The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1922-10-21
THE CROSS-CuT

1
Hed-faced. she pushed him awny
and slapped his cheek plsyfuily: II
was like the tap Of q light breeze
against granite. Then Harry turned.
.'Ave you looked at the miner
/ The question brought back to Fair.
child the happenings Of the morning
and the memory Of the man who had
tru.led him. He told bis story. while
Mother Howard listened. her arms
crossed. her head bobbIng. and while
Harry. bis big grin still on bis lips.
took In the details with avIdity. Then
the grin faded.
Les go up there he said quietly.
This time the trip to Kentucky
suich was made BY skirting the town !:
soon they were on the rough. narrow
roadway leading into the mountains.
A long time they walked. at last to
stop in the shelter Of the rocks where
Fairchiid had Swallowed bis pursuef.
and to glance carefully ahead. No
one was In sight. Harry jabbed out
a big finger.
-.'That's It," be announced. straight
n'endr"
They went on. Fairchild with q grip
ping at bis throat that would not
down. This had been the hope Of bis
fatber-and here his father had met
whnt7 He swerved quickly and
stopped. facing the bigger man.
Harry" came sharply. Il know
that l may be violating an unspoken
promise to my father. But ! simply
can't stand 1t any longer. What hap
pened here7 There was some sort Of
tragedy
Harry chuckIed conceaiment.
Fairchild thought. Of something he
did not want to tell him
81 should think so! The timbers
gave why and the mine caved int"
mot that! Ny father ran away
from this town. You and Mother
Howard helped him. You didn't come
back. Neither did my father. Even
tualiy II killed him."
"soT Harry looked seriously and
studIously at the young man. .'E
didn't write me oren."
"He didn't need to write you. You
were here with him-when II hap.
pened."
NO" Harry shook his head. II
was In town. What's Mother Howard
told your
"A lot-and nothing"
II don't know any more thnn she
does"
But"
Friends didn't ask questions in
those days" came quietly. II might
ave guessed II I'd wanted to-but I
didn't want to-
"But II you had7"
Harry looked at him with, quiet, blue
eyes.
"What would you guessf'
Slowly Robert FnIrchIld's gaze went
to the ground. There was only one
possible conjecture: SIssie Larsen had
been impersonated by 4 woman. Sis
sic Larsen had never been seen again
In Ohndl.
FL would hate to put II into
words" came finally. Harry slapped
him on the shoulder.
"Then don't. II was nearly thirty
years ago. Let sleeping dogs lie. Take
q look around before We 70 Into the
tunnel"
They reconnoitered. first on one
side then on the other. No one was In
sight. Harry bent to the ground, and
finding a pltchy pine knot. lighted 1t.
They started cautiously within. blink
Ing against the darkness.
The outlines Of rusty "hoist." with
its cable leading down into a slanting
hole in the rock. showed dimly before
them-a massive. chunky. deserted
thing In the shadows. The tImbers
were rOttInG; one after another. they
had cracked and caved beneath the
weight Of the earth above, giving the
tunnel an eerie aspect, unInvIting.
dangerous Harry peered ahead.
ut ain't as bad as It looks" came
after moments survey. Its only
right ere at the beginning that It's
caved But that doesn't do US much
good"
"Why noti" FaIrchild was staring
with him. on toward the darkness Of
the farther recesses. "If II isn't caved
in farther back. we ought to be able
to repair this spot"
But Harry shook his head.
ave didn't go into the vein ere"
he explained. 1--WE figured we 'ad to
ave q SHIFT anyway. sooner or later.
You can't do under'and stopping In q
mlne-go down on q vein. you know.
You've always got to go up-you can't
get the metal out n you don't. That's
why we dug this shaft-and now look
ut itr
He drew tile fickering torch to the
edge Of the shaft and held II there.
staring downward. Fairchild beside
him. Twenty feet below there came
the glIstenIng reflection Of the faring
flame. Water! Fairchild glanced
toward his partner.
~ don't know anything about IT," he
snid ut last. "But I should think that
would mean trouble"
"Pienty!" agreed Hurry iugubrious-
Iy. 'That shafts two 'unnerd feet