Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-24

working partner preparing to enter the tunnel from
which the fumes of dynamite just clearing I'm
was rule slow about going in, because he was
of those unfortunates who suffer from powder head
aches but this morning. ashamed OF his long sleep and
eager to show industry, he seized candle from the
top of the ladder lighted it. and followed the two yellow
sparks that bobbed along ahead of him in the darkness
He overlook them just as they came to the
and with Frenchy clambered ahead to see the exeou
ton.
of the candle in inns hand ckered and twisted back.
draft Of cool, fresh assaled his nostrs quite dis
tngushabe after the acrid pungent smell of powder
the moment the achievement of the long worked for
goal He raced forward with the Others until he came
to the rven rock, through whose the draft fill
tered steadily.
His engineering had been good! He had succeeded
that extent Another set of shots would tell how
curate had been his measurements whether he had won
failed in his calculations by inches feet The drive
of the long bore had been true 1t had been accom-
plished without accident. 1t had been economical.
The soft spots had been tmbered and held. The hard
rock had been shot away without weakening the roof
or walls The gradients had been fautless All that
remained to prove piece of perfect work to show
whether the two bores joined Mentally he exulted,
his right then sobered and pointed out the places
where he wished the next holes drilled He proved his
democracy by assisting in the muckng out, and bent
his broad back energetcaly to the task of filling the
little with fragments of porphyry, and helped push
it out toward the opening that doomed Sar1ke at the
end of the tracks
Scrub time!" announced Hardpan as he came out to
ing his partner that they through and that the
other end of the tunnel would be wide open in the next
set of shots.
Ridley still sullen and silent started for the mess
house. absorbed only in the meal but the others
followed Jim back into the long tunnel and sneed the
fresh air. and shook hands with another and
graduated im and acted irrational only miners
in such circumstances act. Then they filed gravely
back and up the ladder, and out to the waiting table,
leaving Jim alone.
a Just had my breakfast" he explained to Hardpan.
$50 I'll work while you fellows eat I'm anxious to
the full width of the hole and to know whether
gagged it right"
woes, and the time slipped by with the of but
few minutes before Frenchy and his mate back
with their hammers and drills to put in the last shots.
The boss had proved an efficient mucker The tunnel
clear. Jim pushed the last out and relieved
Hardpan at the pump. Everyone, Ridley,
elaed and expectan with that citation and expectancy
where men take out gold. There is no miner who
loses the excitement of participating in big
cleanup, and these were miners
ONE o'clock and one-thirty and two o'clock went
- by. Time unnoted. And then Jim, bending
and strengthening automatically his pump handle,
heard shout from the hillside and stopped to look
His heart gave leap of joy and longing. He straight
ened and wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead
and arms For the first time since he had known Eve,
he conscious that his was, after ALL the figure OF
abor-the form of the who worked with his hands,
who lived out of doors and close to, in the earth it
self. He seemed for the instant to have fallen inn
measurable distances since last they met; yet there
to him the mistaken faith in the earth ITSELF the
knowledge that such he who had the right to
ve that he of that proud sought no favors,
acknowledged masters and lived and died close to the
peaks and the free spaces He might be boor in that
world of hers; but here he king. He walked
greet her hold her hand in his strong grip
and to meet with undsturbed honesty the eyes of the
engineer.
"You are just about in time, he said, smiling and
poised. Il think they will be ready to fire the atefu
shots within the next few minutes. Then shall
know, at least, whether have chance of becoming
rival Of Jack Holloway"
Hardpan stood above the cofferdam grinning wei
come the visitors and took time wipe his hand
his overals before Selling the outsreched of Miss