"Anybody down that other entry?"
The foreman shook his head, without glancing around, his jaws moving
steadily on the tobacco that swelled his cheek.
"Then lead on down it."
Winston stretched forth his unused left hand as they proceeded, his
fingers gliding along the wall, his observant eyes wandering slightly
from off the broad back of his prisoner toward the sides and roof of
the tunnel. To his experience it was at once plainly evident this
preliminary cutting had been made through solid rock, not in the
following of any seam, but crossways. Here alone was disclosed
evidence in plenty of deliberate purpose, of skilfully planned
depredation. He halted Burke, with one hand gripping his shoulder.
"Are you people following an ore-lead back yonder?" he asked sharply.
The Irishman squirmed, glancing back at his questioner. He saw nothing
in that face to yield any encouragement to deceit.
"Sure," he returned gruffly, "we're follyin' it all down that Number
Wan."
"What 's the nature of the ore body?"
"A bit low grade, wid a thrifle of copper, an' the vein is n't overly
tick."
"How far have you had to cut across here before striking color?"
"'Bout thirty fate o' rock work."
"Hike on, you thief," commanded the engineer, his jaw setting
threateningly.
It proved a decidedly crooked passage, the top uneven in height,
clearly indicating numerous faults in the vein, although none of these
were sufficiently serious to necessitate the solution of any difficult
mining problem. In spite of the turns the general direction could be
ascertained easily. The walls were apparently of some soft stone,
somewhat disintegrated by the introduction of air, and the engineer
quickly comprehended that pick and lever alone had been required to
dislodge the interlying vein of ore. At the extreme end of this tunnel
the pile of broken rock lying scattered about clearly proclaimed recent
labor, although no discarded mining tools were visible. Winston
examined the exposed ore-vein, now clearly revealed by Burke's
flickering lamp, and dropped a few detached specimens into his pocket.
Then he sat down on an outcropping stone, the revolver still gleaming
within his fingers, and ordered the sullen foreman to a similar seat
opposite. The yellow rays of the light sparkled brilliantly from off
the outcropping mass, and flung its radiance across the faces of the
two men. For a moment the silence was so intense they could hear water
drip somewhere afar off.
"Burke," asked the engineer suddenly, "how long have you fellows been
in here?"
The uneasy Irishman shifted his quid, apparently considering whether to
speak the truth or take the chances of a lie. Something within
Winston's face must have decided him against the suggested falsehood.
"Well, sorr, Oi 've only been boss over this gang for a matter o' three
months," he said slowly, "an' they was well into this vein be then."