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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Copper Princess, by Kirk Munroe
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The Copper Princess
+       A Story of Lake Superior Mines
+
+Author: Kirk Munroe
+
+Illustrator: W.A. Rogers
+
+Release Date: October 22, 2008 [EBook #26993]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE COPPER PRINCESS ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Betsie Bush, Robin Monks, Karen Dalrymple, and
+the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
+http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+THE COPPER PRINCESS
+
+A Story of Lake Superior Mines
+
+_By_ KIRK MUNROE. _Author of "The Painted Desert" "Rick Dale" The
+"Mates" Series, etc._
+
+_Illustrated by_ W. A. ROGERS
+
+
+[Illustration: Logo]
+
+
+  NEW YORK AND LONDON
+  HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS
+  1898
+
+
+[Illustration:
+
+Page 105
+
+ON THE FACE OF THE CLIFF STOOD A GIRLISH FIGURE]
+
+
+BY KIRK MUNROE.
+
+  THE PAINTED DESERT. A Story of Northern Arizona.
+  RICK DALE. A Story of the Northwest Coast.
+  SNOW-SHOES AND SLEDGES. A Sequel to "The Fur-Seal's Tooth."
+  THE FUR-SEAL'S TOOTH. A Story of Alaskan Adventure.
+  RAFTMATES. A Story of the Great River.
+  CANOEMATES. A Story of the Florida Reef and Everglades.
+  CAMPMATES. A Story of the Plains.
+  DORYMATES. A Tale of the Fishing Banks.
+
+_Each one volume. Illustrated. Post 8vo, Cloth, $1 25._
+
+_The "Mates" Series, 4 vols., in a box, $5 00._
+
+
+  WAKULLA. A Story of Adventure in Florida.
+  THE FLAMINGO FEATHER.
+  DERRICK STERLING. A Story of the Mines.
+  CHRYSTAL, JACK & CO., and DELTA BIXBY. Two Stories.
+
+_Each one volume. Illustrated. Square 16mo, Cloth, $1 00._
+
+
+  NEW YORK AND LONDON:
+  HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS.
+
+
+Copyright, 1898, by HARPER & BROTHERS.
+
+_All rights reserved._
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS
+
+
+  CHAPTER                                                           PAGE
+
+  I. STARTLING INTRODUCTION OF TOM TREFETHEN                           1
+
+  II. PEVERIL TIES "BLACKY'S" RECORD                                   9
+
+  III. A 'VARSITY STROKE STRIKES ADVERSE FORTUNE                      17
+
+  IV. STARTING IN SEARCH OF THE COPPER PRINCESS                       25
+
+  V. THE TREFETHENS                                                   32
+
+  VI. A MILE BENEATH THE SURFACE                                      40
+
+  VII. CORNWALL TO THE RESCUE                                         48
+
+  VIII. IN THE NEW SHAFT                                              56
+
+  IX. WINNING A FRIEND BY SHEER PLUCK                                 65
+
+  X. HEROISM REWARDED                                                 73
+
+  XI. NELLY TREFETHEN FINDS A LETTER                                  81
+
+  XII. A VISION OF THE CLIFFS                                         89
+
+  XIII. LOG-WRECKERS AND SMUGGLERS                                    95
+
+  XIV. A VAIN EFFORT TO RECOVER STOLEN PROPERTY                      102
+
+  XV. PEVERIL IN THE HANDS OF HIS ENEMIES                            110
+
+  XVI. LOST IN A PREHISTORIC MINE                                    118
+
+  XVII. UNDERGROUND WANDERINGS                                       125
+
+  XVIII. FROM ONE TRAP INTO ANOTHER                                  133
+
+  XIX. "DARRELL'S FOLLY" AND ITS OWNER                               141
+
+  XX. PEVERIL IS TAKEN FOR A GHOST                                   148
+
+  XXI. MIKE CONNELL TO THE RESCUE                                    156
+
+  XXII. THE SIGNAL IS CHANGED                                        164
+
+  XXIII. A BATTLE WITH SMUGGLERS                                     172
+
+  XXIV. CONNELL MAKES GOOD HIS ESCAPE                                180
+
+  XXV. A SEA FIGHT ON LAKE SUPERIOR                                  188
+
+  XXVI. FIRST NEWS OF THE COPPER PRINCESS                            196
+
+  XXVII. A NIGHT WITH A MADMAN                                       205
+
+  XXVIII. LEFT IN SOLE POSSESSION                                    213
+
+  XXIX. A ROYAL NAME FOR A ROYAL MINE                                221
+
+  XXX. PEVERIL ACQUIRES AN UNSHARED INTEREST                         230
+
+
+ILLUSTRATIONS
+
+
+  ON THE FACE OF THE CLIFF STOOD A GIRLISH FIGURE         _Frontispiece_
+
+  "IN BREATHLESS SILENCE THE GROUP WATCHED PEVERIL'S
+    MOVEMENTS"                                            _Facing p._ 12
+
+  PEVERIL GOES TO WORK                                       "        36
+
+  THE CAR-PUSHERS MADE A FURIOUS ATTACK ON PEVERIL           "        46
+
+  PEVERIL LEAPED DOWN AMONG THE SPUTTERING FUSES             "        66
+
+  THE MEN HASTILY THREW PEVERIL HEAD-FIRST INTO
+    THE BUSHES                                               "       106
+
+  PEVERIL SAT BESIDE THE FIRE IN FORLORN MEDITATION          "       130
+
+  AT SEEING PEVERIL, THE MEN UTTERED A CRY OF TERROR         "       152
+
+  A WILD-LOOKING MAN LEVELLED A PISTOL AT PEVERIL            "       174
+
+  THE TWO MEN STOOD AND LISTENED                             "       194
+
+  RESCUED FROM THE SHAFT                                     "       200
+
+  PEVERIL FINDS MARY AGAIN                                   "       234
+
+
+
+
+THE COPPER PRINCESS
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+STARTLING INTRODUCTION OF TOM TREFETHEN
+
+
+"Look out, there!"
+
+"My God, he is under the wheels!"
+
+The narrow-gauge train for Red Jacket had just started from the
+Hancock station, and was gathering quick headway for its first steep
+grade, when a youth ran from the waiting-room and attempted to leap
+aboard the "smoker." Missing the step, he fell between two cars,
+though still clutching a hand-rail of the one he had attempted to
+board.
+
+With cries of horror, several of those who witnessed the incident from
+the station platform averted their faces, unwilling to view the
+ghastly tragedy that they believed must occur in another instant.
+
+At sound of their cries, a neatly dressed young fellow,
+broad-shouldered and of splendid physique, who was in the act of
+mounting the car-steps, turned, and instantly comprehended the
+situation. Without a moment of hesitation he dropped the bag he was
+carrying and flung his body over the guard-rail, catching at its
+supporting stanchions with his knees. In this position, with his arms
+stretched to their utmost, he managed to grasp the coat-collar of the
+unfortunate youth who was being dragged to his death. In another
+moment he had, by a supreme effort, lifted the latter bodily to the
+platform.
+
+Those who witnessed this superb exhibition of promptly applied
+strength from the station platform gave a cheer as the train swept by,
+but their voices were drowned in its clatter, and the two actors in
+their thrilling drama were unaware that it had been noticed. The
+rescued youth sat limp and motionless on the swaying platform where he
+had been placed, dazed by the suddenness and intensity of his recent
+terror; while the other leaned against the guard-rail, recovering from
+his tremendous effort. After a few minutes of quick breathing he
+pulled himself together and helped his companion into the car, where
+they found a vacant seat.
+
+A few of the passengers noted the entrance of two young men, one of
+whom seemed to be in need of the other's assistance, and glanced at
+them with meaning smiles. There had been races at Hancock that day,
+and they evidently believed that these two had attended them. No one
+spoke to them, however, and it quickly became apparent that the
+supremest moment in the life of one of the two, which would also have
+been his last on earth but for the other, had passed unnoticed by any
+of the scores of human beings in closest proximity to them at the
+time.
+
+It was hard to realize this, and for a few minutes the young men sat
+in silence, dreading but expecting to be overwhelmed with a clamor of
+questions. It was a relief to find that they were to be unmolested,
+and when the conductor had passed on after punching their tickets, the
+one who had rescued the other turned to him with a smile, saying:
+
+"No one knows anything about it, for which let us be grateful."
+
+"You can bet I'm grateful, Mister, in more ways than one," answered
+the other, his eyes filling with the tears of a deep emotion as he
+spoke. "I won't forget in a hurry that you've saved my life, and from
+this time on, if ever you can make any use of so poor a chap as me,
+I'm your man. My name's Tom Trefethen, and I live in Red Jacket, where
+I run a compressor for No. 3 shaft of the White Pine Mine. That's all
+there is to me, for I 'ain't never done anything else, don't know
+anything else, and expect I'm no good _for_ anything else. So, you
+see, I hain't got much to offer in exchange for what you've just give
+me; same time, I'm your friend all right, from this minute, and I
+wouldn't do a thing for you only just what you say; but that goes,
+every time."
+
+"That's all right, Tom, and don't you worry about trying to make any
+return for the service I have been able to render you. I won't call it
+a slight service, because to do so would be to undervalue the life I
+was permitted to save. Besides, you have already repaid me by giving
+me a friend, which was the thing of which I stood in greatest need,
+and had almost despaired of gaining."
+
+"Why, Mister--"
+
+"Peveril," interrupted the other. "Richard Peveril is my name, though
+the friends I used to have generally called me 'Dick Peril."'
+
+"Used to have, Mr. Peril? Do you mean by that that you hain't got any
+friends now?"
+
+"I mean that five minutes ago it did not seem as though I had a friend
+in the world; but now I have one, who, I hope, will prove a very
+valuable one as well, and his name is Tom Trefethen."
+
+"It's good of you to say so, Mr. Peril, though how a poor, ignorant
+chap like me can prove a valuable friend to a swell like you is more
+than I can make out."
+
+At this the other smiled. "I don't know just what you mean by a
+swell," he said. "But I suppose you mean a gentleman of wealth and
+leisure. If so, I certainly am no more of a swell than you, nor so
+much, for I have just expended my last dollar for this railroad
+ticket, and have no idea where I shall get another. In fact, I do not
+know where I shall obtain a supper or find a sleeping-place for
+to-night, and think it extremely probable that I shall go without
+either. I hope very much, though, to find a job of work to-morrow that
+will provide me with both food and shelter for the immediate future."
+
+"Work! Are you looking for work?" asked Tom, gazing at Peveril's natty
+travelling-suit, and speaking with a tone of incredulity.
+
+"That is what I have come to this country to look for," was the
+smiling answer. "I came here because I was told that this was the one
+section of the United States unaffected by hard times, and because I
+had a letter of introduction to a gentleman in Hancock whom I thought
+would assist me in getting a position. To my great disappointment, he
+had left town, to be gone for several months, and, as I could not
+afford to await his return, I applied for work at the Quincy and other
+mines, only to be refused."
+
+"Is it work in the mines you are looking for?" asked Tom Trefethen,
+evidently doubting if he had heard aright.
+
+"Yes, that or any other by which I can make an honest living."
+
+"Well, sir, I wouldn't have believed it if any one but yourself had
+told me."
+
+"But you must believe it, for it is true, and I am now on my way to
+Red Jacket because I have been told there is more work to be had there
+than at any other place in the whole copper region, or in the State,
+for that matter."
+
+"And more people to do it, too," muttered Tom Trefethen, as he sank
+into a brown-study.
+
+By this time the train had climbed from the muddy level of Portage
+Lake, which with its recently cut ship-canals bisects Keweenaw Point,
+making of its upper end an island, and was speeding northward over a
+rough upland. Its way led through a naked country of rocks and
+low-growing scrub, for the primitive growth of timber had been
+stripped for use in the mines. Every now and then it passed tall
+shaft-houses and chimneys, belching forth thick volumes of smoke,
+which, with their clustering villages, marked the sites of
+copper-mines. Finally, as darkness began to shroud the uninteresting
+landscape, the train entered the environs of a wide-spread and
+populous community, where huge mine buildings reared themselves from
+surrounding acres of the small but comfortable dwellings of
+North-country miners. Everywhere shone electric lights, and everywhere
+was a swarming population.
+
+Peveril gazed from his car window in astonishment. "What place is
+this?" he asked.
+
+"Red Jacket," answered his companion. "That is, it is Red Jacket, Blue
+Jacket, Yellow Jacket, Stone Pipe, Osceola, White Pine, and several
+other mining villages bunched together and holding in all about
+twenty-five thousand people."
+
+"Whew! and I expected to find a place of not over one thousand
+inhabitants."
+
+"You don't know much about the copper country, that's a fact," said
+Tom Trefethen, with the slight air of superiority that residents of a
+place are so apt to assume towards strangers. "Why, a single company
+here employs as many as three thousand men."
+
+"I am willing to admit my ignorance," rejoined Peveril, "but I am also
+very anxious to learn things, and hope in course of time to rank as a
+first-class miner. Therefore, any information you can give me will be
+gratefully received. To begin with, I wish you would tell me the name
+of some hotel where my grip will serve as security for a few days'
+board and lodging."
+
+"A hotel, Mr. Peril! You can't be feeling so very poor if you are
+thinking of going to a hotel. Or perhaps you don't know how expensive
+our Red Jacket hotels are. You see, there is always such a rush of
+business here that prices are way up. Why, they don't think anything
+of charging two dollars a day; and they get it, too--don't give you
+anything extra in the way of grub, either. I can do lots better than
+that for you, though. There's a-plenty of boarding-houses here that'll
+fix you up in great shape for five a week. You just wait here at the
+station a few minutes while I go and look up one that I know of."
+
+Without waiting for a reply Tom Trefethen hurried from the train,
+which was just coming to a stop at the bustling Red Jacket station,
+and disappeared in the crowd of spectators who had gathered to witness
+its arrival. Peveril followed more slowly, and, depositing the
+handsome dress-suit case that he had learned to call a "grip" in a
+vacant corner of the platform, prepared to await the return of his
+only acquaintance in all that community, "or in the whole State of
+Michigan, so far as I know," reflected the young man.
+
+"As for friends, I wonder if I have any anywhere. This Tom Trefethen
+claims to have a friendly feeling towards me, and, if he comes back, I
+will try to believe in him. It is more than likely though that his
+leaving me here is only a way of escaping an irksome obligation, and I
+shouldn't be one bit surprised never to see him again. It seems to be
+the way of the world, that if you place a fellow under an obligation
+he begins to dislike you from that moment. My! if all the fellows
+whom I have helped would only pay what they owe me, how well fixed I
+should be at this minute. I could even put up with a clear conscience
+at one of Tom Trefethen's two-dollar-a-day hotels. What an
+unsophisticated chap he is, anyway. Wonder what he would say to the
+Waldorf charges? And yet only a short time ago I thought them very
+moderate. It's a queer old world, and a fellow has to see all sides of
+it before he can form an idea of what it is really like. I must
+confess, however, that I am not particularly enjoying my present point
+of view. Must be because I am so infernally hungry. Odd sensation, and
+so decidedly unpleasant that if my friend with the Cornish name
+doesn't return inside of two minutes more I shall abandon our tryst
+and set forth in search of a supper."
+
+At this point in his dismal reflections Peveril became aware of a
+short, solidly built man, having a grizzled beard, and wearing a rough
+suit of ill-fitting clothing, who was standing squarely before him and
+regarding him intently. As their eyes met, the new-comer asked,
+abruptly:
+
+"Be thy name Richard, lad?"
+
+"Yes."
+
+"What's t'other part of it?"
+
+"Peveril. And may I inquire why you ask?"
+
+"Because, lad, in all t'world thee has not a truer friend, nor one
+more ready to serve thee, than old Mark Trefethen. So come along of
+me, and gi' me a chance to prove my words."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+PEVERIL TIES "BLACKY'S" RECORD
+
+
+"Are you the father of Tom Trefethen?" asked Peveril of the man who
+had so abruptly introduced himself.
+
+"Certain I be, lad, feyther to the young fool who, but for thee, would
+never have come home to us no more. His mother was that upset by
+thought of his danger that she couldn't let him leave her, and so bade
+me come to fetch you mysel'. Not that I needed a bidding, for I'm
+doubly proud of a chance to serve the man who's gied us back our Tom.
+So come along, lad, to where there's a hearty welcome waiting,
+togither with a bite and a bed."
+
+"But, Mr. Trefethen, I can't allow you to--"
+
+"Man, you must allow me, for I'm no in the habit o' being crossed.
+Besides, I'd never dare go back to mother without you. This thy grip?"
+
+With this the brawny miner swung Peveril's bag to his shoulder, and
+started briskly down the station platform, followed closely by the
+young man, who but a moment before had believed himself to be without
+a friend.
+
+They had not gone more than a block from the station, and Peveril was
+wondering at the crowds of comfortable-looking folk who thronged the
+wooden sidewalks, as well as at the rows of brilliantly lighted shops,
+when his guide turned abruptly into the door of a saloon.
+
+Following curiously, the young man also entered, and, passing behind a
+latticed screen, found himself in a long room having a sanded floor,
+and furnished with a glittering bar, tables, chairs, and several
+queer-looking machines, the nature of which he did not understand.
+Several men were leaning against the counter of the bar; but without
+noticing them other than by a general nod of recognition, Mark
+Trefethen walked to the far end of the room, where he deposited
+Peveril's bag on the floor beside one of the machines already
+mentioned.
+
+It was a narrow, upright frame, placed close to the wall, and holding
+a stout wooden panel. In the centre of this, at the height of a man's
+chest, was a stuffed leathern pad, on which was painted a grotesque
+face, evidently intended for that of a negro, and above it was a dial
+bearing numbers that ranged from 1 to 300. The single pointer on this
+dial indicated the number 173, a figure at which Mark Trefethen
+sniffed contemptuously.
+
+"Let's see thee take a lick at 'Blacky,' lad, just for luck," he said.
+
+Although he had never before seen or even heard of such a machine as
+now confronted him, Peveril was sufficiently quick-witted to realize
+that his companion desired him to strike a blow with his fist at the
+grinning face painted on the leathern pad, and he did so without
+hesitation. At the same time, as he had no idea of what resistance he
+should encounter, he struck out rather gingerly, and the dial-pointer
+sprang back to 156.
+
+Mark Trefethen looked at once incredulous and disappointed. "Surely
+that's not thy best lick, lad," he said, in an aggrieved tone; "why,
+old as I am, I could better it mysel'." Thus saying, the miner drew
+back a fist like a sledge-hammer, and let drive a blow at "Blacky"
+that sent the pointer up to 180.
+
+"Now, lad, try again," he remarked, with a self-satisfied air; "and
+remember, what I should have telled thee afore, that the man who lets
+pointer slip back owes beer to the crowd."
+
+Wondering how he should cancel the indebtedness thus innocently
+incurred, and also at the strangeness of such proceedings on the part
+of one who had just invited him to a much-longed-for supper, Peveril
+again stepped up and delivered a nervous blow against the unresisting
+leathern pad, driving the pointer to 184.
+
+The miner's shout of "Well done, lad! That's spunky," attracted the
+idlers at the bar and brought them to the scene of contest. They
+arrived just in time to see Trefethen deliver his second blow, the
+force of which drove the sensitive needle six points farther on, or
+until it registered 190.
+
+With a flush of pride on his strongly marked face, the old Cornishman
+exclaimed, "There's a mark for thee lad, but doan't 'ee strike 'less
+thee can better it, for I'd like it to stand for a while."
+
+Peveril only smiled in answer, and, taking a quick forward step,
+planted so vigorous a blow upon the painted leather that the pointer
+gained a single interval. So small were the spaces that at first it
+was thought not to have moved; but when a closer examination showed it
+to indicate 191, a murmur of approbation went up from the spectators.
+Mark Trefethen said not a word, but, throwing off his coat and baring
+his corded arm for a mighty effort, he again took place before the
+machine. Carefully measuring his distance, he drew back and delivered
+a blow into which he threw the whole weight of his body. As though
+galvanized into action, the needle leaped up four points and
+registered 195.
+
+"A record! A record!" shouted the spectators, while the miner turned a
+face beaming with triumph towards his athletic young antagonist. On
+many an occasion had he played at solitaire fisticuffs with that
+leathern dummy, but never before had he struck it such a mighty blow,
+and now he did not believe that another in all Red Jacket could equal
+the feat he had just performed.
+
+"Lat it stand, lad! Lat it stand!" he said, good-humoredly, but in a
+tone unmistakably patronizing. "You've done enough to take front rank,
+for not more than three men in all the Jackets have ever beat your
+figure. Besides, the beer is on the house now for a record, but 'twill
+be on any man who lowers yon--so best lat well enough alone."
+
+[Illustration: "IN BREATHLESS SILENCE THE GROUP WATCHED PEVERIL'S
+MOVEMENTS"]
+
+This advice was tendered in all sincerity, and was doubtless very
+good, but Peveril was now too deeply interested in the novel contest
+to accept defeat without a further effort. Besides, the stroke-oar of
+a winning crew in the great Oxford-Cambridge boat-race, which is what
+Dick Peveril had been only two months earlier, was not accustomed to
+be beaten in athletic games.
+
+So he, too, threw off his coat and bared the glorious right arm that
+had at once been the pride of his college and the envy of every other
+in the 'varsity. In breathless silence the little group of spectators
+watched his movements, and when, with sharply exhaled breath, he
+planted a crashing "facer" straight from the shoulder squarely upon
+the leathern disk they sprang eagerly forward to note the result. For
+an instant they gazed at each other blankly, for the needle, though
+trembling violently, remained fixedly pointing at the figure 195.
+
+Then they realized what had happened. Mark Trefethen's score had been
+neither raised nor lowered, but had been duplicated. A double record
+had been established, and that in a single contest. Such a thing had
+never before happened in Red Jacket, where trials of strength and
+skill similar to the one they had just witnessed were of frequent
+occurrence. As the amazing truth broke upon them, they raised a great
+shout of applause, and every man present pressed eagerly about the two
+champions with cordially extended hands.
+
+But Peveril and the old miner were already shaking hands with each
+other, for Mark Trefethen had been the first to appreciate the result
+of his opponent's blow, and had whirled around from his examination
+of the dial to seize the young man's hand in both of his.
+
+"Now I believe it, lad!" he cried. "Now I believe the story boy Tom
+telled this night. I couldn't make it seem possible that you had
+lifted him as he said, and so I wanted proof. Now I'm got it, and now
+I know you for best man that's come to mines for many a year. Pray
+God, lad, that you and me'll never have a quarrel to settle wi' bare
+fists, for I'm free to say I'd rayther meet any ither two men in the
+Jackets than the one behind the fist that struck yon blow."
+
+"You will never meet him in a quarrel if I can help it, Mr.
+Trefethen," replied Peveril, flushing with gratified pride, "for I
+can't imagine anything that would throw me into a greater funk than to
+face as an enemy the man who established the existing record on that
+machine. But, now, don't you think we might adjourn to the supper of
+which you spoke awhile since? I was never quite so famished in my
+life, and am nearly ready to drop with the exhaustion of hunger."
+
+"Oh, Jimmy!" groaned one of the listening spectators. "If 'e done wot
+'e did hon a hempty stummick, hit's 'eaven 'elp the man or the machine
+'e 'its when 'e's full."
+
+"Step up for your beers, gentlemen," cried the bartender at this
+moment. "The house owes two rounds for the double record, and is proud
+to pay a debt so handsomely thrust upon it."
+
+This invitation was promptly accepted by the spectators of the recent
+contest, all of whom immediately lined up at the bar. Mark Trefethen
+stood with them, and when he noticed that Peveril held back, he called
+out, heartily, "Step up, lad, and doan't be bashful. We're waiting to
+take a mug wi' thee."
+
+"I thank you all," rejoined Peveril, politely, "but I believe I don't
+care to drink anything just now."
+
+"What! Not teetotal?"
+
+"Not wholly," replied the other, with a laugh, "but I long ago made it
+a rule not to take liquor in any form on an empty stomach."
+
+"Oh, it won't hurt you. And this time needn't count, anyway," said one
+of the men, whose features proclaimed him to be of Irish birth.
+
+"I think it would hurt me," replied Peveril, "and if my rule could be
+broken at this time, of course it could at any other. So I believe I
+won't drink anything, thank you."
+
+"You mane you're a snob, and don't care to associate with
+working-men," retorted the other.
+
+"I mean nothing of the kind, but exactly what I said, that I don't
+propose to injure my health to gratify you or any other man. As for
+associating with working-men, I am a working-man myself, and have come
+to this place with the hope of finding a job in one of the mines. If I
+hadn't wanted to associate with working-men I shouldn't be here at
+this minute."
+
+"Well, you can't associate with them in one thing if not in all, Mr.
+Workingman," rejoined the Irishman, sneeringly, "and so, if you won't
+drink with us, you can't become one of us."
+
+"That's right," murmured several voices.
+
+"Moreover," continued the speaker, "you don't look, talk, or act like
+a working-man, and I'm willing to bet the price of these beers that
+you never earned a dollar by honest labor in your life."
+
+"If I didn't, that's no reason why I shouldn't."
+
+"But did you?"
+
+"No, I never did."
+
+"I knew it from the first," exclaimed the other, triumphantly, "you're
+nothing but a d--d--"
+
+"Shut up, Mike Connell! don't ye dare say it!" shouted Mark Trefethen,
+shaking a knotted fist in close proximity to the Irishman's face. "How
+dare you insult the friend I've brought to this place? Lad's right
+about the liquor, too, and damned if I'll drink a drop of it mysel'.
+Same time, working-man or no, he's worth any two of you wi' his fists,
+and, I'll bate, has more brains than the rest of us put together. So
+keep a civil tongue in your head in the presence of your betters, Mike
+Connell. Come, lad, time we were getting home. Mother 'll be fretting
+for us."
+
+Thus saying, the sturdy miner laid his toil-hardened hand on Peveril's
+shoulder and led him from the place.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+A 'VARSITY STROKE STRIKES ADVERSE FORTUNE
+
+
+Richard Peveril, student at Christ Church, was not only one of the
+most popular men in his own college, but, as stroke of the 'varsity
+eight, was becoming one of the best known of Oxford undergraduates
+when the blow was struck that compelled him to leave England and
+return to the land of his birth without even waiting to try for his
+degree. He had been an orphan from early boyhood, and, under the
+nominal care of a guardian who saw as little of his charge as
+possible, had passed most of his time in American boarding-schools,
+until sent abroad to finish his education. While his guardian had
+never been unkind to him, he had not tried to understand the boy or to
+win his affection, but had placed him at the best schools, supplied
+him liberally with pocket-money, and then let him alone.
+
+Although the lad had thus been denied the softening influence of a
+home, the tender care of a mother, and a father's counsel, his
+school-life had trained him to self-reliance, prompt obedience to
+lawful authority, a strict sense of honor, and to a physical condition
+so perfect that in all his life he had never known a day's sickness.
+Having always had plenty of money, he had never learned its value,
+though in his school-days his allowance had been limited by the same
+wise rules that also checked undue extravagance. Thus, while brought
+up to live and spend money like a gentleman, he had not been permitted
+to acquire vicious habits.
+
+Even at college his allowance had always been in excess of his needs,
+and so, though ever ready to help a friend in trouble, he had never
+run into debt on his own account.
+
+Another influence for good was the lad's inherited love for all
+out-of-door sports, and he could not remember the time when he was not
+in training for a team, a crew, or an athletic event of some kind.
+Thus the keeping of regular hours, together with a studied temperance
+in both eating and drinking, had been grafted into his very nature.
+
+Life had thus been made very pleasant for our hero, and, believing
+himself to be heir to a fortune, he had never been disturbed by
+anxieties concerning the future. Of course, while he had hosts of
+acquaintances, most of whom called themselves his friends, he was well
+aware that some of them were envious of his position and would rejoice
+at his downfall, should such an event ever take place. It was partly
+this knowledge, partly his own sense of absolute security in life, and
+partly a habit acquired during a long career of leadership among his
+school companions that rendered him brusque with those for whom he did
+not particularly care and contemptuous to the verge of rudeness
+towards such persons as he disliked. Thus it will be seen that our
+young man possessed a facility for the making of enemies as well as
+friends.
+
+Of his secret enemies the most bitter was a fellow-student, also an
+American, named Owen, who, possessed of barely means enough to carry
+him through college, and with no prospects, had, by relinquishing
+everything else, taken much the same stand in scholarship that Peveril
+had in athletics. As a consequence, each was envious of the other, for
+the stroke of the 'varsity eight was so little of a student that he
+had never more than barely scraped through with an examination in his
+life, and was always overwhelmed with conditions. This jealousy would
+not, however, have led to enmity without a further cause, which had
+been furnished within a year.
