CHAPTER XII
A SINGULAR ACCIDENT
Two trustworthy men had been selected from the night shift to keep guardon the lower level during the time between sunset and sunrise, and aboutan hour before the relieving whistle sounded, not having heard anysuspicious noises, they lounged down toward the slope where the minerswere at work.
Here, paying but little attention to what was going on around them, theyconversed with the laborers, or smoked pipes as black as their faces,in order to while away the moments which must elapse before the laborwas ended.
Men were passing and re-passing on every hand, and in the darkness noone saw a small figure, in whose cap the lamp was not lighted, runswiftly from the foot of the slope up the drift where the sentinelsshould have been.
On either side of the passage shallow cuttings had been made that theminers might step aside to avoid the cars as they were drawn to and fro.Into one of these the figure with the unlighted cap glided, and,crouching in the farthest corner was screened from view unless a carefulsearch should be made.
When the day shift came on duty Chunky reported to the breaker boss thatSkip Miller could not come to work on this day.
"Why not?" Donovan asked sharply.
"'Cause he's got to do somethin' at home. He told me to tell you."
"When did you see him?"
"Last night."
"Where?"
"Over by Taylor's."
"What were you doin' at that grogshop?"
"Nothin'. I was jest walkin' around, an' met him."
"Look here, Chunky, it will be best for you to keep away from thatplace. No decent man or boy would go there, an' I'd be sorry to know youtrained with the regulators. I've got my eye on them fellers, an' whentrade is dull they'll be the first to get their walkin' papers."
"If father don't care what I do, it ain't any business of yours, so longas I work from whistle to whistle."
"That's very true; but I shall make it my business to see what yourfather has to say about it."
This threat had the effect of checking the almost insolent air Chunkyhad begun to display, and he went to his place at the chute very meekly.
While this brief conversation was being held Joe and Bill, with theirhelpers, entered the lower level where the careless sentinels reportedmatters as being quiet.
"We haven't heard more'n a rat since you left," one of them said. "Idon't believe Billings has got the nerve to try any funny business, an'in this case Mr. Wright is more frightened than hurt."
"That's a good fault, matey," Bill replied gravely. "It's better to havehalf a dozen of us nosin' around for a week or two, than run the risk ofwhat Cale an' his friends may do."
"Oh, I ain't kickin'; but it don't seem reasonable they could get intothe old drift, for it must be choked with gas."
"By findin' that out we might save a good deal of work," Joe replied,quickly. "It wouldn't take long to cut through where the wall isthinnest."
"You're right mate, an' we'll get at it now. Boys, go over to theblacksmith's for four shovels," Bill added as he pulled the plans fromhis pocket.
Sam and Fred obeyed, and while they were absent the two men studied thedrawing for at least the hundredth time.
Save for those who were seated on a block of coal poring over the paper,the drift was deserted, and the one who had secreted himself in thecutting crept silently forward until it was possible to see what theminers were doing.
As a matter of course this party was Skip Miller, and he said tohimself, with a chuckle of satisfaction:
"With all day before me it'll be queer if I can't get what Billingswants."
When Sam and Fred returned Bill had decided at which point theexcavation should be made, and he said, designating a spot hardly morethan a dozen yards from where Skip was hidden:
"If the plan is co'rect this oughter be our place. We'll try it anyhow.You boys tell one of the drivers to bring up a car, for we don't want tochoke the drift with dirt."
Then Bill stuck his pick in the wall, which was made up of earth andslate. Skip, who sat directly opposite, had a full view of all that wasdone.
When the car had been brought into position Bill told Sam and Fred toshovel into it what he and Joe threw from the cutting, and soon all fourwere working industriously.
Before the time for "nooning" arrived it became necessary to shore upthe top of the tunnel lest the mass of earth should fall and bury thelaborers, and when this was done both the men entered the excavation,which was now twelve feet in length.
In this confined space the air was oppressively warm, and the minersthrew off their blouses, leaving them in the drift near the entrance.
Skip knew that in the pocket of the one worn by Bill was the paper hehad been instructed to steal, and he watched eagerly for an opportunityto creep up unobserved.
While Sam and Fred were at work it was impossible to do this; but thecar had been nearly filled, and in a short time it would be necessary toget another.
The men could no longer throw the dirt from where they were working tothe entrance, and Fred had been ordered to stand midway the cutting thathe might pass it on to Sam.
"I'll run this car down, an' get another if you'll give me a lift atstarting it," Sam finally shouted, and Fred came out.
The incline was sufficient to carry the rude vehicle to the switches atthe foot of the slope after it was once set in motion, and, using acrowbar as a lever, this was soon accomplished.
Sam ran behind it a few paces, and then clambered up to the brake wherehe could control the movements of the heavy load.
Fred watched him until the tiny flame in his cap was lost to view in thedistance, and then he returned to the tunnel, unconscious that Skip hadglided from his hiding-place to follow closely behind.
It was necessary the leader of the regulators should work with theutmost celerity, for if Fred turned he would distinguish the dark formeven in the gloom.
Skip had already formed a plan.
