The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1917-01-19
CHAPTER XIII.
Another Gard or Two.

Another Card or Two.
A few minutes later Hardy came out
of the cabin. Though grave, he was
cool and alert. He at once walked up
to Dupont. who sat putting at his pipe
on the top Of the mine-dump.
"Redbear seems to be quiet" he
said. "Where is your daughter?"
Dupont pointed vaguely down the
mOuntain-Side. "She went off with Mr..
Van, to try to smooth down his fur.
You riled him considerable, Cap"
81 regret that it was necessary to
reprimand yOu."
"All right, Cap. I don't bear no
grudge. Mebbe now you'd like to take
a look at the NINE"
Eyes," crisply agreed Hardy.
Dupont rose and led him into the
mouth of the tunnel. There he I'M
locked a heavy tool chest and took
out two candles. These were needed,
for though thu tunnel ran into the
mountain side less than three hundred
feet, its twisting course along the ore
vein soon shut out the daylight. Du-
pont noticed his companions dubious
look at the soft ore-body that formed
the roof and one wall of the tunnel.
walk quiet, and don't talk loud"
he said. "We amt done no timbering
yet. Drove in this drift to the foot of
the shaft fast as we could git the lazy
cusses to work, SOS we could figure
what we had to count on
Hardy made no reply until they
came to the end of the tunnel and
stepped out into the dim daylight of
the shaft bottom. He looked up the
big, square, timbered well, and re-
marked: "You sank this first, then
drove in to meet it."
"Yep. Wanted to make sure the
vein didn't pinch out nowhere. Nogen
and Mr.. Van both figured we got three
hundred thousand dollars Of ore as
good as blocked out"
"Ah," said Hardy, and he signed to
Dupont to lead the way back.
They had gone twenty-five or thirty
PAGES when a little slither of ore fell
on the floor of the tunnel in front Of
Dupont. Instantly he sprang forward,
with whispered cry: Jump
Quick!"
Hardy leaped after him, barely in
time to clear the ton or more Of ore
that dropped from the roof In a mass.
Without stopping to look behind them,
the two men fastened stealthily down
the slight slope Of the tunnel, their
candles appraised and eyes fixed on the
soft, raw Ore-body above them. At any
moment the entire roof might cave In
and bury them. The shock of the first
fall loosened small quantities of ore
all along the passage. Fragments drib-
bled down behind and in front of the
fugitiveS and even on their heads.
Panic-stricken, they broke into a run.
1t was none too soon. AS they dashed
around the turn that brought them to
the outlet, the entire roof behind them
came thudding down.
Safe outside, Dupont shook the
fragments from his hat and clothes,
and pulled out his bandanna to wipe
off the sweat that was gathering in
beads on his forehead.
"Ugh!" he grunted. "Don't never
see me in there ag'in till it's timbered."
Rather close CALL" remarked
Hardy.
you're a cool one" muttered the
trader, and he scowled. "Nom dun
CHEN! Just my luck! If I hadn't
sung out, you'd "a got smashed under
that first Drop"
Il shall not forget it, Dupont"
ME, neither. Stead of being rid Of
you, here you are ready as ever to
clean us Out-and I done it %
You do not regret saving my life,"
asserted Hardy.
it's mighty hard luck on us. Here we
went and blocked out all that there
ore-three hundred thousand dollars
as good as in our pockets-not to
speak of all that's down under and
t'other side the shaft. For all we know,
it runs clean through the mountain
and down to China!"
"That does not alter the situation"
said Hardy.
"Mebbe it don't, and then ag'in-"
Dupont began to scratch his head.
Eyes, mebbe it don't, and then, ag'in,
mebbe it does. Just you take q look
at it this way, Cap. Suppose that new
treaty goes through, the tribe don't
git nothing out of this mine, and we
don't, neither. Just some lucky bum
beats us to it, and the government says
it's hisn. Is that fair and squareY'
"You have acted outside the law"
said Hardy. "You must take your
chances with other locators."
"How about the tribe?" queried Du-
pont. "Don't you care nothing about
their interests? Just supposing you
and me and Mr.. Van took hold of this
here proposition for the tribe and split
even with them on the proceeds I call