Phoenix tribune., 1922-12-30


September came, and with 1t the
grand jury. But here for once was
slight ray of hope. The body of
twelve good men and true wore them
selves out with other matters and ad
journed without even taking up the
mystery of the Blue Poppy mine But
the Joy Of Fairchild and Harry was
short-llved. In the long, legal phrase
ology of the jury's report was the
recommendation that this important
subject be the first for inquiry by the
next grand inquisitorial body to be
convened - and the threat still re
manned.
But before the two men were now
realities which were worse even than
threats, and Harry turned from his
staging late one afternoon to voice
the most important.
well start single-jacking tomor-
row." he announced with little sigh
'In the angling wall The veins
pinched down until we amt even get
ting day laborer's wages out of it
and it's October now"
Octoberl October-and winter on
the way. October-and only month
until the time when Harry must face
jury on four separate charges, any
one Of which might send him to Canon
City for the rest of his days. Fair
child's hopes lay inert. He was only
working now because a great strong,
big-shouldered man had come from
Cornwall to help him and was willing
to fight it out to the end. October
and the announcement had said that
certain girl would be married in the
late fall a girl who never looked in
his direction any more, who had al
lowed her name TO become affiliated
with that Of the Rodaines, now near
ing the task of completing their two
million October
For a long moment, Fairchld said
nothing then as Harry came from the
staging, he moved to the older mans
side.
IL didn't quite catch the idea,"
came at last Harry pointed with his
sledge
1--WE been noticing the vein. 1t
keeps turning to the left. 1t struck
me that it might ave branched off
from the main body and that there's
bigger vein over there some'eres.
Well just ave to make a try for it.
It's our only chance"
''And if we fail to find it there?"
"If it amt there-we're whipped~
1t was the first time that Harry had
said the word seriously. Fairchild
pretended not to hear Instead, he
picked up a drill, looked at its point
then started toward the small forge
which they had erected just at the
foot of the little raise leading to the
stope There Harry joined him; to-
gether they heated the long. pieces of
steel and pounded their biting faces
to the sharpness necessary to drilling
in the hard rock of the hanging WALL
tempering them in the bucket of wa
ter near by, working silently, slowly
hampered by the weight of defeat
They were being whipped; they felt
it in every atom of their beings. But
they had not given up their fight
Two blows were left in the struggle
and two blows they meant to strike
before the end came. The next morn
ing they started at their new task,
each drilling holes at points five feet
apart in the hanging wall, to send
them in as far as possible then at
the end of the day 10 blast them out,
tearing away the rock and stopping
their work at drilling that they might
muck away the refuse And day after
day, each. without mentioning it to
the otier. was tortured by the thought
of that offer Of riches that mysteri-
GUS protTer of wealth for the Blue
Poppy mine-tortured like men who
are claimed in the sight OF gold and
cannot reach it For the offer car
ried always the hint that wealth was
there. somewhere that Sauint Ro-
dame knew Il, but that they could not
find it, Either that--or fat failure
Either wealth ihat woald Weld Sauint
hundredfold for his purpose. or
sneer that would answer their offer
to sell. And each man gritted his
teeth and said nothna. But they
worked on.
October gave up It's fight. The first
day of November came. to find the
chamber a wide, vacuous Ching now,
sheltering stone and refuse and two
struggling men--nothirg more. Fair
child ceased his labors and mopped
his forehead, dripping from the heat
engendered by frenzied labor. A long
moment, then:
Harry"
"Aye"
''Tm going after the other side.
We've been playing half-horsed game 4
here"
1--WE been thinking that, Boy"
"Then I'm going to tackle the foot
wall. 1 was at the bank today"
''Yeh."
my balance is just two hundred"
Harry clawed at his mustache.
''We're nearing the end, Boy. Tackle
the foot wall"