The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1922-12-21
CHAPTER XVIII

Hardly realizing what he was doing.
or why he was doing It, Falrchild
seized Anita in his arms and. raising
her TO his breast as though she were
a child, rushed out through the cross
cut and along the cavern to the fis-
sure. there to find Harry awaiting
them.
Put 'er in first !" said the Cornish
man anxiOusly. "The farther the safer.
Did you ear anything more?"
Fairchild obeyed. shaking his head
in a negative to Harry's question, then
squeezed into the fssure, edging along
beside Anita, while DAIRY followed.
What's doing, Harry 2"
Nothing That's the funny part of
lti" The big COrnishman had crept to
the edge Of the fissure and had stared
for a moment toward the cross-cut
leading to the stope. 'If II was COM
ing. It ought to ave showed up by
now. I'm going back. You stay ere"
A long moment and ne was back.
almost creeping. and whispering as
he reached the end Of the hssure
Come 'ere-both Of you'll Come
'erel"
''What is Itl"
"Sh-h-h-h-h-h. Don't talk too loud.
We've been blessed with luck already.
Come ere"
He led the way, the man and wom-
an following him. In the s,ope the
Cornishman crawled carefully to the
staging and. standing on tlptoes.
pressed his ear against the vein above
him. Then he withdrew and nodded
sagely.
That's what It Isl" came his an
nouncement at last. "You can ear 1t !"
"But whatT"
Get up there and lay your ear
against that vein. See II you ear any.
thing. And be quiet about It. I'm
scared to make a move, for fear
somebody Il ear me-"
Falrchild obeyed. From far away,
carried by the telegraphy OF the earth
and there are few conductors that
are better-was the steady pound,
pound, pound OF shock after shock as
IT travelled along the hanging wall.
Fairchild turned, wondering, then
reached for Anita.
"You listen." he ordered, as he lift
ed her to where she could hear. do
you get anything7"
The girls eyes shone.
II know what that is," she said
quickly. ave heard that same sort
Of thing before-when you're on an
other level and somebody's working
above. Isn't that It. Mr.. Harklnsr
Harry nodded.
That's It," came tersely. Then
bending. he reached for q pick and,
muffling the sound as best he could be-
tween his knees, knocked the head
from the handle. Following this, he
lifted the piece OF hickory thoughtful
ly and turned to FairchIld. Get your
self one" he ordered. Miss Richmond.
guess you'll ave to stay ere. | don't
see 'ow we can do much else with
you"
But can't go along-whereve
you're goingT
There's going to be a fight" said
Harry quietly. "And I'm going 70
knock somebody's block offw
"But-rd rather be there than here
IL don't have to get In 1t. And I'd
be scared to death here. / wouldn't II
/ was along with you two, because
know" and she said II with almost
childish convictlon-"that you can
whip 'em."
Harry chuckled.
Come along, then. I've got lunch.
and can't sye 1t now. But it'll come
out ir the wash. Come along"
They started up the mountain side
skirting the big gullles and edgiug
about the highest drifts, taking nd.
vantage Of the cover Of the pines. and
bending against the force of the blIz-
zard, which seemed to threaten 10
blow them back. step for step. No
one spoke; instlnctively Fairchlld and
Anita had guessed Harry's conclu.
sions. The nearest mine TO the Blue
Poppy was the Silver Queen, situated
several hundred feet above II Ia altI-
tude and less than a furlong away.
And the metal Of the Silver Queen
and the Blue Poppy. now that the
strike had been made. had assayed al
most identlcally the same. II was
easy TO make conclusions