Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1922-09-22
Continued from last week.

Fairchild turned at the entrance of
the mine and waited for the first OF
the miners and the accompanying
CLEAN of his carbide Then they went
within and to the shaft, the light
shining downward upon the oily, black
water below. Two objects fioated
there a broken piece of timber, torn
from the side of the shaft, where
someone evidently had grasped hastily
at it in an effort to stop a fall, and
a new, four-dented hat, gradually be-
coming water-soaked and sinking
slowly beneath the surface. And then,
for the first time, fear clutched at
Fairchild's heart-fear which hope
could not ignore.
There's his hat" 1t was a miner
staring downward.
Fairchild had seen 1t, but he strove
to put aside the thought
"True," he answered, "but anyone
could lose a hat, simply by looking
over the edge Of the shaft. Harrys a
strong man. Certainly be would know
how to swim. And in any event he
should have been able to have kept
afloat for at least a few minutes. Ro-
dame says that he heard a shout and
ran right In here; but all that he
could see was rufied water and float
ing hat. T." Then he paused sud-
denly. 1t had come to him that Ro-
dame might have helped in the demise
of Harry
Shouts sounded from outside, and
the roaring Of a motor truck as 1t
made its slow, tortuous way up the
boulder-strewn road with it's gullies
and innumerable ruts. Voices came,
rumbling and varied Lights. Gain
ing the mouth of the tunnel, Fairchild
could see a mass of shadows outlined
by the carbides all following the lead
ership of small excited man, Sam
Herbenfelder, still seeking his dia-
mond
The big pump from the Argonaut
tunnel was aboard the truck, which
was followed by two other auto We
hicles, each loaded with gasoline en-
gines and smaller pumps. A hundred
men were in the crowd, all equipped
with ropes and buckets. Sam Herben-
felder's pleas had been heard. The
search was about to begin for the
body of Harry and the diamond that
circled one finger. And Fairchild has
tened to do his part.
Until far into the night they worked
and strained to put the big pump into
position; while crews of men, four and |
five in a group, bailed water as fast
as possible, that the aggregate might !
be lessened to the greatest possible |
extent before the pumps, with their
hoses, were attached Then the gaso-
line engines began to snort, great
lengths Of tubing were let down into
the shaft, and squirting water started
down the mountain side as the task
Of unwatering the shaft began.
But it was slow Job. Morning |
found the distance to the water length
ened by twenty to thirty feet, and the
bucket brigades nearly at the end Of
their ropes. Men trudged down the
hills to breakfast, sending others in
their places. Fairchild stayed on to
meet Mother Howard and assuage her
as best he could, dividing
his time between her and the task be-
fore him. Noon found more water
than ever tumbling down the hills
the smaller pumps were working now
in unison with the larger one. After
most of Ohadi was there.
Fairchild could distinguish the form
of Anita Richmond in the hundreds Of
women and men clustered about the
opening of the tunnel, and for once
she was not in the company of Maui
rice Rodaine He hurried to her and
she smiled at his approach.
Shave they found anything YETI"
"Nothing-so far. Except that there
IS plenty of water in the shaft. I'm
trying not to believe It,"
81 hope it isn't true" Her voice was
ow and serious "Father was talking
o me-about you. And we hoped you
wo would succeed-this time"
Evidently her father had told her
uUTe tild0 sue CdItu " Icldlt. an
,hild caught the infection in her voice
tut disregarded It,
81 owe you an apology" he said
,luntly.
"For whatp
"Last night. I couldn't resist It'll
orgot for a moment that you were
here. But II hope that you'll be-
leve me to be a gentleman, in spite
# it."
She smiled up at him quickly.
81 already have had proof of that.
Il am only hoping that you will be-
ieve Newell, that you'll forget some
hing"
you mean"
"Yes,' she countered quickly, as
hough to cut off his explanation. ut ,
eemed like a great deal. Yet 1t was
othing at all. wodld feel much hap
Ter if 1 were sure you had disre-
arded It."
Fairchild looked at her for q long
me, studying her with his serious
Iue eyes, wondering about many