American Fork citizen. [volume] (American Fork, Utah) 1912-1979, 1922-08-19

iiuify ShOok Ills neuu. Il
was In town. What's Mother Howard
told Your
"A lOt--and nothing"
II don't know any more than she
Does
But"
Friends didn't ask questions In
those days." came quietly. IL might
ave guessed II I'd wanted to-but
didn't want to-"
But II you hadY
Harry looked at him with quiet. blue
eyes.
what would you gpessT'
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 II into
words" came finally. Harry slapped
him on the shoulder.
'"Then don't. II was nearly thirty
years ago. Let sleeping dogs lie. Take
look around before we 60 into the
tunnel"
They reconnoitered first on ono
side then on the other. No one was In
sight. Harry bent to the ground, and
finding pitchy pine knot, lighted II.
They started cautiously within. blink
Ing against the darkness
The outlines Of rusty "hoist," with
It's cable leading down into q 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.
ut amt ms bad as II looks" came
after moments survey. -"Its only
right ERE mt the beginning that It's
caved. But that doesn't do rs much
good"
"Why not7" Fairchlld was staring
with him, on toward the darkness Of
the farther recesses. ri II isn't caved
in farther back, we ought to be able
to repair this spot"
But Harry shook his head.
1--WE didn't go into the vein ERE"
he explained. I'VE figured we 'sd to
ave shaft anyway, sooner or later.
You can't do under'and stopping In a
mine-go down on n vein, you know.
You've always got to 20 up--you can't
get the metal out II you don't That's
why we dug this shnftand now look
at III"
He drew the pickering torch TO the
edge of the shaft and held II there,
staring downward, Fairchild beside
him Twenty feet below there came
the glistening reflection OF the fiaring
flame Water Fairchild glanced
toward his partner.
II don't know anything about It," he
said at last. "But should think that
4 would mean trouble"
| "Plenty!" agreed Harry lugubrious-
ly. "Thnt shafts two 'unnerd feet
deep and there's a drift running or Il
for a couple o. 'unnerd feet more be-
fore II Its the vein. Four 'unnerd
feet OF water 'Ow much money ave
you got?"
"About twenty-five hundred dob
lars.
Harry reached for his waving mus.
tnche. his ,haven in time OF storm
Thoughtfully he pulled at II, staring
meanwhile downward. Then ha
grunted.
"And amt got more'n Ave 'unnerd
II amt enough. Les go back to town
I don't like to stand around this place
and Just look at water in ole"
They turned for the mouth Of the
tunnel, sliding along In the greasy
muck, the torch extlnguished now
moment of watchfulness from the
cover Of the darkness, then Harry
pointed. On the opposite hill. the fig
ure Of q man had been outlined fol
Just second. Then he had faded
And with the disappearance Of thu
watcher. Harry nudged his partner n
the ribs and went forth into tn,
brighter light An hour more ant
they were back In town. Harr,
reached for his mustache again.
go on down to Mother 'Oward's,
he commanded. "Tve got to wande,
around and say 'owdy to what's ief
of the fellows that was ere when
was. It's been twenty years since nv,
heen away. you know" he added. "ant
the shaft can walt"
Fairchild obeyed the Instructions
looking back over his shoulder as h,
walked along toward the boarding.
, houoa IN 600 tha Nil, ayura ~ hSs, 49,,