+
+Owen had crossed on a steamer with Mrs. Maturin Bonnifay, of New York,
+and her only daughter, Rose. They did London together, and never had
+the young American found that smoke-begrimed city so delightful. At
+his solicitation the Bonnifays consented to visit Oxford, and
+permitted him to act as their escort. In contemplating the pleasure of
+such a visit, Owen had lost sight of its dangers; but, alas for his
+happiness! they became only too quickly apparent.
+
+The ladies must be taken to the river, of course, and there the one
+thing above all others to see was the 'varsity eight at practice. Of
+the entire crew none attracted such instant attention as the
+stroke-oar, and when they learned that he was an American their
+interest in him was doubled.
+
+Of course he and Mr. Owen, being compatriots in a strange land, and
+both having done so splendidly at the dear old university, must be
+friends.
+
+Oh, certainly.
+
+Then wouldn't Mr. Owen present his friend? It was always so pleasant
+to meet the right kind of Americans when abroad. "Why! There he comes
+now! I am sure that must be he; isn't it, Mr. Owen? Though one does
+look so different in a boat and out of it."
+
+It was indeed Peveril, who had purposely sauntered in that direction
+for a closer view of the pretty girl whom "Dig" Owen, of all men, had
+picked up; and, in another minute, Owen, with an extremely bad grace,
+had introduced him.
+
+From that moment, as is always the case when athletes and scholars
+compete for feminine favor, the scholar was almost ignored, while his
+muscular rival was petted to a degree that Owen declared simply
+scandalous. Although the latter was still allowed to act as
+second-best escort to the ladies, and form a fourth in their various
+excursions, it was always Peveril who walked, sat, strolled, and
+talked with Miss Rose, while Owen was monopolized by her mother.
+
+The Bonnifays had only intended to spend a day or two in Oxford, but
+the place proved so charmingly attractive that they remained a month,
+and when they finally took their departure for the Continent Miss Rose
+wore a superb diamond ring on the third finger of her left hand, that
+had very recently been placed there by Peveril.
+
+Before they separated it had been arranged that he and they should
+travel through Norway together during the following summer. Owen had
+also been invited to join the party, but had declined on the ground
+that immediately upon taking his degree he would be obliged to return
+to America.
+
+So that winter the scholar, filled with envy and bitterness, ground
+away gloomily but persistently at his books; while the athlete,
+radiant with happiness, steadily cheerful and good-natured, labored
+with his crew. Finally, he stroked them to a win on the Thames, and
+then, at the height of his glory, began to consider his chances for a
+degree. At this moment the blow was struck, and it came in the shape
+of a cablegram from a New York law firm.
+
+     "Return at earliest convenience. Carson dead. Affairs badly
+     involved."
+
+Boise Carson was the guardian whom Peveril had so seldom seen, but who
+had always controlled his affairs and provided so liberally for all
+his wants. Upon coming of age, a few months before, Peveril had sent
+over a power of attorney, and his ex-guardian had continued to act for
+him as before. They were to have had a settlement when the young man
+took his degree, for which purpose he had planned to run over to New
+York, spend a few days there, and return in time for his Norway trip
+with the Bonnifays. In the autumn he and they would sail for New York
+together, and the wedding would take place as soon thereafter as was
+practicable.
+
+Now this wretched cablegram promised to upset everything, and he must
+look forward to spending the summer in trying to disentangle an
+involved business, instead of spending it with the girl of his heart.
+Perhaps, though, "badly involved" did not mean so _very_ badly, and
+possibly he might get through with the hated business in time for the
+Norway trip after all, if he only set to work at once. Of course that
+would necessitate the giving up of his degree, but what difference did
+that make? Other things were of infinitely more importance.
+
+So Peveril bade farewell to Oxford, wrote a long letter, full of love
+and hopeful promises, to Rose Bonnifay, at Rome, sent her a reassuring
+telegram from Southampton, and sailed for New York. Having been so
+long absent, he found very few friends in that city, and it seemed to
+him that some even of those few greeted him with a constraint
+bordering on coldness.
+
+As Boise Carson, who had lived and died a bachelor, had roomed at the
+Waldorf, Peveril also established himself in that palatial
+caravansary, and was then ready to plunge into the business that had
+brought him to America.
+
+His first shock came from the lawyer who had summoned him, and who at
+once told him that he feared everything was lost.
+
+"I don't exactly understand what you mean," said Peveril.
+
+"In plain terms, then, I am afraid that your late guardian not only
+squandered his own fortune in unwise speculation, but yours as well.
+Perhaps this note, left for you, will explain the situation."
+
+Thus saying, the lawyer handed Peveril a sealed envelope addressed to
+him in the well-known handwriting of Boise Carson. Tearing it open,
+the young man read as follows:
+
+     "MY DEAR RICHARD:
+
+     "Having lost everything, including your fortune and my own
+     honor, I have no longer an object in living. I therefore
+     conclude that it will be best to efface myself as speedily as
+     possible. I have made a will, leaving you my sole heir and
+     executor. You are welcome to whatever you can save from the
+     wreck. All papers belonging to your father and left in my
+     charge will be handed you by Mr. Ketchum. Good-bye.
+
+     "Yours, for the last time,
+
+     "BOISE CARSON."
+
+
+"He didn't commit suicide?" exclaimed Peveril, incredulously.
+
+"It is to be feared that he did," replied the lawyer, "and the state
+of his affairs bears out the supposition."
+
+After this Peveril spent a month in New York, trying to recover
+something from the wreck of his fortune. At the end of that time he
+found himself with less than one hundred dollars over and above his
+obligations. Realizing at length that he must for the future depend
+entirely upon his own efforts, he made several applications for vacant
+positions in the city, only to find in every case that they were also
+sought by men more competent to fill them than he.
+
+One day, when, for want of something better to do, he was
+mechanically looking over a package of old papers that had belonged to
+his father, he came across a contract of partnership between his
+parent and a certain Ralph Darrell. It was for the opening and
+development of a mine, to be known as the "Copper Princess," and
+located in the upper peninsula of Michigan. By the terms of the
+contract the partnership was to exist for twenty years, and, if either
+party died during that time, his heir or heirs were to accept the
+liabilities and receive all benefits accruing to an original partner.
+It was, however, provided that the claims of such heirs must be made
+before expiration of the contract, otherwise the entire property would
+fall into possession of the longest-surviving partner or his heirs.
+The document bore a date nineteen years old.
+
+"Well," said Peveril, reflectively, as he finished reading this paper,
+"although everything else is lost, it would seem that as my father's
+sole heir I am still half-owner in a copper mine. I wonder if it is
+worth looking up?"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+STARTING IN SEARCH OF THE COPPER PRINCESS
+
+
+Viewed through the sanguine eyes of youth, the possession of a
+half-interest in a copper mine seemed to offer a ready solution of
+Peveril's recent difficulties. He vaguely recalled stories of great
+fortunes made in copper, and speculated concerning the market value of
+his newly discovered property. "There must be plenty of people ready
+to buy such things, if they are only offered cheaply enough," he said
+to himself; "and Heaven knows I wouldn't hold out for any fancy price.
+Ten thousand dollars, or even five, would be sufficient for the Norway
+trip, and after that something would be certain to turn up."
+
+Of all his trials none had seemed so hard to bear as the giving up of
+that journey to Norway, and now it might be accomplished, after all.
+He had written several letters to Rose since reaching New York, and at
+first they had been filled with hopes of a speedy reunion. Then, as he
+began to realize the condition of his fortunes, they became less
+frequent and less hopeful, until for some weeks, not knowing what to
+write, he had not written at all.
+
+Now filled with a new courage, he wrote a long and cheerful letter,
+in which he stated a belief that his business troubles were so nearly
+ended that he would speedily be able to join his friends in Norway.
+This letter, finished and mailed, the young mine-owner visited his
+lawyer, to inform him of his discovery and learn its probable value.
+
+Mr. Ketchum smiled grimly as he glanced at the contract on which
+Peveril was building such high hopes, and then, handing it back, said,
+pityingly:
+
+"My dear boy, I hate to dash your hopes, but I doubt if this thing is
+worth anything more than the paper on which it is written. Boise
+Carson brought it to us years ago, and we looked into it at that time.
+We discovered that a property located somewhere in Northern Michigan,
+and supposed to be rich in copper, had been purchased at a stiff price
+by your father and this Ralph Darrell, who was a banker in one of the
+New England cities--Boston, I believe. They christened it the 'Copper
+Princess,' invested nearly a million dollars in a complete
+mining-plant, and sank a shaft into barren rock. Not one cent did the
+mine ever yield, and the deeper they went the poorer became their
+prospects. Finally, Darrell, completely ruined financially, became
+crazed by his troubles and disappeared; nor has he ever been heard
+from since. Your father, having put half of his fortune into the
+venture, brooded over its loss until his death, which, I am convinced,
+was largely caused by the failure of the Copper Princess."
+
+"What became of the property after that?" asked Peveril, who had
+listened with a sinking heart to this recital.
+
+"I believe it stands to-day, as it was abandoned years ago, one of the
+many monuments of ruined hopes in that country of squandered
+fortunes."
+
+"But there is copper in that region, is there not?"
+
+"Certainly there is, and in fabulous quantity, but apparently not in
+the immediate vicinity of the Copper Princess."
+
+"Did you visit the place yourself?"
+
+"No. We conducted our inquiries through a mine-owner of Hancock, which
+was at that time the nearest town of importance to the property."
+
+"Does your correspondent still live there?"
+
+"I believe so. At any rate, he did within a year."
+
+"Will you give me a note of introduction to him, and also a paper of
+identification, by which I may substantiate my claim to a
+half-ownership in the Copper Princess?"
+
+"Certainly I will; but may I ask how you propose to use such
+documents? You surely do not intend to visit the property with the
+hope that anything can be realized from it?"
+
+"I don't think I have much hope of any kind just now," replied
+Peveril, bitterly. "But I suppose there is as much work to be done in
+the copper country as anywhere else, while my chances of obtaining
+employment there will at least be as good as they are here. Besides,
+it will be a sort of satisfaction to gaze upon the only existing
+evidence that there ever was a fortune in the family. You said that
+buildings of some sort had been erected on the property, did you not?"
+
+"Yes, according to my recollection there was quite a village of
+miners' houses, besides all the other necessary structures."
+
+"Then I may at least discover a roof under which I can dwell, rent
+free, while the sensation of finding myself lord of a manor will be
+decidedly novel."
+
+Having thus decided upon a course of action, our young mine-owner lost
+no time in carrying out his newly formed plans. That very afternoon he
+purchased a ticket for Buffalo, from which point he proposed to
+economize his slender resources by taking a lake steamer to his point
+of destination. His last duty before leaving New York, and the one
+from which he shrank most, was the writing of a second letter to Rose,
+telling her that the trip to Norway was no longer a possibility, so
+far as he was concerned. He wrote:
+
+     "I am suddenly confronted with the necessity of taking rather a
+     long Western journey, to investigate the condition of a mine in
+     which I own a half-interest. I hate to go, because every mile
+     will lengthen the distance between us, and am more bitterly
+     disappointed than I can express at being compelled to give up
+     our Norwegian trip. But my call to the West is imperative, and
+     must be obeyed. So, dear, let us bear our disappointment as
+     best we can, for I hope it is one to you as well as to me, and
+     look forward to a joyful reunion in this city next autumn."
+
+The epistle, of which the above is but a fragment, not only caused
+Miss Bonnifay to utter an impatient exclamation as she read it, but
+also led to complications.
+
+Feeling that, with Peveril safely across the Atlantic, there might be
+some hope for him, Owen had reconsidered his determination not to go
+to Norway, and had written from Oxford, offering to escort the ladies
+on that trip. His letter reached them in company with that from
+Peveril announcing that he too would shortly be with them. Thereupon
+Mrs. Bonnifay replied to Owen that, while they should be delighted to
+have him join their party, he must not inconvenience himself to do so,
+as Mr. Peveril's business was in such shape that he would be able to
+carry out his original intention of accompanying them.
+
+Then came Peveril's second letter, stating that he could not leave
+America, after all, and the elder lady hurriedly penned the following
+note:
+
+     "MY DEAR MR. OWEN:
+
+     "We are so glad that you can accompany us to Norway, the more
+     so that Mr. Peveril will, after all, be prevented from so
+     doing. He has just written that business of the utmost
+     importance, connected with an immensely valuable mine that he
+     owns somewhere in the West, will prevent his leaving America
+     this summer. Of course he is in despair, and all that, while we
+     are awfully sorry for him, but we shall not allow our grief to
+     interfere in the least with the pleasure we are anticipating
+     from a trip to Norway under your escort. Hoping, then, to see
+     you here very soon,
+
+     "I remain," etc., etc.
+
+Quickly as this letter followed its immediate predecessor, it arrived
+too late to accomplish its purpose; for, on the very day that he
+received it, Owen had cabled his acceptance of a position offered him
+in the United States and procured his ticket for New York.
+
+"Was ever a man so cursed by fate!" he cried, as he finished reading
+Mrs. Bonnifay's note; "or, rather, by the stupidity of a blundering
+idiot! I don't believe Dick Peveril cares a rap for the girl; if he
+did, he would not desert her on any such flimsy pretext. The idea of
+his having business with a mine! He never did have any business, and
+never will. How I hate the fellow!"
+
+With this, Mr. Owen composed a letter to Mrs. Bonnifay, in which his
+regrets at the miscarriage of their plans were skilfully interwoven
+with insinuations that possibly Peveril had found America to hold even
+greater attractions than Norway. He also promised to keep them
+informed concerning the latest New York news.
+
+This promise he redeemed two weeks later by forwarding whatever of
+gossip he could gather regarding Peveril. It included the information
+that the latter had not only lost his fortune, but had sought so
+unsuccessfully for employment in the city that he had finally been
+obliged to leave it, and no one knew whither he had gone. Having
+accomplished this piece of work, Mr. Owen also departed from New York,
+and turned his face westward.
+
+In the mean time, Peveril, happily unconscious of these several
+epistles, was finding his own path beset by trials such as he had
+never encountered on any previous journey, for they were those caused
+by a scarcity of funds with which to meet his every-day expenses.
+
+His determination to economize failed because of his ignorance of the
+first principles of economy. Besides that, his appearance, his manner,
+his dress, and his personal belongings were all so many protests
+against economy. Thus, when he inquired concerning a hotel in Buffalo,
+no one thought of naming any save the most expensive, and he drove to
+it in a carriage, because he did not know how else to reach it. Then
+it happened that the first boat leaving for the Superior country was
+the _Northland_, one of the most luxurious and extravagant of lake
+craft. To be sure, she was also the swiftest, and would carry him
+through without loss of time; but when he left her at the Sault, as he
+found he must in order to reach the copper country, his scanty stock
+of money was depleted beyond anything he had deemed possible on so
+short a trip. From the Sault he travelled by rail, and finally reached
+Hancock with but five dollars in his pocket.
+
+Then, failing to find the only person to whom he had a note of
+introduction, and also being unable to obtain work, he finally
+expended his last dollar for transportation to Red Jacket, where he
+knew he must either find employment or starve. And thus was our hero
+led to the point at which we first made his acquaintance.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+THE TREFETHENS
+
+
+As Peveril walked with his newly made acquaintance through the brisk
+mining-town, of whose very name he had been ignorant until that day,
+Mark Trefethen directed his attention to its various places and
+objects of interest. Of one small but handsome stone building,
+surrounded by grass and shade-trees, he said:
+
+"There's where the swells get's their beer."
+
+Peveril instantly knew it for a club-house, and, with a pang of regret
+for the lost comforts of such an establishment, glanced enviously at
+its cosey interior, disclosed through open windows.
+
+At length they reached the modest cottage, built on the plan of a
+hundred others, that Mark Trefethen rented from the company and called
+his home. The room into which Peveril was ushered was scrupulously
+clean and neat, but seemed to him painfully bare and cheerless. It was
+lighted by a single, unshaded lamp, that stood in the middle of an
+oilcloth-covered table laid for supper. Half a dozen cheap wooden
+chairs and a sewing-machine of inferior grade completed its
+furnishing. The new-comer had only time for a single glance at these
+things as he entered the door, before his recent acquaintance of the
+train, who now seemed almost like an old friend, sprang forward with
+outstretched hand, exclaiming:
+
+"I'm so glad you've come, for I was afraid father might not find you,
+or you might get tired of waiting, or that something might have
+happened to take you some other place. I would have gone back myself,
+only father wouldn't have it that way, and claimed 'twas his place to
+fetch you."
+
+"Surely, son; and why not? Could I do less than give the first welcome
+to one who has done for us what Mr. Peril has? Mother, take a step and
+shake hands wi' him who saved our boy to us this day. I couldn't
+believe it till I seen him hit 'Blacky' such a blow as but one other
+in all Red Jacket has ever struck. What do you think of one
+ninety-five for a record?"
+
+"Oh, father! you surely didn't take him--"
+
+But Tom's words were lost in the heartfelt though somewhat trying
+greeting that Peveril was at that moment receiving from Mrs.
+Trefethen. She was a large woman, whose ample form was unconfined by
+stay or lace, and with whom to "take a step" was evidently an
+exertion. That she was also of an emotional nature was shown by the
+tears that rolled in little well-defined channels down her cheeks as
+she made an elephantine courtesy before her guest.
+
+"Mister Peril, sir," she said, in a voice that seemed to bubble up
+through an overflow of tears, "may you never hexperience the feelinks
+of a mother, more especial the mother of a honly son, which 'arrowing
+is no name for them. As I were saying to Miss Penny this very day--a
+true lady, sir, if there is one in hall Red Jacket, and wife of No. 2,
+timber boss, my Mark being the same in No. 3--Miss Penny, sez I--but,
+laws! what's the use of telling sich things to a mere man? as I
+frequent sez to my Mark and my Tom, which he hain't no more'n a boy
+when all's said and done, if he does claim to vote, and halways on the
+side of 'is father, when, if wimmen had the privilege--as Miss Penny,
+who is a geniwine lady, and by no means a woman-sufferer, has frequent
+said to me, that it's a burning shame they shouldn't--things would be
+more naturally equalled up. Same time, young sir, seeing has 'ow
+you've come--"
+
+"And is also nearly starved," interrupted Mark Trefethen. "Let's have
+supper. You've done yourself proud, mother, and give Mr. Peril a
+master-welcome; but eating before talking, say I, and so let us fall
+to."
+
+Faint with hunger as he was, the guest needed no second invitation to
+seat himself at the homely but hospitable table, on which was placed a
+great dish of corned beef and cabbage, another of potatoes, a wheaten
+loaf, and a pot of tea. Cups, plates, and saucers were of thickest
+stone-ware, knives and forks were of iron, and spoons were of pewter,
+but Peveril managed to make successful use of them all, and though
+betraying a woful ignorance of the proper functions of a knife, ate
+his first working-man's meal with all of a working-man's appetite and
+hearty appreciation.
+
+Mrs. Trefethen occupied a great rocking-chair at one end of the
+table, surrounded by a group of clamorous little ones, into whose open
+mouths she dropped bits of food as though they were so many young
+birds in a nest, and kept up an unceasing flow of conversation
+regarding her friend Mrs. Penny, to which Peveril strove to pay polite
+attention.
+
+From the opposite end her husband expatiated between mouthfuls upon
+the fate that had overtaken 'Blacky' that evening, but Peveril was too
+hungry to talk, and so apparently was Tom. These four were waited on
+by a slim, rosy-cheeked lass, with demure expression but laughing
+eyes, to whom the guest had not been introduced, but who, from her
+likeness to Tom, he rightly concluded must be his sister. She was
+addressed as "Nelly."
+
+After supper the three men adjourned to a little front porch, where
+Mark Trefethen lighted a pipe and questioned Peveril concerning his
+plans for the future. After listening attentively to all that his
+guest chose to tell of himself, he said:
+
+"It's plain, lad, thee's not been brought up to work, and knows nought
+of mining; but thee's got head to learn and muscle to work with. So if
+'ee wants job thee shall have it, or Mark Trefethen 'll know why. Now
+I tell 'ee what. Bide along of us, and be certain of welcome. Take
+to-morrow to look about, and by night I'll have news for you."
+
+Gratefully accepting this invitation, the Oxford undergraduate slept
+that night in a tiny chamber of the Trefethen cottage, from which he
+shrewdly suspected Miss Nelly had been turned out to make room for
+him.
+
+The next day he went with his new-found friends to the mine, where, in
+the "Dry," he saw the underground laborers change into their
+red-stained working-suits. Then he watched them clamber, a dozen at a
+time, into the great ore-cages and disappear with startling suddenness
+down the black shaft into unknown depths of darkness. After all were
+gone he spent some time in the "compressor-room" of the engine-house
+with Tom, who was there on duty. The remainder of the day he passed in
+wandering among shaft-houses, rock-crushers, ore-cars, and shops,
+making close observations, asking questions, and gaining a deal of
+information concerning the mining of copper.
+
+That evening Mark Trefethen told him that he had made arrangements by
+which he could, if he chose, go to work in the mine the following
+morning. "Job's wi' timber gang, lad," he said, "in bottom level. It's
+hard work and little pay at first--only one twenty-five the day--but
+if 'ee's game for it, job's thine."
+
+"I am game to try it, at any rate," replied the young man, gratefully,
+"and will also try my best to prevent you from being ashamed of me."
+
+"No fear, lad. Only fear is I'll be proud of thee, and lat others see
+it, which would be very bad indeed. Now, I'll bate 'ee hasn't rag of
+clothing fit for mine work."
+
+"I have only what I am wearing," answered Peveril, who had left his
+trunks in Hancock, "but I guess they will do until I can earn the
+money to buy others more suitable."
+
+[Illustration: PEVERIL GOES TO WORK]
+
+"Do, lad! They'd be ruined forever in first five minutes. Besides,
+thee'd be laughing-stock of whole mine, if 'ee went down dressed like
+Jim Dandy. No, no; come along of me and I'll rig 'ee out proper."
+
+So Peveril was taken to the company store, where, with Mark Trefethen
+to vouch for him, he was allowed to purchase, on credit, two
+blue-flannel shirts, a suit of brown canvas, a pair of heavy hobnailed
+shoes, two pairs of woollen socks, a hard, round-topped hat, a
+dinner-pail, and a miner's lamp. As these things were, by order of the
+timber boss, charged to "Dick Peril," that was the name under which
+our young Oxonian began his new life and became known in the strange
+community to which erratic fortune had led him.
+
+On the following morning he sallied forth from the Trefethen cottage
+with a tin dinner-pail on one arm, his working-suit under the other,
+and uncomfortably conscious that he was curiously regarded by every
+person whom he met on his way to the mine. As the "Dry" was already
+overcrowded, he shared Tom's locker, and was grateful for the
+opportunity of changing his clothing in the comparative seclusion of
+the compressor-room rather than in company with the two hundred men
+who thronged the steam-heated building devoted especially to that
+purpose.
+
+Having assumed his new garments, and feeling very awkward in them,
+Peveril made his way to the shaft-mouth. There he was joined by Mark
+Trefethen, who regarded the change made in his protégé's appearance
+with approving eyes. Together, and in company with a stream of men
+talking in a bewildering Babel of tongues, they climbed flight after
+flight of wooden stairs to the uppermost floor of the tall
+shaft-house.
+
+An empty cage that had just deposited its load of copper conglomerate
+was again ready to descend into the black depths, and, hurrying
+Peveril forward, Mark Trefethen, with half a dozen other miners,
+entered it. An iron gate closed behind them and a gong clanged in the
+engine-house.
+
+"Hold fast, lad, and remember there's no danger," was all that the
+timber boss had time to say. Then the bottom seemed to drop out of
+everything, and Peveril, experiencing the sickening sensation of
+having left his stomach at the top of the shaft, found himself rushing
+downward with horrible velocity through utter blackness. Instinctively
+reaching out for something by which to hold on, he clutched a
+rough-coated arm, but his grasp was rudely shaken off, and a gruff
+voice bade him keep his hands to himself.
+
+He could not frame an answer, for his brain was in a whirl, his ears
+were filled with a dull roaring, and a whistling rush of air caught
+away his breath. The motion of the cage was so smooth and noiseless
+that after a while he could not tell whether it were going up or down,
+though it seemed to be doing both, as though poised on a gigantic
+spring. At length faint glimmers of light began to flash past as it
+shot by the mouths of working levels, and finally it stopped with a
+jerk that threw its passengers into a confused huddle.
+
+A gate was flung open, and as Peveril stumbled out of the cage he was
+only conscious of dancing lights, a crashing rumble of iron against
+iron, and a medley of shouting voices. At the same time all these
+sounds seemed far away and unreal.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+A MILE BENEATH THE SURFACE
+
+
+"Swallow, lad!"
+
+Mark Trefethen uttered the words, and Peveril, dimly comprehending
+him, instinctively obeyed. The effect of that simple muscular action
+was marvellous. His brain was instantly cleared of its weight, the
+ringing in his ears ceased, and his hearing was restored to its normal
+keenness. At the same time he was happily conscious that his stomach
+had been restored to its proper position.
+
+"This is plat of bottom level, and we're a mile underground,"
+continued Mark. "They put us down in one-thirty this time, but often
+they do it ten seconds better."
+
+"I wonder how much longer it would take to drop from a balloon one
+mile above the earth?" reflected Peveril, at the same time gazing
+about him with a lively interest.
+
+The place in which he stood was a spacious room, hewn from solid rock.
+Lighted by several lanterns and little, flaring mine-lamps, it was
+also smoothly floored with iron plates, and from it a narrow-gauge
+railway led away into the blackness. Articles of clothing and
+dinner-pails were hung about the walls, and on the side opposite the
+shaft was a bench of rude workmanship.
+
+Every few minutes an iron car holding several tons of copper rock was
+run into the plat with a tremendous clatter from the little railway
+that penetrated to every "drift" and "stope" of the level. Each of
+these cars was pushed by a team of three wild-looking men, who were
+stripped naked to the waist. Their haggard faces and naked bodies were
+begrimed with powder-smoke, stained red with ore-dust, and gleamed in
+the fitful lamp-light with trickling rivulets of perspiration. The
+car-pushers were all foreigners--Italians, Bohemians, Hungarians, or
+Poles--and the uncouth jargon of their shouts intensified the wildness
+of their appearance. Theirs was the very lowest form of mine drudgery,
+and but few of them were possessed of intelligence or ambition
+sufficient to raise them above it.
+
+One, who was accounted somewhat brighter than his fellows, by whom he
+was regarded as a leader, had indeed been promoted on trial by the
+timber boss to a position in his own gang. He was a perfect brute for
+strength, but so densely ignorant and of such sullen disposition that
+when a better man was offered, in the person of Dick Peveril, the boss
+was only too glad to return him to his hated task of car-pushing and
+accept the new-comer in his place. His sentence of degradation,
+pronounced only the day before, had been received as a personal
+affront by every wild-eyed car-pusher of the mine. All knew that some
+one must fill the place from which their leader had been ousted, and
+all were prepared to hate him the moment his identity should be
+disclosed.
+
+Thus, as Peveril stumbled awkwardly out of the cage in which he had
+just made that breathless, mile-deep descent, he was instantly spotted
+as being a new man, and a team of car-pushers, slaking their thirst at
+a water-barrel in one corner of the plat, gazed at him with scowling
+intentness, that they might minutely describe his appearance to their
+fellows. As he knew nothing of the circumstances through which a place
+had been made for him, he paid no attention to these men, other than
+to note their savage appearance as a feature of his novel
+surroundings.
+
+In fact, he had barely time to take a single comprehensive glance
+around the plat before a man who had been one of his fellow-passengers
+in the cage remarked, sneeringly:
+
+"Pretty well scared, wasn't you, young feller?"
+
+"Yes, I was," replied Peveril, turning and facing his questioner. "But
+how did you know it?"
+
+"By the way you grabbed my arm. If you'd done it again I'd have
+punched your head; for I don't 'low no man to catch holt on me that
+way."
+
+Peveril had already recognized the speaker's face; but, without
+deigning a further reply, he turned to Mark Trefethen and said:
+
+"Will you kindly give me the name of this unpleasant person, as I wish
+to file it away in my memory for future reference?"
+
+"Person be blowed!" exclaimed the man, stepping forward with a
+menacing gesture. "What do you mean by calling me names, you damned--"
+
+"Shut up, Mike Connell, and go about your business," commanded the
+timber boss. "Come, lad, he's not worth noticing," and, thus saying,
+Mark Trefethen led Peveril away.
