The Iron Boys in the Mines; or, Starting at the Bottom of the Shaft

rushing here and there, some were pushing small cars of red ore out through the drift to the level, where the electric trams would pick up the cars and rush them to the ore chutes. The pi

houting at his men, nagging, urging, threatening a

rs were working. It had reached a point directly underneath the rise and

forward with

ain't fit even to be swampers behind a pair of lazy mules. Push, I tell you! Push!

ng did happen a few seconds later, though Spooner

a sound like a dynamite explosion in a new drift. A dark object was h

t-wh

landing with great force against the angry contractor. Spooner toppled over backwards, th

the worse for his exciting slide, though he had been somewhat bruised

He looked about him and in a

re a

seventeen," answer

's the

ked the daylight out of him. I hope you did. If it was

e privilege of turning the diamond d

man?" asked S

ology for a man,"

to the shadows that hung over the gutter along the side o

n," he cried. "Don't yo

he trammer, the workman who pushed th

Lend a hand here!" com

y. They gathered up Contractor Spooner and carried him over to

ail of water," sugg

sult that Spooner sat up almost at once, choking, r

snarled the contractor, strugg

moment Steve did not answer. He was too fully absorb

of reddish-gray hair. His lips were protruding, sagging at each corner, while the l

contractor, fixing his angry e

sir. But it was an accident. I w

explain. Instead, the contractor, with

was considering whether it were best to run or to

h me! I tell you it was an

to reason, and as he sprang for Rush he t

gained. He could not expect to prove a match for the powerful miner, and perhaps he would not have been able to h

rry I fell on you and sorry I had to hit you, b

nd drills had ceased their bang, bang, bang. Every man in the drift, save Spooner

. Spooner, remember he's a boy; don't do

ad started for y

e man. "Out of here before I

ammers used to fasten the catches on the

aw. Nevertheless he halted where he was, for he saw an expression in the eyes of the boy before him which spelled trouble. Furthermore, Spooner knew h

lazy louts! What do you mean by standing around on my time? I'll dock every man of

, s

e not

am going t

should like to know what you are doing down in this mine, anyway. I'll have the mine captain put you out. It's

ft. The superintendent ordered me to repo

the boy with a puzzled

here? Pooh! What do you thi

ork; besides, it is the su

e superintendent's orders were to be obeyed, no ma

all the work you can do. I'll see the superinte

shall

you see any

," answered Steve Rush in a significan

as I ought to do, but the shovel will break your

and began throwing the

He was obliged to admit that Rush handled the sho

d the contractor. "Yes, sir, you are wast

g?" questioned the

man shoveling by Steve's side. "The timber-men below take the stuff and bui

"You're a nice sort of a miner to come

my way and had a time gett

t only two hours' pay for the forenoon. If you're ever l

wer. He shoveled

owder," called t

s and moved off. The boy continued at his work, his shovel mak

sting a charge of dynamite in each of t

?" called

s,

y there and have your

hy

oing to fire a charge of

alled the powder-man

t Steve understood what was being done, he shouldered his shove

mbled the contractor. "They don't kno

warned the powder-man, starti

of dynamite, six pounds all told. It seemed to him that all of them were in a dangerous posit

nd waiting for the charge of dynamite to explode. It is seldom that anyone speaks during this brief period of

t seemed unusually long.

. Get in there and attach a new fuse, powder-man. Don't be all day about it, either. If I wasn't around here to watch things we wouldn

haking his head, sending a shower of grease

pooner, grabbing a handful of fuses from the

t the contractor already had them in his

tated, then started

ntil ten minutes after firing the fuse

ctor. "I'm the rules. I gu

me-like space where the drift ended, whi

two men who at that moment were arguing excitedly. They appeared to have forgotten that they we

caused his heart to leap. A tiny spark had sprun

g miner, now keenly alive to

vel!" called Spooner over his shoulder. "I expect he'l

n't a missed hole

ol," jeered th

nd. His hat dropped from his head and his shovel fell clat

, he grabbed the contractor, and with surprising strength for one of his build, Steve h

e man's shoulders when there came a blinding flash, a detonating rep

over the drift