Sioux County pioneer., 1922-11-16
CHAPTER XVIII

Hardly realizing what he was doing,
or why he was doing 1t, Fairckild
seized Anita in his arms and, raising
her to his breast as though she were
child, rushed out through the cross.
cut and along the cavern to the fis-
sure, there to find Harry awaiting
them.
"Put 'er in flrstl" said the Cornish
man anxiously. "The farther the safer.
Did you ear anything more?"
Fairchild obeyed, shaking his head
in negative to Harry's question, then
squeezed into the flssure, edging along
beside Anita, while Harry followed.
whats doing, Harry7"
Nothing. That's the funny part Of
It'll" The big Cornishman had crept to
the edge Of the fissure and had stared
for moment toward the cross-cut
leading to the stope. 1T it was COM
ing, it ought to ave showed up by.
now. I'm going back. You stay ERE"
A long moment and he was back,
almost creeping, and whispering, as
he reached the end Of the flssure.
"Come 'ere-both Of youl Come
'ere!"
"What is it?"
"Sh-h-h-h-h-h. Don't talk too loud.
We've been blessed with luck already.
Come ERE"
He led the way, the man and wom-
an following him. In the stope the
Cornishman crawled carefully to the
staging and, standing on tiptoes,
pressed his ear against the vein above
him. Then he withdrew and nodded
sagely.
'That's what it Isl" came his an.
nouncement at last. "You can ear til"
"But whatr
"Get up there and lay your ear
against that vein. See II you ear any.
thing. And be quiet about 1t. I'm
scared to make a move, for fear
somebody II ear me-"
Fairchild obeyed. From far away,
carried by the telegraphy Of the earth
and there are few conductors that.
are better-was the steady pound,
pound, pound Of shock after shock as
it travelled along the hanging wall.
Fairchild turned, wondering, then
reached for Anita.
"You listen," he ordered, as he lift
ed her to where she could hear. aDo
you get anything7'
The girls eyes shone.
II know what that is," she said
quickly. Tive heard that same sort
Of thing before-when you're on an.
other level and somebody's working
above. Isn't that it, Mr.. Harkins?"
Harry nodded.
"That's it." came tersely. Then
bending, he reached for a pick and.
muffling the sound as best he could be.
tween his knees, knocked the head
from the handle. Following this, he
lifted the piece Of hickory thoughtful.
ly and turned to Fairchild. "Get your
self one," he ordered. "Miss Richmond.
l guess you'll ave to stay ERE. I don't
see 'ow we can do much else with
you"
"But can't I go along-wherever
JV0 ~ 6O1u&
"There's going to be fight" said
Harry quietly. "And I'm going to
knock somebody's block OIL"
"But-rd rather be there than hera
III don't have to get in It. And I'd
De scared to death here. wouldn't II
! was along with you two, because
know" and she said 1t with almost
childish conviction Won c,n
whip 'em."
Harry chuckled. ;
"Come along, then. I've rot sunch
and can't sye 1t now. But It'll come
out In the wash. Come along"
They started up the mountain sida
skirting the big gullies and edetnr
about the highest drifts, takins M.
vantage Of the cover Of the pines ana
bending against the force Of the blis.
zard. which seemed to threaten 10
blow them back, step for step. No
one spoke; instinctively Fairchild and
Anita had guessed Harry's eoncfn.
sions. The nearest mine to the Rim.
Poppy was the Silver Queen. sitnate6
several hundred feet above it In alti.
tude and less than a furlong awav
And the metal Of the Silver Queen
and the Blue Poppy, now that tha
strike had been made, had assayed a.
most identically the same. Il v.a
easy to make conclusions.
CTo BE CoNT1NUED,l
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b. n. <snn *