As Miss Gladden slowly followed the winding canyon road on her
return from the little cabin, the thoughts flashing through her mind
very strongly resembled the lights and shadows which she had watched
chasing each other across the mountain side. While she had gained
very little direct information, Jack's theories had strengthened
her own convictions, though placing the matter in a slightly
different light. She had a very vivid imagination, and looked
forward with anticipations of keenest pleasure to the coming of
Lyle's friends,--whoever they might be--and their probable recognition
of her; and yet she could not forget Jack's words regarding the
terrible cost which might be involved, resulting in possible tragedy,
and an indefinable dread seemed at times to overshadow all other
thoughts, and perplex her. Not dreaming, however, that the words
could refer to herself, or those in whom she was most deeply
interested, she tried to banish this feeling by planning what
course would be best to pursue regarding Lyle, and determined to
confide the whole matter to Houston, and ask his advice. So
absorbed was she in her own thoughts and plans, that not until she
had nearly approached the house, did she observe the presence of
strangers.
A party of eight or ten ladies and gentlemen, including three or four
tourists from the east, had come out from Silver City. They had come
with wagons, bringing a large tent which was to be put up for those
who could not be accommodated in the house. They proved to be very
pleasant people, and during the ensuing ten days of their stay, Miss
Gladden and Lyle seldom saw each other apart from their guests. There
were numerous excursions to various points of interest, moonlight
rides on the lake and impromptu dances.
Houston at this time was more than usually occupied, as the day after
the arrival of the camping party, Mr. Blaisdell unexpectedly appeared
upon the scene. He arrived quite early in the morning, having been
brought by special train from the Y. He found Houston alone in the
office, and greeted him with a cordiality quite surprising to the
latter, considering his taciturn, dissatisfied manner when at the
mines a few days before. He seemed in no hurry to leave the office,
but remained talking for some time concerning business affairs at
Silver City.
"I may want you to run over there, just for a day, while I'm here," he
said at length, "for I expect to remain out here for about a week. By
the way, Houston, I hear you pitched into old Hartwell one night, over
there at the hotel, for some remarks he made about the company."
"Ah," said Houston, "how did you hear of that?"
"There was a friend of mine there, who overheard Hartwell's talk, and
afterward saw you go up and speak to him. Having seen you in our
office, he had a little curiosity as to what was going on. He said
Hartwell cursed you up hill and down, but that you were so damned cool
the old fellow couldn't rattle you. Hartwell told him afterward that
you threatened to compel him to substantiate all he had said, and he
was glad that the old fellow, for once, found somebody that wasn't
afraid of him."
"Oh, no," said Houston, quietly, "I didn't see any reason for being
afraid."
"Well," said Mr. Blaisdell, "I liked your spirit all right, but then,
men like Hartwell are not worth paying any attention to. He is
interested in another company, so of course he tries to run down ours,
and he has a certain clique that he has persuaded to think just as he
does. I never think it best to notice any of his remarks."
"If he had simply made a few remarks," said Houston in reply, "I would
of course have let them remain unnoticed, but he had continued his
harangue for nearly an hour before I spoke to him, so I thought it as
well to have a word with him myself."
"Oh, that was all right, perfectly right on your part, only I have
adopted the policy of letting barking dogs alone."
After a little further conversation, Mr. Blaisdell looked over the
books, and finding everything in satisfactory shape, remarked:
"You seem to have familiarized yourself very thoroughly with the work
so far as you have gone, and in a very short time. You will doubtless
remember, Mr. Houston, that when we engaged you, you were told that we
should probably need your services later at the mines, in assisting
the general superintendent. Morgan's work is increasing lately, and I
have been thinking that I would much prefer to have a trustworthy
person like yourself, assist him, even if we have to employ another
bookkeeper, than to put on an entirely new man at the mines. I am
going out to the mines this afternoon, to see how Morgan is getting
along, and I think that to-morrow we will close the office, and you
had better go out with me, and I will show you the work that I wish
you to have charge of there. It probably will not take all your time,
you will still be in the office more or less, at least enough to
superintend the work in case I bring out a new man. He will simply
work under your direction and supervision, the responsibility will all
devolve upon you."