+
+Although the car-pushers had not caught the words of this brief
+conversation, they had readily understood Mike Connell's threatening
+gesture towards the new-comer, and several times during that day one
+or more of them might have been seen in low-voiced consultation with
+the scowling-faced Irishman.
+
+"Here, lad, fill lamp wi' sunlight," said the timber boss, as he and
+his protégé were leaving the plat. "First rule of mine is always have
+lamp in trim, and carry candle, besides plenty of matches in pocket."
+
+With this Mark scooped up in his hand a small quantity of a stiff,
+whitish substance from an open box beside them, and stuffed it into
+his lamp. The box was indeed marked "Sunlight," but when Peveril
+followed his companion's example he found its contents to be merely
+solidified paraffine.
+
+With their lamps well filled and flaring brightly, the two walked for
+half a mile through a dry and well-ventilated gallery, which had been
+driven by drill and blast through solid rock, and from which thousands
+of tons of copper had been taken. Now Peveril learned for the first
+time what "timbering" a mine meant, and realized the necessity for the
+huge piles of great logs that he had seen above ground in close
+proximity to the shaft. Not only had it been incased on all four sides
+by logs mortised together and laid up like the walls of a house, but
+the drift through which he now walked was timbered from end to end.
+Its roof was upheld by huge tree-trunks standing from ten to twenty
+feet apart, and occasionally in groups of three or four together.
+Supported by them, and pressing against the roof or "hanging," were
+other great timbers known as "wall plates," and behind these was a
+compactly laid sheathing of split timber spoken of as "lagging."
+
+As the two men advanced deeper into the drift, an occasional ore-car,
+pushed by its panting human team, rumbled heavily past, while every
+now and then came dull, tremulous shocks like those of an earthquake.
+These were blasts on other levels, or in other parts of the one on
+which they were.
+
+At sound of a confused shouting from somewhere ahead of them, they
+stood still until, with a crashing roar that bellowed and echoed
+through the galleries like a peal of loudest thunder, one of these
+blasts was fired close at hand. A minute later they were enveloped in
+a pungent smoke, through which twinkled dimly a score of lights.
+Brawny, half-naked forms were already wielding pick and shovel amid
+the masses of rock just loosened, a powerful air-drill was being
+placed in position for another attack upon the wall of tough rock, and
+a small timber gang was struggling to hoist a huge log that they
+called a "stull" into position.
+
+"Here's the place, lad. Take hold and give a lift. Now, boys,
+altogether"! shouted Mark Trefethen, and in another moment Dick
+Peveril found himself hard at work.
+
+Within a few minutes the new hand was as begrimed and dripping with
+perspiration as any member of the gang, all of whom exchanged
+significant glances as they noted the willingness with which he
+exerted his great strength. Never had the heavy timbers been set in
+place so quickly, and never in their remembrance had a green hand
+"caught on" so readily.
+
+"He won't last long, though, at that pace," remarked one of the older
+men to Trefethen, as he paused to wipe the sweat-drops from his eyes,
+"he's too fresh."
+
+"Perhaps not," replied the timber boss. "We'll give him a bit of a
+try, though, before dropping him," and then he walked away to inspect
+the operations of another gang in a distant part of the mine.
+
+Late that day, as Peveril's first shift of work drew towards its
+close, he ached in every part of his body, but was learning his new
+trade so rapidly that his fellows were already beginning to regard him
+as one of the best men in their gang. He had made several trips to and
+from the foot of the timber-shaft in company with others, and so,
+when, shortly before quitting time, the foreman of his gang sang out:
+
+"Oh, Peril! Just run back to the stack and bring us one of them small
+sprags. Hurry, now!" the new man started without a moment's
+hesitation.
+
+He found his way without difficulty to the timber pile, and began a
+search for such a piece as he had been told to fetch. The better to
+see what he was doing, he removed the lamp from his hat and held it
+low in front of him, in which position his own face was clearly
+revealed by its light. While he was thus engaged, a miner, who, with
+his day's work finished, was walking towards the plat, paused to
+regard him. The man's face bore a malicious expression, and he seemed
+to meditate some mischief towards the unsuspecting youth, for he
+clinched his fists and took a step in Peveril's direction. Just then
+the rumble of an approaching car caused him to pause and wait until it
+should pass. As it came abreast of him he recognized one of its
+pushers, and drew him aside, while the car, still propelled by two
+members of its team, moved on out of sight.
+
+Without a word the miner directed his companion's attention to the
+figure still bending over the log pile, and made several significant
+gestures. The brutish face of the pusher lighted with an ugly leer,
+expressive of understanding, and he began to move cautiously towards
+the man who had that day displaced him from the timber gang. As he had
+left his light on the car, there was nothing to warn Peveril of his
+approach until he was close at hand and about to deliver a cowardly
+blow.
+
+At that instant the mysterious premonition that always gives warning
+of human presence caused the young man to turn his head. Although he
+was too late to avoid the impending blow, it was deflected by his
+movement, and instead of stunning him it merely caused him to stagger
+and drop his lamp. He also partially warded off a closely following
+second blow, and then his own terrible fist was planted with crashing
+force full on his assailant's jaw.
+
+[Illustration: THE CAR-PUSHERS MADE A FURIOUS ATTACK ON PEVERIL]
+
+The man uttered a scream of agony, covered his face with his hands,
+and started to run. At this moment the other two car-pushers appeared
+on the scene, and with fierce cries began a furious attack upon the
+young man whom they had sworn either to kill or drive from the mine.
+At this time the battleground was only dimly illumined by the
+flickering light of the miner who was thus far sole spectator of the
+contest. Peveril fought in dogged silence, but his assailants uttered
+shrill cries in an unknown tongue. Attracted by these, other lights
+began to appear from both directions, and all at once Mark Trefethen's
+gruff tones were heard demanding to know what was going on.
+
+At this sound Peveril uttered a joyful shout, while at the same moment
+the light in Mike Connell's hat was extinguished.
+
+Recognizing his protégé's voice, the timber boss sprang to his side,
+and within another minute the two car-pushers would have been
+annihilated had not the coming of a second car given them a
+reinforcement of three more half-naked savages.
+
+Thus beset and outnumbered by more than two to one, Trefethen thought
+it no shame to call for aid, and, uplifting his mighty voice, he sent
+rolling and echoing through the rock-bound galleries the rallying cry
+of the Cornishmen:
+
+"One and all for Cornwall! One and all!"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+CORNWALL TO THE RESCUE
+
+
+"One and all!" The rallying-cry of the most clannish county in
+England. The one in which, from Land's End to Plymouth Sound, every
+family claims some degree of cousinship with every other, until, at
+home and abroad, "Cousin Richard" is the name proudly borne by all
+Cornishmen.
+
+"One and all!" As the startling cry rang through the black underground
+depths it was heard and answered, caught up and repeated, until it
+penetrated the remotest corners of the far-reaching level. At its
+sound the men of Cornwall, working in stope or drift, breast or
+cross-cut, dropped their tools and sprang to obey its summons. By twos
+and threes they ran, shouting the magic words that Cornish tongues
+have carried around the world. They met in eager groups, each
+demanding to know who had first given the alarm and its cause. As none
+could answer, and the shouts still came from far away, they swept on,
+in ever-increasing numbers and with growing anxiety, for the call of
+Cornwall is never given save in an emergency.
+
+In the meantime the fight between two and five rages with unabated
+fury; the two, with their backs to a wall, putting up the splendid
+defence of trained boxers against the fierce but untaught rush of mere
+brutes. Science, however, labored under the disadvantage of fighting
+in a gloom that was almost darkness, for Mark Trefethen's lamp had
+been extinguished at the outset, and the only one still burning was on
+a car standing at a distance from them.
+
+Of a sudden the timber boss heard a groan at his side, and found
+himself fighting alone. His comrade had sunk limply to the ground, and
+an exultant yell from the others proclaimed their knowledge that they
+had no longer to fear his telling blows. As they were about to rush in
+and complete their victory, the battle-cry of Cornwall, accompanied by
+the flash of many lights, came rolling down the gallery.
+
+Help was close at hand. If Mark Trefethen could hold out for another
+minute he would be surrounded by friends. With an answering shout of
+"One and all!" he sprang to meet his assailants, and, realizing their
+danger, they fled before him. At the same instant the lamp on their
+car disappeared, and in the utter darkness that followed Trefethen
+could only grope his way back to Peveril's side.
+
+A moment later the flaring lights of the Cornish miners disclosed the
+old man, with face battered and bleeding, standing grimly undaunted
+beside the motionless form of the newest comer to the mine. The latter
+lay unconscious, with an ugly wound on the side of his head, from
+which blood was flowing freely. It had been made by a fragment of
+copper rock, evidently taken from the loaded car close at hand, and
+flung from that direction. Several other similar pieces were picked up
+near where the two men had defended themselves, and, now that
+Trefethen had time for reflection, he recalled having heard these
+crash against the wall behind him.
+
+Who had flung them was a mystery, as was the cause of the attack on
+Peveril. Even the identity of his assailants seemed likely to remain
+unrevealed, for these had slipped away in the darkness, and though the
+rescuing party searched the level like a swarm of angry hornets, they
+could not discover a man bearing on his person any signs of the recent
+fray.
+
+In the gloom shrouding the scene of conflict, Mark Trefethen had not
+been able to recognize those with whom he fought, but only knew them
+to be foreigners and car-pushers. It afterwards transpired that a
+number of these had, on that evening, made their way to a shaft a mile
+distant, and so gained the surface. One of them was reported to have
+had his head tied up as the result of an accident, but no one had
+recognized him.
+
+While certain of the Cornishmen searched the mine, Trefethen and
+others bore the still unconscious form of Richard Peveril to the plat,
+and sounded the alarm signal of five bells. Nothing so startles a
+mining community as to have this signal come from underground. It may
+mean death and disaster. It surely means that there are injured men to
+be brought up to the surface, and the time elapsing before their
+arrival is always filled with deepest anxiety.
+
+It was so in the present case, and when the cage containing the two
+battered miners, one of whom had also every appearance of being dead,
+emerged from the shaft, a throng of spectators was waiting to greet
+it.
+
+These learned with a great sigh of relief that there had been no
+accident, but merely a fight, in which the men just brought up were
+supposed to be the only ones injured. Their revulsion of feeling led
+many of the spectators to treat the whole affair as a joke, especially
+as the only person seriously hurt was a stranger.
+
+"It's always new-comers as stirs up shindies," growled a miner who,
+having reached the surface a few minutes earlier, formed one of the
+expectant group. "They ought not to be let underground, I say."
+
+"How about Trefethen?" asked a voice. "He's no new-comer."
+
+"Oh, Mark's a quarrelsome old cuss, who's always meddling where he has
+no call."
+
+"You lie, Mike Connell, and you know it. My father never fights
+without good cause," cried Tom Trefethen, who had arrived just in time
+to resent the slurring remark.
+
+"I'll teach you, you young whelp!" shouted the miner, springing
+furiously forward; but Tom leaped aside, leaving the other to be
+confronted by several burly Cornishmen, in whose ears was still
+ringing the cry of "One and all!"
+
+"Lad's right, Maister Connell," said one of these. "If 'ee doan't
+believe it, come along and get proof."
+
+But the Irishman, muttering something about not caring to fight all
+Cornwall, turned abruptly and walked away.
+
+Tom Trefethen, not yet knowing that Peveril had been hurt, also
+hurried away to find his father, who, having left his young friend in
+the hands of the mine surgeon, had gone to change his clothing. At the
+same time poor Peveril lay in a small room of the shaft-house, having
+the gash in his head sewn up. Several spectators regarded the
+operation curiously, and among them was a gentleman, addressed by the
+doctor as Mr. Owen, whom none of the others remembered to have seen
+before, but who seemed to take a great interest in the still
+unconscious sufferer.
+
+"Do you consider it a serious case, doctor?" he asked.
+
+"No. Not at all serious. These miners are a tough lot, and not easily
+done for, as you'll find out before you have seen as much of them as I
+have. This one will probably be out and at work again in a day or two.
+I'm always having such little jobs on my hands, the results of
+accident, mostly, though this, I believe, is a case of fighting,
+something very uncommon in our mine, I can assure you. Splendid
+physique, hasn't he? Savage-looking face, though. Hate to trust myself
+alone with him. I understand old Mark Trefethen had a hard tussle
+before he brought him to terms."
+
+"What was the trouble?"
+
+"I don't know, exactly. Insubordination, I suppose; but old Mark
+don't put up with any nonsense."
+
+"Do you know this fellow's name, or anything about him?"
+
+"Um--yes. I have learned something, but not much. His name is
+Peril--Richard Peril. Odd name, isn't it? He's a new-comer, and, like
+yourself, has just entered the company's employ. Rather a contrast in
+your positions, though. Illustrates the difference between one brought
+up and educated as a gentleman, and one destined from the first for
+the other thing, eh? It is all poppycock to say that education can
+make a gentleman; don't you think so? In the present case, for
+instance, I doubt if even Oxford could make a gentleman of this
+fellow. His whole expression is a protest against such a supposition.
+But now he's coming to all right, and I'm glad of it, for I have an
+engagement at the club, and don't want to spend much more time with
+him."
+
+Poor Peveril, whose begrimed and blood-streaked face was not
+calculated to prepossess one in his favor, began just then to have a
+realizing sense that he was still alive, and the doctor, bending over
+him, said:
+
+"There now, my man, you are doing nicely, and by taking care of
+yourself you will be about again in a day or two. You had a close
+call, though, and it's a warning to behave yourself in the future; for
+I can assure you that one given to fighting or disobedience of orders
+is not allowed to linger in these parts. I must leave you now, but
+will call again this evening to see how you are getting along. What
+is your address?"
+
+"He lives along of us, sir," answered Tom Trefethen, who had just
+entered the room; "and if you think it's safe to move him, we'll take
+him right home."
+
+"Certainly you can move him; in fact, he could walk if there was no
+other way; but it will be as well to take him in a carriage. Let me
+see, your name is Trefethen, is it not?"
+
+"Yes, sir."
+
+"Very well; put your boarder to bed as soon as you get him home, keep
+him quiet, give him only cooling drinks, and I'll call round after a
+while. Now I must hurry along."
+
+The stranger, who walked away with the self-important young doctor,
+was none other than Peveril's Oxford classmate--"Dig" Owen--who,
+having obtained a position in the Eastern office of the White Pine
+Mining Company, had been advised to visit the mine and learn something
+of its practical working before assuming his new duties. He had just
+arrived when the rumor of an accident caused him to hurry to the
+shaft-mouth. There he was thunderstruck at recognizing in one of the
+two men brought up from the depths his recent college-mate and rival.
+In the excitement of the moment he had very nearly betrayed the fact
+of their acquaintance, but managed to restrain himself, and was
+afterwards careful to keep out of Peveril's sight, foreseeing a great
+advantage to himself by so doing.
+
+That same evening he sat in the comfortable writing-room of the
+club-house--at which poor Peveril had gazed with envious eyes--and
+composed a long epistle to Rose Bonnifay, in which he mentioned that
+he had just run across their mutual friend, Dick Peveril, working as a
+day-laborer in a copper-mine.
+
+     "This" [he continued] "is doubtless the mine in which he
+     claimed to be _interested_, and under the circumstances one can
+     hardly blame the poor fellow for putting it in that way. At the
+     same time, I consider it only fair that _you_ should know the
+     real facts in the case.
+
+     "His misfortunes seem also to have affected his disposition,
+     for on the very day of my arrival he was engaged in a most
+     disgraceful fight with some of his low associates, by whom he
+     was severely and justly punished. Of course I could not afford
+     to recognize him, and so took pains to have him kept in
+     ignorance of my presence. Is it not sad that a fellow of such
+     promise should in so short a time have fallen so low?
+
+     "Within a few days I shall return to the East, where my own
+     prospects are of the brightest," etc.
+
+"There," said Mr. Owen to himself, as he sealed and addressed this
+letter. "If that don't effectually squelch Mr. Richard Peveril's
+aspirations in a certain direction, then I'm no judge of human
+nature."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+IN THE NEW SHAFT
+
+
+When the mine-surgeon visited his patient that evening he found only
+Mrs. Trefethen, sitting on the porch and awaiting him, "her men-folk,"
+as she informed him, "being on the trail of they murderers."
+
+"Which, if they ain't so many Cainses this night, hit bain't their
+fault, as I sez to Miss Penny the moment I sees that pore lamb brought
+into the 'ouse just like 'e was struck down the same as a flower of
+the field that bloweth where hit listeth; and she sez to me--for me
+and Miss Penny was wishing at that blessed minute, like hit were
+providential--she sez--"
+
+"It is certainly very kind of you to take such an interest in a
+stranger," ruthlessly interrupted the doctor; "but may I inquire how
+my patient is getting along?"
+
+"You may indeed, sir, and may the good Lord preserve you from a like
+harm, which hit make my blood boil to think of my pore Mark's hescape,
+him being what you might call owdacious to that degree. He were
+telling me has'ow 'One and hall' was everythink that saved 'im, and
+they rocks pattering same has 'ailstones hall the time. Law, sir!"
+
+"Doubtless, madam, the episode must have been most exciting; but now,
+if you will allow me to interview the cause of all this trouble, I
+shall be much obliged."
+
+"Trouble, doctor, dear! Don't mention the word when hit's 'im 'eld the
+life of my Tom in 'is two 'ands, and but for they cruel rocks that
+battered 'is fore'ead would ha' throttled them rascal pushers same as
+rattan in tarrier's grip; for my man 'olds there was ne'er a
+fisticuffer like 'im in hall the Jackets. But, doctor! doctor! Oh,
+drat the man! now 'e'll go hand wake Maister Peril, which I were
+a-settin' 'ere a pu'pos' to tell 'im lad's asleep."
+
+Impatient of longer delay, and despairing of obtaining a direct answer
+to his questions, the doctor had indeed slipped into the house and
+instinctively made his way up-stairs towards the only room in which a
+light was burning. He was met outside the door by a warning "Sh!" from
+Nelly Trefethen, who had been left on guard by her mother, and
+together they entered the room where the wounded man lay tossing in
+restless slumber.
+
+The doctor started at close sight of him, and for a moment refused to
+believe that the handsome, high-bred face, from which every trace of
+grime and blood had been carefully removed, was that of the young
+fellow who, he had declared, could never become a gentleman. Only the
+evidence of his own handiwork, in shape of the bandages still swathing
+Peveril's head, served to convince him that this was indeed his
+patient of the shaft-house.
+
+After a few minutes of observation he left the room, without awakening
+the sleeper, and gave his directions for the night down-stairs. He
+also questioned Nelly closely concerning the young man who had so
+aroused his curiosity, but she could only tell him that the stranger's
+name was "Peril," that he had come to Red Jacket in search of work,
+had saved her brother's Tom's life, and had in consequence been given
+a job in the mine.
+
+"But he is evidently a gentleman?" said the doctor.
+
+"Claims to be working-man," put in Mrs. Trefethen.
+
+"He can be both, can't he, mother?" asked Nelly, somewhat sharply.
+"Surely you think father is a gentleman."
+
+"Not same as him yonder," replied the older woman, stoutly.
+
+"Well, I don't care what he is or isn't," answered the girl, with a
+toss of her pretty head, "he hasn't shown any sign yet of holding
+himself above us, and Tom thinks he is just splendid. If he was here
+he wouldn't hear a word said against him, I know that much."
+
+"Save us, lass! Who's said aught 'gainst thy young man?"
+
+"He's not my young man, mother, and you know it. Can't a girl stand up
+for a stranger who saved her brother's life, and who has just been
+knocked senseless while fighting beside her own father, without being
+twitted about him?"
+
+"Certainly she can," replied the doctor, with an admiring glance at
+the girl's spirited pose and flushed face. "But have a care, Miss
+Nelly. There's nothing so dangerous to a girl's peace of mind as an
+interesting invalid of the opposite sex."
+
+"Thank you, for nothing, doctor, and you needn't fret one little bit
+about me. We Red Jacket girls can take care of ourselves without going
+to any man for advice."
+
+"Save us, lass, but thee's getting a pert hussy!" cried Mrs.
+Trefethen; but the doctor only laughed, and took his departure,
+promising to call again the next day.
+
+He had hardly gone before Mark Trefethen returned, filled with
+excitement over certain discoveries he had just made. One was that the
+car-pushers of the mine had sworn either to force Peveril from it or
+to kill him. He had also learned that Rothsky, the Bohemian, who had
+been found wanting when tried in the timber gang, had led the attack
+of that evening, and had received a broken jaw in consequence. The
+identity of the two car-pushers who were with him at the time having
+also been discovered, the captain of the mine had promptly discharged
+all three. Moreover, the Cornish miners had sworn that if either their
+own leader or his protégé were again molested while underground they
+would drive every foreign car-pusher from the workings.
+
+When Tom came home he confided to his father a belief that Mike
+Connell had been at the bottom of all the recent deviltry, but, as he
+confessed that he could not verify his suspicions, Mark Trefethen
+bade him keep them to himself.
+
+"We'll not take away any man's character, lad," he said, "without
+proof that he deserves to lose it. But if ever I know for certain that
+Mike Connell had hand in this, lat him have a care o' me. As for yon
+Dick Peril, there's no fear but what he can look out for hissel', now
+that we can warn him of his enemies."
+
+For two days Peveril kept his bed, assiduously waited on by Mrs.
+Trefethen and her daughter, watched over at night by Tom, and an
+object of anxious solicitude to the entire family. Then he was allowed
+to venture down-stairs, while the children were driven from the house,
+that they might not disturb him. Before the week ended he was taking
+short walks, escorted by Miss Nelly, who was only too proud to show
+off this new cavalier before the other girls of her acquaintance.
+Several times as the doctor saw them thus together he shook his head
+doubtfully.
+
+During one of these walks Peveril made the joyful discovery of a
+public library, and thereafter much of his convalescence was passed
+within its walls. There he read with avidity all that he could find
+concerning the Lake Superior copper region, and mining in general.
+Particularly was he interested in everything pertaining to the
+prehistoric mining of copper by a people, presumably Aztecs or their
+close kin, who possessed the art, long since lost, of tempering that
+metal.
+
+All this time he never for a moment forgot the object of his coming
+to that country, nor neglected a possible opportunity for gaining news
+of the mine in which he believed himself to be a half-owner. Thus, in
+all his reading, as well as in his conversations with Mark Trefethen
+and other miners, he always sought for information concerning the
+Copper Princess, but could find none. His books had nothing to say on
+the subject, and, while the men knew by report of many abandoned
+mining properties, they had not heard of one bearing the name in
+question.
+
+Finally, chafing under this enforced idleness, as well as under the
+poverty that compelled him to be a pensioner on those who could ill
+afford to support him, Peveril announced his complete restoration to
+health, and declared his intention of again going to work.
+
+Mark Trefethen tried to persuade him to wait a while longer before
+thus testing his strength, but without avail, and at length, finding
+the young man set in his determination, used his influence to procure
+for him a temporary situation in which the work would be much lighter
+than with the timber gang. This job was in a shaft then being sunk by
+the White Pine Company, and included a certain supervision of the
+explosives used in blasting.
+
+The new shaft was already down several hundred feet, and was being
+driven through solid rock by drill and blast, at the rate of twenty
+feet per week. Of course there was no regular running of cages up and
+down as yet, but the loosened material was hoisted to the surface in a
+big iron bucket, or "skip," and in this the miners engaged in the
+work also travelled back and forth.
+
+The great opening was a rectangle twenty-two by six and a half feet,
+and to sink it a series of holes was drilled around its sides. Then
+all the men but one were sent to the surface, while Peveril descended
+with a load of dynamite and a fuse. The man left at the bottom was
+always an experienced miner, and it was his duty to charge the holes,
+place and light the fuses, which were timed to burn for several
+minutes, jump into the skip and give the signal for hoisting. In all
+of this work he was of course assisted by Peveril, and when their task
+was completed the two men were lifted to the surface as quickly as
+possible.
+
+After our young friend had been engaged in this delicate business some
+two weeks, and had become thoroughly familiar with its details, he was
+disagreeably surprised one day, upon descending with his freight of
+explosives, to find Mike Connell awaiting him at the bottom of the
+shaft. The Irishman seemed equally annoyed at seeing him, but the
+purpose for which they were there must be accomplished, and so, glad
+as each would have been for a more congenial companion, they set
+doggedly to work.
+
+When Connell, in a spirit of bravado, handled the sticks of dynamite
+with criminal recklessness, and finally managed to drop one of them
+close beside Peveril, the latter sharply commanded him to be more
+careful.
+
+"Afraid, are you?" sneered the other.
+
+"Yes, I am afraid to work with a man who knows so little of his
+business as you appear to," answered Peveril.
+
+"Go to the top then, and lave me to finish the job alone. Lord knows,
+I don't want no dealings with a coward."
+
+"It makes no difference what you want or do not want," answered the
+younger man steadily, though with a hot flush mounting to his cheeks.
+"I was sent here for a certain duty, and intend to stay until I have
+performed it."
+
+"And I've a great mind to do what I ought to have done the first day
+you struck Red Jacket, and that is to punch your head."
+
+"You shall have a chance to try it when we get to the surface."
+
+"Where you think you'll find friends to protect you. No, by ----, I'll
+do it now!"
+
+With this the Irishman sprang forward with clinched fists, but the
+other, being on guard, caught him so deft a blow under the chin that
+he dropped like a log. Then, with the full exercise of his strength,
+the young Oxonian picked his enemy up and dropped him into the skip.
+After doing which he proceeded to complete arrangements for the blast.
+
+He worked with nervous haste, and did not see that his enemy had so
+far recovered as to be watching him with an expression of deadly hate
+over the side of the great iron bucket. But it was so, and, just as
+Peveril had lighted the several fuses, Connell gave the signal to
+hoist.
+
+The movement of the skip disclosed his devilish purpose in time for
+Peveril to spring and catch with outstretched arms one of its
+supporting bars. With a mighty effort he drew himself up, and, in
+spite of Connell's furious attempts to prevent him, gained its
+interior.
+
+At that moment something went wrong with the hoisting machinery, the
+upward movement was arrested, and the bucket hung motionless not more
+than ten feet above the deadly mine. In the awfulness of their common
+danger, the men forgot their enmity and gazed at each other with
+horror-stricken eyes. Then, with a groan of despair, Mike Connell sank
+limply to the bottom of the skip.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX
+
+WINNING A FRIEND BY SHEER PLUCK
+
+
+Peveril's lamp had been extinguished during his struggle to force an
+entrance into the skip, while that in Mike Connell's hat went out as
+he sank helpless from terror and crouched at the other's feet. So the
+blackness that shrouded them as with a pall was only faintly illumined
+by the fitful flashing of the fuses that hissed like so many fiery
+serpents beneath them. Their red eyes gleamed spitefully through the
+gloom, and for an instant Peveril, leaning over the side of the skip,
+gazed at them in fascinated helplessness.
+
+Then he leaped down among them and began to tear them from their
+connection with the devilish forces that only awaited a signal to
+burst forth and destroy him. The fiery serpents bit at him as he flung
+them, to writhe in impotent rage, where they could do no harm; but he
+heeded not the pain, and after a little they expired, one by one,
+hissing spitefully to the last.
+
+Some of them had already burned so low that he could not pluck them
+forth, and was forced to stamp out their venomous lives with the
+constant knowledge that, should a single spark escape this imperfect
+method of extinguishment, he would still be lost. So fiercely did he
+labor that in less than one minute the last visible spark from a score
+of fuses had glimmered out, and he stood in absolute darkness. But he
+must wait for a full minute more before he could be certain that none
+had escaped him, to creep viciously down through the loose tamping and
+still reach the hidden dynamite. It was a period of the same helpless
+anxiety that immediately precedes the hearing of a sentence that may
+be either one of death or acquittal. While it lasted Peveril was
+bathed in a cold perspiration, his brain reeled, and his limbs
+trembled until he was obliged to lean against the side of the shaft
+for support.
+
+As second after second dragged itself away, until it was finally
+certain that sixty of them had passed, and that sentence had been
+pronounced in his favor, the young miner sank to his knees and framed,
+as best he could, a prayer of gratitude. How long he thus remained in
+grateful contemplation of his narrow escape from death he never knew,
+but he was at length aroused by a shout from above, and, looking up,
+saw an approaching light twinkling like a star of good promise through
+the blackness. The call that came to him was one of anxious
+uncertainty; but, as his answering shout sped upward, it was changed
+to an exultant cry of joy. Then came cheer after cheer as the skip
+slowly descended until it finally reached the bottom, and a solitary
+figure sprang from it.
