American Fork citizen. [volume] (American Fork, Utah) 1912-1979, 1922-09-23
1shus En- OIL irs Sucking the Muss
Out Of the sumpi"

ottB NthN tNnnN ~ Viz uIAN ~ 4
unwntered."
Then the pumping jobs overr
"Yeh." Harry rose. "You stay ere
and dismantle the pumps, so we can
send 'em back. I'll go to town. We've
got to buy some stuff"
Then he started or down ~. -.
while Fairchild went to his work. And
he sang MS he dragged at the heavy
hose. Work was before him, work
which vas progressing toward q goal
tI'at he had determined to seek, In
spite of all obstacles. The mysterious
offer which he had received gave evil
dence that something awaited him, that
some one knew the real value Of the
Blue Poppy mine, and that II he could
simply stick to his task, II he could
hold to the unwaverlng purpose to win
In spite OF all the blocking pitfalls
that were put In his path. some day,
some time, the reward would be worth
Its price.
More, the conversation with Mother
Howard on the previous morning had
been comforting; II had given a won
ans viewpoint upon another woman's
actions. And FairchiId intuitlvely be-
ileved she was correct.
A shout from the road. accompanied
by the roaring Of u rotor truck, an
nounced the fact that Harry was max.
ing his return.
Five men we're with him. to help him
carry in ropes, heavy pulleys, weights
and IA large metal shaft bucket, then
to move out the smaller Of the pumps
and trundle away with them, leaving
the larger one and the larger engine
for O single load. At last Harry turned
to his paraphernalla and rolled up his
sleeves.
.'Ere's where we work u he an.
Dounced. Its us for q pulley and
bucket arrangement until we can get
the 'oist to working and the skip to
running. ZIP me cave n few timbers."
II was the beginning Of Z three.
days job, the building OF a heavy stag
Ing over the top Of the shaft. the afix-
ing OF the great pulley and then the
attachment Of the bucket at one end,
and the skip. loaded with pig iron, on
the other. Altogether, 1t formed a
sort Of crude, counterbalanced ele-
vator. by which they might lower
themselves into the shaft. with various
bumpings and delays-but which
worked successfully. nevertheless. To
gether they piled into the big. iron
bucket. Harry Juggling along spikes and
t1mbers and sledges and ropes. Then.
pulling away ut the cable which held
the weights, they furnished the neces-
sary gravity to travel downward.
An eerle journey. faced on n side
by the crawling rope Of the skip as IL
travelled along the rusty old track on
its watersoaked ties. or the other by
the stili dripping timbers Of the aged
shaft and its broken, rotting ladder,
= Whfftr the carbide lanterns east shad'
ows about, while the pulley above
creaked and the erOded wheels VI the
skip squeaked and protestedl Down
wards hundred feet-and they col
lided with the upward-bOund skip. "a
fend OF from II and start on again
Ths air grew colder. more moist TN
DIu NitutttiNn uhu ~
A slight bump, and they were at the
bottom. Before them the drift tun
mel, damp and dripping and dark
awaited. seeming to throw back tn
: fare of the carbides as though u
shield the treasures which might IN
|. beyond. Harry started forward a step
J then pausing. shifted his carbide AM
. l.I1 n Ia.A .. Ll. ann tnsta Ohnvv
: der.
Boy" he said slowly, were start
2 ing Mt something now-and ] don
+ know where It's going TO lead US
2 There's n cave-in M ere. and " we'r
e ever going to get anywhere In TIL
$ mine, wen ave to go past II. And II
: afraid Of what we're going to mn
e when We cut our wye through
D Clouds of the past seemed to ris
I and float past Fairchild-clout
U which carried visions Of a white, brol
en old man sitting by a window. wal
r ing for death, visions Of an old sal
n and Il letter II contained. For a Ion
= loug moment, there was silence. The
II zane Harry's voice again.
I'm hIrftiu III am going W DC soe
% news, Boy. Rut there Amt no W,
d to get around IL. It's got to come Of
d sometlme--thIngs like that won't Sta
d 'idden forever. And your fathers goT
" now--gone where II can't 'urt I'm"
ID Il know" answered Fairchild, In
10 queer. husky voice, "He must ha'
ID known. Harry--be must have been wi
ing that It come. now that he is gon
r lie wrote me as much.i
"It's that or nothing. II we sell q
mine, some one else will find It. Al
We can't 1t the vein without followil
the drift to the stope. But you're {
to make the decision"
"He told me to go ahead, II nee
sary. And ven go, Harry"