IN THE NEW SHAFT
When the mine-surgeon visited his patient that evening he found only
Mrs. Trefethen, sitting on the porch and awaiting him, "her men-folk,"
as she informed him, "being on the trail of they murderers."
"Which, if they ain't so many Cainses this night, hit bain't their
fault, as I sez to Miss Penny the moment I sees that pore lamb brought
into the 'ouse just like 'e was struck down the same as a flower of
the field that bloweth where hit listeth; and she sez to me--for me
and Miss Penny was wishing at that blessed minute, like hit were
providential--she sez--"
"It is certainly very kind of you to take such an interest in a
stranger," ruthlessly interrupted the doctor; "but may I inquire how
my patient is getting along?"
"You may indeed, sir, and may the good Lord preserve you from a like
harm, which hit make my blood boil to think of my pore Mark's hescape,
him being what you might call owdacious to that degree. He were
telling me has'ow 'One and hall' was everythink that saved 'im, and
they rocks pattering same has 'ailstones hall the time. Law, sir!"
"Doubtless, madam, the episode must have been most exciting; but now,
if you will allow me to interview the cause of all this trouble, I
shall be much obliged."
"Trouble, doctor, dear! Don't mention the word when hit's 'im 'eld the
life of my Tom in 'is two 'ands, and but for they cruel rocks that
battered 'is fore'ead would ha' throttled them rascal pushers same as
rattan in tarrier's grip; for my man 'olds there was ne'er a
fisticuffer like 'im in hall the Jackets. But, doctor! doctor! Oh,
drat the man! now 'e'll go hand wake Maister Peril, which I were
a-settin' 'ere a pu'pos' to tell 'im lad's asleep."
Impatient of longer delay, and despairing of obtaining a direct answer
to his questions, the doctor had indeed slipped into the house and
instinctively made his way up-stairs towards the only room in which a
light was burning. He was met outside the door by a warning "Sh!" from
Nelly Trefethen, who had been left on guard by her mother, and
together they entered the room where the wounded man lay tossing in
restless slumber.
The doctor started at close sight of him, and for a moment refused to
believe that the handsome, high-bred face, from which every trace of
grime and blood had been carefully removed, was that of the young
fellow who, he had declared, could never become a gentleman. Only the
evidence of his own handiwork, in shape of the bandages still swathing
Peveril's head, served to convince him that this was indeed his
patient of the shaft-house.
After a few minutes of observation he left the room, without awakening
the sleeper, and gave his directions for the night down-stairs. He
also questioned Nelly closely concerning the young man who had so
aroused his curiosity, but she could only tell him that the stranger's
name was "Peril," that he had come to Red Jacket in search of work,
had saved her brother's Tom's life, and had in consequence been given
a job in the mine.
"But he is evidently a gentleman?" said the doctor.
"Claims to be working-man," put in Mrs. Trefethen.
"He can be both, can't he, mother?" asked Nelly, somewhat sharply.
"Surely you think father is a gentleman."
"Not same as him yonder," replied the older woman, stoutly.
"Well, I don't care what he is or isn't," answered the girl, with a
toss of her pretty head, "he hasn't shown any sign yet of holding
himself above us, and Tom thinks he is just splendid. If he was here
he wouldn't hear a word said against him, I know that much."
"Save us, lass! Who's said aught 'gainst thy young man?"
"He's not my young man, mother, and you know it. Can't a girl stand up
for a stranger who saved her brother's life, and who has just been
knocked senseless while fighting beside her own father, without being
twitted about him?"
"Certainly she can," replied the doctor, with an admiring glance at
the girl's spirited pose and flushed face. "But have a care, Miss
Nelly. There's nothing so dangerous to a girl's peace of mind as an
interesting invalid of the opposite sex."
"Thank you, for nothing, doctor, and you needn't fret one little bit
about me. We Red Jacket girls can take care of ourselves without going
to any man for advice."
"Save us, lass, but thee's getting a pert hussy!" cried Mrs.
Trefethen; but the doctor only laughed, and took his departure,
promising to call again the next day.
He had hardly gone before Mark Trefethen returned, filled with
excitement over certain discoveries he had just made. One was that the
car-pushers of the mine had sworn either to force Peveril from it or
to kill him. He had also learned that Rothsky, the Bohemian, who had
been found wanting when tried in the timber gang, had led the attack
of that evening, and had received a broken jaw in consequence. The
identity of the two car-pushers who were with him at the time having
also been discovered, the captain of the mine had promptly discharged
all three. Moreover, the Cornish miners had sworn that if either their
own leader or his protege were again molested while underground they
would drive every foreign car-pusher from the workings.
When Tom came home he confided to his father a belief that Mike
Connell had been at the bottom of all the recent deviltry, but, as he
confessed that he could not verify his suspicions, Mark Trefethen
bade him keep them to himself.
"We'll not take away any man's character, lad," he said, "without
proof that he deserves to lose it. But if ever I know for certain that
Mike Connell had hand in this, lat him have a care o' me. As for yon
Dick Peril, there's no fear but what he can look out for hissel', now
that we can warn him of his enemies."