+
+[Illustration: PEVERIL LEAPED DOWN AMONG THE SPUTTERING FUSES]
+
+This person acted like a crazy man, first flinging his arms about
+Peveril, and then falling on his knees at the young man's feet, with
+a torrent of words in which praise and gratitude were mingled with
+pleas for forgiveness. He was Peveril's recent companion and avowed
+enemy, who, after the former had leaped from the skip, had leaned
+weakly over its side and watched with fascinated gaze the struggle for
+life going on below him. Ere it was ended, the hoisting-machinery
+began again to work, and the skip was suddenly impelled upward with
+breathless speed.
+
+Those who witnessed its safe arrival at the surface had their
+congratulations changed to exclamations of dismay by the discovery
+that it contained but a single occupant. Though the time-limit for the
+explosion was already passed, and though Mike Connell begged them to
+send him down again at once, they refused to do so until another full
+minute should elapse. During its slow passage they crowded about the
+shaft-mouth in breathless silence, listening with strained ears for
+the awful sound they so dreaded to hear.
+
+Even with the minute of safety passed, it was not certain that the
+explosion might not yet occur; but the young Irishman demanded so
+fiercely to be instantly lowered to the very bottom that they finally
+consented to do as he desired. Several were even willing to accompany
+him, but he waved these back and insisted upon going alone.
+
+He had to meet the man to whom he owed his life, as well as a shameful
+confession of cowardly acts, and he preferred to meet him alone. Two
+minutes later he was at the bottom of the shaft, kneeling in
+semi-darkness on its rocky floor, acknowledging his obligation,
+confessing his guilt, and imploring forgiveness.
+
+"You are the bravest man I've ever known, Mister Peril, though I've
+met them as was counted brave before; but none of them would dare do
+what you have this day. You have given me my life, and yet I tried
+twice to take yours, for 'twas me flung that rock in the mine.
+And--I'm choked with the shame of the black deed--but I gave the
+signal to hoist the skip a few minutes since, and tried to leave you
+here to die. I'm a coward and a murderer at heart, Mister Peril, and
+the dirtiest blackguard that ever was let live. I'm not worthy of your
+contempt, and yet, sir, I'm going to dare ask a favor of you."
+
+"My dear fellow," interrupted Peveril, who was greatly moved by the
+man's attitude and words of self-condemnation. "Believe me--"
+
+"Wait, Mister Peril. Please wait, sir, till you've heard me through.
+You have the right to hate me, to despise me, or even to kill me, and
+I'd not lift a finger to prevent you; but I'm going to ask you to
+forgive me. If you don't, I can never hold up my head or look an
+honest man in the face again. If you can't forgive me I shall never
+dare ask the forgiveness of God in heaven."
+
+"I do forgive you, with all my heart," exclaimed Peveril, "and there
+is my hand on it." With this he grasped the young Irishman's hand and
+almost lifted him to his feet. "You have done a brave deed in coming
+down here after me," he added, "while there was still danger of an
+explosion, and one much braver even than that, in confessing your
+faults. These two things prove that you are not a coward, and from
+this time on I shall claim you as a friend."
+
+"Thank you, Mister Peril, and may God bless you for them words," cried
+Connell, in a voice choked with feeling. "As for being your friend,
+sir, I'd be proud to be counted your slave."
+
+"I would much rather have a friend than a slave," returned the other,
+smiling. "And so, if you don't mind, we'll stick to the first
+proposition. But, Connell, I want to ask you a question. What made you
+hate me, as you seemed to do from the very first?"
+
+"Jealousy, Mister Peril. Just black, bitter jealousy, and nothing at
+all else."
+
+"How could that be, when you didn't even know me?"
+
+"Because, sir, I'm near crazy with love for a girl who only laughs at
+me, and whose folks treat me with contempt. When I first saw you, so
+strong and handsome and gentleman-like, with her father, and knew he
+was going to take you to live in the very house along of her, I
+couldn't help but hate you."
+
+"You surely can't mean Miss Trefethen?"
+
+"Yes, sir, no other; and when I seen you and her walking together, and
+she looking up so smiling into your face, I swore I'd kill you if ever
+I had the chance, and this day the devil gave it to me. But now,
+Mister Peril, you've proved yourself the best man of us two, and if
+you want her I'll never again stand in your way."
+
+"But I don't want her!" cried Peveril. "Nothing was ever farther from
+my thoughts; and even if I did, I couldn't have her, because I am
+engaged to another young lady."
+
+"You are, sir? Bless you for them words! And may I tell her that you
+are already bespoke?"
+
+"Certainly; or, better still, I will tell her myself at the very first
+opportunity I have for speaking with her on such a subject. But, now
+that everything is settled between us, don't you think we'd better
+prepare the blast again before we go up? There is fuse enough left in
+the skip."
+
+"Well, you are a game one!" exclaimed Connell, admiringly. "Of course,
+if you are willing to do it after what you've just gone through, I'm
+the man to stand by you. Only I do hope as there won't be no hitch in
+the hoisting this time."
+
+The signal, "All's well," having already been sent to the surface,
+Connell now notified the engineer to be ready to hoist for a blast,
+and the two set to work. In a few minutes the charge, that had so
+nearly proved fatal to both of them, was again ready for firing, and
+the hissing fuses were lighted. Then both men sprang into the skip,
+the signal to hoist was hurriedly sounded, and away they sped up the
+black shaft towards the distant sunlight.
+
+As they reached the surface and clambered from the skip, aided by a
+dozen eager hands, there came from the depths below a dull roar and
+the tremor of a heavy explosion. At this a throng of persons which, to
+Peveril's surprise, was gathered at the shaft-mouth raised a mighty
+cheer. Then they crowded tumultuously forward to shake hands with, or
+even to gaze on, the hero of the hour; for, on his previous visit to
+surface, Mike Connell had told of Peveril's brave deed, and news of it
+had already spread far and wide. So the night-shift had paused to see
+him before entering the mine, and the day-shift had waited to greet
+him before going to their homes, while others had come from all
+directions.
+
+Waving them all back, and grasping Peveril's hand, Mike Connell
+shouted:
+
+"Wait a minute, mates! Only one minute, and then you shall have a
+chance at him. First, though, I want you all to know that Mister Peril
+here has just stepped from the very jaws of hell, where he went of his
+own free will to save my life. It's proud I am to call him my friend,
+and for the deed he has done this day I name him the bravest lad in
+all Red Jacket. If any man denies that, he'll have to settle with Mike
+Connell, that's all. And now, boys, you may treat him as a brave man
+deserves to be treated."
+
+Poor Peveril, covered with confusion, tried to explain that whatever
+he had done was for his own salvation as well as for that of his
+friend, Mr. Connell; but no one would listen. All were too busy with
+cheering and in crowding forward for a look at him.
+
+In another minute he was hoisted on the shoulders of half a dozen
+sturdy miners, the foremost of whom was proud old Mark Trefethen, and
+was being borne in triumphal procession through the principal streets
+of the town.
+
+It was a spontaneous tribute of working-men to a fellow-workman; and,
+gladly as Peveril would have modified the form of the ovation, he was
+more proud of it than of any ever tendered him for having stroked the
+Oxford 'varsity eight to a win.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X
+
+HEROISM REWARDED
+
+
+As the story of Peveril's brave act preceded him, it gained so
+remarkably in passing from mouth to mouth that, by the time it reached
+Mrs. Trefethen, she received a confused impression that by some
+unheard-of bravery the young man had saved all in the mine, including
+her Mark and her Tom, from instant destruction. Her information having
+come direct from her dearest friend, Mrs. Penny, she could not doubt
+its truth, nor had she time to do so before the triumphal procession
+of miners appeared and halted at her very door.
+
+Calling upon Nelly to support her, the worthy woman started forth to
+greet her heroes, and welcome them with all the warmth of her
+overflowing heart. As she gained the roadway, she was so blinded by
+thankful tears that she could not distinguish one person from another,
+but impulsively flung her arms about the neck of the first man she
+encountered, who happened to be Mike Connell, and treated him to a
+hearty embrace.
+
+"Gie mun a kiss, lass!" she called to Nelly, as she loosed her arms
+and made towards another victim. "Nought's too good for they brave
+lads this day. Oh, Mark, man! but I be proud o' being thy earthly
+wife, 'stead o' seeing thee in 'eaven this blessed minute."
+
+This last was addressed to a bewildered stranger whom Mrs. Trefethen
+had mistaken for her husband, and who was vainly striving to escape
+from her encircling arms.
+
+"Art crazy, mother, to be hustling men in public street thiccy way? I
+be 'shamed of 'ee!" cried Mark Trefethen, catching hold of his wife at
+this moment. "Come along in house, or if 'ee must have man to hug take
+me or Tom here, or Maister Peril, who deserves it best of all for this
+day's work."
+
+Nothing loath to do as she was bid, Mrs. Trefethen made a third effort
+to express her feelings towards Peveril, in her own peculiar fashion;
+but he laughingly evaded her, and she fell instead upon the neck of
+another astonished stranger who happened in her way, and upon whose
+head she tearfully called down the choicest blessings of Heaven.
+
+"Thee's saved me from widow's grave, lad, which the same, I frequent
+saz to Miss Penny, I did 'ope never to live to see; but our 'Eveanly
+Feyther knows best, and if hits 'Is will--But there, I'm that
+over-set--Nelly, gie Maister Peril a kiss, lass, in token of thy
+forgiveness for what 'e's done this day."
+
+So saying, the well-meaning blunderer released her victim, with the
+view of allowing Nelly a chance to express her gratitude, and, for the
+first time, caught sight of his face.
+
+"Thee's not Dick Peril!" she cried. "W'at's thee mean by scandalizing
+honest woman thiccy way? Isn't thee 'shamed on thysel', thou great
+lump?"
+
+The poor man tried in vain to explain his innocence of act or
+intention, but his voice was drowned in the boisterous laughter of his
+mates, amid which the crowd gradually dispersed, while Mrs. Trefethen,
+still exclaiming against the duplicity of men in general, was led into
+the house by her husband and son.
+
+In the meantime Miss Nelly had demurely shaken hands with Mike
+Connell, who was still gasping in astonishment at the warmth of Mrs.
+Trefethen's reception. Then she kissed her father and Tom, stole one
+look at Peveril's face, and, murmuring something about seeing after
+supper, ran into the house.
+
+Although Peveril had not forgotten the promise to his newly made
+friend to inform Nelly of his own engagement as soon as possible, he
+had no chance to do so that evening; for supper had hardly been eaten
+when he began to receive visitors eager to congratulate him upon his
+recent act of heroism. Among these was Major Arkell, general manager
+of the mine, whom the young man had never before met.
+
+The Trefethens were thrown into a flutter of hospitable pride by the
+coming to their cottage of so distinguished a visitor, but, after a
+courteous greeting to them, he devoted his entire attention to him
+whom he had come purposely to see. After the latter had been
+introduced to him as "Mr. Peril," he asked so many questions
+concerning the recent incident as to finally draw out the whole story
+of that day's experience. He was a good listener, though a man of few
+words, and during Peveril's narrative gained a very fair idea of our
+young miner's education and capabilities. When the latter had
+finished, the major asked him if he proposed to continue his career as
+a miner.
+
+"I expect I shall have to," answered Peveril, "seeing that I am
+entirely dependent upon my own exertions for a livelihood, and have no
+knowledge of any other business."
+
+"Do you mind telling me what led you to choose this line of work from
+all others?"
+
+"Because," replied Peveril, flushing, "finding myself in Red Jacket
+without a dollar, I was glad to accept the first job that offered."
+
+"And we was only too glad to have him for one of us, major," broke in
+Mark Trefethen, "seeing as how he introduced himself by saving our
+Tom's life."
+
+"Indeed! I hadn't heard of that. How did it happen?"
+
+Glad of an opportunity for singing his young friend's praises, the
+timber boss eagerly related the incident; and when it was told the
+manager said, with a smile:
+
+"Well, sir, you seem to have such a happy faculty for life-saving that
+I don't know but what we ought to appoint you inspector of accidents.
+Seriously, though, I am very glad to have a man of your evident
+ability and steady nerve with us, and if you are inclined to remain in
+our employ I shall make it my business to see that your interests do
+not suffer. So, if you will call at my office about eight o'clock
+to-morrow morning I shall be pleased to have a further talk with
+you."
+
+"Thank you, sir," rejoined Peveril; "I will not fail to be there."
+
+After the great man had departed, the Trefethens indulged in many
+speculations as to what he intended to do for their guest; nor was
+Peveril himself devoid of a hopeful curiosity in the same direction.
+
+"Mayhap he'll make 'ee store-keeper," suggested Mrs. Trefethen; "hand
+if 'e only will, Maister Peril, me and Miss Penny 'll take all our
+trade to thy shop, though they do say has 'ow company ginghams woan't
+wash, while has for white goods, they've poorest stock in hall Red
+Jacket. Same time, there's many other little things can be 'ad
+reasonable, and Miss Penny's a lady as isn't above buying 'er own
+groceries, which hit's a treat to see 'er taking, a taste of this or a
+nibble at that, and always giving shopkeeper the benefit of 'er
+hexperience."
+
+"Store-keeper be danged!" growled Mark Trefethen. "'Tisn't likely
+they'll try to make a counter-jumper outen a lad of Maister Peril's
+size and weight o' fist, to say nothing of his l'arnin'. No, no. More
+like he'll get a good berth underground--foreman of gang, or plat
+boss, or summut like that."
+
+Tom thought it might be a job connected with the railroad, which was
+his own ambition; while Nelly, usually so ready with her tongue, for a
+wonder kept silent and made no suggestions.
+
+On the following morning, when, promptly at eight o'clock, Peveril
+presented himself at the manager's office, his patience was tried by
+being compelled to wait in an anteroom for more than an hour while the
+great man despatched an immense amount of business with many
+subordinates. Richard could not help overhearing many of the
+conversations carried on in the private office, and, as he listened,
+was filled with admiration at the decisive readiness with which the
+manager disposed of one difficult problem after another.
+
+Finally, when all the others had been dismissed, Peveril was summoned
+to the inner room, where, after a word of regret at having kept him so
+long in waiting, the manager bade him be seated, and said:
+
+"Mr. Peril, it is so evident that you have been accustomed to a
+position far removed from that of a common laborer, that I am desirous
+of knowing something more of your life before intrusting you with a
+responsibility. Do you mind telling me what brought you to this
+section of country?"
+
+"No, sir; I don't know that I do. I came out here ruined in fortune,
+through no fault of my own, to seek information concerning an old,
+and, I believe, a long-ago-abandoned mine, known as the Copper
+Princess."
+
+"Um! I remember hearing the name; and, if I am not mistaken, it
+applied to a worthless property on which a large sum of money was
+squandered many years since."
+
+"Yes, sir."
+
+"How are you interested in it?"
+
+"My father was an owner, and I am his heir."
+
+"I am glad you have told me this, and relieved to find that no worse
+folly has caused a gentleman to seek employment as a common miner,
+though I cannot hold out the slightest hope that you will ever recover
+a dollar from your property. Still, I will make inquiries, and let you
+know anything I may learn."
+
+"Thank you, sir."
+
+"Do you know anything about boats?" asked the manager, abruptly
+changing the subject.
+
+"Yes, sir; I have handled boats more or less all my life."
+
+"Good! Then I want you to take charge of a gang of men whom you will
+find awaiting you on the company's tug down at the landing. They are
+going some distance up the coast, to recover whatever may be found of
+a valuable timber raft belonging to us, and wrecked near Laughing Fish
+Cove during the gale of two days ago. All our logs are marked 'W. P.'
+If you find any such in possession of other parties, you will lay
+claim to them, and even take them by force if necessary. The tug will
+leave you at the cove, where you will establish a camp, and to which
+you will raft the recovered logs, holding them against her return,
+which will be in about a week. Here is a note of introduction to her
+captain. Do you understand?"
+
+"Yes, sir; I think I do."
+
+"Then you may start at once."
+
+"Very well, sir;" and the young man, realizing his employer's love of
+promptness, rose to leave.
+
+"By the way," said the other, as he reached the door, "is your name
+Peril?"
+
+"No, sir; it is Peveril."
+
+"Richard?"
+
+"Yes, sir."
+
+"Then this letter is probably for you. It has lain here several days,
+awaiting a claimant."
+
+With this Major Arkell handed the young man a dainty-looking missive
+that he acknowledged to be for him, and which, as he thrust it into
+his pocket, he saw with a thrill of joy was addressed in the
+handwriting of Rose Bonnifay.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI
+
+NELLY TREFETHEN FINDS A LETTER
+
+
+Having donned his best suit for the interview with Major Arkell, and
+realizing that his mine clothing would be more in keeping with the job
+now on hand, Peveril first hastened home to make the change. He found
+only Mrs. Trefethen in the house, and at sight of him she expressed an
+eager curiosity to learn the result of his recent interview.
+
+"It's all right," he laughed, as he bounded up the narrow stairway
+leading to his room. "I'm to turn sailor, and be captain of a craft
+somewhere up the coast."
+
+"Whativer can lad mean?" exclaimed the perplexed woman. "'Im a sailor!
+Did iver any one 'ear the like o' that? Oh, Maister Peril! be iver
+coming back?"
+
+"Of course I am!" shouted Peveril from the little upper room, in which
+he was hastily changing his clothing. "I shall be back whenever my
+ship comes in, which will probably be in a week, or it may take a few
+days longer. There's a wreck, you know, and I am going to save the
+pieces. But I'll be down directly."
+
+"A wrack!" gasped Mrs. Trefethen, "and 'im in hit! Save us! but 'twill
+be worse than down shaft. Shaft be dry land, anyway, but they awful
+sea that rageth like a lion seeking whom it may devour. Oh, Maister
+Peril!"
+
+"Yes, coming!"
+
+The young man was just then making a hasty transfer of the contents of
+his pockets, besides cramming into those of his working-suit several
+articles that he imagined might prove useful. At that moment an
+impatient whistle from the timber train that would take him to the
+landing warned him that he had no more time to spare, and, snatching
+his hat, he sprang down the stairway.
+
+"Good-bye, Mrs. Trefethen!" he cried. "Tell Miss Nelly she sha'n't be
+turned out of her own room any longer, and tell her--But never mind;
+only tell her that I will have something important to say to her when
+I come back. Give her my love, and--" Here his words were cut short by
+another shrill whistle from the waiting train; and Peveril ran from
+the house, shouting back "Good-bye!" as he went, and leaving the good
+woman gasping with the breathless flurry of his departure.
+
+When Nelly Trefethen reached home a half-hour later she received such
+a confused account of what had just happened as caused her rosy cheeks
+to take on a deeper color and filled her with a strange agitation. Mr.
+Peril had gone to be a sailor, and would come back very shortly as
+captain of a ship. Perhaps it would be a splendid, great steamer, such
+as she had seen lying at the Marquette ore docks. He had left his
+love for her; he would have something of the greatest importance to
+say the next time he saw her; and she was not to be turned out of her
+room again. What could he mean by that, and what a very strange thing
+it was for a young man to say? Since he had said it to her mother,
+though, it must have meant--Oh dear! how she wished she had not gone
+out that morning, and what an endless time a whole week seemed!
+
+At length, anxious to escape from her mother's torrent of words, and
+to be alone with her own thoughts, the blushing girl fled up-stairs on
+the pretence of putting Mr. Peril's room in order.
+
+The very first thing she spied on entering the room, about which his
+belongings were scattered in every direction, was a letter lying on
+the floor, and almost hidden beneath the bed. Picking it up, she was
+surprised to find it sealed, and still more so to note that it was
+addressed to Mr. Richard _Peveril_. How could that be? Was their guest
+living among them under an assumed name? No, of course he wouldn't do
+such a thing; and this letter must have been handed to him by mistake.
+That was the reason why he had not opened it. The names were very much
+alike in sound, though so differently spelled. Besides, this letter
+was addressed in a lady's handwriting, and evidently came from some
+foreign country. She knew Mr. Peril was an American, because he had
+said so. He had also told them that he was, so far as he knew, without
+a relative in the world, so there were no sisters or young lady
+cousins to write to him.
+
+She did not think he could be engaged, because he had never mentioned
+the fact, while all the other young men of her acquaintance were in
+the habit of talking very freely about their "best girls," if they
+were so fortunate as to have such. Besides, had not Mr. Peril just
+left his love for _her_, and a message to the effect that he had
+something very important to tell _her_? She would keep this hateful
+letter, though, and confront him with it the moment she saw him again.
+Then his manner would convey the information she wanted. How she did
+long to open it and just glance at its contents! The impulse to do
+this was so strong that only by thrusting the letter into her pocket
+could she resist it.
+
+Now the innocent cause of her perplexity seemed to burn like a coal of
+fire until she again drew it forth. A dozen times that day did she do
+this, with the temptation to set her doubts at rest by tearing open
+the sealed envelope always assailing her with increased force.
+Finally, to her great relief, an honorable way of escaping this
+temptation presented itself. She would return the horrid letter to the
+post-office. From there, if it were indeed for Mr. Peril, he would in
+due course of time receive it, as he had before; while, if it were
+intended for some one else, it would be delivered to its rightful
+owner. This plan was no sooner conceived than executed; and, as the
+troublesome missive disappeared through the narrow slit of the
+post-office letter-box, the girl heaved a sigh of relief.
+
+When, the very next day, that identical letter was advertised on the
+post-office bulletin, and Nelly Trefethen saw the notice, she was
+assured that she had done the right thing. For ten days that
+advertisement stared her in the face whenever she visited the office,
+and then, to her great satisfaction, it disappeared. Rose Bonnifay's
+message from across the sea had gone to the place of "dead" letters,
+but Nelly believed that it had at last found its rightful owner.
+
+On the very evening of Peveril's departure Miss Nelly's old
+sweetheart, Mike Connell, joined her for a walk, and, after much
+preliminary conversation, finally plucked up courage to ask if Mr.
+Peril had told her anything of importance before going away.
+
+"What should he have to tell me?" asked the girl, evasively.
+
+"He might have tould you that he liked you better than any other girl
+in the world," was the diplomatic answer.
+
+"You know he'd never say a thing like that, Mr. Connell," cried Nelly,
+blushing furiously.
+
+"Well, then, he might have said he was already bespoke."
+
+"I don't believe it."
+
+"It's true, all the same."
+
+"What right have you to say so?" asked Nelly, whose face was now quite
+pale.
+
+"The right of his own words, for he telled me so himself."
+
+"Who is she?"
+
+"He didn't say."
+
+"Where does she live, then?"
+
+"Divil a bit do I know."
+
+"I don't believe you know anything at all about it. You are just
+making up a story to tease me."
+
+"T'asing you is the last thing I'd be thinking of, Nelly darlin',
+except it was t'asing ye to marry me. No, alanna, it's the truth I'm
+telling you, and if you can't believe me just ax him. At the same
+time, I'm sore hurted that ye should be caring whether he's bespoke or
+no."
+
+"I will ask him," answered the girl, "and until I do I'll thank you,
+Mr. Connell, never to mention Mr. Peril's name again."
+
+"Not even to tell you what a brave, bowld lad he is, and how
+handsome?"
+
+"You'd not be telling me anything I don't know."
+
+"But, darlin', when he tells you with his own mouth that he's already
+bespoke and not to be had at all, you'll not refuse a bit of hope to
+one who loves the very ground trod by your two little feet."
+
+"Good-night, Mr. Connell. Here's the door, and I'm going in."
+
+In the meantime Peveril, after bidding good-bye to Mrs. Trefethen, had
+been whirled away by the little timber train to a landing on the lake
+shore, where he found the tug _Broncho_ awaiting him. Towing behind it
+was a light double-ended skiff, and on its narrow deck he saw three
+men, dressed very much as he was himself, whom he knew must be those
+chosen to assist him in his forthcoming labors. One of them was a
+bright-looking French Canadian, while the others were evidently
+foreigners of the same class as the car-pushers in the mine. The
+captain of the tug was a Yankee named Spillins.
+
+The latter glanced over the note from Major Arkell that the new-comer
+handed him, and said, "All right, Mr. Peril; if you're ready for a
+start, I am."
+
+"Yes," replied Peveril, "I'm ready," and in another minute they were
+off. As they got under way the young leader of the expedition walked
+aft to make the acquaintance of his men. He was annoyed to find that,
+while two of them were brawny fellows who looked well fit for work,
+they could not muster a dozen words of English between them. Noting
+his efforts to converse with them, the third man, who introduced
+himself as Joe Pintaud, came to his assistance.
+
+"No goot you talk to dem Dago feller, Mist Pearl," he said; "zey can
+spik ze Anglais no more as woodchuck. You tell 'em, 'dam lazy
+scoundrel,' zey onstan pret goot; but, by gar, you talk lak white man
+you got kick it in hees head."
+
+Realizing the truth of Joe Pintaud's words, Peveril left the others to
+a stolid smoking of their long-stemmed pipes, and sought whatever
+information their more intelligent companion had to give concerning
+their present undertaking. He quickly discovered that, while Joe was
+as ignorant as himself of that coast, he was an expert raftsman and
+logger. He also found that the tug carried a good supply of rope,
+axes, pike-poles, and other things necessary for the work in hand.
+
+After having satisfied himself on these points, Peveril gazed for a
+while at the bleak, rock-bound coast along which they were running,
+and then, suddenly bethinking himself of a pleasure that he had
+reserved for a leisure moment, he entered the pilot-house, and,
+sitting down on a cushioned locker behind Captain Spillins, who stood
+at the wheel, began to feel in his pockets.
+
+As he did this his movements grew more and more impatient, until
+finally, with a muttered exclamation, he turned the entire contents of
+his pockets out on the cushion.
+
+"Lost something?" asked the captain, looking around.
+
+"Yes."
+
+"Not your money, I hope."
+
+"No, but a letter that was worth more to me than all the money in the
+world."
+
+"Whew!" whistled the captain. "Must have been important."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII
+
+A VISION OF THE CLIFFS
+
+
+Rose Bonnifay had acted more from impulse than from real feeling when
+she consented to become engaged to Richard Peveril. As a popular
+Oxford man and stroke of the 'varsity eight he was a hero to attract
+almost any girl. His wealth was by no means to be despised, and it
+would certainly be a fine thing to have him in devoted attendance
+during her proposed trip to Norway. She was greatly disappointed at
+his failure to rejoin them, and wondered what he could mean by
+announcing the loss of his fortune when he was still the owner of a
+gold-mine.
+
+Miss Rose said "gold"-mine to herself, because, while Peveril had not
+specified the character of his property, she imagined all Western
+mines to be gold-bearing. Of course, too, their owners must be
+wealthy. So she hoped for the best; and, while realizing that she was
+not at all in love, determined to let her engagement hold good for the
+present.
+
+Under the circumstances she felt that this decision was very
+creditable to her loyalty, which, however, was sadly shaken by Owen's
+first gossipy letter from New York. With its disquieting news still
+fresh in her mind, she received a second that completely dispelled
+her illusions, and caused her to wonder how she could ever have been
+so foolish as to engage herself to a man of whom she knew so little.
+
+This second letter, which contained the cruel distortion of facts
+penned by Mr. Owen in Red Jacket, followed the Bonnifays to Norway,
+where it was received. Acting on the impulse acquired by reading it,
+Rose immediately sat down and wrote to Peveril the letter that reached
+him in due course of time, but which he lost without even having
+broken its seal.
+
+He had joyfully recognized the handwriting of its address, but was at
+the same time puzzled to know how Rose could have learned his present
+abiding-place. Now he was filled with consternation at his
+carelessness. Of course, though, he must have dropped the letter while
+transferring the contents of his pockets, and he would surely find it
+again upon his return to the Trefethen cottage.
+
+At Laughing Fish Cove the log-wrecking party was landed, shortly after
+noon, near a fishing settlement of half a dozen forlorn-appearing huts
+that stood in an irregular row on the beach. A few slatternly women,
+and twice their number of wild-eyed children, were the sole occupants
+of the place, for its men were away on the lake tending their nets.
+
+Again was Peveril disappointed to learn, from the appearance and
+conversation of these people, that they also were foreigners, speaking
+a language unintelligible to him, though evidently comprehended by two
+of his men.
+
+Captain Spillins explained that, uninviting as the place looked, it
+was one of the very few harbors on that rugged coast in which the logs
+of which Peveril was in search could be rafted and held in safety
+until called for. So the stores and supplies were landed, and, after
+the tug had steamed away, Peveril set his men at work building a camp
+and collecting firewood, while he took the skiff for an exploration of
+the adjacent coast.
