The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1922-02-03

4
Look at II for yourself, son she's
been gone three whole days. If she
hadn't gone with lim--and the good
Lord only knows where else she could
have gonedou't you reckon she'd we
been back here long afore this? No,
Stannie; we been lettin the wish II
was run away with the had to be- /
reckon we just got TO grit our teeth
son, and tough Il out the best we cnn.r
During this waiting interval, which
seemed like hours and was probably
only a few minutes, we we're momen-
tarily expecting another crash. IL did
not come but In due course OF time
we heard stir outside and then
voices. and one OF the voices, which
was not Bulierton's said: Ell bet
that cartridge smoked 'em out good an
plenty, cap'n. Gimme tn ak, Tom, till
we bust open the door an have q
squirt al EN-"
just at that moment submerging
wave OF depression surged over me
and showed me down SO deep that /
think possibly II Fullerton Ind called
out and demanded our surrender
should have been tempted to tell him
thar ! WAS net 50 much of u hog as
not to know when ! had enough. But
the old man squeezed In beside me I'm.
der the arched boiler plate was made
OF better fiber; he was game to the
last hair In his beard. With Wild
Indian yell, he hunched his Winchester
into position and fired once, twice,
thrice, at the door. as rapidly as he
could pump the reloading lever.
a scattering fuslllade was the reply
20 this. but the aim was bad and the
only result was to set the air OF our
prison fortress 10 buzzing as II d
swarm Of angry bees had been turned
loose On US. After this, the raiders
withdrew, so we judged ut all events,
the silence Of the dark hour before
daybraak shut down upon us again,
and once more we had space In which
% gather our minds" as Daddy put
II.
X may De q dastardly confession of
weakness 20 admit II, but am free to
say that the prolonged struggle was
gradually undermining my nerve. If
Fullerton had made up his mind TO
write Off the loss Of the mine buildings
and machinery, II was battle lost Tor
us, II could be only question of a
little time and enough daylight to en-
able the bomhers to throw straight,
until we should be buried In the wreck
| ~ fha en- ~ h1t,so ana t,,tat 80 .,.t4t,
ont the privilege OF dying IN a good.
old-fashloned stand.up fight.
All Of this | hastily pointed out to
Daddy Hiram, adding that. for Jeanle's
sake, II Tor no better reason, he ought
to take his chance OF staying upon
earth. As long us live | shall
always have high respect for the
wrath OF q mlld-mnnnered man. The
old prospector was fairly Berserk,
mad. foaming at the mouth, and short
OF dragging him out by main strength
there was no way OF making him let
80.
"No, sir; done promised your
gran'paw at I'd stand by for him, and
he paid me money for dom Ii. When
them bellions get this here mine,
they're goln' to dig hole somewheres
and bury me aftSrvard," was ali /
could get cut Of him.
We were not given very much more
time for discussion, or for anything
else, The first faint grnying dawn was
coming, and with the partial tighten
Ing Of the inner gloom. we. crnned our
necks-like douhle-headed turtle
peerlng out OF It's shetland got a
glimpse OF the damage done BY the In
Itial thunderbolt. We saw Il without
any trouble: a great hole torn In the
sheetlron roof directly over the hoist
and shaft mouth. Knowing the use
and effect OF explosives pretty we'll,
Daddy said that the bomb had gone or
prematurely; had exploded before 1t
had fairly lighted upon the roof.
IF It hadn't--lf It had been layin'
on the roof when II went Olive
wouldn't be lookln' up at that hole
right now, Stannle, my son. We'd be
moggln' up the golden stair and avon.
derln' how much farther II was To the
/ view JtTusultllt hhu what KIM o.
harps they was goln' to give us when
we got there. We sure would"
We didn't keep our heads out very
long. While we were staring up Mt
the hole and Mt the patch Of sky be-
yond IT, small dark object with a
smoke-blue comets tail trailing be-
hind 1t crossed our line Of sight, and
we ducked and held our breath--or at
least, / held mine. The crash came
almost immediately, and 1t was fol.
lowed in swift succession by second
and a third Luckily none of the
three hit the shaft-house, nor. indeed
| fell very near to It; and this uncer
tainty of aim told us where the attack
was coming from. The bomb throw
ers We're posted somewhere on the
steep slope of the mountain above us
the slope which have described as
running up from the brink of the
J abrupt cliff overlooking the minis
| plant.