The Ordway new era., 1922-12-08
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 firstl" 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 fissure, edging along
beside Anita, while Harry followed.
whats doing. Harry?"
Nothing. That's the funny part of
1t tr The big Cornishman had crept to
the edge of the fissure and had stared
leading to the stope. "If 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 fissure.
Come 'ere-both of you'll 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 tlptoes,
pressed his ear against the vein above
him. Then he withdrew nnd nodded
sagely.
That's what 1t isw came his an
nouncement at last. "You can ear 1t ="
But what?"
Get up there and lay your ear
against that vein. See If you ear any.
thing. And be quiet about it. I'm
scared to make move, for fear
somebody II ear me-"
Fairchild obeyed. From far away.
carried by the telegraphy of the earrh
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 llsten," he ordered, as he lift
ed her to where she could hear. "Do
you get anything?"
The girls eyes shone.
II know what that Is" she said
quickly. I've heard that same sort
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. 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 thoughtfuI-
ly and turned to Fairchild. Get your
self one," he ordered. Miss Richmond.
l guess you'll ave to stay ere. 1 don't
see 'ow we can do much else with
you."
But can't I go along-wherever
you're going?"
There's going to be a fight" said
Harry quietly. "And I'm going TO
knock somebody's block off"
"But-rd rather be there than here
| uoii nave 10 get In 1t. And I'd
be scared to death here. 1 wouldn't II
l 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 'uncn.
and l can't sye 1t now. But it'll come
out In the wash. Come along"
They started up the mountain side
skirting the big gullIes and edrinp
about the highest drifts, taking ad,
vantage Of the cover Of the pines. and
oending against the force Of the biz
zard' which seemed to threaten to
Diow them back, step for step. No
one spoke; instinctively Fairchild and
Anita had guessed Harry's concln.
slons. The nearest mine to the Rlne
Poppy was the Silver Queen, situated
several hundred feet above It in alti.
tude and less than furlong awav.
ana 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.