+
+On the south side of Laughing Fish Cove he found logs bearing the
+letters "W. P." strewn for miles along the shore, and piled in every
+conceivable position among the rocks, on which they had been hurled by
+furious seas. As he studied the situation, our young wreck-master
+foresaw an immense amount of labor in dislodging these and getting
+them once more afloat. Besides those on the rocks he discovered a
+number on the beach of the cove that could easily be got into the
+water. But all that he thus saw formed only about one-half of what had
+been contained in the great raft.
+
+The remainder must, then, be found somewhere to the northward of
+Laughing Fish, and, accordingly, late in the afternoon he headed his
+skiff in that direction. The coast that he now skirted was very wild
+but grandly beautiful, with precipitous cliffs brilliant in the reds
+and greens of mineral stains, and surmounted by a dense growth of
+sharp-pointed firs, among which were set groups of white birches. At
+the base of the cliffs, and amid the detached masses fallen from them,
+the crystal-blue waters plashed softly, and an occasional wood-duck
+in iridescent plumage swam hurriedly from his course with anxious
+backward glances. In the upper air, nesting gulls in spotless white
+darted to and fro, noting his movements with keen, red eyes.
+
+He found some logs near the cove; but the farther he went from it the
+scarcer they became, until finally he passed a mile or more of coast
+without seeing one.
+
+"Strange!" muttered the young man. "What can have become of them?
+There are hundreds still missing, and they should be somewhere in this
+vicinity."
+
+He was paddling almost without a sound, and skirting a ledge of black
+rocks that jutted well out into the lake, as he spoke. At that same
+moment something impelled him to glance upward and encounter a vision
+startling in its unexpectedness.
+
+On the very face of the cliff, some twenty feet above the water, and
+leaning slightly forward, stood a girlish figure gazing directly at
+him with great, wondering eyes. For an instant she seemed to read his
+very soul. Then a vivid flush sprang to her cheeks, and with a quick
+movement she disappeared as though the solid rock had opened to
+receive her.
+
+Peveril rubbed his eyes and looked again. She certainly was not there,
+nor could he discover the slightest indication of an opening through
+which she could have vanished. Yet, even as he looked, a pebble
+leaped, apparently from the unbroken face of the cliff, and dropped
+with a clatter to the ledge close beside him.
+
+He paddled farther out into the lake, but still failed to discover
+any aperture. He moved for short distances both up and down the coast
+without any better success. To be sure, a stunted cedar growing out
+from the rocky face near where the girl had disappeared showed the
+existence of either a crevice or ledge, and she might have concealed
+herself behind it, though Peveril did not believe she had. Even if she
+were thus hidden, how had she gained that perilous position?--how
+would she escape from it?--who was she?--and where had she come from?
+
+She was not one of the fisher-women from the cove; of that he was
+certain. Neither was she an Indian girl, for the face, indelibly
+pictured in his memory, was fair and refined. It had not struck him as
+being beautiful, except for the glorious eyes that had looked so fully
+into his.
+
+He called several times: "Are you in trouble? Can I help you?" But
+only mocking echoes, and the harsh screams of a flock of gulls
+circling about the very place where he had seen her, came to him in
+answer. He sought for some means of scaling the cliff, but found none.
+Everywhere it was smooth and sheer. Never in his life had the young
+man been so baffled and never so loath to own himself beaten; but he
+was at length warned by the setting of the sun to give over his quest
+and row vigorously back the way he had come.
+
+Twilight was merging into darkness when he again entered Laughing Fish
+Cove, but a bright fire on the beach served at once as a beacon and a
+promise of good cheer.
+
+A comfortable cabin of poles and bark had been built by the men during
+his absence. In it were all the stores, as well as a quantity of
+spruce boughs and hemlock tips for bedding. The chill evening air was
+filled with a delicious fragrance of burning cedar, mingled with the
+pleasant odor of boiling coffee. Several white-fish nailed to oak
+planks were browning before a bed of glowing coals, while slices of a
+lake-trout were sizzling together with bits of bacon in the
+frying-pan.
+
+Supper was ready, as Joe, who superintended the culinary operations,
+announced with a shout the moment Peveril's skiff grated on the beach.
+Several of the fisher-huts were lighted, others had bright fires
+blazing outside their doors. The boats had returned, and there was a
+pleasant bustle about the little settlement.
+
+Peveril did not mention the perplexing vision he had seen that
+afternoon, though it continually haunted him, and a decided zest was
+given to his work of the coming week by the thought of this mystery.
+As he lay on his couch of fragrant boughs that evening planning how to
+solve it, he almost forgot his unhappiness of the morning, and a
+little later a new face had found its way into his dreams.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII
+
+LOG-WRECKERS AND SMUGGLERS
+
+
+There were no laggards in the camp on the following morning, for, with
+the stars still shining, Peveril routed out his men from their
+fragrant couches. Leaving Joe Pintaud to prepare breakfast, he and the
+two Bohemians began to form their raft by rolling to the water's edge,
+setting afloat, and securing such logs as lay nearest at hand.
+
+While the wreckers were thus engaged, the fishermen appeared from
+their huts and made ready for another day on the lake. They were an
+ill-favored set, and Peveril was not pleased to note that they seemed
+to make sneering remarks concerning the task on which he was engaged.
+Beneath their jeers his own men grew so surly and restless that he was
+relieved when Joe called them to breakfast.
+
+After that all hands set forth in the skiff to work at the logs
+stranded along the coast to the southward. As they pulled out of the
+cove Peveril noticed that a small schooner, which he had believed
+belonged to the fishermen, was still at anchor, and that the crew
+lounging about her deck were of a different class from those who had
+already gone out. He was about to call Joe's attention to this, when
+that individual hailed the schooner, and began to carry on a lively
+conversation with her men.
+
+When they had passed beyond hearing, Peveril questioned the Canadian
+concerning the strange craft, and was told that she was not a
+fishing-boat, but a trader.
+
+"What does she trade in?"
+
+"Plenty t'ing. Cognac, seelk, dope, everyt'ing. Plenty trade, plenty
+mun. Much better as mining. Mais, parbleu! I am a fool, me."
+
+"Why?"
+
+"Zat I, too, vill not trade and make ze mun."
+
+"Why don't you, if you prefer that business?"
+
+"Ah! It is because I am what you call too mooch a cow--a hard cow. I
+like not ze jail, me."
+
+"You mean a coward?"
+
+"Oui, oui. Cowhard. I am one cowhard for ze jail."
+
+"Oh!" cried Peveril, suddenly enlightened. "Your friends of the
+schooner are smugglers."
+
+"Oui, zat it. Smoogler, an' bimeby, some time, maybe, soldat catch it.
+Take all ze mun, put it in jail. Bim! No good!"
+
+"That is the first time I ever heard of any smugglers on this coast,"
+remarked Peveril, reflectively. "I wonder if they can have taken our
+logs?"
+
+"Log, no," replied Joe, contemptuously. "Canada, he gat plenty
+log--too plenty. Tradair tak' ze drapeau, ze viskey, ze tick-tick, but
+not ze log."
+
+Here the conversation was ended by the arrival at the scene of labor,
+and the work of dislodging stranded logs was begun. All day long they
+toiled at the difficult task, straining, lifting, stumbling, rolling,
+and slipping on the wet rocks, receiving many a bump and bruise,
+pausing only for a bite of lunch and a whiff of pipe-smoke at noon,
+and finally returning to Laughing Fish at dusk, slowly towing into the
+cove a small raft of the recovered wreckage.
+
+For several days longer, sometimes in clear weather, but often in
+cheerless rain and fog, was the task of collecting such logs as had
+stranded on the south side of the cove continued. At length the last
+one was gathered from that direction, and our wreckers were ready to
+explore the coast lying to the northward.
+
+Not since the day of his coming had Peveril found leisure to revisit
+the place where he had seen the mysterious figure of the cliffs. He
+had thought often of her, and had so longed to return to that part of
+the coast that only a strict sense of duty had prevented him. Now that
+he was free to unravel the mystery if he could, he was as excited as a
+boy off for a holiday.
+
+He purposed gathering the few logs already seen on that side of the
+cove, and then to continue his exploration indefinitely in search of
+others; but, to his amazement, as they skirted the rugged coast, not a
+log was to be found. In vain did the young leader stand up in his
+boat, the better to scan every inch of the shore. In vain did he land
+on the rocks and scramble over their broken surface. There were no
+logs, and yet he knew they had been there five days earlier. Nor had
+there been any storm during that time to dislodge them.
+
+"Joe, your smuggling friends must have taken them."
+
+"Non. He gat plenty log in Canada, him."
+
+"What, then, has become of them?"
+
+"Dunno. Maybe dev catch him."
+
+"It is a human devil of some kind, then, and he must have carried them
+still farther up the coast, for we should have seen them if they had
+been carried the other way."
+
+"Oui, m'sieu."
+
+"Give way, men! I'm going to find those logs if they are anywhere on
+Keweenaw Point."
+
+So the light skiff shot ahead, with the two Bohemians rowing, and the
+others in bow and stern, watching the coast sharply as they slipped
+past its rocky front. They were already beyond any point at which
+Peveril had previously discovered logs, and were rapidly approaching
+the place of his mystery. He could see the jutting ledge, and was
+eagerly scanning the cliffs above it, when suddenly Joe held up his
+hand with a warning "Hist!"
+
+Without a word Peveril gave the signal to stop rowing, which was
+instantly obeyed. In the silence that followed they heard a sound of
+singing. It was a plaintive melody, sung in a girlish voice,
+untrained, but full and sweet. To his amazement Peveril recognized it
+as one of the very latest songs of a popular composer, whose music he
+had supposed almost unknown in America. The voice also seemed to be
+close at hand.
+
+At first the men gazed about them with an idle curiosity, but, not
+seeing anyone, they began to grow uneasy, and to cast frightened
+glances on every side.
+
+"By gar!" exclaimed Joe Pintaud, and on the instant the singing
+ceased.
+
+The sudden silence was almost as disquieting as the voice of an
+invisible singer, and again Joe uttered his favorite exclamation.
+
+"Where did that voice come from?"
+
+"Dunno, Mist Pearl. One tam I t'ink from rock, one tam from water.
+Fust he come from ze hair, zen he gat under ze bateau. Bimeby he come
+every somewhere. One tam I t'ink angele, me; one tam dev. Mostly I
+t'ink dev."
+
+"It seemed to me to come from the cliff," said Peveril.
+
+"Oui; so I t'ink."
+
+"Though I could also have sworn that it rose from the water."
+
+"Oui, m'sieu. You say dev, I say dev."
+
+By this time Peveril had again got his craft under way, and they were
+skirting a wooded islet that lay off the coast just beyond the black
+ledge. This island appeared to be nearly cut in two by a narrow bay;
+but as those in the boat seemed to see every part of this, and were
+convinced that it contained no logs, they did not enter it.
+
+The young leader was not giving much thought to either logs or his
+immediate surroundings just then, for his ears were still filled with
+the music that had come to him as mysteriously as had the vision of a
+few days earlier.
+
+So lost was he in reflection that he started abruptly when the rowing
+again ceased, and one of the men whispered, hoarsely:
+
+"Mist Pearl, look!"
+
+He was pointing back from where they had come; and, turning, Peveril
+saw, apparently gliding from the very shore of the island they had
+just passed, a small schooner. She must have sailed from the bay into
+which they had gazed, and yet they believed they had scrutinized every
+inch of its surface.
+
+"By gar!" cried Joe Pintaud. "Some more dev, hein?"
+
+"It looks to me like the boat of your friends the smugglers,"
+suggested Peveril, studying the vessel closely.
+
+"Oui, certainment! It ees ze sheep of ze tradair."
+
+"Then we will go and see where she came from, for so snug a
+hiding-place is worth discovering."
+
+So the skiff was put about and rowed back to the little bay bisecting
+the island. Then it was found that there were two small islands, and
+that the supposed bay was really an inlet from the lake, which made a
+sharp angle at a point invisible from outside. This channel led to a
+narrow sound, from which another inlet cut directly into the
+rock-bound coast. It was quite short, and quickly widened into an
+exquisite basin, completely land-locked and very nearly circular.
+
+Peveril had followed this devious course with all the eagerness of an
+explorer; but his men had cast many nervous glances over their
+shoulders, and even Joe Pintaud had expressed a muttered hope that
+they were not being led into some trap.
+
+As the skiff emerged from the high-walled inlet and shot into the
+smiling basin, an exclamation burst from all four men at once.
+
+"Ze log!" cried Joe.
+
+"Our logs!" echoed Peveril.
+
+The others probably used words meaning the same thing. At any rate,
+they talked excitedly, and pointed to the opposite side of the basin,
+where was moored a raft of logs.
+
+Two men with a yoke of oxen were in the act of hauling one of these
+from the water, and a deeply marked trail, leading up the bank to a
+point of disappearance, showed where a number of its predecessors had
+gone.
+
+"Give way!" cried Peveril, and the skiff sped across the basin.
+
+As it ranged alongside the moored raft, the young leader recognized
+the deep-cut mark of the White Pine Mine on one floating stick after
+another.
+
+"Hold on!" he shouted. "Where are you going with that log?"
+
+"None of your business!" answered one of the two men, who was old and
+white-headed. "What are you doing here, anyway?"
+
+"I've come after these logs."
+
+"Well, you can't have them, and you want to get out of here quicker
+than you came in!" With this the man spoke a few words to his
+assistant, who immediately ran up the trail and disappeared, while
+Peveril, with a hot flush mounting to his forehead, ordered his crew
+to pull for the shore.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV
+
+A VAIN EFFORT TO RECOVER STOLEN PROPERTY
+
+
+Leaping ashore the moment his skiff grated on the beach, Peveril
+stepped directly up to the old man and said:
+
+"I do not know who you are, sir, nor what claim you make to ownership
+in those logs. I do know, however, that they bear the private mark of
+the White Pine Mining Company, and formed part of a raft recently
+wrecked on this coast. Having been sent here expressly to secure this
+property, I am determined to use every endeavor to carry out my
+instructions. Such being the case, I trust that you will not interfere
+with the performance of my duty."
+
+"I shall, though," answered the old man, gruffly. "I have need of this
+timber, and consider that I have a just claim to it, seeing that it
+was cast up by the sea on my land. I have also expended a great amount
+of labor in bringing it to this place; so that if I had no other claim
+I have one for salvage."
+
+"Which will doubtless be allowed when presented in proper form,"
+replied Peveril. "In the meantime I am ordered to take possession of
+all logs that I may find bearing the W. P. mark."
+
+"Supposing I forbid you to do so?"
+
+"I am also authorized to use force, if necessary, to carry out my
+instructions."
+
+"That sounds very much like a threat, my young friend; but I decline
+to be frightened by it, and still forbid you to touch those logs."
+
+Joe Pintaud had followed his young leader ashore, and stood close
+beside him during the foregoing interview, while the Bohemians still
+remained in the skiff. Now, without deigning any further reply to the
+old man, Peveril, in a low tone, ordered the Canadian to provide
+himself and the others with poles, and, if possible, shove the raft
+off from shore, adding that he would join in their efforts the moment
+he had cast loose its moorings.
+
+As Joe started to obey these instructions, Peveril ran to the farther
+of two ropes holding the raft and unfastened it. While he did this the
+old man stood without remonstrance, but with a cynical smile on his
+thin lips.
+
+Finding himself uninterrupted, Peveril fancied that no resistance was
+to be offered, after all, and, with the carelessness of confidence,
+stooped to cast off the remaining line. The next instant a nervous
+shove from behind sent him headforemost into the lake. Just then there
+came a rush of feet, and as Peveril, half-choked by his sudden bath in
+the icy water, rose to the surface and attempted to regain the bank he
+was seized by half a dozen pair of brawny hands belonging to as many
+wild-looking men who had been summoned from beyond the ridge.
+
+In another minute the young wrecker was lying in the bottom of his own
+skiff, and it was being towed out to sea by a second boat manned by
+two lusty foreigners. In its stern-sheets sat the old man holding a
+cocked revolver, from which he threatened to put a bullet through
+Peveril's head if he lifted it above the gunwale.
+
+Under the circumstances the latter, though raging at his sudden
+discomfiture, deemed it best to lie still and await, with what
+patience he might, the result of his misadventure.
+
+So he was towed for a long distance, and when his skiff finally seemed
+to have lost motion and be drifting, he ventured to lift his head.
+Before he could see over the side there came the sharp report of a
+pistol, a bullet whistled close above him, and he was ordered to
+remain quiet until he received permission to sit up.
+
+Peveril obeyed, and for nearly half an hour longer lay motionless.
+Then his craft struck bottom, and he sprang up in alarm. He was alone,
+and his skiff was bumping against a black ledge that he recognized as
+the one lying at the foot of the mysterious cliff. Not a boat was to
+be seen, but on the rocks close at hand lay the oars that had been
+taken from his skiff when he was thrown into it. They were not lying
+together, but at some distance apart, as though flung there, but
+whether from a boat or from some other direction he could not tell. At
+any rate, he was thankful to have them, and at once began to plan how
+he should use them in connection with his regained liberty.
+
+At first his indignation at his recent treatment suggested that he row
+back and attempt, at least, to recover his men; but a moment's
+reflection showed the folly of such a scheme. Not only would he again
+be confronted by an overpowering number of opponents, but it was
+probable that his men were even then on their way overland to Laughing
+Fish, for he did not believe the old man would dare hold them
+prisoners. At any rate, it would be best to rejoin them before
+planning to gain possession of the logs in the basin, upon which he
+was still determined.
+
+Although the young man did not know it, he was keenly watched during
+these moments of indecision by a pair of bright eyes that peered down
+from the cliff above him. When he shiveringly re-entered his skiff the
+eyes were hastily withdrawn lest he should look up. A little later a
+young girl of slight figure, clad in a dark gown, stepped out from the
+cliff, as from behind a curtain, and, half concealed by the stunted
+cedar, watched him curiously until he was lost to view.
+
+"He is ever so different from an ordinary miner," she soliloquized,
+"and looks as though he might be interesting. I wonder if I shall ever
+see him again? I am glad I thought of getting these oars and throwing
+them down, even if he has used them to go away with. What will papa
+think when he finds them gone? Anyhow, the monotony of this stupid
+place has been broken at last, and now, perhaps, something else will
+happen. I believe something must be going to happen very soon, anyhow,
+from the way papa talks. Dear papa! how queerly he acts, and how I
+wish I could see him happy just once! Now I must go and tell him that
+the schooner is coming."
+
+With this the girl apparently performed a miracle, for she seemed to
+push aside a portion of the red-stained cliff and disappear behind it
+without leaving a trace of an opening.
+
+As Peveril rowed steadily down the coast he saw in the distance a
+schooner that he believed to be the one belonging to Joe Pintaud's
+friends beating up from the southward. For a moment he thought of
+trying to board her, but, quickly dismissing the idea, doggedly
+pursued his way.
+
+Arrived at the cove, he was disappointed to find his camp vacant and
+without a sign that his coming companions had returned to it. Building
+a fire, he made a pot of coffee, and prepared to await their coming
+with what patience he could command. Some of the fisher-children came
+and watched him shyly, but when he attempted to draw them into
+conversation they only laughed and ran away.
+
+Feeling very lonely, and undecided as to what he should do, he had
+just begun to eat a lunch of cold food prepared by Joe that morning
+when a plan occurred to him. It was to set forth on foot to meet his
+men, failing to do which he could at least spy out the enemy's
+strength. "I can discover, too, what lies behind that ridge, and where
+they are carrying those logs," he said, half aloud.
+
+[Illustration: THE MEN HASTILY THREW PEVERIL HEAD-FIRST INTO THE
+BUSHES]
+
+So impatient was he to put this plan into execution that he would not
+wait to finish his lunch, but, swallowing a mug of coffee and stuffing
+a few hard biscuit into the ample pockets of his now nearly dry coat,
+he set forth. Coming across a well-trodden though narrow trail,
+leading in what he believed to be the right direction, he turned into
+it, and followed it briskly for several miles.
+
+It was by this time late afternoon, and long shadows were creeping
+over the rugged upland country that he traversed. No house was to be
+seen, nor evidence of human occupation. All the large timber having
+been long since cut off, the region was now covered with a ragged
+second growth and thick underbrush. Extensive tracts had been burned
+over, and thousands of small trees, standing in the melancholy
+attitudes of death, added to the desolation of the scene. Every now
+and then he passed yawning prospect-holes, offering mute evidence of
+disappointed hopes.
+
+At length he caught a whiff of smoke, a dull clang of machinery came
+to his ears; and, with curiosity keenly aroused, he pursued his way
+more cautiously. A few minutes later he reached a point where he
+caught glimpses of buildings, evidently belonging to a mine. A tall
+shaft-house was surrounded by various shops and a cluster of
+dwellings, most of them very humble in appearance, though one was
+large and pretentious.
+
+Although smoke was curling lazily from a lofty stack, that he imagined
+belonged to an engine-house, and though there was a certain amount of
+noise, as of machinery in motion, there were no other signs of
+activity about the place. In fact, it was pervaded by an aspect of
+desolation and desertion. There were no hurrying men nor teams. Most
+of the buildings appeared to be permanently closed; doors were boarded
+up, windows were broken, and the smaller dwellings were almost hidden
+by the rank growth of weeds and bushes that closely surrounded them.
+
+As Peveril stared in perplexity at this melancholy picture his
+attention was attracted by a sound of voices near at hand. He gazed
+eagerly, and even took a few steps forward, hoping to meet his own
+party, but was grievously disappointed to see instead a group of three
+burly strangers clad in mining costume. As they drew near he
+recognized them to be Bohemians, and was particularly struck by the
+hideous expression of him who seemed to act as leader of the party.
+
+Although the new-comers started at sight of the young man, and
+regarded him with scowling faces as they drew near, they did not speak
+nor offer to molest him, but passed by in silence.
+
+Disappointed that they were not his own men, but relieved to be so
+easily rid of them, Peveril again turned his attention to the
+semi-deserted mining village that had so aroused his curiosity. So
+deeply interested did he at once become in watching a team of oxen
+that had just appeared, hauling a log over a rise of ground, that he
+did not hear the approach of stealthy footsteps nor note the crouching
+forms creeping up behind him. Closer and closer they came, until they
+were within reach of their unconscious victim. Then they sprang upon
+him all at once, and he was hurled to the ground.
+
+In another moment his arms were bound, and he recognized in one
+distorted face, leering close above his own, that of the man who had
+led the attack on him in the mine, and whom he had sent reeling away
+with a broken jaw.
+
+Now the cruel face was rendered doubly hideous by a grin of triumph,
+and Peveril's heart sank within him as he gazed into the pitiless eyes
+that lighted its brutish features.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV
+
+PEVERIL IN THE HANDS OF HIS ENEMIES
+
+
+Having been driven from Red Jacket by the Cornishmen under Mark
+Trefethen, the Bohemian, Rothsky, and his fellow car-pushers of the
+White Pine Mine who had assaulted Peveril on his first day of work,
+had taken to the woods like wild beasts. Although restrained of their
+evil intentions for the time being, they were more bitter than ever
+against the innocent cause of their trouble, and swore, with strange,
+foreign oaths, to kill him if the chance should ever offer.
+
+In the meantime they must find some way of gaining a livelihood, and
+this finally came to them at a queer, semi-abandoned mine across which
+they stumbled in the course of their wanderings. Its proprietor was an
+old man who seemed half crazed; and the mine that he was working in a
+small way, with a pitifully inadequate force, was absolutely barren of
+copper; but, as he paid their wages promptly, the car-pushers were
+willing to do his bidding without asking questions.
+
+One of the scarcest things about this mine was timber with which to
+support the roof of the only drift that was being opened. The
+proprietor tried to force his men to continue their work, and open the
+drift far beyond a point of safety without the protection of this most
+necessary adjunct, and when they refused he became furiously angry.
+Their job seemed to have come to an end, and all hands were about to
+leave, when, by an opportune gale, a supply of the desired material
+was cast up on the adjacent coast.
+
+Every able-bodied man was immediately set to work collecting this, and
+in towing raft after raft of the Heaven-sent logs to a land-locked
+basin that lay but a short distance from the mine. In this way, even
+before the arrival of Peveril and his wreckers, a large amount of the
+needed timber had been secured.
+
+Although the miners were well aware that their employer carried on
+some other business besides the development of his barren property,
+they neither knew nor cared to know what it was. They discovered that
+it was in some way connected with the coming and going of certain
+vessels, but beyond this they were kept in ignorance.
+
+When one of these vessels reported a party at Laughing Fish also
+engaged in a search for wrecked logs, the exertions of the
+white-haired mine-owner were so redoubled that before Peveril found
+time to work the coast to the northward of his camp, it had been
+stripped of every log. Having obtained possession of his coveted
+timber, the old man was now making every effort to have it transported
+to the mouth of his shaft, believing that, if he could once get it
+underground, his right to the logs would remain unquestioned. He had,
+however, only partially succeeded in effecting this removal, when, to
+his chagrin, Peveril appeared on the scene of activity.
+
+After the defeat of the young man's attempt to capture the raft, his
+two Bohemians were easily induced to join the enemy by promises of
+better pay than they were getting. As for Joe Pintaud, he was indeed
+taken prisoner, but was purposely so loosely guarded that he found no
+difficulty in escaping to the schooner of his friends, which came into
+port that afternoon, and on which he was carried off to Canada.
+
+Thus was the White Pine wrecking expedition completely broken up, and
+only its leader was left to carry out, if he could, its objects. Even
+he had been set adrift in an oarless skiff, with the hope that he
+would be so long delayed in reporting to his employers as to allow
+time for the captured logs to be put underground before another demand
+for them could be made.
+
+This disposition of the captive was only known to the old man, who
+had, unobserved, removed the oars from Peveril's skiff; and so it was
+generally supposed that he would return directly to his camp at
+Laughing Fish.
+
+Rothsky, the Bohemian, who was one of those working near the log raft,
+had instantly recognized Peveril, and at sight of him his hatred
+blazed up with redoubled fury. To be sure, his broken jaw had healed,
+but so awry as to disfigure his face and render it more hideous than
+ever. Now to find the man who had done him this injury again
+interfering with his plans filled him with rage.
+
+Although he had no opportunity for venting it at the moment, he easily
+learned from Peveril's late followers the location of their camp, and,
+believing that the young man would be found there, he planned an
+attack upon it for that very night. He had no difficulty in inducing
+the two other car-pushers who had been driven from the White Pine to
+join him, and as soon as they quit work that evening they set forth on
+foot.
+
+They had not settled on any plan of action, and, though Rothsky was
+determined to kill the man he hated, his associates imagined that the
+young fellow was only to be punished in such a way as would cause him
+a considerable degree of suffering and at the same time afford them
+great amusement. They did not anticipate any interference with their
+plans, even should they be discovered, for the fishermen of the cove
+were their fellow-countrymen, bound to them by the ties of a common
+hatred against all native-born Americans.
+
+Now it so happened that the only daughter of the erratic old
+mine-owner had set forth that afternoon, accompanied only by her
+ever-present body-guard, a great, lean stag-hound, on a long gallop
+over the wild uplands surrounding her home. For that desolate little
+mining village was the only home Mary Darrell had known since the
+death of her mother, five years before, or when she was but twelve
+years of age.
+
+Until then she had lived in New England, and had only seen her father
+upon the rare occasions of his visits from the mysterious West in
+which his life was spent. To others he was a man of morose silence,
+suspicious of his fellows, secretive and unapproachable, but to his
+only child, the one light of his darkened life, and the sole hope of
+his old age, he was ever the loving father, tender and indulgent.
+
+Bringing her to the only home he had to offer, he had made all
+possible provision for her comfort and happiness. The most recent
+books were sent to her, and the latest music found its way into the
+wilderness for her amusement. Himself a well-educated man, Ralph
+Darrell devoted his abundant leisure to her instruction, and to the
+study of her tastes. Only two of the girl's expressed wishes were left
+ungratified, and both of these he had promised to grant when she
+should be eighteen years of age.
+
+One of them was that they might return to the home of her childhood.
+To this her father's unvarying answer was that business and a regard
+for her future welfare compelled him to remain where they were until
+the expiration of a certain time. When it should be elapsed, he
+promised that she should lead him to any part of the world she chose.
+Cheered by this promise, she planned many an imaginary journey to
+foreign lands, and many a long hour did Mary and her father beguile in
+arranging the details of these delightful wanderings.
+
+Her other wish was for a companion of her own age; but this was so
+decidedly denied that she knew it would be useless to express it again
+after the first time.
+
+"It would mean ruin, absolute ruin and beggary for us both," said Mr.
+Darrell, "if I were to allow a single stranger, young or old, of even
+ordinary intelligence, to visit this place. From the time you are
+eighteen years of age you shall have plenty of friends of your own
+choosing; but until that date, dear, you must be content with only the
+society of your old dad."
