Sioux County pioneer., 1922-09-07

and slapped his cheek playfully; it
was like the tap Of a light breeze
against granite. Then Harry turned.
"'Ave you looked at the miner"
The question brought back to Fair
child the happenings Of the morning
and the memory of the man who had
trailed him. He told his story, while
Mother Howard listened, her arms
crossed, her head bobbinR, and while
Harry, his big grin still on his lips,
took In the details with avidity. Then
the grin faded.
LES 60 up there" he said quietly.
This time the trip to Kentucky
gulch was made by skirting the town;
soon they were on the rough, narrow
roadway leading into the mountains.
A long time they walked, at last to
stop in the shelter Of the rocks where
Fairchild had shadowed his pursuer,
and to glance carefully ahead. No
one was in sight. Harry jabbed out
a big finger.
'''"That's it." he announced, straight
a'eadw
They went on, Fairchild with a grip
ping at his throat that would not
down. This had been the hope Of his
father-and here his father had met
what7 He swerved quickly and
stopped, facing the bigger man.
Harry" came sharply, II know
that may be violating an unspoken
promise to my father. But I simply
can't stand it any longer. What hap
pened here? There was some sort Of
tragedy"
Harry chuckled concealment,
Fafrchild thought, Of something he
did not want to tell him.
II should think so! The timbers
gave way and the mine caved inw
"Not that! My father ran away
from this town. You and Mother
Howard helped him. You didn't come
back. Neither did my father. Even
tually 1t killed him."
"soT Harry looked seriously and
studiously at the young man. "'E
didn't write me of'en."
"He didn't need to write you. You
were here with him-when it hap
pened."
"No-" Harry shook his head. II
was in town. What's Mother Howard
told you?"
"A lot-and nothing"
II don't know any more than she
does"
"But--"
"Friends didn't ask questions in
those days." came quietly. II might
ave guessed If I'd wanted to-but I
didn't want to-
"But If you had?"
Harry looked at him with quiet. blue
eyes.
"What would you guessT'
Slowly Robert Fairchild's gaze went
to the ground. There was only one
possible conjecture: Sissie Larsen had
been impersonated by woman. Sis
sic Larsen had never been seen again
in Ohadi.
IL would hate to put it into
words" came finally. Harry slapped
him on the shoulder.
"Then don't. 1t was nearly thirty
years ago. Let sleeping dogs lie. Take
look around before we go into the
tunnel"
They reconnoitered, first on one
side then on the other. No one was in
sight. Harry bent to the ground, and
finding a pitchy pine knot, lighted it.
They started cautiously within, blink
ing against the darkness.
The outlines of rusty "hoist," with
it's cable leading down into slanting
hole in the rock, showed dimly before
them-a massive, chunky, deserted
thing in the shadows. The timbers
were rotting; one after another, they
had cracked and caved beneath the
weight Of the earth above, giving the
tunnel an eerie aspect, uninviting,
dangerous. Harry peered ahead.
1T amt as bad as it looks" came
after moments survey. 'It's only
right ERE at the beginning that it's
caved. But that doesn't do us much
good"
"Why mott" Fairchild was staring
with him, on toward the darkness Of
the farther recesses. IF 1t isn't caved
In farther back, we ought to be able
to repair this spot"
But Harry shook his head.
"We didn't 60 into the vein ERE"
he explained. Eve figured we 'ad to
ave q shaft anyway, sooner or later.
You can't do under'and stopping in a
mine go down on vein, you know.
You've always got to 60 up-you can't
get the metal out If you don't. That's
why we dug this shaft-and now look
at III"
He drew the 'flickering torch to the
edge Of the shaft and held It there,
staring downward, Fairchild beside
him. Twenty feet below there came
the glistening reflection Of the flarine
flame. Waterl Fairchild glanced
toward his partner,
II don't know anything about it." he
said at last. "But should think that
would mean trouble"
"Plenty!". agreed Harry lugubrious-
~. "That shafts two 'unuerd feet
deep and there's drift running of It
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