PROGRESS IN MINING.
Almost as soon as Max had dug through the dyke, and penetrated the Last
Chance lode, he saw, to his great satisfaction, that he had reasoned
correctly, for the vein showed even here a much larger proportion than
before of the brown streaks and nodules, which, in their opinion,
constituted its value. Whether the rest of the gangue carried gold or
silver, could not be known, but that this rusty material contained one
or the other they felt confident. The assurance that it increased the
deeper the vein was followed, therefore gave them great encouragement
and raised their enthusiasm to the highest pitch.
The moment this vein was struck, however, a new difficulty met them, for
they found that in this pact it was full of crevices, through which
water percolated from above. At first this water was disregarded and
trickled out through the cross-cut, but as they advanced in their
digging it grew more and more troublesome, and harmful to their health.
Max therefore proposed to cut a drain down through the vein of the Last
Chance to the old tunnel entrance, and soon convinced the others that it
was necessary to do so.
This was certainly a misfortune, and an unlooked for one. It consumed
valuable time, cost money which they could ill spare, and was in itself
an intensely disagreeable job, since the workmen would be compelled to
use the pick upon their hands and knees, or lying down, and always with
wet clothing, since it would not pay to clear out the hole to the size
of a regular tunnel, but only to make a passage-way through which the
water might escape from the interior of the mine; furthermore, the old
tunnel, when it had been reached, must be somewhat cleared, to allow of
a proper passage of the water, in spite of the fact that it was an
unsafe and unpleasant place to do work in.
Cheered by the thought of future success, all went at this disagreeable
task with great alacrity, shortening the hours and avoiding all needless
labor. As small a tube was made as it was possible to work in, but now
and then a hard surface would require severe work, and these obstacles
were dreaded, after the first experience, for behind them, when the
shell was broken, would often be found a little cavity more or less full
of water, which would gush out by the bucketful and once or twice
threatened to drown the young miners like so many ground-squirrels in a
burrow.
The distance they were obliged to go was only about thirty yards, and as
they worked toward one another, from both ends, they made their way
through in about ten days. It was a very irregular and unsafe hole, but
it drained the rock almost perfectly and served them afterward in
another way quite as important.
As, by this new plan, a door was unnecessary on the Last Chance while it
might possibly be wanted some day at the Aurora, it was removed and set
up frame and all at the mouth of the other tunnel, which could now be
locked if necessary. This door proved a benefit also, in helping them to
regulate the draft of air.
The only incident worth recording that broke their daily loneliness and
labor during all the month which had now nearly gone by, was the advent
of a visitor, who appeared one evening about the time they had completed
the cross-cut.
He was a tramping miner who said he had crossed the range from the
South, and begged to be allowed to spend the night at their cabin. A man
of decent appearance would have been welcomed gladly, but this applicant
was an ill-featured, coarse-grained, blasphemous fellow, whom they
disliked at once, and yet could not well turn away. It was with great
relief, therefore, that they saw him take his thin frame down the trail
next morning. In addition to his disagreeable manner he had been much
more inquisitive and prying than they liked, and had plainly shown
himself angry because they had not made a full confidant of him.
Let us follow this visitor and find out more of his habits and
associates. It is scarcely fair to condemn a man forever out of a single
day’s experience.
A DIME NOVEL HERO.