BILLINGS AND SKIP
Joe Brace did not appear to think there was much to fear from the late
rioters, so far as the possibility of their making an entrance through
the old shaft was concerned.
"This end of the gallery is pretty well filled up already," he said,
"an' with a few loads of slate it can be shut off entirely, more
especially after the doors are barred."
"It is not from that portion of the mine that I apprehend any trouble.
Look here," and Mr. Wright spread on the desk before him a plan of the
workings. "At this point you can see that an old drift runs parallel
with, and not more than three yards from our lower cut. The veins
probably come together farther on."
"It wouldn't take a man very long to work his way through," Joe said,
reflectively.
"And not knowing where an attempt may be made, it will be very difficult
to prevent mischief."
"Unless the old shaft should be guarded."
"To do that we should be obliged to station men entirely around our
works, for here is the abandoned slope, and farther down the hill two or
three places where an entrance could be effected."
"But Billings an' his crowd don't know all this."
"Possibly not; yet there are many of the older men who could tell the
story."
Joe shook his head in perplexity.
[Illustration: "You four are to act as sentinels," said the
Superintendent. "Study this map and you will hit upon a scheme."]
"I am not warranted in hiring a large force of men as guards," Mr.
Wright continued, "and we must do that from the inside. You and Thomas,
with these boys as helpers, shall work on the lower level, and I will
take care that none but true men are near by."
"How will that mend matters?"
"You four are to act as sentinels. It makes little difference how many
loads you take out, for the company will pay day wages."
"Even then I don't see how we can do anything."
"You and Thomas must form some plan. Study this map, and I am confident
you will hit upon a scheme."
"Is there any chance that the drift's choked with gas?"
"Very little."
Joe was thoroughly puzzled, and after several moments of silence Mr.
Wright said:
"Get your supper now, and then talk the matter over with Thomas."
At this intimation that the interview was at an end, the miner left the
office followed by the two boys, and when they were out of the store
Skip Miller came from his hiding place without having been seen by the
superintendent or his clerks.
The leader of the regulators lounged carelessly toward the door until
satisfied no one was paying any particular attention to him, when he
stepped briskly out, and walked rapidly to a groggery situated at the
farther end of the town.
Here, as he had anticipated, was Cale Billings and a select party of
friends, all of whom were discussing their late defeat.
Skip did not care to state the reason for his coming in the presence of
the entire party, and waited patiently in one corner of the room until
it should be possible to beckon the leader out of doors.
"Wright may think we're whipped," Billings was saying; "but that's where
he makes a big mistake. He can't drive us out of this town, no matter
how much he may blow, an' it won't be many days before we'll show what's
what."
"There's little chance for us the way things look now," one of the party
said, with a laugh.
"How do you know? The folks 'round here have seen what I can do, an'
they'll soon find out that there's a good deal of fight left."
As he said this Billings looked first at one and then another to note
the effect of his bold words, and in doing so chanced to see Skip, who
immediately made a series of what he intended should be mysterious
gestures.
"What's the matter with you?" the man asked, angrily; but instead of
replying, Skip placed his finger on his lips and quickly left the room.
It was several moments before the leader understood he was wanted, and
when this fact dawned upon him he followed, meeting the boy a few yards
from the entrance.
"Was you cuttin' up them monkey shines for me?" he asked in a surly
tone.
"Of course."
"Well, what's wanted?"
"You jest said as how you'd like to get square with the company."
"S'posen I did? Does that concern you?"
"P'raps I heard somethin' 'round to the store you'd want to know."
"Say, if you've got anything to tell, out with it, for I can't fool away
my time with you."
"First I've got a trade to make."
"Talk quick."
"Do you know the new breaker boy? The one what's so thick with Wright
an' Joe Brace?"
"Yes."
"I want to get square with him, an' if you'll help me do it I'll tell
what I heard a lot of 'em saying."
"Was it anything I'd like to know?"
"It'll show jest how you can get the best of the whole crowd."
"Then I'll do what I can, an' be glad of the chance, 'cause I've got a
little score to settle with him myself."
Skip no longer hesitated; but repeated in detail all he had heard while
hiding in the store, Billings listening with closest attention.
"That's the best piece of news I've heard for a year, my boy," the
latter said, "an' you sha'n't be the loser by tellin' me. If you've got
the nerve to do a little work after everything is ready, both the
breaker boss an' this new feller shall be where they can't help
themselves."
