Down the Slope

Once, twice, he swayed up and down, and then inch by inch the metal yielded until the heavy timbers swung outward, and he was free so far as liberty of movement in the drift was concerned.

At the moment when he emerged there was no one in the passage, and he hurriedly re-closed the doors that his escape might not be discovered by those who should pass.

After some difficulty he succeeded in pushing the broken piece of iron into the sockets in such a manner that a casual observer would hardly notice anything wrong, and then, extinguishing the light in his cap, he went swiftly toward the shaft, arriving there just as half a dozen men were on the point of descending.

Crouching against the wall at one corner the new-comers failed to notice him; but it was impossible to ascend the rope ladder which had been let down, without attracting attention, because of the numbers who continued to arrive at irregular intervals.

During an hour he waited, shrouded from view by the gloom, and then came the desired opportunity.

Two men returned from the further end of the drift, and ascended the ladder.

"I'll follow them and run the risk of being recognized," he said to himself, and suiting the action to the words he climbed the network of rope immediately behind the second rioter.

It was twilight when he arrived at the surface, and Billings' forces were building a row of fires directly in front of the slope.

To start toward the village immediately would be to take too many chances of detection, and Sam loitered on the outskirts of the crowd watching for the desired opportunity, which came when Fred left the slope to carry Donovan's message to Mr. Wright.

Instantly the alarm was given Sam started in pursuit, accompanied by a dozen others, and only by outstripping the rioters could he hope to make his escape.

Fred ran as he had never done before, with the howling mob at his heels, and foremost among them was Sam. Two men were in advance of the escaping prisoner; but by an apparent misstep while he ran alongside the second, the rioter was overturned, and but one remained; the others being so far in the rear as not to count in the chase.

Fred glanced over his shoulder now and then; but the darkness prevented him from recognizing his friend until the latter deliberately threw himself in front of the pursuer, and a tumble was the result.

"Keep on it's me – Sam!" the butty boy shouted, as he scrambled to his feet before the man had fully recovered his senses, and with a cry of glad surprise, Fred asked:

"How did you get away?"

"It's too long a story to tell now when we need all our breath. Are you trying to reach home?"

"No; the store."

"Then you know what Billings' crowd are intendin' to do."

"Yes, and help is needed at once."

Sam made no reply. Both the men he had over-thrown were on their feet again, and, with a dozen others, were close in the rear, making every effort to overtake the fugitives.

The race was virtually won, however, unless other rioters were met on the road. The boys yet had thirty or forty yards the advantage, and before this could be overcome they were within sight of the store, from which, attracted by the shouts, came Mr. Wright and a number of employees.

All of these latter were armed, and the pursuers halted at a respectful distance, while the boys dashed into the building breathless and nearly exhausted.

It was several moments before Fred could repeat the message Donovan had sent, and this was hardly done when a message from the governor arrived, stating that no troops could be sent until the following day.

"I'm afraid those at the mine will have to take care of themselves," Mr. Wright said, when he learned of the condition of affairs there. "If we should leave here, or even divide our force, the store as well as the offices might be sacked."

"But the mine will be flooded if Billings succeeds with the tunnel."

"It can't be helped now. We should need, at least, fifty men to effect an entrance, and eighteen is the full number who can be trusted."

"Those who are there may be drowned."

"There is no danger of that since all hands are on the alert for the first signs of trouble."

"Then Sam and I may as well go home."

"It would be a good idea to tell Brace that he must try to get here unobserved. The men already believe he is in town, and I am afraid they may discover his hiding place, when there's bound to be mischief done."

Disheartened, because after incurring all the danger no real good had been done, Fred motioned to Sam, and left the store.

The streets of the village presented an unusual appearance. Nearly every house was open and lighted as if for a general illumination, while the sidewalks were crowded with throngs of excited women and children.

"This would be a good time for Skip to pay you off," Sam said, as they walked swiftly along. "While so much is goin' on they could do pretty near as they pleased without fear of being stopped."

"What he might do seems to be of little consequence compared with the danger which threatens the poor fellows at the mine. If the lower level should be flooded while they were guarding the drift there's every chance all would be drowned."

"It don't do to think of such things when there's nothing which can be done to help them. It might be worse, an' there's some comfort in that."

"I fail to see anything very cheering in such an idea," Fred replied, and then the two were at Mrs. Byram's home.

The door was locked; but the lightest of taps sufficed to attract the widow's attention, and the visitor received no less warm a reception than did the son.

Brace was so impatient to learn what had been done by the rioters that he descended the stairs immediately upon hearing the boys' voices, and while Mrs. Byram prepared supper, Fred and Sam gave an account of their own adventures, as well as all which was known concerning the mob.

"So I'm to sneak over to the store, eh?" the miner asked, as the recital was concluded.

"That was what Mr. Wright said."

"I'll do nothin' of the kind."

"Why not?"

"Because I've had enough of hidin' like a fellow who had done somethin' wrong."

"But it isn't safe to show yourself."

"I'll take the chances, an' see what Billings' gang can do."

"Don't think of such a thing," Mrs. Byram cried in alarm. "You might be killed."

"A fellow who has worked a matter of half a dozen years at Farley's can't be knocked out so easy."

"Are you going into the street?"

"Yes, an' to the mine if I take the notion."

"What could you do alone against two or three hundred men?"

"Show that there is one fellow who ain't afraid of the whole murderin' gang."