The Dolores star., 1922-12-22
CHAPTER xvu-con.inued.

CeTluSs vacant manner anu luti w
tRsten his eyes upon Fairchild. He
seemed TO be struggling for speech, for
coordination Of ideas. Finally, after
many minutes
"TltaTs you, Boy?"
"Nes, Harry"
bat where are we?"
We're In hospital, and you're
Knocked out. Don't You know where
you've hyeu?"
81 don't know anything since l slid
down the wall"
"S!uce you whatE"
But Harry had lapsed into semi
consciousness again. And it was not
until late In the night after the rescue,
following few hours of rest forced
upon him by the inferno, that Fair
child once more could converse with
his stricken partner
"ItS something I'll ave TO show You
10 explain" said Harry. 81 can't tell
you about it. You know where that
little fssure is in the 'anging wall,
sway back in the stope?'
YES"
We'll, that's It, That's where got
OUT
"But what happened before thnt?'
what didn't 'appen?" asked Harry,
with painful grin. Everything in
the world 'appeHed. but what did
the assay showf"
Fairchild reached forth and laid a
hand on the hrawny one of his part
ner.
II. L.. a -,
than l ever dreamed we could be. The
ores as good as that of the Silver
Queen"
The bloody ell it is" Then Harry
dropped back on his pillow for a long
time and simply grinned ut the cell
Ing. Somewhat anxious, Fairchild
leaned forward but his partners eyes
were open and smiling. I'm just let
ting it sink iuw' lie announced. and
Fa.rChild was silent, saving his ques-
tons until ''it" had sunk. Then:
"You were saying something about
that tissureT'
But there Is other things first.
After yOu went to the aSSayers, |
fooled around there in the chamber,
and | thought I'd just take n flyer and
blow up them 'oIes that I'd drilled in
the 'anging wall at the same time that
shot the other So | put in the
powder and fuses tamped 'em down
and then | thinks. thinks l. that there's
somebody moving around in the drift.
But l didn't pay any attention to it
you know. / was busy and all that,
and you often ear noises that sound
funny. SO | set 'em off-that is, lit
the fuses AID l started to run. Well,
l 'adn't any more'n started when
bloeyy-y-y, right in front of me, the
whole world turned upside down, and
l felt myself knocked back into the
chamber. And there was them fuses.
All of 'em burning. Well, ! managed
to pull out the one from the foot wall
and stamp 1t out. but l didn't ave time
to get at the others. And the only
place where there was n chance for
me was clear at the end Of tho cnam-
Der. Already | was bleediag ike
stuck hog where a whole arr moan
tain 'Gd 1T me on the 'ead, and
didn't know much what I was doing
Just wanted to get be'ind something
that's all I couid think of. so l shed
FOR that fissure in the rocks and
crawied back in there, trying to
squeeze as far along 81 I could. And
'-re's the funny part OF 1T kert on
going"
You wnat?"
Kept on going Td always thought
u was lust place where the anglRg
wall sd slipped. and that it stopped
few fee; back. But 1t don't--lt goes
on I crawled along 1t as fast as
could--I was about woozy. anyway
and by and oy card the shots go off
be'ind me- But there wasn't any use
in going 5ack-the tunEel was caved
in =" seDt 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 kept on some mOre-until all of
a sudden, slipped and fell, just when
/ was beginning to see dyelight. And
that's NIL know. 'Ow long ave /
been gomez"
"Lorg enough to make me gray
headed" Fairchild answered with a
little laugh. Then his brow furrOwed.
"You say you slipped and fell just as
vow were beginning to see daylight"
Yes. 1t looked like 1t was reflected
from below, somewyes."
Tairchild nodded.
isn't there quite a spring right by
Crazy Laura's houseT
Yes; it keeps going all year;
there's current and 1t don't freeze
up. 1t comes out like it was a water
fsli-and there's roaring noise be-
Ind it."
Then that's the explanation. You
followed the fssure until 1t Joined the
natural tunnel that the spring has
made through the hills. And when You
reached the waterfall-weI!, you fell
Sith it."
Dr. ,c,,x Ala 7 un<