The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1907-03-21
-&9-=
Madame Midas
BY FerSus Hume
-3531eEG.
BY FerSt,s Hume

|
yet up, and some of the miners who had
to go on at 8 were sleeping heavily In
their beds. The sleeping places were
berths, ranging along two sides of the
room, and divided into upper and lower
compartments like those on shipboard.
CASTOR having reused himself natural
ly wanted to see where he was, so rubbing
his eyes and yawning he leaned on his ell
bow and took leisurely survey of his po-
sition.
CASTOR yawned cnce or twice, then
feeling disinclined for any more sleep, he
softly put on his clothes, 80 as not to
awake Pierre, who slept in the berth be-
low, and descending from his sleeping
place groped his way to the door and went
out into the cool, fragrant morning.
There was a chill wind blowing from
the bush bringing with it faint aromatic
odor, and on glancing downwards he saw
that the grass was wet with dew. The
dawn was burning redly in the east, and
the vivid crimson of the sky put him in
mind of that sunset under which he had
landed with his companion on the
Queensland coast.
He was near the mine by this time,
and hearing some one calling to him he
looked up, and saw Mcintosh. There
was a stir in the mems quarters now, and
he could see the door was open and sew
eral figures were moving rapidly about,
while a number of others were crossing
the fields. The regular beat o. the ma
chinery still continued, and the smoke
was pouring out thick from the tall red
chimney, while the wheels were spinning
round in the poppet-neads 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 30 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 frill of white hair, and look
ing keenly at the tall, slim figure of the
Frenchman.
Case OF must my friend" returned
Vaudeloup, coolly "it's 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 con-
demnatory sniff.
'Of that l am glad" retorted Vande-
loup, with suavity, as he walked beside
him to the mems quarters. What hor-
rible thing to be the duplicate of half "a
dozen other men. By the way" break
ing off into a new subject, Madame
Midas is charming"
AYE, aye" said Archie, jealously, I'VE
know all aboot the French tangled way O.
giving pretty words, and not a scrap Of
truth in any O them"
CASTOR was about to protest that he
said no more than he. felt, which was
| indeed the truth, but Archie impatently
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 wOOllen material, and
| a sOu'wester each. Thus aCcOutred. they
went along to the foot of the poppet
heads, and Archie having opened a door
therein, Vandeloup saw the mouth 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 entrals of the earth, he turned
round to take one last look at the sun
| hofn H. ~
This is quite a new experience to me-"
he said, as they stepped into the wet
iron cage, which had ascended to receive
them in answer to Arches 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.
ITS like a nightmare" thought the
Frenchman, with a nervous shudGer, as he
saw the wet walls cleaning in the faint
| light of the candle
AZ last they FeaC4ied the Slound, ana
| found themselves in the main chamber,
from whence the galleries branched off
to cast and west
| Being accustomed TO the darkness and
knowing every inch of the way, the man
ager moved forward rapidly, and some
times Vandeloup Jagged 50 far behind that
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 thi:ty feet Above the 9TH
er, and branching off at right angles
Its like the catacombs in Rome" said
vandeloup to Mcintosh 'one could easily
get lost here"