+
+So Mary Darrell studied, sang, read, rode, and thought the fanciful
+thoughts of girlhood alone, but always with impatient longings for the
+coming of the magic hour that should set her free. And yet she was not
+wholly alone, for her father would at any time neglect everything else
+to give her pleasure, while she also had both "Sandy," her stag-hound,
+and "Fuzz," her pony, for devoted companions.
+
+She was allowed to ride when and where she pleased, with only these
+attendants, on two conditions. One was that she should never visit,
+nor even go near, a human residence; and the other that, when on such
+excursions, she should, for greater safety, dress as a boy. When she
+was thus costumed her father was very apt to call her by her middle
+name, which was Heaton; and so it was generally supposed by the few
+miners who caught glimpses of her that the old man had two children--a
+girl, and a boy who was not only younger than she, but devoted to
+horseback riding.
+
+Only one duty devolved upon the girl thus strangely reared, and that
+was the keeping watch for certain vessels that came in from the great
+lake and sailed away again at regular intervals.
+
+So Mary Darrell was out riding on the evening that witnessed the
+capture of Richard Peveril by his bitterest enemies, and as twilight
+deepened into dusk she was urging her way homeward with all speed.
+
+In the meantime the three rascal car-pushers, who had come so
+unexpectedly upon him whom they sought, and had so easily effected his
+capture, led Peveril directly away from the trail he had been
+following to a place in the woods known only to Rothsky. Close to
+where they finally halted and began preparations for the punishment of
+the prisoner, who was also expected to afford them infinite amusement
+by his sufferings, yawned a great black hole. It was of unknown depth,
+and was nearly concealed by a tangle of vines and bushes. Rothsky had
+stumbled upon it by accident only a few days before, and now conceived
+that it would be a good place in which to dispose of a body, in case
+they should happen to have one on their hands.
+
+Trusting to the wildness of their surroundings and the absence of
+human beings from that region to shield them from observation, they
+ventured to build a fire, by the light of which they proposed to carry
+out their devilish plans.
+
+Besides binding Peveril's arms, they had, on reaching this place,
+taken the further precaution of tying his ankles, so that he now lay
+on the ground utterly helpless, a prey to bitter thoughts, but nerving
+himself to bear bravely whatever torture might await him.
+
+All at once the deep baying of a hound and a crash of galloping
+hoofs, coming directly towards the fire-light, sounded through the
+wood.
+
+With a fierce imprecation Rothsky gave a hasty order, at which all
+three men sprang to where Peveril was lying in deepest shadow.
+Hurriedly picking him up, they carried him a short distance, gave a
+mighty swing, and flung him from them. There was a crash of parted
+bushes and rending vines, a stifled cry, and all was still.
+
+A minute later, when a boyish figure on horseback swept past the fire,
+the three men seated by it only aroused a fleeting curiosity in Mary
+Darrell's mind as to what they could be doing in such a place at such
+a time.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI
+
+LOST IN A PREHISTORIC MINE
+
+
+After the disappearance of the young rider, whose coming had so
+materially changed the plan of Rothsky and his associate scoundrels,
+they gazed at each other for a full minute in sullen silence. In the
+minds of two of them the anger of their disappointment was mingled
+with a cowardly terror at the awful deed they had committed, and they
+began fiercely to denounce their leader for having implicated them in
+it.
+
+Rothsky answered with equal bitterness that he was no more to blame
+than they, and the quarrel grew so furious that for a time it seemed
+as though only the shedding of blood could settle it. At length they
+were quieted by a realizing sense of the common danger that might only
+be averted by mutual support. So they finally swore with strange oaths
+never to betray each other, or breathe a word to a living soul of what
+had just taken place.
+
+Of course they did not for a moment anticipate that their crime would
+ever come to light, though each was secretly determined that if it did
+he would promptly secure his own safety by denouncing his comrades.
+
+With the patching up of this truce and the forming of their worthless
+compact the three wretches prepared to depart from the scene of their
+villany. First, however, they advanced cautiously as close as they
+dared to the edge of the pit into which they had flung their victim,
+and, peering into its blackness, listened fearfully. No sound broke
+the awful silence, and of a sudden the three men, moved by a common
+impulse, turned and fled through the darkness, stumbling and falling,
+clutched at by invisible fingers as they ran, and uttering
+inarticulate cries of terror.
+
+At that same moment their victim was lying on a ledge of rock deep
+down in the ground beneath them, still alive, but numbed almost into
+unconsciousness by the hopeless horror of his situation. In the first
+agony of falling he had instinctively exerted a strength of which he
+would have been incapable under other circumstances, and burst asunder
+the bonds confining his arms.
+
+He believed that in a moment he would be dashed into eternity, and yet
+a medley of incongruous and commonplace thoughts darted through his
+mind with inconceivable rapidity. Innumerable scenes of his past life
+glanced before him, but more distinct than any, sharp and clear as
+though revealed by a flash of lightning, shone the wonderful eyes that
+had appeared to him from the red-stained cliffs overlooking the great
+lake. And, strangest of all, the face seemed to smile at him with a
+promise of hope.
+
+In another instant all the pictures were blotted out, and his whole
+world was gulfed by a rush of water in which he sank to fathomless
+depths.
+
+After an endless space of time he began slowly to rise, until at
+length, to his infinite amazement, he found himself still alive and
+gasping for a breath of the blessed air into which he had once more
+emerged.
+
+Although his ankles were still bound, his arms were free, and, with
+the instinct of self-preservation strong within him, he began,
+awkwardly and feebly, to swim. Dazed, fettered, and weighted by
+clothing as he was, his utmost efforts would not have carried him more
+than a few feet, and then he must have sunk forever in that black
+flood. But the strength given him was sufficient, and ere it was
+exhausted his hands struck a shelf of rock upon which he finally
+managed to drag himself.
+
+On the flinty platform that he thus gained he lay weakly motionless,
+chilled to the bone, dimly conscious that he had for a time been
+granted a respite from death, but without a hope that it would be much
+longer extended.
+
+After a while the sense that he still lived became stronger, and with
+it grew the desire for life. Animated by it he sat up and made an
+effort to loosen the cord that still bound his ankles. It was tightly
+knotted, and the knot was so hardened with the water that for a long
+time his trembling fingers could make no impression on it. Still he
+persevered, and his exertions infused him with a slight warmth.
+Finally the knot yielded and his limbs were free, though so numbed
+that it was several minutes before he could stand up.
+
+Knowing nothing of his surroundings he dared not move more than a step
+or two in any direction for fear of again plunging into that deadly
+water. Nor could he with outstretched arms touch a wall on any side.
+
+"Oh, for a light!" he groaned, "that I might at least see what my tomb
+looks like!"
+
+Then he remembered that he actually did possess both matches and a
+candle, it having been impressed upon him by old Mark Trefethen that a
+miner should never be without those necessities. So he had always
+carried them in a pocket of his canvas mining-suit. But were they not
+rendered useless by the double wetting he had received that day?
+
+With trembling eagerness he drew forth the silver match-safe that Tom
+Trefethen had insisted on presenting to him in token of his gratitude.
+It had been called water-tight. Would it prove so in this time of his
+greatest need? A match was withdrawn, and he struck it against a
+roughened side of the safe. There was a splutter of sparks, but no
+flame. That, however, was more than he had dared hope for, and,
+sitting down, that he might not run the chance of dropping his
+precious box, he rubbed it briskly in his hands until it was
+thoroughly dry before making another attempt.
+
+This time there was no result, the head of the match having evidently
+flown off. With breathless anxiety he tried a third, and was thrilled
+with joy by having it burst into flame. Tom Trefethen's gift had
+redeemed its promise.
+
+By the fitful flare of that match, whose cheery gleam filled him with
+a new hope, Peveril saw that he was sitting on the rocky floor of a
+cave or chamber that extended back beyond his narrow circle of light.
+On the other side, and but a few inches below him, was outspread a
+gleaming surface of water, smooth as a mirror and black as ink. These
+things he saw, and then his match burned out.
+
+The darkness that followed was so absolute as to be suffocating; but
+before striking another of the priceless "fire-sticks" he drew forth
+the candle that had lain quietly in his pocket for several weeks
+awaiting just such an emergency as the present. After many reluctant
+sputterings, it, too, yielded to his efforts, and finally burned with
+a steady flame. With it he was enabled to make a much more careful and
+extended survey of his surroundings. To his great delight he
+discovered, lodged here and there on the rocks about him, a
+considerable quantity of dry wood in small pieces.
+
+Whittling some shavings from one of these, he soon had a brisk blaze
+that not only drove the black shadows to a respectful distance, but
+imparted a delicious warmth to his chilled body.
+
+"I'll live to get out of this place yet and confront the wretches who
+tried to murder me--see if I don't!" he cried, filled with a new
+courage inspired by the magic of light and warmth. "They probably
+think me safely dead long ere this; but they'll find out that I am
+very much alive, and I'll know them when I see them again, too. What
+could have been their object, and what can they have against me? I
+wonder if the old fellow who claimed the logs could have set them on
+to me? I hate to believe it; but the whole business looks awfully
+suspicious.
+
+"There's a deep game going on somewhere, but I may live to fathom it
+yet. What made them start up in such a hurry and fling me down this
+hole? I remember: they were scared by the barking of a dog and the
+approach of some one on horseback. Whoever that chap was, I'll owe him
+a debt of gratitude if ever I get out of here; and if I don't--Well,
+perhaps he did me a good turn anyhow, for they would probably have
+killed me in the end. Hello! I had forgotten these hardtack."
+
+Mechanically thrusting his hands into the pockets of his coat during
+this soliloquy, Peveril found the hard biscuit that he had slipped
+into them on leaving camp. Now, though these were soggy with water,
+they were still in a condition to be handled, and, carefully
+withdrawing them, he ate one hungrily, but laid the other near the
+fire to dry. Then he removed his clothing, wrung what water he could
+from each article, rubbed his body into a glow, re-dressed, and again
+sat beside his fire for a further consideration of his strange
+situation.
+
+As he could arrive at no conclusion regarding an attempt to escape
+until the coming of daylight, which he hoped would reach him with
+sufficient clearness to disclose the nature of his prison, his
+thoughts finally drifted to other matters. He recalled his lost
+letter, and wondered if Rose would grow very impatient at his long
+delay in answering it.
+
+"If she does, she must," he remarked, philosophically, "for I am not
+in a position to hurry the mails just now. How distressed the dear
+girl would be, though, if she could see me at this minute! That is, if
+she didn't find it a situation for laughter, and, by Jove! I believe
+she would, for she laughs at most everything. I only hope we will have
+the chance to laugh over it together some time."
+
+In some way thoughts of Rose led to a recollection of that other girl,
+whom he had only seen for an instant; and when, a little later, in
+spite of his desperate situation, he actually fell asleep on his bed
+of cold flint, it was the face of the unknown that again haunted his
+dreams.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII
+
+UNDERGROUND WANDERINGS
+
+
+When Peveril next awoke he was racked with pain, and so stiff in every
+joint that an attempt to move caused him to groan aloud. A faint light
+dimly revealed his surroundings; but these were so strange and weird
+that for several minutes he could not imagine where he was nor what
+had happened. Slowly the truth dawned upon him, and one by one the
+awful incidents of the past night began to shape themselves in his
+mind.
+
+"I have been murdered and drowned," he said to himself. "Now I am
+entombed alive, beyond reach of hope or human knowledge. Never again
+shall I see the sunlight, never revisit the surface of the earth,
+never look upon my fellows nor hear the voice of man. I may live for
+several days, but I must live them alone--alone must I bear my
+sufferings, and finally I must die alone. What have I done to deserve
+such a fate? Is there no escape from it? I shall go mad, and I hope I
+may. Better oblivion than a knowledge of such agony as is in store for
+me.
+
+"And yet why should I lose faith in the Power that has thus far
+miraculously preserved me? I am alive, and in possession of all my
+faculties. I shall not suffer from thirst. I even have a certain
+amount of food, together with the means for procuring fire. I am not
+left in utter darkness, and, above all, I have not yet proved by a
+single trial that escape is impossible. How much better off I am in
+every respect than thousands of others, who, finding themselves in
+desperate straits, have yet had the strength and courage to work out
+their own salvation! What an ingrate I have been! What a coward! But,
+with God's help, I will no longer be either!"
+
+Having thus brought himself to a happier and more courageous frame of
+mind, Peveril stiffly gained his feet, moved his limbs, and rubbed
+them until a certain degree of suppleness was restored. He was about
+to build a fire, but refrained from so doing upon reflection that his
+stock of fuel must be limited, and that a fire might be of infinitely
+greater value at some other time.
+
+Now the prisoner began a careful survey of his surroundings by the
+feeble light finding its way down the shaft into which he had been
+flung. As it did not materially increase, he concluded that full day
+had already reached the upper world. It was also brightest in the
+middle of the black pool, which showed that the opening through which
+it came must be directly above that point, and that the shaft must be
+perpendicular.
+
+Peveril called the hole a shaft, because, while he could neither see
+to the top nor clearly make out the outlines of the portions nearest
+at hand, it still impressed him as being of artificial construction,
+while the opening at one side, in which he stood, also seemed very
+much like a drift or gallery hewn from the solid rock by human hands.
+
+The impossibility of scaling the sheer, smooth walls of the shaft was
+evident at a single glance, and Peveril turned from it with a heavy
+heart. At the same moment his attention was attracted by a sharp
+squeaking, and, to his dismay, he made out a confused mass of
+something in active motion about the precious biscuit that he had left
+beside his fireplace. With a loud cry he sprang in that direction,
+only to stumble and fall over a small pile of what he took to be rocks
+that lay in his path.
+
+Without waiting to regain his feet, he flung several of these at the
+animals that had discovered and were devouring his hardtack. A louder
+squeak than before showed that at least one of his missiles had taken
+effect, and then there was a scampering away of tiny feet. When he
+reached the scene of destruction his only biscuit was half eaten,
+while beside it lay a huge rat that had been killed by one of his
+shots.
+
+"With plenty of rats and plenty of rocks I need not starve, at any
+rate," he remarked, grimly. "The idea of eating rats is horrid, of
+course, but I don't know why it should be. Certainly many persons have
+eaten them, and in an emergency I don't know why I should be any more
+squeamish than others.
+
+"What heavy rocks those were, though, and what sharp edges they had! I
+expect it will be a good idea to collect a few, and have them ready
+for my next rat-hunt."
+
+With this Peveril returned to the pile over which he had stumbled, and
+to his amazement found it to be composed of hammers and hatchets,
+chisels, knives, and other tools that he was unable to name, all of
+quaint shape, and all made of tempered copper. In an instant the
+nature of his prison became clear. He was in a prehistoric
+copper-mine, opened and worked thousands of years ago by a people so
+ancient that even tradition has nought to say concerning them.
+
+The knowledge thus thrust upon him filled the young man with awe, and
+he glanced nervously about him, as though expecting to see the ghosts
+of long-ago delvers advancing from the inner gloom. The thought that
+he was probably the first human being to set foot on that rocky
+platform since the prehistoric workmen had flung down their tools on
+it for the last time was overpowering.
+
+At the same time, if this were indeed a mine, it must also be a tomb,
+for it was not likely to have any exit save the unscalable shaft
+glimmering hopelessly above him. Here, then, was the end of all his
+hopes, for of what use were strength and courage in a place where
+neither could be made available?
+
+But hold! Where had the rats come from? Certainly not from the water,
+nor was it probable that they had come down the shaft, for its rocky
+sides appeared as straight and smooth as those of a well. Why should
+they have come at all to a place that could not contain a crumb of
+food, except the scanty supply that he had brought? If that alone had
+attracted them, why had they not found it hours before, while he was
+asleep? Might it not be possible that they had come from a distance in
+search of water after a night of feasting elsewhere? They had, at any
+rate, run back into the gallery; and by following the lead thus
+presented he might find some place of exit from that terrible
+subterranean prison. Even if it were only a rat-hole, he might be able
+to enlarge it, now that he had tools with which to work.
+
+At this moment how he blessed the dear old friend at whose insistence
+he had provided himself with the matches and candle that now rendered
+it possible for him to explore the dark depths of that prehistoric
+drift! Before starting on the trip that he was now determined to make,
+he ate the portion of biscuit left by the rats. He also so far
+overcame his repugnance as to skin and clean the dead rat, which he
+placed on a ledge of rock for future use in case he should be driven
+to it. Then he lighted his candle and set forth.
+
+For a considerable distance the gallery was open and fairly spacious,
+while everywhere the young explorer found scattered on its floor the
+ancient and quaintly shaped tools that told of the great number of
+workmen employed in its excavation. After a while his way began to be
+encumbered by piles of loose rock that seemed to have been collected
+for the purpose of removal.
+
+Now his way grew narrower and rougher, until in several places it was
+nearly blocked by masses of material that had fallen from the roof or
+caved in from the sides. Over some of these he was forced to creep on
+hands and knees, flattening himself into the smallest possible
+compass.
+
+At length the gallery came to an end, though from it a small "winze,"
+or passage, barely wide enough to crawl through, led upward at a sharp
+angle. At the bottom of this Peveril hesitated. His precious candle
+was half burned out, and would not much more than serve to carry him
+back to the place from which he had started. Besides this, the passage
+before him was so small that a person entering it could by no
+possibility turn around if he should desire to retrace his course. It
+was even doubtful if he could back out after having penetrated a short
+distance into the winze.
+
+"I don't know why I should care, though," said Peveril, bitterly,
+"for, even if I should get stuck in there, it would only be exchanging
+a tomb for a grave. At the same time, one does like to have room even
+to die in, and I don't believe the risk is worth taking. There isn't
+the slightest chance of a hole like that leading anywhere, and, so
+long as I can draw a breath at all, I am going to draw it in the
+open."
+
+So, with the last spark of hope extinguished, and with a heart like
+lead, the poor fellow turned to retrace his steps to the place in
+which he proposed to spend his few remaining hours of life, and then
+to yield it up as bravely as might be. As he did so a little gusty
+draught of air blew the flame from his candle and plunged him into
+absolute darkness.
+
+[Illustration: PEVERIL SAT BESIDE THE FIRE IN FORLORN MEDITATION]
+
+Peveril was so startled by this occurrence that for some time he
+plunged blindly with outstretched hands back over the way he had come,
+forgetting in his bewilderment that he still had matches with which to
+relight his candle. Ere this was suggested to him he had retraced
+about half the distance, guided solely by the sense of feeling, though
+not without innumerable bruises and abrasions.
+
+When he at length reached the end of the gallery and stood once more
+beside the black pool into which he had been flung, what little of
+daylight found its way into those dim depths was rapidly fading. It
+only served while he gathered every stick of drift that some former
+high stage of water had deposited on the rocky platform, and then
+another night of almost arctic length was begun.
+
+To escape the awful gloom, Peveril lighted a fire and sat beside it in
+forlorn meditation, carefully feeding it one stick at a time, and
+longing for some sound to break the oppressive silence. Finally, faint
+with hunger, he recalled the bit of game that he had stored away ready
+for cooking. Fetching this, he quickly had it spitted on a sliver of
+wood and broiling with appetizing odor over a tiny bed of coals. It
+smelled so good as it sizzled and browned that all his repugnance
+vanished, and he was only impatient for it to be cooked. The moment it
+was so he began to devour it ravenously, regretting at the same time
+that he had not half a dozen rats to eat instead of one.
+
+He felt better after his meal, and a new courage crept into his heavy
+heart as he again sat in meditation beside his flickering blaze. Why
+he should feel more hopeful he could not imagine, for no glimmer of a
+plan for escape had presented itself.
+
+It was not until he had once more stretched himself on his flinty bed,
+with a block of wood for a pillow, and was trying to forget his
+wretchedness in sleep, that he knew. Then he sprang up with a shout.
+
+"What an idiot I am! What an absolute idiot! Where did the draught
+that blew out my light come from? From up that sloping passage, of
+course, and a draught can only be caused by an opening of some kind to
+the outer air. If I can only find it, I believe I shall also find a
+way out of here. So, old man, cheer up and never say die! You'll live
+to stand on top of the world again, yet--see if you don't!"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII
+
+FROM ONE TRAP INTO ANOTHER
+
+
+The light of another day was dimly penetrating those underground
+depths before our prisoner was prepared to make his last effort for
+liberty. For all the aid he would receive from the pitiful amount
+allotted to him he might as well have started hours earlier; but while
+he longed to make the trial he also dreaded it. The thought of that
+box-like passage, through which he would be obliged to force his way
+without a chance of retreat, was so terrible that he shrank from it as
+we all shrink from anything dangerous or painful. Then, too, if he
+should escape, he would want daylight by which to guide his future
+movements. So, after tossing for hours on his hard bed and considering
+every aspect of his situation, he finally fell into a troubled sleep
+that lasted until morning.
+
+For breakfast he had only water, but of this he drank as much as he
+could, for he knew not when he would find another supply. Then he
+selected such of the copper tools as he thought might prove useful.
+Into one of them, which was a sort of a pick, he fitted a rude wooden
+handle, while the others, which had cutting edges and were in the
+nature of knives, he thrust into his pockets. Having thus completed
+his simple preparations, he took a long look, that he well knew might
+be his last, on the daylight that was now so doubly precious, and then
+resolutely faced the inner gloom of the ancient mine.
+
+Determined to save his candle for use in the unknown winze, he slowly
+groped his way through utter darkness, and finally reached what he
+believed to be the end of the drift. Now he lighted his candle, and
+for a moment his unaccustomed eyes ached from the glare of its flame.
+He was, as he had thought, at the lower opening of the narrow passage,
+and, as he noted its steep upward slope, he was agitated by
+conflicting hopes and fears. It might lead to liberty, but there was
+an equal chance that in it he should miserably perish.
+
+At the very outset he was confronted by a condition that was not only
+disappointing, but exerted a most depressing influence. There was no
+draught, such as he had believed would issue from the winze. In vain
+did he hold up a wetted finger, in vain watch for the slightest
+flicker in the flame of his candle. The air was as stagnant as that of
+a dungeon. And yet there certainly had been a decided current at that
+very place only a few hours before. Puzzled and disheartened, he was
+still determined to press forward, and, stooping low, he entered the
+passage.
+
+It almost immediately became so contracted that he was compelled to
+creep on hands and knees, by which method he slowly and painfully
+overcame foot after foot of the ascent. A little later he was forcing
+his way with infinite labor, an inch at a time, through a space so
+narrow that he was squeezed almost to breathlessness. He was also
+bathed in perspiration, and was obliged to recruit his strength by
+frequent halts.
+
+At length his candle, which had burned low, was about to expire. With
+despairing eyes he watched its last flickering flame, feeling only the
+terror of impending darkness, and heedless of the fact that it was
+burning his hand. With the quenching of its final spark he resigned
+himself to his fate. He had fought his best, but the odds against him
+were too heavy, and now his strength was exhausted. Closing his eyes,
+and resting his head wearily on his folded arms, he prepared for the
+oblivion that he prayed might come speedily.
+
+Lying thus, and careless of the passage of time, he was visited by
+pleasant dreams, in which were mingled happy voices, laughter, and
+singing. He rested on a couch of roses, and cool breezes fanned his
+fevered brow. He was free as air itself and surrounded by illimitable
+space.
+
+All at once he became conscious that he was not dreaming, but was wide
+awake and staring with incredulous eyes at a glimmer of light, so
+wellnigh imperceptible that only by passing a hand before his face and
+so shutting it out for an instant could he be certain of its
+existence. At the same time an unmistakable draught of air was finding
+its way to him, and a voice as of an angel came to his ears faintly
+but distinctly with the snatch of a gay song.
+
+With hot blood surging to his brain, the poor fellow tried to call
+out, but the words died in his parched throat, and he could only emit
+a husky whisper. Then he struggled forward, and found himself in a
+larger space that widened rapidly until he was able to sit up and move
+his arms with freedom.
+
+He had reached the end of the passage; for, above his head, he could
+feel only a smooth surface of rock. The singing had ceased, the ray of
+light had faded into darkness, and the draught of air was no longer
+felt. But Peveril had noted the aperture by which it had come, and
+could now thrust his hand through this into a vacant space beyond.
+
+It seemed to him that the rock above his head was but a slab of no
+great thickness, and he tried to lift it. For some minutes he could
+not succeed, but finally he secured a purchase, got his shoulders
+directly beneath it, and, with a mighty upward heave, moved it
+slightly from the bed in which it had lain for centuries.
+
+With another powerful effort it was lifted the fraction of an inch,
+and, though it immediately settled back in place, the prisoner knew
+that the time of his deliverance had come. He could not raise the
+great slab bodily, but with wedges he could hold the gain of each
+upward lift. His first aids of this kind were the copper knives that
+he had brought with him. Then, by a dim light that came through the
+crevice thus opened, he used his pick to break off fragments of rock,
+which were slipped under the slab.
+
+It was thus raised and supported an inch at a time, until at length
+an opening nearly two feet in width was presented. The moment this was
+effected Peveril drew himself through it, and, with a great sigh of
+thankfulness for his marvellous escape, lay for some minutes
+recovering breath after his tremendous exertions and studying his new
+surroundings.
+
+Although the small amount of light greeting his eyes as he lifted the
+rock had shown him that he was not to emerge into the open air, he
+could not help a feeling of disappointment at finding himself still
+underground. To be sure, he was in a spacious chamber or cavern, he
+could not yet tell which, illumined by a faintly diffused light that
+gave promise of some connection with the outer world; but he feared
+this might prove to be another unscalable shaft, in which case he
+would be no better off than before--in fact, he might find himself
+worse off, for he was desperately thirsty and could see no sign of
+water.
+
+"It would be pretty hard lines if I should be compelled to return to
+my old well for a drink," he said to himself.
+
+As soon as he had recovered breath, Peveril rose to his feet and began
+to walk slowly towards that part of the cavern where the light seemed
+brightest. As he went he looked eagerly on all sides for some trace of
+the singer whose voice had inspired him with a new hope at the moment
+of his blackest despair, but no person was to be seen or heard.
+
+At the same time he found abundant proof that human beings had
+recently visited that place, and would doubtless soon do so again.
+This was in the shape of boxes, bales, and casks piled against the
+walls on both sides of the passage. For a moment Peveril was greatly
+puzzled by these; then, as he recalled Joe Pintaud's conversation
+regarding smugglers, he concluded that he had stumbled across a depot
+of goods belonging to those free-traders of the great lake.
+
+"In which case," he said to himself, "I shall surely be out of here
+within a few minutes; for an entrance for smugglers must mean an exit
+for prisoners."
+
+This was a sound theory, but, like a great many other theories, one
+that proved faulty upon practical application, as our young friend
+discovered a few minutes later.
+
+Directly beyond the packages of goods he came upon a small derrick,
+set firmly into the solid rock at both top and bottom. It had a
+substantial block-and-fall attachment, and was swung inward. At this
+point also a heavy tarpaulin, reaching from floor to ceiling, was hung
+completely across the cavern.
+
+Cautiously raising one corner of this, Peveril was blinded by such a
+flood of light that for a moment he was completely dazzled. As his
+vision was gradually restored he found himself on the brink of a
+precipice and gazing out over a boundless expanse of water--in fact,
+over the great lake itself. A narrow ledge projected a little beyond
+the curtain that he had lifted, and as he hesitatingly stepped out
+upon it he also instinctively grasped a small cedar that grew from it
+to steady himself while he looked down.
+
+The descent was sheer for twenty feet, and so smooth as not to afford
+a single foothold along its entire face. From the rippling water at
+its base rose a jagged ledge of black rocks, which Peveril recognized
+the moment his eyes fell upon them.
+
+"Of all mysteries this is the most inexplicable!" he cried; "and yet
+it surely is the very place."
+
+As he spoke he turned to look at the curtain which he had let fall
+behind him, and very nearly tumbled from the ledge in amazement at
+what he saw. Instead of the sheet of dingy canvas that he expected, he
+was confronted by a sheer wall of cliff, stained the same rusty red as
+that extending for miles on either side, and apparently not differing
+from it in any particular. He was compelled to reach out his hand and
+touch it before he could dispel the illusion and convince himself that
+only a sheet of painted canvas separated him from the cavern he had
+just left.
+
+"It is one of the very cleverest things in the way of a hiding-place I
+ever heard of," he said, half aloud; "and now I understand the
+disappearance of that girl. But where on earth did she come from? How
+did she get here? and where did she go to? Could it have been she whom
+I heard singing a little while ago? If so, where is she now? Not in
+the cavern. That I'll swear to."
