Down the Slope

by James Otis

  CHAPTER VI

  ON DUTY

  In order to reach the yard where the lumber was to be found it wasnecessary that the boys should pass near the store, and at a point whereMr. Wright's house could be seen plainly. The mob which now surroundedit was in full view, and the angry shouts, mingled with breaking glass,came to their ears with great distinctness.

  "It doesn't seem right for us to stay here when we might be of someservice there," Fred said as he pointed in the direction of thebuilding.

  "I don't know what we could do if we were on the spot. It isn't likelythose men would stop because we asked them to do so, and, so far as Ican judge, it is very much better to stay at a respectful distance."

  "And let them destroy the buildings?"

  "What can you do to prevent it?"

  "Nothing that I know of, and yet it is wicked to let this thing be donewithout some protest."

  "Mr. Wright would attend to that matter if a protest would amount toanything. Our duty is to protect your mother, and that must be attendedto before anything else."

  "I realize that fact fully; but----"

  At this moment Mr. Wright called from the rear of the store:

  "Boys, come here!"

  Obeying the summons they were led to a rear room where were assembledthe principal officers of the mine, all looking more or lessfrightened, and the superintendent said as they entered:

  "Is there anything to prevent your doing as I wish during the next fewhours."

  "Not that I know of, sir," Fred replied. "We were about to fasten up thebroken windows at home; but that is of little consequence in case yourequire our services."

  "The force of men on guard at the slope is too small if the rioters tryto effect an entrance. It is in the highest degree important thatBillings' crowd be prevented from getting in, until all our arrangementshave been made. Will you go on duty there until troops can be summoned?"

  "We are willing to do everything in our power."

  "Then arm yourselves with these guns."

  Mr. Wright pointed to a number of muskets as he spoke, and Sam did notdelay in selecting a weapon.

  "I must tell mother where I have gone or she will be worried," Fredsaid, as he started toward the door.

  "I will call upon her at once, and you need not delay."

  "How long are we likely to remain on duty?"

  "Only until troops arrive. We have telegraphed to the governor, and acompany should be here within the next twenty-four hours."

  "It isn't probable the sentinels will take our word for it that you havesent us."

  "Here is a line to Donovan, and you had better start at once, forthere's no saying how soon the rioters may get tired of destroyingdwellings. Tell Donovan that we hope to send him a larger force soon."

  The boys felt very much like soldiers as they marched toward the slope,each armed with a gun and half a dozen cartridges, and the tumult whichcould be heard distinctly, heightened the illusion.

  "They have set fire to some building," Sam said, as he pointed to acolumn of smoke which rose from the direction of the superintendent'shome. "If that kind of work has begun there's little chance of its beingended while Billings' crowd hold the town."

  "I ought to have staid with mother. There's no reason why I should helpfight the company's quarrels while she may be in danger."

  "You could be of no assistance, and it is better to be out of the way,for Skip and his gang will not remain quiet while it is possible to domischief."

  "At the same time I should be with her," Fred replied; but making nomotion to return.

  Upon arriving at the entrance to the slope they were stopped by asentinel who cried as he leveled his gun:

  "Halt! What do you want?"

  "We have been sent by Mr. Wright with a note to Donovan," Sam replied.

  "Stay where you are, and I will call him."

  "This looks like fighting," Sam said, as the sentinel shouted for thebreaker boss. "If they are afraid to let the boys come nearer thanhailing distance, what'll be done when the mob get here?"

  "If the soldiers arrive things will be worse than they are now," Fredsaid with a sigh, and then Donovan interrupted the mournful conversationby calling as he came up the slope:

  "Oh, it's you, eh? Well, get in here quick. I thought Mr. Wright hadsent some one to help us."

  "So he has," and Sam handed the breaker boss the superintendent'sletter. "We're to go on duty here till help arrives in the shape ofsoldiers."

  "I s'pose you two will count for one man; but we need a good many moreby the looks of things. Go into the first level an' stay there tillyou're wanted."

  Obeying these instructions the boys found a dozen men lounging about thechamber, some lying on the empty trucks, and others moving to and frorestlessly; but all well armed.

  Each one was most eager to know what was being done in the village, andthe story had but just been told when the first alarm came.

  "Get up to the mouth of the slope," Donovan shouted from above. "There'sa small crowd comin' this way, an' it's best to be prepared for 'em."

  The command was promptly obeyed, and all watched the score of men whowere approaching. Instead of nearing the sentinels they turned off tothe left before arriving within hailing distance, and one of the partysaid in a tone of satisfaction:

  "That's all right; they're only lookin' around to see if our eyes areopen."

  "They are going in the direction of the shaft into which Skip's crowdthrew me," Fred whispered to Sam.

  "Yes."

  "And in that way it would be possible to get into this portion of themine."

  "I s'pose so; but they ain't likely to make such a long trip as that."

  "Why not, if by so doing the lower level could be flooded without anyrisk to themselves?"

  "Now don't get frightened, Fred, there isn't one chance in a hundredthat any of the crowd know about the old gallery."

  "But if they do all of us might easily be driven out by the water."

  "Since it troubles you so much, speak to Donovan. He's the boss, andwill know if anything should be done."

