The Lehi sun. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1913-1949, 1922-01-26

been gone three whole days. II she
hadn't gone with hlm--and the good
Lord only knows where else she could
have gone-don't you reckon she'd We
been back here long dfore this7 No,
Stannle; we been lettln' the wish II
was run away with the had 10 be- /
reckon we Just got TO grit our teeth.
son, and tough II out the best we can"
During this waiting interval, which
seemed like hours and was probably
only a few minutes, we were mOmen-
iarily expecting another crash. II did
not come; but In due course OF time
we heard a stir outside and then
voices. and one of the voices, which
was not Bullerton's said: 'TlI bet
that cartridge smoked 'em out good an
plenty, cap'n. Gimme tn NIX, Tom. TIL
we bust open the door an have a
squint at EN-"
Just nj that moment a gbmergIng
wave OF depression surged over me
and showed me down so deep that
think possibly II Fullerton had called
out and demanded our surrender
should have been tempted 10 tell him
that ! was not so much Of a hog as
not TO know when had enough. But
the old man squeezed In beside me UNI
der the arched boiler plate was made
OF better fiber; he was game TO the
last hair In his beard. with a Wild
Indian yell, he hunched his Winchester
Into position and fred once, twice,
thrice. ut the door. as rapidly as he
could pump the reloading lever.
A scattering fuslllade was the reply
to this, but the aim was bad and the
only result was to set the air of our
prison fortress TO buzzing as II a
swarm OF angry bees had been turned
loose on us. After this. the raiders
withdrew, so we judged; at all events,
the silence of the dark hour before
daybre0k shut down upon us again,
and once more we had space IN which
to gather our minds" as Daddy put
II.
II may be dastardly confession OF
weakness TO admit II. but am free to
say that the prolonged struggle was
gradually undermining my nerve. II
Fullerton had made up his mind to
write on the loss of the mine buildings
and machinery. II was battle lost for
us. II could be only a question OF a
little time, and enough daylight to en-
able the bombers to throw strnight,
until we should be buried In the wreck
Of the sharthouse and holst-and with
out the privilege OF dying in a good,
old-fashloned, stand-up fight.
All Of this | hastily pointed out to
Daddy Hiram, adding that, for JeanIe's
sake. II for no better reason. he ought
to take his chance OF staying upon
earth. As long as live l shall
always have high respect for the
wrath OF mild-mannered 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
60.
mo. sir; done promised your
gran'paw at I'd stand by for him, and
he paid me money for dom II. When
them helIlons get this here mine,
they're goln' to dig hole somewheres
and bury me afterward." was all
could get out OF him.
We were not given very much more
time for discussion, or for anything
else. The first faint graylng dawn was
coming, and with the partial tighten.
Ing Of the inner gloom, we craned our
necks-lIke double-headed turtle
peering out OF Its shetland got a
glimpse OF the damage done by the in.
Itlal thunderbolt. We saw II without
any trouble; great hole torn In the
sheetiron roof directly over the hoist
and shaft mouth. knowing the use
and effect OF explosives pretty wen.
Daddy said that the bomb had gone off
prematurely; had exploded before II
had fairly lighted upon the roof.
III Il hadnt-lf Il had been LAWN
on the roof when II went off--we
wouldn't be lookin up ut that hole
right now, Stannle, my son. We'd be
moggIn up the golden stair and avon
derin' how much farther II was 10 the
New Jerusalem, and what kind o.
harps they was goin' 10 give MS when
we got there. We sure would"
We didn't keep our heads out very
long. While we we're staring up at
the hole and at the patch OF sky be-
yond II, small dark object with a
smoke-blue comets tail trailing be.
hind II crossed our line OF sight. and
we ducked and held our breath-or az
least. | held mine. The crash came
almost Immediately, and It was fol-
lowed In swift succession by a 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 were posted somewhere on the
steep slope OF the mountain above us
the slope which have described as
running up from the brink Of the
abrupt ciir overlooking the mine
plant.
They'll get the range, after
while" Daddy grunted. "And when
they do, l reckon It'll he good.by, fair
a -.