The leader of the regulators felt exceedingly proud that the rioter
should ask him to participate in the plot, and promised, without the
least show of hesitation, to do anything which might be required of
him.
"How long before you'll be ready?" he asked.
"It may be a week; but you drop in here for a minute every evenin' so's
I can talk about the thing if the plans don't work. There's no use to be
in a hurry over sich a job as this."
"I'll show up reg'lar," Skip cried gleefully, and then, as Billings
re-entered the groggery, he hurried away to tell the good news to some
of his chums.
During this plotting Joe Brace and Bill Thomas were at Fred's home
discussing the best means of following Mr. Wright's instructions. The
plan of the works was studied carefully; but in it was found no solution
to the problem, and when they retired that evening nothing definite had
been decided upon.
The night shift went to work as usual, and but for the evidences of
wanton destruction a stranger would hardly have mistrusted that Farley's
had lately been a scene of rioting.
On the following morning Fred passed through the breaker to speak to
Donovan before entering the slope, and Skip Miller displayed the
greatest excitement on seeing him.
"I don't know how it could have happened," the breaker boss said, "for I
haven't told even my own wife that you was to be Joe's butty; but these
young villains know all about it. I've heard Skip tellin' his cronies,
an' I'm sure they're up to some mischief. Be careful, an' don't go
outside alone, leastways, not till the business of the riot has blown
over."
"I'll look to it that they haven't a chance to do much harm," Fred
replied, laughingly, as he passed on to learn the first duties of a
miner.
Joe, Bill, and Sam accompanied Fred to his new working place, and the
former said as they were being let down the incline:
"I hear Billings swears he won't leave town."
"I passed him on my way home last night," Bill added, "and he warned me
agin keepin' Sam as my butty."
"Why?"
"He says he is a spy, hand in glove with you, an' that all who work with
them as give information to the bosses will catch it rough."
Bill Thomas laughed as he said this; but Joe looked serious.
"I don't like this way of working. The lower level is bad enough without
thinkin' all the time that somebody is tryin' to do a fellow up."
"Nonsense. Barkin' dogs don't often bite, an' so long as we know he
means mischief there ain't much chance of trouble. The thing to be
figgered out is, how're we goin' to fix this job?"
Again the two men discussed the situation, walking along the drift with
the plans before them, while the boys were forced to be content with
listening to the conversation.
It was finally decided that they should work here and there along the
entire cut, trusting that it would be possible to hear if any one began
to dig on the opposite side.
"It's a case of keepin' quiet an' listenin' for suspicious sounds," Bill
said. "We won't try to get out coal to-day, an', perhaps, by night Mr.
Wright will have a better plan."
"By watchin' Billings we could get some kind of an idea as to when he
was likely to begin operations."
"Donovan promised to see to that part of it."
"Then we'll kinder lay 'round till we get the hang of the place. You
boys go on to the end of the drift an' come back. Don't make any noise."
The forenoon was spent in what was little more than patrol duty, and
when Mr. Wright came below he approved of their plans. Nothing better
was suggested, and until night-fall all four paced to and fro, the other
miners having been withdrawn from the drift.
When evening came Skip did not wait to see if Fred came out; but hurried
off to the groggery where he was made happy by Billings' extreme
friendliness.
"The leader of the mob arose immediately upon seeing him, and led the
way outside, saying when they were some distance from the building:
"I've been thinkin' over what you told me, an' am certain we can work
this thing all right."
"When?"
"In a day or two. If you could manage to get hold of that paper the job
might be done in a jiffy."
"But Joe an' Bill have got it."
"S'posen they have. A smart lad like you oughter find some way to get at
it, an' it would be worth your while to try."
"It couldn't be done."
"P'raps not by you; but I know of some, no older than you, who'd have it
before morning. Of course, I don't blame a boy for not tryin' when he
hasn't the nerve----"
"See here," Skip cried, impatiently, "haven't I showed grit enough to do
most anything?"
"If you have, prove it by gettin' hold of that paper."
"I can't see what you want it for?"
"Because it shows us all the levels. With it we can tell jest where to
begin work."
"I'll make a try for it anyhow; but I can't figger any way to get at
it."
"Watch for a chance. They won't keep it in their hands all the time,
and, by knockin' off work now an' then, loafin' 'round near where they
are, you'll soon have your hands on it."
"You won't go back on me if I get into trouble?"
"Don't worry about that; I never shake a friend."
With this assurance Skip walked away feeling very happy because of the
manner in which Billings spoke; but sadly perplexed as to the best
course to accomplish the desired end.