+
+Peveril might have speculated at much greater length concerning this
+mystery had not the sight of water that he could not reach so
+aggravated his thirst that for the moment he could think of little
+else. All at once he hit upon a plan, and two minutes later had drawn
+aside the curtain, swung out the little derrick, and was letting
+himself down towards the ledge by means of its tackle.
+
+Lying flat on the rough rocks, he drank and drank of the delicious
+water, lifting his head for breath or to gaze ecstatically about him,
+and then thrusting it again into the cool flood for the pleasure of
+feeling the water on his hot cheeks.
+
+At length a slight sound caused him to turn quickly and look upward.
+To his dismay and astonishment the tackle by which he had lowered
+himself had disappeared. Unless he could make up his mind to swim for
+miles through water of icy coldness, he was as truly a prisoner on
+that ledge of rock as ever he had been in the underground depths from
+which he had so recently escaped.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX
+
+"DARRELL'S FOLLY" AND ITS OWNER
+
+
+Ralph Darrell was possessed by a passion for accumulating wealth, and,
+not satisfied with the certain but slow gains of his legitimate
+business of banking, was always on the lookout for extraordinary
+investments, in which he was willing to take great risks on the chance
+of receiving proportionate returns. During an excitement caused by
+marvellous finds of copper in the upper peninsula of Michigan, he,
+too, caught the fever, and became convinced that here was his
+opportunity for acquiring a fortune.
+
+From experts in whom he placed confidence he received such good
+accounts of a certain mineral tract located on Keweenaw Point, where
+mines of fabulous richness were already opened, that he purchased it,
+and persuaded Richard Peveril's father to become associated with him
+in a scheme for its development.
+
+When the crash came, and their golden dreams were dispelled by a rude
+awakening, he had sunk his own modest fortune, together with half of
+Peveril's, in a barren mine, and the blow was so heavy as to partially
+deprive him of his reason. He imagined himself to be the object of a
+conspiracy, headed by his partner, to obtain entire control of the
+mine, which he also imagined to be immensely valuable.
+
+For the purpose of protecting the interests that he fancied to be
+thus endangered, Ralph Darrell disappeared from his home, made his
+way to the scene of his wrecked hopes, and took up a solitary abode
+in the deserted mining village. Although he was now a desperate man,
+and also one so crazed by misfortune that he believed every rock
+taken from the Copper Princess to be rich in metal, he retained much
+of the business shrewdness gained by years of experience. At the same
+time, he had become sly, suspicious of his fellows, and absolutely
+non-communicative. He had conceived the idea of holding on to the
+mine, and at the same time spreading reports of its worthlessness
+until the term of contract had expired, when he hoped that, in default
+of other claims, the entire property would fall into his hands. Then
+he would proclaim its true value and reap his long-delayed reward.
+
+So he lived alone in the comfortable house that had been built for the
+manager of the mine, held no intercourse with his widely scattered
+neighbors, discouraged all attempts on the part of outsiders to learn
+anything concerning him, rejoiced when he heard his mine spoken of as
+"Darrell's Folly," and devoted himself to keeping its valuable plant
+in repair, against the time when he should be free to use it for his
+own sole benefit.
+
+In looking about for some method of acquiring means with which to
+reopen and work the mine when it should be wholly his, he ran across
+a crew of Canadian fishermen, who were also smugglers in a small way,
+and, joining them, soon developed their unlawful trade into a
+flourishing business.
+
+Having discovered a deep cavern opening on the lake and extending
+close to the cellar of the very house in which he dwelt, he decided to
+use it as a receptacle and hiding-place for smuggled goods. To enhance
+its value for this purpose, he connected it with his own residence by
+an underground passage. On this he expended a vast amount of labor,
+digging it with his own hands, and holding it a secret from every
+human being. Even the smugglers, who implicitly obeyed his orders,
+since he had made it so profitable for them to do so, knew nothing of
+it, nor what became of their goods after they were delivered at night
+on a certain rocky ledge, and hoisted up the face of the cliff to some
+place that they never saw. Nor were the peddlers, by whom these same
+goods were carried far and wide, any wiser, for they always transacted
+their business with "old man" Darrell, and received their merchandise
+after dark, in a certain room of his house, the only one they were
+ever allowed to enter.
+
+Not only had Darrell retained to himself the secret of the cavern, but
+he had also conceived the idea of hiding it from the observation of
+passing vessels by means of a canvas screen drawn over its entrance,
+and cleverly painted to resemble the adjacent cliffs.
+
+Surrounded by these safeguards, and further protected by its locality
+in that desolate region, the unlawful business flourished amazingly.
+It not only yielded its chief promoter a sufficient income to support
+his family comfortably in their distant Eastern home and enable him to
+keep his mining-plant in good repair, but each year saw a very tidy
+surplus stored away for the future development of the Copper Princess.
+
+Darrell had learned of his partner's death, and waited anxiously for
+years to hear from the Peveril heirs. As they remained silent, and
+made no claim against the property in which his own life was so
+completely bound up, he cherished the belief that they considered it
+too worthless even to investigate, and that he would be left in
+undisturbed possession to the end. He became so emboldened by this
+belief that, when the term of contract had so nearly expired that it
+had but a few months more to run, he even began in a small way to
+resume work in the mine. Thus he had it pumped out and partially
+retimbered. He also started work on a new level, and in every way
+possible, without attracting too much attention, got his property
+ready for the great scheme of development upon which he was determined
+the moment he should be freed from his contract.
+
+In the meantime his wife had died, and his only child, who had been
+born since he entered upon this strange existence, had come to share
+his lonely home. As she was but twelve years old when this great
+change in her life took place, she of course knew nothing of business,
+and had never heard of such a thing as smuggled goods. In her eyes
+everything that her dear papa did was right, and she was too happy at
+being permitted to become in any degree his assistant to think of
+questioning his methods.
+
+So the secret of the cavern and its underground connection was finally
+confided to her. She was also intrusted with the duty of watching for
+the little vessels that brought the goods in which her father dealt,
+and of hanging out the signal-lights by which their movements were
+guided. As these lights were always displayed from the stunted cedar
+at the mouth of the cavern, and as this place also served her for a
+post of observation, she passed much of her time within the limits of
+the great cave.
+
+Her father had won her promise never to mention the existence of the
+cavern, and had also warned her not to allow herself to be seen in it.
+There was, however, no necessity of such a warning, for Mary Darrell
+was too proud of her great secret to share it. Even Aunty Nimmo, the
+old black nurse who had come West with her, and had remained to care
+for her ever since, was not told of the cavern, though she shrewdly
+suspected its existence.
+
+If to the foregoing explanation it is added that the little
+trading-vessels, which were also to all appearance fisher-boats, never
+took on their return cargoes from the cavern, but always at either
+Laughing Fish Cove or the land-locked basin, the situation as it
+existed at the time of Peveril's appearance on the scene will be
+understood.
+
+As the sister schooner of the one that had carried off Joe Pintaud was
+due to arrive at about this date, Mary Darrell was keeping a sharp
+watch for it, and paying frequent visits to her post of observation at
+the mouth of the cavern for that purpose. On each of these she of
+course drew aside the painted curtain, thereby letting in a rush of
+air that penetrated to the innermost recesses of the great cavity
+behind her.
+
+It was a little breath from one of these that, finding its way through
+the aperture beside the slab of rock, and so on down the narrow
+passage that led to the prehistoric mine, had blown out Peveril's
+candle. Of course the girl, who was the innocent cause of that bit of
+mischief, had no idea of what the breeze was doing, for neither she
+nor her father, or any one else for that matter, knew of the existence
+of the old workings so close at hand.
+
+On the following morning Mary again entered the cavern, singing
+light-heartedly as she did so. This time she remained but a few
+minutes, for she had something to attend to in the house; but she held
+aside the canvas curtain long enough to look out, assure herself that
+no vessel was in sight, and to allow another inrush of air. From it a
+second little breeze found its way beneath the great slab and into the
+darkness of the underground passage, where it restored poor,
+despairing Peveril to life and hope by cooling his fevered brow and
+carrying the sound of singing to his ears.
+
+The very next time the girl entered the cavern she was at first
+bewildered to find the canvas screen drawn aside from its opening and
+the place flooded with light. Next she was frightened to note that the
+derrick was swung outward, and that its attached tackle was hanging
+down out of sight.
+
+Her first impulse was to run and call her father. Then she remembered
+that, as he was down in the mine, it would be a long time before he
+could come. Also, being a brave young woman and not easily frightened,
+she determined to find out for herself if there was any real cause for
+alarm. So she crept softly to the mouth of the cavern and peered
+cautiously out.
+
+At sight of a man lying on the rocks at the foot of the cliff, with
+his head in the water, her heart almost stopped its beating and she
+almost screamed. He lay so still that for a moment she imagined him to
+be dead, though the next instant she knew he was not, for he lifted
+his head to catch a breath. Then he again plunged it into the water,
+and quick as thought the girl drew up the tackle by which he had
+lowered himself.
+
+"There," she said to herself; "I guess you will stay where you are,
+Mister Man, until I can bring papa; and he'll know what to do with
+you!"
+
+She had drawn in the tackle very cautiously, without noticing the
+little scraping noise that its lower block made in crossing the rocky
+ledge, and she turned to go as she spoke.
+
+But she must take one more look, just to see if that horrid man was
+still there, and what he was doing.
+
+So she very carefully leaned forward and gazed straight down into the
+upturned face of Richard Peveril.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XX
+
+PEVERIL IS TAKEN FOR A GHOST
+
+
+The situation in which the two principal characters of this story were
+left at the close of the preceding chapter was so embarrassing to both
+that for several seconds they continued to stare at each other in
+silent amazement. Mary Darrell, her face alternately flushing and
+paling with confusion, seemed fascinated and incapable of motion. In
+spite of Peveril's astonishingly disreputable appearance, she at once
+recognized him as being the young stranger whom she had seen twice
+before, and had even helped out of an awkward predicament. She also
+knew that he had in some way aroused her father's enmity. But he had
+taken his departure from that vicinity several days earlier, and,
+though she had wondered if he would ever come back, she had not really
+expected to see him again.
+
+Now to come upon him so suddenly, looking so dreadful, and to realize
+that, incredible as it seemed, he must have learned the secret of the
+cavern, was all so bewildering and startling as to very nearly take
+away her breath. So she simply stared.
+
+It must be confessed that Peveril's present appearance was not so
+prepossessing as it had been at other times, and might be again. He
+had lost his hat, his hair was uncombed, his hands were bruised and
+soiled, while his clothing was torn and covered with dirt from the
+underground passages through which he had so recently struggled. But
+his face was quite clean, for he had just given it a thorough
+scrubbing, and to it the girl's gaze was principally directed.
+
+It was Peveril who first broke the embarrassing silence.
+
+"I am very glad to see you again," he said, "and to find that you are
+a real flesh-and-blood girl, instead of only a vision, or a sort of a
+rock-nymph, as I imagined you might be from the way you disappeared
+that other time."
+
+"What makes you think I am a girl?" asked Mary Darrell, whose face was
+the only part of her that Peveril could see.
+
+"Why, because," he began, hesitatingly--"because you are too
+good-looking to be anything but a girl, and because--Oh, well, because
+I am certain that you are. What else could you be, anyway?"
+
+Mary Darrell's face was crimson, but still she answered, stoutly, "I
+might be a boy, you know."
+
+"No, indeed. No boy could blush as you are doing at this moment."
+
+In reply, the girl rose to her feet and stepped out on the ledge in
+full view of the young man. She was clad in a golf suit, neat-fitting
+and becoming, but masculine in every detail. She had become so
+accustomed to dressing in that way that she was perfectly at her ease
+in the costume, and even preferred it to her own proper garments.
+
+"I beg your pardon," stammered poor Peveril, as he gazed in
+bewilderment at the apparition thus presented. "I'm awfully ashamed to
+have made such a stupid mistake, but really, you know--"
+
+"Oh, it's all right," replied the other, "and you needn't apologize. I
+have so often been taken for a girl that I am quite used to it. And
+now may I ask who you are? why you are here? what you are doing down
+there? how you propose to get away? and--"
+
+"Hold on, my dear fellow!" interrupted Peveril. "Don't you think your
+list of questions is already long enough without adding any more?"
+
+"I suppose it is," laughed the other, assuming a seat in an expectant
+attitude at the base of the stunted cedar.
+
+The novelty of the situation, combined with its absolute safety, so
+far as she was concerned, was fascinating to the lonely girl. "Now you
+may begin," she added, "and tell me everything you know about
+yourself."
+
+"That would be altogether too long a story," replied Peveril, a little
+nettled at what he mentally termed the cheek of the youth. "Besides,"
+he continued, "I am too nearly starved to do much talking, seeing
+that, for more days than I can remember, I have had nothing to eat but
+a rat, and--"
+
+"A rat!" cried the other, in a tone of horror. "You didn't really eat
+a rat?"
+
+"Indeed I did, and I would gladly eat another at this very minute, I
+am so hungry. Don't you think you could get me one? Or if you had any
+cold victuals that you could spare--"
+
+At that moment Mary Darrell, without waiting to hear another word,
+jumped up and disappeared, leaving Peveril to wonder what had struck
+the young fellow, and hoping that he had gone for something in the
+shape of food.
+
+"I wish I'd got him to let down that rope again first," he said to
+himself, as he paced back and forth across the ledge; "then I could
+have pulled myself up and gone with him, thereby saving both time and
+trouble. I would have sworn, though, that he was a girl. Never was so
+deceived in my life. He must have a sister, and perhaps they are
+twins, for it surely was a girl that I saw here the other time. All
+the same, I'm rather glad she isn't on hand just now, for I should
+hate to have any girl see me in my present disguise. My appearance
+must be decidedly tough and tramp-like. Wonder if I can't do something
+to improve it? That chap might be just idiot enough to bring his
+sister back with him."
+
+Thus thinking, the young man attempted to get a look at himself in the
+water-mirror of the lake, and was trying to comb his hair with his
+fingers, when a merry laugh from above put an end to his toilet and
+caused him to start up in confusion.
+
+His young friend of the golf suit had returned, and was letting down a
+small basket attached to a stout cord.
+
+"Why don't you drop the tackle and let me come up there to you?"
+suggested Peveril, who was not only very tired of the ledge, but
+curious to make a closer acquaintance with his new friend.
+
+"Oh no," said the other, hurriedly, "I can't do that. But look out!
+catch the basket. I am sorry not to have brought you a better lunch,
+but you seemed in such a hurry that I thought you might not be
+particular."
+
+"It's fine," rejoined Peveril, who was already making a ravenous
+attack on the bread and cold meat contained in the basket. "You
+couldn't have brought me anything that I should have liked better, or
+that would have done me more good, and I am a thousand times obliged."
+
+A few minutes of silence ensued after this, while the one in the golf
+suit eagerly watched the other satisfy his hunger.
+
+When the last crumb of food had disappeared, Peveril heaved a sigh of
+content. "I feel like a new man now," he said, "and if you will only
+be so kind as to throw down that tackle--"
+
+"But you haven't answered a single one of my questions," interrupted
+the other.
+
+"Can't I do that up there as well as here?"
+
+"No, I want them answered right off, now."
+
+"Well, you are a queer sort of a chap," retorted Peveril; "but, seeing
+that you were so kind about the lunch, I don't mind humoring you a
+bit. Let me see: What were they? Oh! First--who am I? Well, I am
+Richard Peveril; but beyond that I hardly know how to answer.
+Second--why am I here? Because I can't get away. Third--what am I
+doing? Answering questions. Fourth--how do I propose to get away? By
+climbing the rope that you will let down to me, of course, and then
+have you show me the same way out of the cavern that you take."
+
+[Illustration: AT SEEING PEVERIL, THE MEN UTTERED A CRY OF TERROR]
+
+"Oh, but I can't do that!"
+
+"Why not?"
+
+"Because I have promised never to show it to any one. But, if you
+don't know the way, how did you get into the cavern?"
+
+"If you'll show me your way out, I'll show you mine," replied Peveril,
+who was growing impatient.
+
+"I tell you I can't. It is simply impossible."
+
+"Oh, well! I won't urge you, then. Only let down the rope, so that I
+can get up to where you are, and I'll manage to find my own way out."
+
+"But I don't dare even to do that," answered the other, in genuine
+distress.
+
+"You don't mean to leave me down here forever, do you?"
+
+"No, of course not; but--Oh, I know! I'll send a boat for you. So,
+just wait patiently a little while longer and you shall be taken off."
+
+"I say! hold on!" cried Richard; but his words were unheeded, for,
+acting on the impulse of the moment, the other had disappeared, and he
+was talking to empty space.
+
+"Confound the boy!" he exclaimed, impatiently. "I never heard of
+anything so utterly absurd. Why, in the name of common-sense, should
+he object to showing me the way out of his old cave? One would think
+that ordinary humanity--But boys are such heartless young beggars that
+there's no such thing as appealing to their sympathies. If it had only
+been his sister now!"
+
+In the meantime Mary Darrell had hastened from the cavern full of her
+new plan for rescuing the prisoner without betraying the secret of the
+underground passage.
+
+She at first thought of appealing to her father for aid, but,
+remembering his bitterness against the young man, decided to act
+without him. So she called two miners who were at work about the mouth
+of the shaft and bade them follow her. As they did so she led the way
+to the basin, and, entering a boat, ordered the men to row her out
+into the lake.
+
+They obeyed without hesitation, and, as Mary steered, she soon had the
+satisfaction of seeing her prisoner just where she had left him.
+
+He was at the same time relieved of a growing anxiety by the approach
+of the boat, in which he finally recognized the young fellow who,
+although acting so curiously, had, on the whole, proved himself a
+friend.
+
+The boat approached so close to the ledge that Mary had given the
+order to cease rowing before the oarsmen turned their heads to see
+where they were. As they did so, they uttered a simultaneous cry of
+terror, again seized their oars, whirled their light craft around,
+and, in spite of Mary Darrell's angry protestations, began to row with
+frantic haste back in the direction from which they had come.
+
+Although Peveril was not so much surprised at this proceeding as he
+might have been had he not recognized the villain Rothsky in the
+bow-oarsman, he was bitterly disappointed, and paced up and down his
+narrow prison with restless impatience.
+
+"Oh! If I ever get out of this scrape!" he cried.
+
+Less than an hour afterwards, when Mary Darrell again entered the
+cavern, but this time in company with her father, to whom she had
+confided the whole story, Peveril had disappeared. There was no boat
+to be seen, and they were confident that none had been on the coast
+that day. The derrick, with its tackle, was just as Mary had left it,
+yet neither in the cavern nor on the ledge was a trace of the young
+man to be seen.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXI
+
+MIKE CONNELL TO THE RESCUE
+
+
+On the very day that the White Pine logging expedition had been so
+completely disbanded, the tug _Broncho_ had been sent up the coast in
+a hurry after a supply of timber. She reached Laughing Fish Cove in
+the evening after Peveril's departure from his camp, and spent the
+night there awaiting him. Her captain was greatly perplexed by the
+failure of any of the party to put in an appearance, and the more so
+when he learned from the fishermen that Peveril had returned alone
+only to depart again on foot soon afterwards.
+
+By morning he dared not wait longer, for his instructions were to
+start back immediately with such logs as had been collected. He also
+imagined that, having picked up all the timber they could find, and
+becoming tired of waiting for him, the wreckers might have set out for
+Red Jacket on foot. So, taking in tow the raft that he found in the
+cove, he started down the coast, arriving at his destination that same
+evening.
+
+Mike Connell, who had been anxiously awaiting Peveril's coming, was at
+the landing to meet his friend, and was much disappointed at his
+non-appearance. After gaining all the news concerning the missing
+party that Captain Spillins could give him, he hastened back to Red
+Jacket, and went at once to the Trefethen cottage with a faint hope
+that Peveril might be there.
+
+The inmates of the little house had also pleasantly anticipated the
+return of the young man in whom they were so interested, and had made
+such simple preparations as came within their means for welcoming him.
+Now their disappointment at Connell's report was mingled with a
+certain anxiety that increased as they discussed the situation.
+
+"I'm feared lad's got into some trouble along of they furriners,"
+reflected Mark Trefethen, as he puffed thoughtfully at his short pipe.
+"Not but he'll find way outen it, though, for he's finely strong and
+handy wi' his fists. Still, there's always the knives and deviltry of
+they furriners to be reckoned with."
+
+"They do tell as hit's a cruel country up yon, full o' thieves and
+murderers, to say naught o' smuggling pirates," put in his wife;
+"which, as I were saying to Miss Penny no longer ago than yesterday,
+when me and 'er was looking in at company store, the same as Maister
+Peril should be running this blessed minute if 'e 'ad 'is rights,
+'Miss Penny,' sez I, 'that pore young man'll never get it in this
+world, now 'e's gone for a sailor, mark my words,' little thinking
+they'd so soon come true."
+
+"If I was a man," said Nelly Trefethen, at the same time casting a
+meaning glance at her sweetheart, "I'd not be sitting here wondering
+how he's to be got out of trouble, especially if he'd done for me what
+he has for some."
+
+"No more will I," spoke up Mike Connell, "for I'm going to find him,
+which is what I came to say along with telling the news."
+
+"And I'll go with you!" exclaimed Tom Trefethen, springing to his
+feet, as though for an immediate start.
+
+"No, Tom; glad as I'd be of your company, it's best I should go alone,
+seeing as I know that country well, and one man can get along in it
+when two couldn't. Besides, you are needed here, while I'm not."
+
+In spite of young Trefethen's protests, the Irishman remained firm in
+his decision to set forth alone in search of his friend; and as he
+left the house Nelly, who with the others accompanied him to the door,
+managed to give his hand an approving squeeze.
+
+Although Major Arkell gave orders for the tug to return to Laughing
+Fish in search of the missing loggers the moment her services could be
+spared, it was not until twenty-four hours after bringing in the raft
+that it was possible for her to do so.
+
+In the meantime Mike Connell, starting at the break of day, and
+walking briskly northward, reached the cove that still held Peveril's
+deserted camp that same afternoon.
+
+Through an intimacy with several of his countrymen who were successful
+peddlers of Ralph Darrell's smuggled goods, Connell had learned much
+concerning that section of country, and the various operations
+conducted within its limits. He had at one time seriously contemplated
+going into the peddling business himself, and had made so many
+inquiries in regard to its details that he was even familiar with
+"Darrell's Folly," though it was a place he had never visited.
+
+Knowing it to be a headquarters for smugglers, and believing that, if
+Peveril had really got himself into trouble, it would be in connection
+with some of those people, he felt that it was a likely locality in
+which to search for information. Accordingly he headed directly for
+it, only going a short distance out of his way to visit Laughing Fish
+Cove. Having heard that the fisher-folk were in league with the
+smugglers, he did not care to betray his presence to them, and so did
+not show himself in the little settlement, but only skirted it, until
+certain that his friends were not there. Then he proceeded towards his
+destination by the same trail that Peveril had followed only two
+nights before.
+
+As he walked slowly along the narrow pathway, trying to invent some
+plausible excuse for presenting himself before the irascible old man
+who, he had heard, excluded all strangers from "Darrell's Folly," his
+steps were arrested by the sound of voices approaching from the
+opposite direction. In another moment he saw three men hurrying
+towards him, gesticulating wildly and talking loudly in an unknown
+tongue.
+
+As they drew near he recognized in them the three car-pushers recently
+driven from the White Pine Mine. It also flashed into his mind that
+these were the men whom he had urged to make a cowardly attack on the
+young fellow he had then considered an enemy, but for whom he was now
+searching as for a dear friend.
+
+The new-comers also recognized him, and, regarding him as of one
+purpose with themselves in all that concerned Peveril, did not
+hesitate to advance and speak to him. After an exchange of greetings,
+Connell broached the business in hand by asking if they had seen
+anything in those parts of the chap who had driven them from White
+Pine.
+
+The men glanced at each other hesitatingly for a moment, and then
+Rothsky answered:
+
+"Yes, my friend, indeed we have seen him, and to our sorrow, since it
+is but now that he has driven us from another job, better even than
+that."
+
+"How so?" inquired Connell, pricking up his ears.
+
+"It is this way: We are working, at good wages, for the old fool over
+yonder, when that devil of a Per'l comes and tries to steal our
+timbers. Then the boss compels us to seize him and put him in his
+boat, which we tow far out in the lake. Then, as he makes a try to
+escape, the boss, who is like a man crazy, shoots him with a pistol
+through the head, and we all see him fall without life in the bottom
+of his boat. He is so very dead that he does not even move, and so is
+let go to drift, him and his boat, while we return to shore."
+
+"A fine way of treating trespassers, bedad!" exclaimed Connell; "but
+all the same, there is folks who would call it murder."
+
+"Yes, was it not? But wait. All that was three days ago; and yet, but
+one hour since, two of us have seen the ghost of this beast Per'l
+standing on the black rocks, with the white face of death, the wet
+hair of the drowned, and his clothing torn by the teeth of fishes. He
+said not one word, but waited for us, and would have dragged us to the
+bottom if we had not fled in time. Now, with such things allowed, we
+can no longer work in this place, and so, for the second time, has he
+driven us from our good job."
+
+"It's a cruel shame and an outrage on dacency, nothing less!" cried
+Connell, in pretended indignation. "At the same time, Rothsky, man,
+I'd like to have been with you, for do you know I've never laid eyes
+on a ghost at all, but would like mightily to have the exparience.
+Would ye mind tellin' me now where could I find this one, just for the
+pleasure of the sensation?"
+
+"No, no, Mist Connell! Don't go near it, for you'll be going to your
+death if you do."
+
+"But, if I'm willing to risk it why not?"
+
+So the Irishman insisted that they should permit him to share with
+them the glory of having seen a ghost, and finally won from them full
+directions how to discover the place from which they had fled in
+terror. The sly fellow even made pretence of wishing them to go back
+with him, and, when they declined to consider his invitation, declared
+them to be a set of cowards, and set forth alone.
+
+"It's my belief," he said to himself, as he made his way towards the
+place where they had told him he would find a boat, "that them divils
+of Dagos have played some dirty trick on Mister Peril. If there'd been
+but two of them I'd found some way of extorting a confession from
+their lying mouths, but odds of three to one is too big to risk. So I
+had to blarney them; but maybe I'll be able to help the lad some way;
+and, anyhow, here's for the trying."
+
+It was dusk when Connell, having found the boat, pulled unobserved out
+of the land-locked basin, and by the time he reached the ledge, where
+he had been told he would find Peveril's ghost, darkness had so closed
+in that he could not tell whether it was occupied or not until he had
+left his craft and explored its limited area.
+
+"Mister Peril!" he called, softly; "come out, if you're hiding, for
+it's only me, Mike Connell, come to take you away from this--Oh, bad
+cess to it, he's not here at all, and it's a great song-and-dance them
+Dagos give me! Now I'll have to go and beg a night's lodging of the
+old man, and maybe he'll give me a job in place of them as has just
+left him. In that case I'll find out something, or me name's not--Holy
+smoke! where's me boat? Bad luck to the slippery craft! It's gone
+entirely, and here I am left to spend the cruel night alone on a bit
+of a rock in the sea. If I was in jail I'd be better off."
+
+It was only too true. The light skiff, carelessly left to its own
+devices, had been caught by a gentle breeze and borne without a sound
+beyond sight or hearing.
+
+As the second prisoner claimed by the black ledge that day stood
+dismally bemoaning his hard fate, a light flashed out above him, and,
+glancing upward, he saw what he took to be a man in the act of hanging
+two lanterns to a bit of a tree. It was a danger-signal warning the
+smugglers to keep away, and Mary Darrell was placing it by order of
+her father, who feared Peveril might still be lingering in that
+vicinity.
+
+"Hey, lad," cried Connell, noting her slight figure, "will you help a
+fellow-creature in distress by tossing down the end of a rope?"
+
+"Are you really still there?" exclaimed the girl, in a tone of dismay,
+and striving to peer down through the darkness.
+
+"I am that, but most anxious to get away."
+
+"And if I do let down the rope, will you promise to depart at once the
+same way you came?"
+
+"I'll promise anything if you'll only let me up."
+
+"Well, then, there it is. I know I am doing wrong, but I can't leave
+you down there all night, for you would be dead by morning."
+
+"True for ye," answered Connell, as he began briskly to climb the
+rope, hand over hand.
+
+As his face appeared within the circle of lantern-light, the poor
+girl, who was waiting with trembling anxiety, uttered a cry of terror
+and fled into the gloom of the cavern.
+
+"Well, if that don't bate my time!" exclaimed the new-comer, as he
+gained a foothold on the ledge. "Whatever could the lad be frightened
+of?"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXII
+
+THE SIGNAL IS CHANGED
+
+
+Peveril had been amazed and disgusted at the sudden turning about and
+departure of the boat that had so nearly effected his rescue. Of
+course, on recognizing the oarsmen, he understood why they declined to
+help him, though it did not enter his mind that they regarded him as a
+supernatural being.
