The Ordway new era., 1922-11-17
CHAPTER xiv-continued.
III

strike long before he ever went TO
that office in Denver. They had wait
ed long enough to have their assays
made and had completed their first
shipment to the smelter. There was
no necessity that they buy the Blue
Poppy mine Therefore. was 1t simply
another trick TO break him, TO lead
him up to a point of high expecta-
tions, then. with laugh at his dis
appointment. throw him down again
His shoulders Strengthened as they
reached the outside air. and he moved
close to Harry as he told him his con-
lectures. The Cornishman bobbed
his head.
u never thought of 1t that wyel ~
he agreed. But 1t could explain lot
OF things. They want to beat us and
they don't care 'ow. 1t 'urts person
to he disappointed That's it. l al
wyes said you 'ad a good 'ead on
you! That's it. Let's so back to the
Blue Poppy"
Back they went, once more to de-
scend the shaft. once more TO follow
the trail along the drift toward the
opening OF the stope. And there,
where loose earth covered the place
where a skeleton once had rested,
Fairchild took Off his coat and rolled
Up his sleeves.
Harry" he said with new deter
animation, "this vein doesn't look like
much. and the mine looks worse. But
If you're game I'm game, and we'll
work the thing until 1t breaks us
you've said it. If we it anything,
fine and well-tf we can turn out five
thousand dollars worth of stuff be
fore the trial comes up, then we can
sell hit under the direction of the
court. turn over that money for a cash
bond. and 1et the deeds back. Ii we
cant and if rbe mine peters out, then
we aln't lost anything but lot of
'uprs 1uI time. But ere goes. Wen
douhl +Irk. I've got big 'ammer
'erc. You old the drill for awhile and
turn &C. while sling tn sledge. Then
you take th' 'ammer and Lor' ave
mercy on my 'ands If you miss"
Tairchili obeyed. Hour after hour
they worked. Then, as the afternoon
grew late. Harry disappeared far
down tue drift TO return with hand
fuI of greasy. candlellke things,
wrapped n waxed paper.
al knew that dynamite of yours
couldn't be shipped in time, so
bought little up ere" he explained,
as he cut one of the sticks in two
with poczetknIfe and laid the pieces
to one side. Then out came a coil of
fuse. to be cut to its regular lengths
and inserted in the copper-covered
caps of illuminate of mercury, Harry
showing his contempt for the danger
Gus things by crimping them about
the fuse with his teeth. while Fair
child. sitting on small pile of muck
nearby. begged for caution. But Harry
only grinned behind his big mustache
and went on.
out came his pocketknife again as
he SLIT the wuxed paper of the gelat-
nous sticks. then Inserted the cap in
the dynamite One after another the
charges were showed into the holes
Harry tanpinE them into place with
steel rod. instead of with the usual
wooden uffair, his mustache brushing
his shoulder as he turned to explain
the virtues of dynamite when handled
by an expert.
ITS all In the wye you do it, he
announced. "If you don't strike fire
with ii steel rod, it's fine
"But il you do?'
ooh. them" Harry laughed. "Then
IT'S flowers and funeral-after
they've finished picking you up"
One after another he pressed the
dynamite charges tight into the drill
holes and tamped them with muck
wrapped in newspaper that he
dragged from his hip pocket. Then
he lit the fuses from his lamp and
stood second in assurance that they
sII were spluttering.
'.Now we run =" he announced, ant
they hurried, side by side, down the
drift tunnel until they reached tht
shaft. "Far enough" said Harry.
A long moment of waiting. Ther
the earth duivered and muffled
booming roar came from the distance
Harry stared at his carbide lamp
~One," ne announced. Then, 1.-Two.
Three. four and five followed, al
counted seriously. carefully by Harry
Finally they turned back along tn
drift toward the stope, the acrid odo
of dynamite smoke cutting at thei
nostrils as they approached the spo
where rhe explosions had occurred
There Harry stool in silent contemplf
zion for long time. holding his cal
bide over the pile of ore that had bee
torn from the vein above.
at amt much" came at last. mo
more'n 'arf ton. We won't get ric
at that rate. And besides" he locke
upwmrd-'we amt even going to b
getting thet pretty soon. It's pinchin
out"
Fairchild followed his gaze, to Sc