The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1922-11-09


Of the steady gush Of water. a Shiny
silt was coming ont now, spraying aud
spattcring about on the sides OF the
drainage ditch. Wildly Harry waved
monstrous paw.
"Shut 'em or he yelled to Fair
child in the dimness Of the tunnel.
Its sucking the muck out Of the
sump! That means the ole drift is
unwatered."
'Then the pumping Jobs overf'
"Yeh." Harry rose. "You stay ere
and dismantle the pumps, so we can
send 'em back. I'll go to town. We've
| got to buy some stuff"
Then he started of down the trail,
while Falrchild went to his work. And
he sang as he dragged at the heavy
hose Work was before him, work
which was progressing toward goal
that he had determined to seek, In
spite of all obstacles. The mysterious
offer which he had received gave evil
dence that something awaited him. that
some one knew the real value of the
Blue Poppy mine, and that II he could
simply stick to his task, II he could
hold to the unwavering purpose to win
in spite Of all the blocking pitfalls
that were put in his path. some day,
some time, the reward would be worth
! its price.
! More. the conversation with Mother
Howard on the previous morning had
been comforting; II had given won.
ans viewpoint upon another woman's
actions And Fairchlld intutlvely be.
| lieved she was correct
| A shout from the road. accompanied
by the roaring of motor track, an
ing his return.
Five men were with him. to help him
carry in ropes, heavy pulleys, weights
| and a large metal shaft bucket, then
| to move out the smaller OF the pumps
| and trundle away with them, leaving
the larger one and the larger engine
for single load. At last Harry turned
to his paraphernalia and rolled up his
sleeves.
"Ere's where we work - he an
nnunced. "It's us for pulley and
| bucket arrangement until we can get
the 'Oist to working and the skip to
running. 'Elp me cave few timbers."
II was the beginning of three
days job, the building of heavy stag
ing over the top of the shaft, the afix-
ing of the great pulley and then the
| attachment Of the bucket at one end,
and the skip. loaded with pig iron, on
the other Altogether, II formed a
! Sort of crude counterbalanced ele-
| ~ator, Sy which they might lower
| themselves sato the shaft. with various
bumpings and delays-but which
worked successfully. nevertheless. To-
| gether they piled into the big. iron
bucket. Harry Juggling along spikes and
| timbers and sledges- and ropes. Then.
pulling away nj the cable which held
| the weights, they furnished the neces-
sary gravity TO travel downward.
An eerie journey. faced on one side
| by the crawling rope ot the skip as IL
travelled along the rusty old track on
its watersoaked ties, on the other by
the still dripping timbers of the aged
shaft and its broken, rottlng ladder,
while the carbide lanterns cast shad-
ows about. while the pulley above
creaked and the erUded wheels of the
skip squeaked and protested Down
ward-a hundred feet--and they col
lided with the upward-bound skip. 10
| fend or from II and start on again.
The air grew colder. more moist. The
| 90 phiIas CpIuttaroI nnl pnraH
A slight bump, and they were at the
bottom. Before them the drift tun-
mel, damp and dripping and dark,
awaited. seeming TO throw back the
flare of the carbides as though TO
shield the treasures which might lie
beyond, Harry started forward a step,
then pauslng. shifted his carbide and
laid a hand on his companions shoul
der.
Boy" he said slowly, "we're start
ing at something nOw-and ! don't
know where It's going to lead us.
There's cavern up ere, and If we're
ever going 10 get anywhere In this
mine, wen ave to go past it. And I'm
afraid of what we're going to find
when we cut our wye through !"
Clouds of the past seemed to rise
and float past Fairchild-clouds
which carried visions of white, brOk-
en- old man sitting by window, wait
ing for death. visions of nm old safe
and letter II contained. For long,
long moment, there was silence. Then
came Harry's voice again.
I'm afraid II ain't going to be good
news, Boy. But there amt no wye
10 get around IL. It's got to come out
s0metlme-things like that won't stay
'idden forever. And your fathers gone
now-gone whore 1t can't 'urt 'im."
II know" answered Fairchild. In q
queer, husky voice. "He must have
known. Harry-he must have been will
ing that II come, now that he is gone.
lie wrote me as much"
ITS that or nothing. II we sell the
mine, some one else will find II. And
we can't 1T the vein without following