The Raymer enterprise., 1922-12-21
CHAPTER XVIII

Hardly realizing what he was doing,
or why he was doing it, Fairchild
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 frst." said the Cornish
man snIiously. "The farther the safer.
Did you ear anything more?"
Fairchild obeyed. shaking his head
in a negative to Harry's question. then
squeezed into the fissure, edging along
beside Anita. willie narry followed.
whats doing, Harry"
"Nothing. That's the funny part Of
I'll" The big Cornishman had crept to
the edge OF the fissure and had stared
for a moment toward the cross-cIt
leading to the stope. III II was CON-
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 fissure.
Come 'ere-both Of you! 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 II !"
'But what7''
"Get up there and lay your ear
against that vein. See II you ear any.
thing. And be quiet about II. I'm
scared to make a move, for fear
sOlHeDOuy IL eur Ine.
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.
"Y0u llsten." he ordered, as he lit.
ed her to where she could hear. "Do
You get anything7"
The girls eyes shone.
II know what that is," she said
quickly. "Tve heard that same sort
Of thing before-when you're on an.
other level and somebody's working
above. Isn't that II, Mr.. Harklnsy"
Harry nodded.
THAT'S It," came tersely. Then
bending. he reached for pick and,
mufrling the sound as best he could he
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,
I guess you'll ave to stay ere. don't
see 'ow We can do much else with
YOU"
"But can't I 60 along wherever
you're going"
there's going to be a fight" said
Harry quietly. "And I'm going to
knock somebody's block of"
"But-rd rather be there than here
II don't have to get in It. And I'd
be scared to death here. wouldn't II
] was along with you two, because |
know" and she said 1t with almost
childish conviction-"that you can
whip 'em."
Harry chuckled.
"Come along, then. I've got 'unch.
and l can't sye 1t now. But It'll come
out ir the wash. Come along"
They started up the mountain side.
skirting the big gullIes and edglne
about the highest drifts, taking ad.
vantage Of the cover Of the pines and
bending against the force Of the blIz,
zard. which seemed to threaten to
blow them back, step for step. No
one spoke; instinctively Fairchild and
Anita had guessed Harry's conclu.
sions. The nearest mine to the Blue
Poppy was the Silver Queen. situated
several hundred feet above 1t in altl.
tude and less than furlong away.
And the metal Of the Silver Queen
and the Blue Poppy. now that the
strike had been made, had assayed al.
most identically the same. II was
easy to make conclusions.
ITO BE CoNTINUED)