For two days Peveril kept his bed, assiduously waited on by Mrs.
Trefethen and her daughter, watched over at night by Tom, and an
object of anxious solicitude to the entire family. Then he was allowed
to venture down-stairs, while the children were driven from the house,
that they might not disturb him. Before the week ended he was taking
short walks, escorted by Miss Nelly, who was only too proud to show
off this new cavalier before the other girls of her acquaintance.
Several times as the doctor saw them thus together he shook his head
doubtfully.
During one of these walks Peveril made the joyful discovery of a
public library, and thereafter much of his convalescence was passed
within its walls. There he read with avidity all that he could find
concerning the Lake Superior copper region, and mining in general.
Particularly was he interested in everything pertaining to the
prehistoric mining of copper by a people, presumably Aztecs or their
close kin, who possessed the art, long since lost, of tempering that
metal.
All this time he never for a moment forgot the object of his coming
to that country, nor neglected a possible opportunity for gaining news
of the mine in which he believed himself to be a half-owner. Thus, in
all his reading, as well as in his conversations with Mark Trefethen
and other miners, he always sought for information concerning the
Copper Princess, but could find none. His books had nothing to say on
the subject, and, while the men knew by report of many abandoned
mining properties, they had not heard of one bearing the name in
question.
Finally, chafing under this enforced idleness, as well as under the
poverty that compelled him to be a pensioner on those who could ill
afford to support him, Peveril announced his complete restoration to
health, and declared his intention of again going to work.
Mark Trefethen tried to persuade him to wait a while longer before
thus testing his strength, but without avail, and at length, finding
the young man set in his determination, used his influence to procure
for him a temporary situation in which the work would be much lighter
than with the timber gang. This job was in a shaft then being sunk by
the White Pine Company, and included a certain supervision of the
explosives used in blasting.
The new shaft was already down several hundred feet, and was being
driven through solid rock by drill and blast, at the rate of twenty
feet per week. Of course there was no regular running of cages up and
down as yet, but the loosened material was hoisted to the surface in a
big iron bucket, or "skip," and in this the miners engaged in the
work also travelled back and forth.
The great opening was a rectangle twenty-two by six and a half feet,
and to sink it a series of holes was drilled around its sides. Then
all the men but one were sent to the surface, while Peveril descended
with a load of dynamite and a fuse. The man left at the bottom was
always an experienced miner, and it was his duty to charge the holes,
place and light the fuses, which were timed to burn for several
minutes, jump into the skip and give the signal for hoisting. In all
of this work he was of course assisted by Peveril, and when their task
was completed the two men were lifted to the surface as quickly as
possible.
After our young friend had been engaged in this delicate business some
two weeks, and had become thoroughly familiar with its details, he was
disagreeably surprised one day, upon descending with his freight of
explosives, to find Mike Connell awaiting him at the bottom of the
shaft. The Irishman seemed equally annoyed at seeing him, but the
purpose for which they were there must be accomplished, and so, glad
as each would have been for a more congenial companion, they set
doggedly to work.
When Connell, in a spirit of bravado, handled the sticks of dynamite
with criminal recklessness, and finally managed to drop one of them
close beside Peveril, the latter sharply commanded him to be more
careful.
"Afraid, are you?" sneered the other.
"Yes, I am afraid to work with a man who knows so little of his
business as you appear to," answered Peveril.
"Go to the top then, and lave me to finish the job alone. Lord knows,
I don't want no dealings with a coward."
"It makes no difference what you want or do not want," answered the
younger man steadily, though with a hot flush mounting to his cheeks.
"I was sent here for a certain duty, and intend to stay until I have
performed it."
"And I've a great mind to do what I ought to have done the first day
you struck Red Jacket, and that is to punch your head."
"You shall have a chance to try it when we get to the surface."
"Where you think you'll find friends to protect you. No, by ----, I'll
do it now!"
With this the Irishman sprang forward with clinched fists, but the
other, being on guard, caught him so deft a blow under the chin that
he dropped like a log. Then, with the full exercise of his strength,
the young Oxonian picked his enemy up and dropped him into the skip.
After doing which he proceeded to complete arrangements for the blast.
He worked with nervous haste, and did not see that his enemy had so
far recovered as to be watching him with an expression of deadly hate
over the side of the great iron bucket. But it was so, and, just as
Peveril had lighted the several fuses, Connell gave the signal to
hoist.
The movement of the skip disclosed his devilish purpose in time for
Peveril to spring and catch with outstretched arms one of its
supporting bars. With a mighty effort he drew himself up, and, in
spite of Connell's furious attempts to prevent him, gained its
interior.
At that moment something went wrong with the hoisting machinery, the
upward movement was arrested, and the bucket hung motionless not more
than ten feet above the deadly mine. In the awfulness of their common
danger, the men forgot their enmity and gazed at each other with
horror-stricken eyes. Then, with a groan of despair, Mike Connell sank
limply to the bottom of the skip.