The Hope pioneer., 1922-11-16
THE CROSS-CUT
CHAPTER xIv-continued.

-11-
For once ray Of cheer came to
him. The Rodaines had known Of this
strike long before he ever went to
that Office in Denver. They had wait
ed long enough to have their assays
made and had completed their first
shipment to the smelter. There was
no necessity that they buy the Blue
Poppy mine. Therefore, was it simply
another trick to break him, to lead
him up to a point of high expecta-
tions, then, with a laugh at his dis
appointment, throw him down again?
His shoulders Strengthened as they
reached the outside air, and he moved
close to Harry as he told him his con-
lectures. The Cornishman bobbed
his head.
II never thought of it that wyel"
he agreed. "But it could explain lot
Of things. They want to beat us and
they don't care 'ow. 1t 'urts a person
to be disappointed. That's it. I al
wyes said you 'ad good 'ead on
you! That's 1t. Let's 60 back to the
Blue Poppy"
Back they went, once more to de-
scend the shaft, once more to follow
the trail along the drift toward the
opening of the stope. And there,
where loose earth covered the place
where "A skeleton once had rested,
Fairchild took off his coat and rolled
up his sleeves.
Harry" he said, with new deter
mination, "this vein doesn't look like
much, and the mine looks worse. But
II you're game, I'm game, and We'll
work the thing until 1t breaks U.s."
"You've said it. If we 1t anything,
fine and well-f we can turn out five
thousand dollars worth of stuff be-
fore the trial comes up, then we can
sell hit under the direction of the
court, turn over that money for a cash
bond, and get the deeds back. If we
can't, and if the mine peters out, then
we atn't lost anything but lot Of
'opes and time. But ere goes. Well
double-jack. I've got big 'ammer
ere. You 'old the drill for awhile and
turn 1t, while sling tn sledge. Then
SOu luhc III dllllIlcI anu LUZ ave
mercy on my lands if you MISS"
Fairchild obeyed. Hour after hour
they worked. Then, as the afternoon
grew late, Harry disappeared far
down the drift to return with hand
full of greasy, candlelike things,
wrapped in waxed paper.
II knew that dynamite of yours
couldn't be shipped in time, so I
bought little up 'ere," he explained,
as he cut one of the sticks in two
with pocketknife and laid the pieces
to one side. Then out came coil of
fuse, to be cut to it's regular lengths
and inserted in the copper-covered
capaA0f illuminate of mercury, Harry
showing Els contempt for the danger
GUS thkxss by crimping them about
the fuse with his teeth, while Fair
child, sitting on small pile Of muck
nearby, begged for caution. But Harry
only grinned behind his big mustache
and went on.
Out came his pocketknife again as
he slit the waxed paper Of the gelat-
inous sticks, then inserted the cap in
the dynamite. One after another the
charges were showed into the holes,
Harry tamping them into place with a
steel rod, instead of with the usual
wooden affair, his mustache brushing
his shoulder as he turned to explain
the virtues of dynamite when handled
by an expert.
"Its all in the wye you do It," he
announced. "1f you don't strike fire
with steel rod, it's fine."
"But If you do?'
"Oh, then!" Harry laughed. "Then
ht's flowers and funeral-after
they've finished picking you up" :,
One after another he pressed the
dynamite charges tight into the drill
holes and tamped them with muck
wrapped in newspaper that he
dragged from his hip pocket Then
he lit the fuses from his lamp and
stood a second in assurance that they
lRll were spluttering.
snow we run!" he announced, and
they hurried, side by side, down the
drift tunnel until they reached the
shaft. "Far enough" said Harry.
A long moment of waiting. Then
the earth quivered and muffled,
booming roar came from the distance.
Harry stared at his carbide lamp.
"One," he announced. Then, "Two."
Three, four and five followed, all
counted seriously, carefully by Harry.
Finally they turned back along the
drift toward the stope, the acrid odor
,0f dynamite smoke cutting at their
nostrils as they approached the spot
where the explosions had occurred
There Harry stood in silent contempla.
tion for long time, holding his car
bide over the pile Of ore that had been
torn from the vein above.
1T amt much," came at last. "Not
more'n 'arf ton. We won't get rich
at that rate. And besides" he looked
upward-''we amt even going to be
getting that pretty soon. It's. pinchine
put"
Fairchild followed his gaze, to see