The Hope pioneer., 1922-12-07
CHAPTER XVIII

NVtu
Hardly realizing what he was doing.
or why he was doing it. Fairchild
seized Anita in his arms and, raising
her to his breast as though she were
a child, rushed out through the cross.
cut and along the cavern to the fis-
sure, there to find Harry awaiting
them.
"Put 'er in flrstl" said the Cornish
man anxiously. "The farther the safer.
Did you ear anything more?"
Fairchild obeyed, shaking his head
in negative to Harry's question, then
squeezed into the flssure, edging along
beside Anita, while Harry followed.
"What's doing, Harry?"
Nothing. That's the funny part Of
It'll" The big Cornishman had crept to
the edge Of the f1ssure and had stared
for moment toward the cross-cut
leading to the stope. If 1t was COM
ing, it ought to ave showed up by
now. I'm going back. You stay ERE"
A long moment and he was back,
almost creeping, and whispering, as
he reached the end Of the fssure.
"Come 'ere-both Of you! Come
'erel"
what is it,"
"Sh-h-h-h-h-h. Don't talk too loud.
We've been blessed with luck already.
Come ERE"
He led the way, the man and wom-
an following him. In the stope the
Cornishman crawled carefully to the
staging and, standing on tiptoes,
pressed his ear against the vein above
him. Then he withdrew and nodded
sagely.
"That's what 1t isl" came his an.
nouncement at last. "You can ear ity'
'But what?"
"Get up there and lay your ear
against that vein. See If you ear any.
thing. And be quiet about it. I'm
scared to make move, for fear
somebody II ear me-"
Fairchild obeyed. From far away,
carried by the telegraphy Of the earth,
and there are few conductors that
are better-was the steady pound,
pound, pound of shock after shock as
it Travelled along the hanging wall.
Fairchild turned, wondering, then
reached for Anita.
"You listen," he ordered, as he lift
ed her to where she could hear. "Do
you get anything?"
The girls eyes shone.
Il know what that is," she said
quickly. "Pve heard that same sort
Of thing before-when you're on an
other level and somebody's working
above. Isn't that it, Mr.. Harkins?"
Harry nodded.
"That's it," came tersely. Then
bending, he reached for pick and,
muffling the sound as best he could be-
tween his knees, knocked the head
from the handle. Following this, he
lifted the piece of hickory thoughtful
ly and turned to Fairchild. "Get your
self one," he ordered. "Miss Richmond,
I guess you'll ave to stay ERE. don't
see 'ow we can do much else with
you."
"But can't I go along-wherever
you're going?"
AASASo 6OAu6 " OS u uSQC, E0l0
Harry quietly. "And I'm going to
knock somebody's block Off"
"But-rd rather be there than here.
IL don't have to get in 1t. And I'd
be scared to death here. I wouldn't II
I was along with you two, because I
know" and she said it with almost
childish conviction-"that YOU can
whip 'em."
Harry chuckled.
"Come along. then. I've got a 'unch.
and can't sye it now. But it'll come
out in the wash. Come along"
They started up the mountain side.
skirting the big gullies and edeine
about the highest drifts, taking ad-
vantage Of the cover Of the pines, ana
bending against the force Of the bltx-
zard, which seemed to threaten to
blow them back, step for step. No
one spoke; instinctively Fairchild and
Anita had guessed f1arry's conclu-
sions. The nearest mine to the Blue
Poppy was the Silver Queen, situated
several hundred feet above it III alti-
tude and less than a furlong away.
And the metal Of the Silver Queen
and the Blue Poppy, now that the
strike had been made, had assayed al.
most identically the same. It v,s
easy to make conclusions.
(TO BE CONTINUED.,