Down the Slope

"Why are you not at work?" he asked one of the carpenters.

For reply the man pointed toward Joe, who was pacing to and fro on what he believed to be the boundary line of his property.

"Get those timbers up," Mr. Wright cried angrily.

"You may drag them off; but the first one who dares so much as raise a joist for any other purpose, shall suffer!" Joe shouted.

"Knock that fellow down! What business has he here?" and the superintendent's voice trembled with suppressed fury.

"I'm where I belong, an' seein's how your men don't dare do the knockin' down, s'pose you take a hand at it."

Mr. Wright advanced as if to act upon the suggestion; but before he reached the imaginary line the miner shouted:

"If you put a foot on this land I'll shoot. Send your crowd home, and then if you want to tackle me I'll throw the revolver down, an' meet you half way."

The superintendent paid no attention to this remark, save to halt on the safe side of the danger line, where he whispered a few words to one of his men, and the latter started at full speed for Farley's.

"I reckon my jig is about up," Joe muttered to himself. "He's sent for help, an' they're bound to bring what'll be of more service than this revolver."

The surveyors, evidently believing there was no especial reason why they should stay, now matters were nearing a crisis, took their departure, and the miner was once more left alone to defend his rights. Ten minutes later Fred appeared from among the trees, followed by five determined looking men, and Joe's cheers were not ended when Mr. Hunter came in view.

The lawyer shook hands with the miner as he said:

"You've saved us what might have been a bad mess. Now we have a reasonably large force, and can hold out until an injunction is procured."

"Are you likely to get one soon?"

"A clerk will bring it in a short time. The application has been granted, and the only delay is while the papers can be made out."

"I'm glad of that, for Wright has sent after more help, an' when it comes things are likely to be hot."

Mr. Hunter now advanced and held a long conversation with the superintendent and his friends, at the conclusion of which he ordered Joe to have the lumber dragged from the tract staked out by the surveyors.

In this work Fred assisted, while the miner stood guard with his revolver to prevent any interference, and when the task was finished the former whispered to his partner:

"Did they scare you, Joe?"

"Well, I don't mind ownin' to you that they did; but not one in the gang knew it. I was bound to stick as long as I could, an' a big lot of bluff helped me through."

"Mr. Hunter says that if the injunction can be served on Mr. Wright before the men begin work, it will be all right."

"Is that the only thing he knows of to stop matters?"

"It will be enough."

"I'd rather trust to my fist than any paper that was ever written."

After a time Fred succeeded in making the miner understand what kind of a document it was they depended upon to prevent the superintendent from trespassing, and the explanation had but just been made as Mr. Hunter's clerk arrived with the important document.

When this had been served on Mr. Wright the matter was settled temporarily, and the lawyer said to Fred and Joe:

"You can return home, and the next summons will be for the trial. This move of Wright's has been a foolish one, and will, I think, prejudice his case."

CHAPTER XXXIV

THE NEW MINE

It is unnecessary to give the details of the long trial to establish the title of that certain tract of land known as "Louder's Slope."

Suffice it to say that all the claimants were there with the exception of Bill Thomas, and the case was finally settled in favor of the defendants.

The farmer who sold the property to Joe was literally frightened into telling the truth, and although the company showed a deed for the land, no record could be found for the same.

The general opinion of those who understood the case was that Mr. Wright had attempted to play a desperate game, and failed because it was impossible to corrupt certain parties in the Recorder of Deeds' office. In fact, a very ugly rumor gained circulation immediately after the trial, to the effect that a large sum of money had been offered a clerk, if he would change a number of figures on the books to correspond with the deed which was exhibited in court.

When Joe, Fred, and Sam returned home absolute owners of the valuable tract, the walk from the depot to Mrs. Byram's house was a regular ovation.

Those who rejoiced when it seemed certain the boys would not benefit by the discovery, were apparently as well pleased as the partners' warmest friends, and during the evening following the announcement of the verdict, Farley's was in a high state of excitement.

Among the last who called to offer congratulations was Skip, and he said emphatically as he and Fred stood by the side of Bill's bed:

"I'm as glad as if some of the luck was mine. You say I've squared accounts, an' that's enough to make me feel mighty good. Of course, you'll have to hire breaker boys, an' I'd like a job at the new mine, 'cause it ain't likely things here'll be very pleasant for me."

"Fred an' me have figgered out a place for you, lad," the old miner replied, as he took Skip's hand in his. "Our mine won't be open for two or three months, an' durin' that time the firm are goin' to send you to school. When the store is opened – for, of course, we'll need one – you're to go into it, an' the day Skip Miller can take hold of the accounts he's goin' to have full charge."

The ex-captain of the regulators looked from one to the other in silence several seconds, and then he asked, in a hesitating way:

"You ain't makin' fun of a feller, eh?"

"Not a bit of it, lad, an' if you run over to Blacktown to-morrow an' ask Mr. Hunter he'll show that the money has been paid for your schooling."

Skip did not trust himself to reply, but after shaking each of his friends by the hand he hurriedly left the house, and Chunky, who entered a few moments later, said to Fred:

"I reckon Skip wishes he was you. I met him jest now, an' he was cryin' reg'lar tears, an' wouldn't stop to listen when I told him the fellers had chose me for captain."

Nothing was seen of either Mr. Wright or his cashier until nearly two weeks after the case had been ended, and then the former called at Mrs. Byram's cottage to offer his "congratulations."

"It is not well that there should be any hard feelings between us since we are to be neighbors," he said. "What I did was in the interests of the company which I represent, and any other course would have been impossible."

To this remark Fred made no reply; but he was willing to be on apparently friendly terms with the superintendent, which was more than can be said of the elder partners.

Bill bluntly told Mr. Wright what he thought of his conduct, and expressed the hope in very plain words, that it would not be necessary for the new firm to have any business relations with the old company.

Four months later the Byram-Thorpe works were formally opened, with Bill as mine boss, Fred and Sam as superintendents, and Joe in charge of the shipments.

It must not be understood that the two boys were fully qualified for their responsible positions; Bill and Joe acted as advisers, and if one year's work is any criterion the quartette have administered the affairs most wisely, for in all the middle field there are no better or more contented miners than can be found at the Byram-Thorpe works.

In one year Skip was pronounced competent to take full charge of the store, and to-day it would be difficult to select a fellow better liked than he. On the Blacktown side of the mountain every one speaks of him in the most flattering terms, and at Farley's he is held up to breaker boys as an example of how one may live down a bad reputation.