He crept close behind the boy whom he hated, until the latter enteredthe tunnel. Then stooping he picked up the crowbar, and raised it for ablow. In this position he waited until Fred was in the middle of thetunnel clambering over the pile of dirt to get at his shovel.
The time had come.
Swinging the heavy bar once around he struck the bottom of the joistwhich supported the shoring over head, and the heavy timbers, put upinsecurely because they were to be used but temporarily, fell with acrash.
The jar disturbed the earth at the top, and large masses fell,completely filling the entrance, burying alive those who were on theinside.
"That settles them, I reckon," Skip cried, gleefully, as, unmindful ofthe blinding dust, he sprang toward Bill's blouse.
To find the plan of the mine was but the work of a moment, and then,with the precious document thrust in the bosom of his shirt, he startedat full speed toward the entrance to the slope.
The crash of the timbers and earth was by no means an unusual sound inthe mine, where heavy masses of coal were constantly being detached byblasts, and the leader of the regulators had good reason to believe itwould be unnoticed. His only care was to avoid Sam, in case he shouldreturn sooner than might be expected, and to this end he darted from onecutting to another, until having reached a point from which, at theproper moment, he could gain the slope.
Here he remained partially screened from view until the empty car, whichSam was to send to the new cutting, had passed on its way up the drift.
Now he listened intently, and in a few moments came the cry:
"A break! A break, and three men buried! Help on the lower level!"
Those who were near enough to hear this appeal sent the alarm from driftto drift up the slope, until the entire mine seemed to be ringing withthe words:
"Help is needed on the lower level!"
In view of all that happened, together with the knowledge that if anyattack was made by the Billings' gang it would be on the lower level,every workman ran with all speed to
the bottom of the slope, and amongthe foremost was Mr. Wright.
"What has happened?" he asked of a blacksmith, who was darting towardthe chamber in which the tools were stored.
"Bill Thomas, Joe Brace, and a butty are buried in a cutting the foolswere makin' up there a piece."
"Go back," Mr. Wright cried to the swarm of men which came down theslope like a living stream. "Not more than twelve can work to advantage,and we have that number here."
"But we want to do our share," an old miner replied.
"You shall have a chance if we do not find them soon. It is not safe tohave so many here at once."
All hands understood the reason for this caution, and as the crowdturned to ascend Skip Miller slipped from his hiding place and joinedthem. He did not fear detection while every one was in such a state ofexcitement, and even if he should be recognized it would be only naturalfor him to have followed the men at the first alarm.
It was necessary, however, that he should avoid Donovan, and with theutmost caution he emerged from the slope, running as fast as his legswould carry him on reaching the open air.
Not until Taylor's groggery was near at hand did he slacken speed, andthen, assuming as best he could an air of composure, he opened the doorcautiously to peep in.
Cale Billings was the only customer, and on seeing Skip, he cried:
"Come in, lad. I reckon you're here to see me."
Struggling hard to prevent his heavy breathing from being observed bythe proprietor, the leader of the regulators entered, and whispered:
"There's been an accident on the lower level, an' two or three shut in."
"Explosion?"
"The top of the cuttin' fell in, an' it won't be a easy job to dig emout."
"Was you there?"
Sam nodded his head in a triumphant manner.
"You're a lad after my own heart," Billings said, approvingly, as heextended a huge, grimy hand for the boy to shake. "If half the men herehad your spunk Wright wouldn't have got the best of us so easy. Did youfix that thing I told you about?"
Skip nodded his head, and again Billings shook his hand.
"That's what I call business. Let's have it."
The leader of the regulators was about to draw the dearly-earneddocument from his pocket when the proprietor of the place interfered.
"None of that," he said sharply. "There's somethin' goin' on what ain'tstraight, an' I won't have it in my shop."
"Do you mean to go back on a friend?" Billings asked in an injured tone.
"Not a bit of it; but the company are lookin' after you mighty sharp,Cale, an' I don't want to get in trouble. There's plenty room out ofdoors."
"All right, the shop belongs to you; but it may be the losin' of a goodcustomer," and Billings walked out with Skip close at his heels.
"Now give me the paper."
When the document was delivered the man glanced at it to make sure itwas the one wanted, and then said in a fatherly tone:
"I reckon you've fixed things to suit yourself if the new breaker boywas in the cuttin' when the roof fell."
"They're diggin' for him now; but I'm goin' to get the worst of thisjob."
"How so?"
"Taylor will blow the whole thing, an' then Wright will know it was me."
"Ain't I here to protect yer?"
"Yes; but----"
"Don't worry, my son. Go into the breaker as if nothin' had happened."
"I can't 'cause I sent word I wouldn't come to-day."
"Then keep out of sight till night, and meet me on the railroad trackafter dark. We'll have this job mighty nigh done before morning."
Billings was walking toward the slope, and not daring to follow him anyfarther, Skip ran swiftly in the opposite direction, wondering where hecould hide until sunset. For the first time he began to fear theconsequences of his cruel deed, and the thought that the officers ofthe law might soon be in search of him was by no means reassuring.
He sought the shelter of the thicket farther up the hill where a view ofthe slope could be had, and there he waited, expecting each moment tosee lifeless bodies brought from the mine.