"
he said, as they stepped into the wet
iron cage, which had assembled to receive
them in answer to Archie's signal, and
now commenced to drop down silently and
swiftly into the pitchy darkness.
Archie did not reply, for he was too
much occupied in lighting his candle to
answer. So they went on sliding down
noiselessly into the gloom, while the
water, falling from all parts Of the shaft,
kept splashing constantly on the top of
the cage and running in little streams
over their shoulders.
'It's like a nightmare" thought the
Frenchman, with a nervous shudder, as he
saw the wet walls cleaning in the faint
light of the candle.
At last they reached the ground. and
found themselves in the main chamber.
from whence the galleries branched off
to east and west.
Being accustomed to the darkness and
knowing every inch of the way, the man
ager moved forward rapidly. and some
times yandeloup Jagged so far behind tina,
all he could see of his guide was the can
die he carried, shining like a pale yellow
star in the pitchy darkness. AT last
Mcintosh went into one of the side gal
leries, and going up an iron ladder fixed
to the side of the wall, they came to a
second gallery thirty feet xbove the 9TH
er, and branching off at right angles.
"It's like the catacombs in Rome" said
Vandeloup to Mcintosh zone could easily
get lost here"
"He might returned Mcintosh. eau
tiously, .if he did not know all about the
lie of the mine-o'er yonder," putting one
finger on the plan and pointing with the
other to the right of the tunnel, I'VE
found a twenty-ounce nugget yesterday.
and one afore that o. twenty-five, and
in the first face we were at two months
ago DER there pointing to the left,
"there was a big one called the Villiers
nugget, which as ye know is Madame's
name"
"Oh, yes, l know that said Vande-
loup, much interested; do you christen
all your nuggets?"
eff they're big enough" replied Ar
chic.
.sThen I hope you will find a hundred
ounce lump of gold. and call it the Van
deloup,'' returned the young man, laugh
ing.
..There's many a true word spoke in
Jest, laddie,' said Archie gravely when
we get to the Devils Lead we may fine
one O. that size."
.What do you mean by leads?" asked
Vandeloup, considerably puzzled.
Thereupon Archie opened his mouth,
and gave the young man a scientific lee
ture on mining.
MY faith said vandcloup, careless
". with a merry laugh, as Archie con-
cluded, gold is as hard to get in its
natural state as in its artificial"
"An' harder retorted Archie, "for-bye
there's no such wicked work about it"
Madame will be rich some day" re-
marked V%andeloup, as they left the office
and walked up coward the house.
Maybe she WILL" replied the other,
cautiously. "Australia's a grand place
for the siller, We know. I'm not very
far wrong but what wi industry and per-
severance We may make a wee bit siller
~yerself, luddie.'
ut won't be my fault if | don't re-
turned NJ. vandeloup, gaily and Mad
anne Midas" he added, mentally, will
be an excellent person to assist ne in
doing go"
CHAPTER VII.
CASTOR Vandeloup having passed all
his life In cities, found that his existence
on the Pactolus claim was likely to be
very dreary. Day after day he arose
in the morning. did his Office work, ate his
meals. and after a talk with Madame
Midas in the evening went to bed at 10