The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1922-12-02
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
a child. rushed out through the cross
cut and along the cavern to the MS
sure. there to find Harry awaiting
them.
Put 'er in first ~ said the Cornish
man anxiously 1.-THE farther the safer.
Did you ear anything more?"
Fairchild obeyed, shaking his head
in negative to Harry's question, then
squeezed into the fissure edging along
beside Anita. while harry followed.
whats doing, Harry ?"
Nothing. That's the funny part OF
t." 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 eff it was COM
ing, it ought to ave showed up bv
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 assure.
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 Slope 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 it y
But what?'
"Get up there and lay your eal
against that vein See If you ear any
thing. And be quiet about it. I'm
scared to make move, for feal
somebody III ear me-"
Fairchild Obeyed From far away
carried by the telegraphy Of the earrf
and there are few conductors thai
are better-was the steady pound
pound, pound of shock after shock as
it travelled along the hanging wall
Fairchild turned, wondering, ther
reached for Anita.
"You listen" he ordered, as he lift
ed her to where she could hear. "Dt
you get anything?"
| The girls eyes shOne.
| 81 know what that is" she salt
quickly. "Tve heard that same sor
of thing befOre-when you're on an
other level and somebody's working
above. Isn't that 1t, Mr.. Harkins?"
Harry nodded.
That's it," came tersely. TheI
bending, he reached for a pick and
muffling the sound as best he could be
tween his knees. knocked the hea'
from the handle. Following this. h
lifted the piece of hickory thoughtful
ly and turned to FairchiId. Get your
self one" he ordered. Miss Richmond
l guess you'll ave to stay ere. l don
see 'ow we can do much else witt
YOU"
But can't l go along-whereve
you're gOing?"
There's going to be fight" sal
Harry quietly. "And I'm going +
knock somebody's block off !"
"But-Td rather be there than here
IL don't have to get in it, And T.
be scared to death here. I wouldn't
| was along with you two, because
know" and she said it with almos
childish cOnviction-"that you ca
whip EN-"
= Harry chuckled.
"Come along, then. I've got 'uncl
and / can't sye it now. But it'll com
out ir the wash. Come along"
They started up the mountain sid
skirting the big gullies and edgin
about the highest drifts. taking az
vantage of the cover of the pines, an
bending against the force of the bill
card, which seemed to threaten I
blow them back, step for step. n
one spoke; instinctively Fairchild an
Anita had guessed Harry's concl,
siOns. The nearest mine to the Bit
Poppy was the Silver Queen, situate
several hundred feet above it in all
tude and less than a furlong ava
And the metal Of the Silver Quet
and the Blue Poppy. now that Il
strike had been made, had assayed q
most identically the same. 1t W,
easy to make conclusions.
CTO BE CONTINUED)