CONDEMNED TO THE MINES.
"I should say it is," rejoined Tom heartily, returning the fellow's
good natured smile, "the New York subway was a child's game to it."
"Das right. Dis gwine ter be reg'lar scrubway ef it don' turn out ter
be a graveyard."
"Where are Mr. Stapleton and Ingalls?"
"Roun' t'other side ob dis hill. I seen 'em frum up above. What' you
all figger de matter wid dem?"
"Why, I think that their minds have been turned by this gold hunt,
Rufus. They're crazy."
The negro laughed aloud.
"Das jus whar you all is puffickly right. Dey's as crazy as two
pertater bugs wid de prickly heat. But Lawd bress you, you can't tell
dem so. No sah! Dey thinks dat ebberybody else am nutty but
themselves. Dat's dere collusion."
"So we discovered."
"Wa'al, dey ain't no manner on ob use argyfyin' wid such folks."
"No. The only thing is to agree with them," said Tom with a sigh, but
he was glad to see that the black appeared to be friendly.
"Ah specs dat work agrees with dem better dan it does wid you alls,
howsomever," said the grinning negro, showing all his teeth in
appreciation of his own joke.
"Naturally," said Jack, "it's not what we'd choose, you can be sure,
even were there gold down here, which I'm quite sure there isn't."
"Don' you go fo' to tell eiber ob dem dat," cried the negro. "Dey
liable as not to rile up an' polish you off. Dey tink dat befo' long
we all gwine ter be millionaires."
"I'd hate to have to wait till that event comes off," said Tom with
feeling.
"Rufus," burst out Jack, "we'll die if we have to stay here. We know,
too, that they don't mean to let us leave."
"Dem's de truest words you ebber spoke," said Rufus with conviction.
"Dey's so crazy dat dey tinks dat eberybody dat comes near dem is
tryin' ter steal dere secret. As sho' as dey catch you tryin' to sneak
off, dey plug you sho' as shootin'."
"Do they keep watch all night?" asked Tom.
"Dey neber misses. Yo' see, dey tink dat maybe in de night time
somebody come sneakin' up here from Nome or Dawson maybe, and steal de
gold what ain't dar."
"Are you ever on watch?"
"Ebery night. Here's de rule. Marse Stapleton he watches till 'bout
midnight. Den he 'waken Marse Ingalls. He watch few hours. Den dey
kick me on de cocoanut an' ah watches till it am time to git de
breakfuss. Yes, sah, dat am de style each night."
"Rufus, are you our friend?" asked Tom bluntly.
"Ah sho' am. Yo' all am po'ful nice young gemmen an' ah hates ter see
you in dis yar fixadicament."
"Then you are willing to help us escape?"
"H-e-e-e-e-e-m, dat am a po'ful dangerous obfustertakin'."
"We know it, but we count on your cleverness and good will."
Rufus grinned.
"Oh, ah's a clebber niggah, all right, ah is."
"We know it. That's why we determined to throw ourselves on your good
nature and friendliness."
"Ye-e-e-ah! Ah spec's ah kin help you all, too. But see hyah, 'twont
no ways do fer yo' and me ter seem too chummy. Ef we do, dey spec's
right off dat dar am a pusson ob cullah in de woodpile. Ah'll act ugly
toward you and spress de idee dat yo am no bettah dan po' low-down
white trash. Den dey neber tink what big idee circumambulate our
mind."
"That's a good plan," cried Tom heartily to their dusky ally. "Why not
put it into execution to-night? My brother and I are in a hurry to get
back to our friends. Two of them are sick."
"Ah dat so? Well, what you alls gib me if ah helps yo' in dis breakin'
ob de jail?"
"I have ten dollars in my pocket. How much have you, Jack?"
"I have five-fifty," responded Jack.
"Golly gumption! Das mo' real money dan ah've seen fo' many a moon,"
grinned the negro. "Dey all de time talk ob millions an' plum fo'git
ter pay me any wages."
"Well, that fifteen-fifty is yours if you aid us, Rufus. Will you do
it?"
"Will ah do it? Kin a duck swim?" inquired Rufus with scorn. "Now when
ah'm on duty as sentinel to-night," went on the negro, delighted to
have an opportunity to show his skill in strategy, "yo' alls jes'
sneak up behin' me and knock mah head in."
"Hold on! Not quite as bad as that!" exclaimed Jack.
"Well, ah don' mean ter knock all mah head in," modified Rufus, "jes a
part ob it. Den yo' tie mah han's, shove yo rifles down mah throat,
and leab me dah. Das a fine plan!"
"It certainly is. We'll put it into execution to-night," declared Tom
delightedly.
Rufus' eyes shone with excitement.
"An'-an' ah tell you' what ah do," he cried. "Ah persuade dem two
crazy loons dat de right ting to do wid yo' am to shoot yo' on de
spot; dat'll show 'em dat I ain't got no use fo' you."
"Wait a minute," cried Jack. "Don't do that, they might take you at
your word and----"
"Das so--das so. Well, den ah persuade dem dat de right ting ter do am
ter bang you ober de head wid a shobel."
"No, that would be just as bad," laughed Tom. "I tell you, Rufus,
when you come on watch we'll just sneak out, tie and gag you, and then
you leave the rest to us."
"Das all right," grinned the negro. "Yo' smart pair ob boys an' kin
fix tings all right. In de meantime, ah acts fearful mean to yo' all.
Guess ah better be goin' now. Dey might come snoopin' round', and it
wouldn't do fer ter catch us in confabulation. No sah!"
He shuffled hastily off and the boys exchanged delighted glances. Just
when things looked blackest, it began to appear as if there were a
chance, and a good one, too, of their escaping from the grip of the
two lunatics.
"Well, it all goes to show that one never knows from what quarter aid
is going to come," said Tom as he and Jack fell to on their work.
"That black negro, ugly as he is, appears more beautiful to me right
now than an angel."
"Hush! here come those two crazy gold diggers back again," interrupted
Jack, as footsteps crunched over the gravel above the excavation.