For the next day or two, Houston's time was spent at the mines,
familiarizing himself with the underground workings, and becoming
acquainted with the different classes and grades of ore, and the
various methods of mining and reducing the same.
This was just the opportunity for which Houston had been waiting, and
he entered upon his new work with a zest and enthusiasm that delighted
Mr. Blaisdell, and even won the esteem of Morgan. On the second day,
to Houston's great joy, he was given charge, under Morgan, of what was
known as the "Yankee" group of mines, containing the Yankee Boy, the
Yankee Girl and the Puritan, the three most valuable mines in which
the New York company was interested.
In passing through one of these mines, Houston noticed two miners
working together with wonderful precision and accuracy, and on looking
at them closely, recognized in one of them, the man whom Rutherford
had pointed out to him on the train from Valley City, and of whom he
had heard Miss Gladden speak as Lyle's friend. The man seemed to pay
little attention to his being there, and on coming out, Houston
inquired of Mr. Blaisdell concerning him.
"I can tell you nothing about him," replied Mr. Blaisdell, "except
that he and his partner, the Irishman, are the two most expert miners
we have. They live by themselves, and refuse to mingle with the other
men, consequently they are not very popular among the miners, but of
course that cuts no figure with us, so long as they are skilled
workmen."
The next day, Houston went to Silver City, on business for Mr.
Blaisdell, and while there, sent the following message over the wires,
to Van Dorn:
"Everything in readiness; bring machinery at once."
Upon his return to the mining camp to enter upon his new duties,
Houston resolved to make a careful study of the men working under him,
both foremen and miners, for the purpose of determining whether there
were among them any whom he could trust sufficiently to seek from them
whatever assistance might be necessary for himself and Van Dorn in
their future work.
Accordingly, for the first few days, he spent considerable time in the
mines, apparently examining the workings, but in reality watching the
men themselves. Among some of them he saw black looks and scowls, and
heard muttered comments regarding himself: "Git onto the dude!" "D'ye
see the tenderfoot?" "Thinks he's goin' to boss us, does he? we'll
show him a trick or two." These were mainly from Maverick's consorts,
and men of their ilk, ignorant and brutal. Houston paid no attention
to their remarks or frowns, but continued his rounds among them,
conscious that he was master of the situation, meanwhile giving
instructions to the foreman who accompanied him. As he passed and
repassed Jack and Mike, working together with almost the automatic
precision of machinery, he stopped to watch them, attracted partly by
admiration for their work, and partly by a slight interest in the man
who had been his fellow passenger, and concerning whom he had heard
such various reports.
During the slight pause in their work, the Irishman eyed him
curiously, with indications of his native drollery and humor betraying
themselves in his mirthful face; he seemed about to speak, but Jack,
with set, stern features, was ready, and the work continued without a
word. In that brief interim, however, Jack had fixed one of his keen,
piercing glances upon Houston, which the latter returned with one
equally searching, and though not a muscle relaxed in that immobile
face, covered with dust and grime, yet a strange thrill of mutual
sympathy quivered and vibrated through the soul of each man, and
Houston knew that he had found a friend.
"There is a man among a thousand," he thought as he walked away, "a
man of honor, in whom one could place unbounded confidence; no wonder
Lyle has found him such a friend!"
At the next pause in their work, Mike's feelings found expression:
"Begorra! but the young mon is progressin' foinely, to be put over the
loikes of us, and bein' as how most loikely he niver sit foot in a
moine, till comin' out into this counthry!"
Jack's face had grown strangely set and white: "We are to be his
friends, remember that, Mike," he said, in a voice unnaturally stern.
"Frinds!" exclaimed the astonished Mike, "Be-dad! and whin did I iver
know ye to make frinds with ony of owld Blaisdell's men befoor?"
"Keep your eyes open and your mouth shut, Mike," was Jack's only reply
as he again began work, and Mike had nothing to do but to follow his
example.