  "You tell him."

  "Not much; I'm not going to be laughed at."

  Fred hesitated only a moment; he believed that it was of the utmostimportance this possible means of entering the mine should be guarded,and calling Donovan aside told him of his escape from the shaft; butrefrained from mentioning Joe Brace's name.

  "I reckon you're more frightened than hurt, lad; but at the same time Idon't want to run any risks. Since Sam Thorpe knows the way through,take him an' start. One of you could keep a hundred from comin' in atsuch a small hole as you tell about."

  "Are we to stay there?"

  "Half an hour'll be long enough; if they don't show theirselves by thenwe'll know there's nothin' to be feared from that quarter."

  Fred repeated to Sam what Donovan had said, and the orders were notreceived in a cheerful spirit.

  "That's all you get for bein' scared. It ain't any joke to travelthrough the lower level, an' we can count on stayin' there tillmidnight."

  "It's better than being flooded out."

  "I'm not so sure of that."

  "Then you won't go?"

  "Of course I will. Do you think I'm such a fool as to act dead againstorders. Come on, an' let's get through with it as soon as possible."

  By using an empty car, allowing it to run down the grade by its ownweight, they were soon at the heavy doors which marked the terminationof the first level. Here a halt was made, because even the boys whoseduties it was to open the barriers were absent, and from this point theremainder of the journey was made on foot.

  At the lower level five miners were found repairing the pumps, and theboys were forced once more to tell what had occurred in the village.

  "Men what want to work don't go round kickin' up sich a row as this,"one of the party said, as Fred and Sam passed on. "Give some of thatBillings' crowd a chance an' the slope never'd be opened agin."

  "The
re's a miner who won't join the mob," Fred said.

  "Yes; but for every man like that a dozen can be found to fight againsttheir own interests."

  Now the boys no longer walked side by side. Sam led the way, watchingnarrowly the lamp in his companion's cap to discover the first signs offire-damp, and guarding well the flame which served to show him theproper course.

  "Be careful of your matches," he said warningly. "They may be worth agood deal before we get back from this wild goose chase."

  "How much farther must we go?"

  "Half an hour of fast traveling should bring us to where you found thetunnel choked with coal, an' I don't reckon you count on tryin' to getany farther."

  "We couldn't do it, no matter how much we might want to."

  "Oh, yes; when the doors are opened that pile will come down mightyquick; but while it stays as it is the passage is blocked better than ifa dozen men were on guard."

  Another time of silence, during which the boys walked rapidly, and thenSam uttered an exclamation of surprise.

  "Some one has been working here. Half the coal is pulled away, an' itwon't be much of a job to get into the chamber."

  "Who could have done it?"

  "Perhaps Billings' gang worked a spell after the order to quit wasgiven?"

  "What could they have gained by reaching Joe again?"

  "Taken him through the old drift to the shaft. But let's work our wayover this pile, an' then start back before our oil gives out."

  Ten minutes of sharp labor and the boys were in the chamber where Bracehad been left to die, Sam throwing himself on the hard floor, as hesaid:

  "We'll take a breathin' spell before leaving. You see now there was nouse in comin'."

  "So it seems; but I couldn't help thinking some of that crowd whichpassed the slope knew how to get here."

  "It ain't possible--Hark! What was that?"

  A low hum as of conversation could be heard from the other side of thewall, and Sam sprang to the aperture made by Fred and Joe Brace.

  "I'll never yip again about you're being scared," he whispered after oneglance. "Here come the whole crowd, an' we're in a fix."

  "They won't dare to crawl through, if we threaten to shoot."

  "Let's first find out exactly what they are here for. It may be they areonly looking for Joe."

  Standing either side the aperture the boys watched the approach of themen whose movements were revealed by the miner's lamp each carried.

  It was impossible to distinguish the conversation until the party wasvery near the break in the wall, and then one shouted:

  "Hello Joe! How are you?"

  "We've come to pull you out of this scrape," another said, after waitinga few seconds for a reply.

  Then a lamp was pushed through, Fred and Sam crouching close against thewall to avoid observation, and its owner cried in a tone ofastonishment:

  "He isn't here! The place is empty!"

  A deep silence reigned for a moment, and then some one said in an angrytone.

  "It ain't hard to understand the whole thing now. He slipped the ropes,an' come out this way. Wright has heard the story, an' that's why theworks were shut down so suddenly."

  "But what's become of him? He ain't in the town."

  "Of course he is, an' hidin' somewhere. Jim, you run back an' tellBillings so's he can hunt the sneak out."

  "Are you goin' on alone?"

  "Why not? Them fools are guardin' the slope, an' we can flood the placebefore they so much as think any one has got in behind them. Tell theboys we'll be back by sunset."

  Sam touched Fred, to warn him that the time for action had arrived, and,slight as was the movement, it caught the attention of the man on theopposite side.

  "Hold on," he cried. "There's somebody in here, an' we must know who itis."

  Before he could thrust his lamp through, Sam shouted:

  "Stand back, or there'll be trouble. Two of us are here, both armed, andwe shall fire at the first one who so much as shows the tip of hisnose."