Frank Merriwell, Junior's, Golden Trail; Or, The Fugitive Professor

Clancy, and Ballard reached the mine and went hu

weird as they are interesting. The boys were deeply impressed as they looked

t had a framework of heavy timbers, yet the strong skeleton was but loosely covered with boards. Through wide cracks and

lings and others moving about in the hands of workers. From the open door of, a blacksmith shop poured a

he camp. They stopped and asked the smith where they would find the superintendent'

ye see them two lights close together. Mebby he's there, an' m

tumult of the mill. Frank bawled his thanks, and he and his two com

lding. A man was sitting out in front, tilted comfortably back in a chair and smoking a p

rank inquired, stepping close t

it," was the so

Pardo, the su

two, m

ame's Merri

ter!" finished Pardo. "Mr. Bradlaugh has put me next." The super lau

bout the only audible sound

about that,"

hir he makes it a rule to hang out in this camp, mainly because one of our crusherman on the night shift is an old friend of his. But he's a crusty old curmudgeon, and I never h

d along a camp trail that led up a steep incline. Along the top of the

the mine was unloaded. A man could be seen moving spectrally

up the low hill and dr

an find Porter. Bring the prospector to my office, if you like. It is

riends moved on to the ore platform, jumped to

boys as well as he could. "Oh, he's communin' with himself in the feed loft. Right thr

, shimmering stems of twenty batteries, each of five stamps, were marking time before their eyes like, a row of steel soldiers. Each s

s. Frank's eyes ranged over the sweating, seminude, powerful

rank turned, and Clancy made signs and pointed. Looking in the direction indic

boards behind him, a cob pipe between his teeth. His eyes, peering out of the j

he prospector's side. "Hello,

y grunted, although Fr

n, in a manner calculated to disarm any suspicions Porter

the ashes from his pipe and stood up. Frank was congratulating himself that Porter was

n the spot where, Porter was standing and the opening that led into the feed loft. The prospe

hrew Clancy sideways, so that he fell over a heap of crushed stone. Another moment and Por

ile and suspected why the boys were there, would not be showing his teeth in that fashion. An instant after the prospector had disappeared down the stairs, Fra

old from the ore, stretched the length of the mill. Amalgamators and batterymen were going and coming through al

ook three or four steps from the foot of the stairs, peering along the row of plates covered with

to get away into the darkness back of the batteries,

er Porter?

k no

amalgamator, with a jerk of his thumb, indic

e amalgamator, and whirled like lightning and

not so deafening outside the mill, but the boys were blinded temporarily by their quick transition from the

hing or other which gave him

rows of huge wooden tanks. A plank incline led to the top of one row, and Ballard could be distinguished racing up the incline. Beyond Ballard, traveling at speed over a

was treated with deadly cyanide of potassium for recovering what little g

seen it before. In the gloom the prospector could navigate across the big vats with somet

ed a warning to him, but Ballard either d

e row of vats to another. Each row was a little lower than the row to t

as any of the others. Ballard climbed to the same plank. Porter dropped down with a savage, snarling cry. Clinging

alarm. "Get him out, quick! That's the s

aw the white, drawn face of Pardo peering toward the spot where Ballard was spla