The Ordway new era., 1922-12-08
CHAPTER xvII-continued.

bed, and at last slight resistance Il
the sting of the batteries An houl
passed, two; gradually Harry came Il
himself, to stare about him in won
dering, vacant manner and then tt
fasten his eyes upon Fairchild. Ht
seemed to be struggling for speech, FOL
coordination of ideas. Finally, after
many minutes
That's you, Boy?"
"Yes. Harry"
But where are weF
"Were In hospital, and you're
Knocked out. Don't you know where
you've been?"
IT don't know anything since slid
down the wall"
"Since you what?'
But Harry had lapsed Into semi
Consciousness again. And it was not
until late in the night after the rescue,
following a few hours of rest forced
upon him by the inferno, that Fair
child once more could converse with
his stricken partner.
TITS something I'll ave to show you
to explain" said Harry. II can't tell
you about 1t. You know where that
little fssure is in the 'anging wall,
away back in the STOPPER
.sYes"
"wen, that's 1t. That's where I got
out"
"But what happened before thatT
"What didn't appen7" asked Harry,
with a painful grin. Everything in
the world 'appened. but what did
the assay show7"
Fairchild reached forth and laid
hand on the brawny one of his part
ner.
We're rich, Harry" he said, richer
than 1 ever dreamed we could be. The
ores as good as that of the Silver
Queen !"
"The bloody ell it ls!' Then Harry
dropped back on his pillow for a long
time and simply grinned at the cell
Ing. Somewhat anxious, Fairchlld
leaned forward, but his partners eyes
were open and smiling. "fm just let
ting 1t sink inl" he announced, and
Fairchild was silent, saving his ques-
tons until sit" had sunk. Then:
"You were saying something about
that fssure?''
"But there is other things first.
After you went to the assayers, l
fooled around there In the chamber,
and 1 thought I'd just take flyer and
blow up them 'oles that I'd drilled In
the 'anging wall at the same time that
I shot the other. So l put in the
powder and fuses, tamped 'em down
and then thinks thinks 1, that there's
somebody moving around in the drift.
But l didn't pay any attention to it
you know. I was busy and all that,
and you often ear noises that sound
funny. SO l set 'em off-that is, lit
the fuses and l started to run. Veil,
/ 'adn't any mOre'n started when
bloeyy-y-y, right in front of me, the
whole world turned upside down, and
i felt myself knocked back into the
chamber. And there was them fuses.
All of 'em burning. Well, 1 managed
to pull out the one from the foot wall
and stamp it out, but didn't ave time
to get at the others. And the only
place where there was chance for
me was clear at the end Of ths cham
Der. Already l was bleeding ike a
stuck hog where whole arr moan
tain 'ad 1T me on the cad, and I
didn't know much what was doing. I
Just wanted to get be'ind something
that's all l could think Of So l SHE'D
for that fissure In the rocks and
crawled back in there, trying to
squeeze as far along as I could. And
'ere's the funny part OF i'll kept on
going!'
"You what?"
kept on going rd always thought
II was Just a place where the 'anging
wall I'D slipped, and that it stopped
. few feet back. But 1t don't--it goes
CD. / crawled along 1t as fast as /
ceuld-I was about woozy, anyway
and by and by 1 card the shots go off
behind me. But there wasn't any use
IN going back-the tunnel was caved
in 10 kept on.
-After while, ran into stream of
water that came out of the inside of
the I'll somewhere, and took drink.
1t gave me a bit of strength And
then I kept on some more-unti1 all of
. sudden, slipped and fell, just when
I was beginning to see dyelight. And
that's all I know. 'Ow long ave
been gomez"
"Long enough to make me gray
headed" Fairchild answered with a
little laugh. Then his brow furrowed.
~You say you slipped and fell just as
y0u were beginning to see daylight?"
Eyes. 1t looked like 1t was reflected
from below, somewyes."
Tairchild nodded.
sIsn't there quite spring right by
Crazy Laura's house?"
Eyes; 1t keeps going all year /;
Shere's a current and 1t don't freeze