The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-07-27

and ;the announcement had said that
certain girl would be married in the
late fall, girl who never looked In
his direction any more, who had al
lowed her name to become affiliated
with that of the Rodaines, now near
ing the task Of completing their two
million. October!
For a long moment, Fairchild said
nothing. then as Harry came from the
staging, he moved to the older mans
side.
IL didn't quite catch the idea,"
came at last. Harry pointed with his
sledge. t>''T"
1--WE been noticing the vein. It
keeps turning to the left. 1t struck
me that it might ave branched off
from the main body and that there's
bigger vein over there some'eres.
Well just ave to make try for it.
It's our only chance"
i "And If we fafl"to' find 1t there"
III it amt thes1-we're whipped"
It was the first time that. Harry had
said the word seriously. Fairchild
pretended not to hear. Instead. he
picked up drill, looked at its point,
then started toward the small forge
which they had erected just at the
foot Of the little raise leading to the
stope. There Harry Joined him; to-
gether they heated the long pieces Of
steel and pounded their biting faces
to the sharpness necessary to drilling
in the hard rock Of the hanging wall,
tempering them in the bucket of wa
ter near by, working silently, slowly
hampered by the weight Of defeat.
They were being whipped; they felt
1t in every atom Of their beings. But
they had not given up their fight.
Two blows were left in the struggle,
and two blows they meant to, strike
before the end came. The next morn
ing they started at their new task,
each drilling holes at points five feet
apart in the hanging wall, to send
them in ,as far as possible then at
the end of the day to, blast them out,
tearing away the rock and stopping
their work mt drilling that they might
muck away the refuse. And day after
day, each, without mentioning 1T to
the other, was tortured by the thought
| Of that offer Of riches, that mysterf-
GUS proffer of wealth for the Blue
Poppy mine-tortured like men who
are chained in the sight Of gold and
cannot reach it. For the offer car
ried always the hint t1At wealth was
there, somewhere, that Squint RO-
dame knew it, but that they could not
find It. Either that-or fiat failure.
Either wealth that would yield Squint
a hundredfold, for. his purpose, or
sheer that you'd answer their offer
to sell. And each man, gritted his
teeth and said nothing. But they
worked on. oe,
October gave up its fight. The first
day of November came, to find the
chamber wide, vacuous thing now,
sheltering stone and refuse and two
struggling men-nothing more. Fair
child ceased his labors and mopped
his forehead, dripping from the heat
engendered by frenzied labor. A long
moment, then:
Harry"
AYE"
I'm going after the other side.
We've been playing half-horsed game
here" n :.
1--WE been thinking that, Boy"
"Then I'm going to tackle the foot
wall. I was at the bank today"
"Yeh."
my balance is just two hundred"
Harry clawed at his mustache.
"We're nearing the end, Boy. Tackle
the foot wall"
They said no more. Fairchild with
drew his drill from the swimmer" or
straightforward powder hole and
turned far to the other side Of the
chamber. where the sloplng foot wall
showed for a few feet before it dlved
under the muck and refuse. Spot after
spot he prospected, suddenly to stop
and bend forward. At last came an
exclamation, surprised, wondering:
Harry"
The Cornishman left his work and
walked to Fairchud's side. The
younger man pointed.
do you ever I'll up drill holes with
cement?' he asked.
mot as I know Of. Why?"
"There's one." Fairchild raised his
CAD and Clipped away the softer sur
face Of the rock, leaving tubular pro-
tuberance Of cement extending. Har.
ry stared.
"what the bloody 'ell." he conjec-
tured. "D9you suppose.7r Then. with
sudden resolution Drill there!
Cad a'ole off to one side bit and
drill there It seems to me Sissie
Larsen put a ole or something's
can't remember. But drill. It can't
do any arm"
Continued in next issue