+
+"What cowards they are!" he reflected, bitterly. "They are determined
+to kill me though, that is evident, and I don't believe they will be
+content with simply leaving me here to die of exposure. It's more than
+likely they will roll rocks down on me from the cliffs during the
+night. There's a cheerful prospect to contemplate, with darkness
+already coming on, too!
+
+"That young fellow seemed willing enough to help me, only he was bound
+to do it in his own way; but now I suppose those wretches will prevent
+him from making any more efforts in my behalf. What is he doing with
+that gang of murderers, I wonder? Apparently he is about as far
+removed from that class as a person can be. Well, that's neither here
+nor there. The one thing to be considered just now is, how am I to
+get out of this fix? I wonder if there is any possibility of that cord
+bearing my weight."
+
+The cord thus referred to was the one by which the basket of food had
+been lowered. As it still hung close at hand, Peveril gave it a sharp
+pull. Although it yielded slightly, it did not break, and, encouraged
+by this, he threw his whole weight on it as a conclusive test of its
+strength. The result was sudden, surprising, and wellnigh disastrous.
+The cord gave way so readily that Peveril sprawled at full length on
+the rocks, while, at the same time, something heavy fell with a rush
+down the face of the cliff and struck with great force close beside
+his head.
+
+Springing to his feet in alarm at this most unexpected happening, the
+prisoner found to his amazement and also to his delight that he had
+pulled down the derrick-tackle by which he had descended. To be sure,
+the block at its lower end had very nearly dashed out his brains, but
+what did he care for that so long as he had been given the benefit of
+the miss? For a moment he was puzzled to know how his pull on the cord
+could have effected so desirable a result, but, upon an examination of
+the tackle, he laughed aloud at the simplicity of the proposition. For
+want of something better to hold her end of the cord, Mary Darrell had
+tied it to the block of the derrick-tackle, intending, of course, to
+draw up the basket again as soon as her starving guest had emptied it.
+Then, absorbed in a suddenly evolved plan for releasing him from his
+predicament and at the same time preserving her father's secret, she
+had gone away and neglected to do so.
+
+Peveril was not slow to avail himself of the means of escape thus
+provided, and a few minutes later stood once more within the portal of
+the great cavern. His first care was to haul up the tackle and dispose
+it as he imagined it to have been left, with the attached cord hanging
+down the face of the cliff.
+
+"There!" he said, when this was done to his satisfaction. "The young
+fellow is almost certain to come back for another look at me, and,
+though I fancy he'll be somewhat surprised to find me gone, it will
+never enter his head that I am up here. Then when he leaves I will
+simply follow his lead, and so find the way out of this mysterious
+place. Perhaps, though, I can discover it for myself."
+
+Thus thinking, Peveril made as careful an examination of the cavern
+walls as the fading light would permit, but could find no sign of an
+opening. Finally, deciding to carry out his original plan, he selected
+a hiding-place, and, settling himself in it as comfortably as
+possible, began to await with what patience he might the return of his
+young friend.
+
+By this time the cavern was quite dark, save for a dim twilight at its
+opening; and, having nothing to distract his attention, he began to
+realize how very weary he was after the exertions and nervous strain
+of the past three days. He had also just eaten a hearty meal. It is
+little wonder then that, within five minutes, and in spite of his
+strenuous exertions to keep awake, he fell fast asleep. Fortunately
+he did not snore, nor make any sound to betray his presence, but
+unfortunately, also, his slumber was so profound that when, a little
+later, Mary Darrell and her father softly entered the gallery and
+cautiously proceeded to its mouth for a look at the prisoner, whom
+they supposed still to be on the black ledge, he did not waken.
+
+Puzzled as they were at his disappearance, they were also greatly
+relieved to have him gone. They never for a moment imagined that he
+could have regained the cavern, and so, after drawing up the basket,
+they retired as they had come, leaving Peveril undisturbed to his nap.
+
+While it was not certain that the expected smuggling schooner would
+reach the coast that evening, she might do so, and, with the
+cautiousness marking all of his operations, Ralph Darrell decided that
+it would not do for her cargo to be landed while there was a chance of
+a stranger, who was at the same time an enemy, being in the
+neighborhood. He felt assured that the young man who had so
+mysteriously appeared and disappeared that day must be an enemy; for,
+though Mary had not mentioned his name, she had described him as being
+the one who had recently attempted to steal his logs from the
+land-locked basin. Now he had no doubt that the chap was a
+revenue-officer who had come to spy out his smuggling operations, and
+only pretended to be in search of wrecked timber as a cloak for his
+real designs. Else why should he still hang around, and especially in
+the vicinity of the cavern, where there were no logs?
+
+Mary even declared a belief that he had been in their carefully
+concealed hiding-place, but, of course, she must be mistaken. Still,
+no more cargo must be landed until the spy was located and driven from
+that region.
+
+"I sha'n't need to carry on the business much longer," said the old
+man to himself; "but so long as I choose to remain in it I don't
+propose to be interfered with."
+
+So Mary was directed to go and display two lanterns at the mouth of
+the cavern as a signal that no goods were to be landed that night,
+while her father went out for the final look at his precious mining
+property that he took every evening just after the men had quit work.
+
+Ralph Darrell's heart was bound up in the new work he had recently
+began, and so anxious was he to push it that he was engaging all
+laborers who came that way. As yet his force was very small, but he
+was in hopes of speedily increasing it. Thus, to discover that three
+of his strongest men had suddenly thrown up their jobs and left him
+without warning filled him with anger. So furious was he, even after
+he entered the house, that poor Mary, who had just returned badly
+frightened from the cavern, dared not confess to him that, through her
+own carelessness, another stranger had been admitted to the hidden
+storehouse of the cliffs.
+
+Perhaps by morning this unwelcome visitor would have disappeared, as
+the other had done; and, at any rate, he could never find the secret
+passage, for it was too carefully concealed. By morning, too, her
+father would be restored to his ordinary frame of mind, and it would
+be easier to tell him what she had done, if, indeed, it should prove
+necessary to tell him at all.
+
+In the meantime Mike Connell was much puzzled by the nature of the
+place in which he found himself after his climb, as well as by the
+abrupt disappearance of the lad upon whom he had counted for guidance.
+The darkness, with its accompanying profound silence, so affected him
+that, while he called several times, "Whist now! Where are you? Come
+out o' that, young feller, and have done with your foolin'!" he did so
+in an awed tone but little above a whisper.
+
+"All right; stay where you are then!" he added, after listening vainly
+for a reply. "If it's a game of hide-and-seek ye want, I can soon
+accommodate you, seeing as how you've been so kind as to leave me a
+couple of glims, though it's only one of them I'll need."
+
+Thus saying, the new-comer removed one of the two lanterns that had
+been hung out as a warning to the smugglers, and unwittingly changed
+the danger-signal into one of safety and invitation by so doing. With
+the lantern thus acquired to light his footsteps, he began a careful
+survey of the cavern, hoping to discover either an exit from it or his
+vanished guide.
+
+With his previous knowledge of the principal industry of that region,
+it did not take him long to conjecture the meaning of the bales and
+boxes upon which he soon stumbled.
+
+"Holy smoke!" he cried; "it's a cave of smugglers you've broke into,
+Mike Connell, no less, and a sorrowful time ye'll have of it if the
+folks comes home and catches you at the trespassing! Where the divil
+is the back door, I wonder, for the one in front is no good at all?
+Saints preserve us! What's that?"
+
+With this last exclamation the frightened Irishman began to retreat
+slowly backward, holding his lantern so that, while it revealed his
+own terror-stricken face, its light also fell full on the form of
+Richard Peveril standing before him and staring in blankest amazement.
+
+"Plaze, good Mister Spook--I mean yer Honor--Oh, Holy Fathers! what
+will I say?" stammered the poor fellow, in such faltering accents that
+Peveril broke into a roar of laughter.
+
+"Mike Connell!" he cried; "wherever did you come from? and what has
+happened? You look as though you had seen a ghost!"
+
+"And haven't I?" retorted the other, still staring dubiously. "Is it
+yourself, lad? But sure it must be, seeing you have a voice of your
+own, which is a thing never yet given to a spook. Glory be to
+goodness, Mister Peril, that I've found you just as I'd lost you
+entirely, and meself as well!"
+
+"But how do you happen to be here?" asked the still bewildered
+Peveril.
+
+"Sure I just came, thinking you might want me."
+
+"Which way did you come?"
+
+"Through the front door, the same as yourself."
+
+"But I came in by a back entrance."
+
+"Then we'd best be getting out that way, for I'm afeard there'll soon
+be others here as won't be pleased to see us."
+
+"We can't, for that way is barred," answered Peveril; "but let us sit
+down and try to arrive at some understanding of this mysterious
+affair."
+
+So, for nearly an hour, the two talked over the situation; and, though
+each frequently interrupted the other with questions or exclamations,
+they finally gained a pretty clear comprehension of their position. At
+the end of the conference Peveril exclaimed:
+
+"Then, so far as I can see, we are shut up here like two rats in a
+trap."
+
+"Yes," cried Connell, "and here comes the rat-catchers after us now!"
+
+As he spoke he pointed to the outer entrance, where the head and
+shoulders of a man had just appeared above the rocky ledge.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIII
+
+A BATTLE WITH SMUGGLERS
+
+
+After supper that same evening the violence of Ralph Darrell's rage
+had so subsided that his daughter ventured to inquire concerning its
+cause. When he had informed her, she said:
+
+"Why should you let a little thing like that worry you, papa? Surely
+you can engage plenty more miners if you want them. I don't see why
+you should bother with the old mine, though. It don't seem to be worth
+anything."
+
+"Not worth anything!" cried the old man, standing up in his
+excitement. "Why, child, it is worth millions! It is one of the
+richest copper properties in the world, and in one week's time it will
+be all my own. Rather, it will be yours, since it is for you alone
+that I have lived in this wilderness all these years, thereby saving
+it from destruction, and warding off the conspiracy that would reduce
+you to beggary. For your sake only have I so guarded the secret of its
+wealth that no living soul suspects it. Even the men who delve in its
+depths know not the value of the material in which they toil, for I
+have not told them. Nor have I allowed an assay to be made of its
+smallest fragment; but I know its worth, its fabulous value, that will
+make the owner of the Copper Princess one of the richest heiresses in
+the world."
+
+"Who is the Copper Princess, papa?" asked the girl, who, though
+bewildered by the old man's extravagant statements, could not help but
+be interested in them.
+
+"You are, my darling, you are a copper princess; but the name also
+applies to your mine, and was given to it before you were born.
+'Darrell's Folly' is what men, in their ignorance, call it now, but in
+one week's time it may assume its rightful title, and thereafter the
+fame of the Copper Princess will spread far and wide."
+
+"But why not let people call the mine by its real name now, papa? What
+difference will one week make?"
+
+"Because," replied Ralph Darrell, bending towards his daughter, and
+lowering his voice almost to a whisper, as though fearful of being
+overheard, "in one week's time--only one week from this very day--the
+contract will expire, and the heirs of Richard Peveril can make no
+claim."
+
+"Richard Peveril!" cried the girl, with a sudden recollection; "why,
+papa, that is the name of the young man who was in the cavern to-day,
+for he told me so himself. He is the same, you know, who came for your
+logs."
+
+For an instant the old man glared at his daughter with an expression
+so terrible that she shrank from him frightened. Then it cleared, and
+in his ordinary tone he said, gently:
+
+"I wish, dear, you would go and change your dress. I don't like to
+have you wear this boy's costume in the evening."
+
+With only a moment of hesitation the girl obeyed him and left the
+room.
+
+She had no sooner disappeared than the strange expression that he had
+so successfully banished for a minute returned to the man's face, and,
+possessing himself of a revolver, he proceeded to load it. As he did
+so he muttered:
+
+"I must do it for her sake, though she must never know. Richard
+Peveril shall not be given an opportunity for making his claim. If he
+is really in the cavern he must not be allowed to escape from it
+alive."
+
+So saying, the old man left the room, while Mary Darrell, who had been
+anxiously watching his movements through a crack of the opposite
+doorway, followed swiftly after him.
+
+In the cavern, at that moment, two groups of men were confronting each
+other suspiciously, but hesitating as to what attitude they should
+assume. The expected schooner had reached the coast that evening, and,
+assured of safety by the single light displayed from the cliffs, had
+run boldly in to her accustomed anchorage. As the operations of the
+smugglers were necessarily conducted with great promptness, a portion
+of her valuable cargo was immediately transferred to a small boat, and
+four men accompanied it to the usual landing-place on the black
+ledge. Here the goods were taken out, and two of the men returned to
+the schooner with the boat while the others remained on shore. These
+became so impatient at not receiving the usual intimation from above
+that all was in readiness for hoisting, nor any answer to their
+repeated signals, that they finally decided to avail themselves of the
+tackle hanging ready beside them to go up and investigate. The captain
+of the schooner, who was an Englishman, went first, and the other, who
+was a French Canadian, followed closely after him.
+
+[Illustration: A WILD-LOOKING MAN LEVELLED A PISTOL AT PEVERIL]
+
+To their amazement they found the cavern, which they had been told was
+never entered except by old man Darrell or his son, in possession of
+two strangers, who appeared equally surprised at seeing them.
+
+"What are you chaps doing 'ere?" demanded the Englishman.
+
+"Oui. By gar! vat you do in zis place?" added his follower.
+
+"I was about to ask that same question," said Peveril. "What are _you_
+doing here?"
+
+"Yes, be jabers! That's what _we_ want to know. What be _yous_ doing
+here?" chimed in Mike Connell.
+
+At that moment a wild-looking, white-headed figure suddenly appeared
+on the scene, and, with one searching glance at Peveril, who stood
+fully revealed in the light of Mike Connell's lantern, levelled a
+pistol full at him. As he did so, a cry of terror rang through the
+rock-hewn chamber, and a pair of soft arms were flung about the old
+man from behind. By this his aim was so disconcerted that, though the
+shot still rang out with startling effect in that confined space, its
+bullet flew wide of the intended mark, and Peveril stood unharmed.
+
+In another second the schooner's captain had sprung upon the madman
+and wrenched the pistol from his hand, crying out:
+
+"No, no, Mr. Darrell! There must be no murder connected with this
+business. It is bad enough, God knows, without having that added!"
+
+"C'est vrai! Certainment! By gar!" shouted the Canadian.
+
+"You bet your sweet life, old man! That sort of thing don't go down in
+the copper country, and it's mighty lucky for you that the young
+feller was on hand to kape you from carrying out your murderous
+intentions," said Mike Connell, sternly.
+
+Peveril, seeing that the man, whom he had already recognized, was
+rendered harmless by the loss of his pistol, remained coolly silent,
+waiting for some cue by which his own course of action might be
+determined.
+
+"I see I have made a mistake, gentlemen," said Ralph Darrell, changing
+his tactics with all a madman's cunning and readiness. "And I beg
+Mister--a--"
+
+"Peveril," said the young man--"Richard Peveril is my name, sir."
+
+"Yes, of course; and, as I was saying, I beg Mr. Richard Peveril's
+pardon for being so hasty; but my daughter here, having informed me of
+his suspicious presence in the vicinity of this warehouse, I came to
+protect my property from possible depredation. Finding him in the very
+place that I was most anxious to guard, I very naturally took him for
+a burglar, and acted accordingly. I am sorry, of course, if I have
+made a mistake; but, if I remember rightly, I have already had
+occasion to accuse Mr. Peveril of trespassing, and to order him from
+my premises."
+
+"You did, sir, and I refused to go until I had recovered certain
+property to which I have a claim."
+
+"Do you refuse to go now, when I tell you that the property in
+question has been removed beyond your reach?"
+
+"I do not."
+
+"Will you promise never to return?"
+
+"I will not."
+
+"Will you go with these men on their schooner?"
+
+"Certainly not, unless compelled by force, for I have no inclination
+to trust myself with a gang of smugglers."
+
+By this time two more of the schooner's crew, who had reached the
+ledge with a second boat-load of goods in time to be attracted by the
+pistol-shot in the cavern, had made their appearance on the scene, and
+stood wonderingly behind their captain.
+
+To this individual the old man whispered: "I will give you one
+thousand dollars to capture this spy, who threatens to break up our
+business. Carry him on board your schooner, and keep him there for one
+week--one whole week, remember. Five hundred down, and the remainder
+at the end of the week, if you have him still on board."
+
+"Done!" said the captain, eagerly; and, turning to his men, he
+muttered a few words to them in a low tone.
+
+Peveril and Connell watched this by-play with considerable anxiety,
+for they had no idea what action would be best to take. It would be
+folly to make an attack on so strong a force, especially as they had
+no direct provocation for so doing. Even should they succeed in
+driving them from the cavern, they had no clear idea of what would be
+gained. At the same time they did not relish the idea of waiting
+quietly while the others carried on their secret consultation.
+
+"The divils mean mischief, Mister Peril," whispered Connell. "Kape
+your eye on them; and mind, if we get separated in the shindy, I'm not
+the lad to desert a friend. Look out! Here they come! Take that, you
+imps of Satan!"
+
+With this final exclamation, the Irishman hurled his lighted lantern
+full into the faces of the group at that moment rushing towards them.
+It struck with a crash of glass, and then everything was enveloped in
+darkness.
+
+The fight was fierce, but short-lived. Peveril found himself striking
+out wildly, was conscious of delivering several telling blows, and of
+receiving twice as many in return. Then he was overwhelmed by numbers,
+and, still fighting stoutly, was borne to the rocky floor.
+
+When all was over and a lantern was brought, it revealed several
+bloody faces and blackened eyes. Peveril was lying flat on his back,
+with three men holding him down. Connell had disappeared, and so had
+Mary Darrell, who was still looked upon by all present, except her
+father, as being a boy. The old man held the lighted lantern, and the
+captain of the schooner, swearing savagely, was holding his hands to
+his face, which had been badly cut by the Irishman's missile.
+
+A cord was brought, the very one that had lowered the lunch-basket,
+and with it Peveril was trussed like a fowl for roasting. Then he was
+swung down to the ledge at the base of the cliffs, tossed into a boat,
+and rowed away. A few minutes later he was handed aboard the schooner,
+taken below, and chucked into a small, evil-smelling state-room, the
+door of which was locked behind him.
+
+It was a very unpleasant position to occupy, and yet his thoughts were
+not dwelling half so much upon it as they were upon the fact that the
+young person in golf costume who had saved his life that evening had
+been spoken of as a _daughter_.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIV
+
+CONNELL MAKES GOOD HIS ESCAPE
+
+
+From the very first Mike Connell had determined not to be captured, if
+he could possibly help it, wisely concluding that he would stand a
+better chance of serving his friend in freedom than as a prisoner. He
+realized that Ralph Darrell's enmity was especially directed towards
+Peveril, and believed that he, therefore, would be the principal
+object of attack. At the same time he knew that, no matter how
+desperately two might fight against six, there was little hope of
+success in face of such overwhelming odds. So, while he was prepared
+to throw himself heart and soul into the fray, he was also on the
+watch for a chance of escape.
+
+The entrance of the Darrell's into the cavern had been so precipitate,
+and both of them had been so intent upon the object of their coming,
+that they had forgotten their usual precaution and neglected to close
+the door giving them admittance.
+
+It was a slab of stone, carefully fitted to its place, swinging easily
+on iron pivots, and usually fastened by a stout spring. Being left
+open, it disclosed a patch of blackness a shade darker than the wall
+on either side, and this caught Connell's eye just as the rush was
+made.
+
+Believing that here was offered a chance of escape that could be
+utilized better in darkness than in light, and knowing also that a
+battle against odds could be more successfully waged under the same
+conditions, he used his lantern as a weapon of offence, and thereby
+dashed out its flame at the very beginning of the fracas.
+
+For a moment he entertained a vague hope that he would be able to draw
+Peveril with him into the place that he had discovered, and that thus
+they might effect an escape together. Quickly finding this impossible,
+he sprang to one side, after knocking down one of his enemies, groped
+along the wall until he found the desired opening, and entered it.
+
+As he did so he came in contact with the slight figure of Mary
+Darrell, who had here taken refuge at the outbreak of the struggle,
+and was awaiting its termination in trembling anxiety. Now, thinking
+the new-comer to be her father, and desirous of saving him from harm,
+she gave the stone door a push that closed it. Then she said:
+
+"I am so glad to have you safely away from those dreadful men, dear
+papa! Now you will go back with me to the house, won't you, for I am
+afraid to go alone?"
+
+"Yes, only hurry!" whispered the Irishman, readily accepting the
+situation, but not daring to speak aloud for fear of betraying his
+identity. At the same time the thought, "What a coward the young
+fellow is, to be sneaking away from an elegant shindy like the one
+behind us! I've a mind to give him a taste of me fist for luck when we
+get out of this black hole! No, I will not, though. I'll lave him be,
+for wasn't it him saved Mr. Peril's life, after all?"
+
+Resting one hand lightly on his guide's shoulder, he followed her
+closely, and had barely reached the foregoing conclusion when the girl
+flung open a door, and the two stepped into a lighted room. For a
+moment their eyes were completely dazzled by its brightness.
+
+Mary was the first to become accustomed to the glare of light, and
+turned to speak to her supposed father. Upon seeing the face of a
+perfect stranger she uttered a cry of dismay, and started as though to
+fly, but the other clutched her arm.
+
+"None of that, young feller!" he said, sternly. "Now that you've
+brought me so far you'll see me farther and show me the way out of
+here. You're a fine, bold chap, ain't you?" he added, in a tone of
+scorn. "Look like you was fitter to be a girl than a lad, any day,
+and, if it wasn't for the good turn you done me friend back yonder,
+I'd be tempted to give you a kindergarten lesson in the manly art of
+self-defence. As it is, I'll let you off this time, provided you'll
+show me the way out. But you want to get a move on."
+
+Terribly frightened as she was, the girl still found strength to open
+a door on the opposite side of the room and motion for the man to pass
+through. As he did so she slammed it behind him and locked it. Then
+her overwrought feelings gave way, and she sank into a chair, sobbing
+hysterically.
+
+Furious at finding himself thus tricked, the Irishman's first impulse
+was to turn and batter down the door, but a couple of heavy kicks
+delivered against it for this purpose brought forth a loud cry from
+some lower region.
+
+"Hi! up dar. What you all a-doin'?"
+
+At the same time it flashed into Connell's mind that his recent
+enemies of the cavern might appear at any moment and open the door in
+such a way as to cause him to regret that it had not remained closed.
+Besides, was he not capable of finding his own way out of a house?
+
+"Of course I am," he muttered, "and I'd best be doing it in a hurry,
+too. So good-bye, young feller, and here's hoping we'll meet again."
+
+Then he made his way down-stairs, opened a door, and found himself in
+a kitchen, confronted by a resolute old colored woman, who, after one
+glance at his strange face, let fly at it a ladle of hot water. This
+assault was immediately followed by such a well-directed shower of
+plates, pans, and culinary utensils as caused the intruder to utter
+howls of pain and make a blind dash for an outer door.
+
+Even outside the house his troubles were far from ended, for shouting
+men were running towards him through the darkness, while at the same
+time a dog leaped at him.
+
+Throttling the animal and flinging him off after a vigorous struggle,
+Connell had next to knock down a man who was attacking him on the
+opposite side, receive a blow from a broom-handle wielded by Aunty
+Nimmo, dodge several other assailants, and finally to run for his
+life.
+
+When the poor fellow at length found himself alone and safe from
+present pursuit, he sat breathlessly on a log, over which he had just
+pitched headlong, and began to consider his situation.
+
+"You may talk about your dynamite and gunpowder," he said, "but being
+blown up with aither of them isn't a patch to what I've gone through
+this night. What with being wracked on a rock in the sea, fighting
+smugglers, nagurs, and Polanders--to say nothing of dogs and other
+wild animals--beat and battered, torn and scalded, tripped up and lost
+in the wilderness, and all in the middle of a cruel blackness, is an
+experience that any man might be grateful to be done with. If I have a
+whole bone left inside of me skin, or a rag to me back, it's more than
+I'm hoping. Now what'll I do next?
+
+"Will I go back to the house? Indade I will not. Will I make another
+try for the cave? Not so long as I have me right mind. Will I go back
+to Red Jacket?--and meet them as would ax me what had I done with
+Mister Peril? Not on your life. Where is Mister Peril at this blessed
+minute, anyhow? At sea on board the smuggler, or I miss me guess. How
+will I get to him? By taking a boat, of course. Where will I find one?
+At Laughing Fish Cove, to be sure. That's the very place, bedad! and
+the sooner I'm getting there the better."
+
+The tug _Broncho_ had reached Laughing Fish about an hour before Mike
+Connell arrived at this decision. She had come in search of the party
+of log-wreckers that she had brought to that place more than a week
+earlier, and now those on board were greatly troubled at not finding a
+trace of the missing men save their deserted camp. Nor could they
+obtain any information concerning them from the fisher folk of the
+cove.
+
+On board the tug was Major Arkell, who had been led by curiosity to
+take the trip. He was curious to know what had become of the young man
+whom he had sent into that region to pick up wrecked logs, and he was
+also curious to ascertain what had become of a large number of those
+same logs that still remained unaccounted for. At the same time he
+would like to investigate certain reports that had reached him of the
+reopening of some old mine-workings in that neighborhood. He had hoped
+that his researches might not take him beyond Laughing Fish, where he
+anticipated finding Richard Peveril prepared to answer all his
+questions. Failing to discover the young man, or any trace of him, the
+problems that he had set out to solve became more interesting than
+before, and he ordered Captain Spillins to start at daybreak on a
+cruise still farther up the coast.
+
+Early on the following morning, therefore, everything was in readiness
+on board the tug, and its crew were getting up the anchor when their
+attention was arrested by the shouts and gesticulations of a man on
+the beach.
+
+"Send a boat in and see what he wants," said the manager; and ten
+minutes later Mike Connell was on board, telling his story to a highly
+interested group of listeners.
+
+Within an hour after receiving her new passenger, the _Broncho_, under
+full head of steam, was several miles to the northward of Laughing
+Fish, and well out to sea, in hot pursuit of a small schooner. The
+latter was slipping easily along before the fresh morning breeze that
+had recently set in after a night of calm. The water rippled merrily
+past her flashing sides, and she was making some six miles an hour. At
+the same time the _Broncho_, pouring forth great clouds of soft-coal
+smoke and heaping the smooth water into double white-crested billows
+as she rushed through it, was doing two miles to her one, and would
+soon overtake her.
+
+"Whatever can that bloomin' teakettle want of us?" growled the captain
+of the schooner as he blinked with half-closed eyes at his pursuer.
+"She ain't no revenue boat, as I can see. Tom, h'ist our ensign as a
+hint for 'em to keep away."
+
+The sailor obeyed, and a minute later ran the crimson flag of Great
+Britain to the main peak, where it streamed out bravely in the
+freshening breeze.
+
+"Got a flag aboard this boat, Captain Spillins?" asked Major Arkell as
+he watched the schooner from the _Broncho's_ pilot-house.
+
+"Yes, sir, two of 'em."
+
+"Good. We'll see that fellow and go him one better. Set 'em both."
+
+In consequence of this order the Stars and Stripes were quickly
+snapping defiantly from both the forward and after jack-staffs of the
+on-rushing tug.
+
+"Sheer off, blast you, or you'll run us down!" bellowed the captain of
+the schooner as the tug ranged close abreast.
+
+"Is that your man?" asked the manager, of Mike Connell.
+
+"He is. Sure I'd know him from a thousand by me own frescos on his
+purty face."
+
+"Have you a man named Richard Peveril aboard your craft?" demanded
+Captain Spillins.
+
+"None of your d----d business."
+
+"Run him down!" ordered Major Arkell, sternly, and the words had
+hardly left his mouth before the two vessels came together with a
+crash.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXV
+
+A SEA-FIGHT ON LAKE SUPERIOR
+
+
+As no other schooner was in sight, and as this one was standing off
+the coast when discovered, the _Broncho_ people had from the very
+first believed her to be the one they wanted. Her hoisting of British
+colors strengthened this belief, and it was finally confirmed by
+Connell's recognition of her captain. Until that moment, however, they
+had entertained serious doubts as to whether they should find Peveril
+on board; for it did not seem credible that even a smuggler,
+accustomed to running great risks, would dare abduct and forcibly
+carry off an American citizen. They did not know of the tempting
+reward promised to the schooner's captain for doing that very thing,
+nor of his determination to make this his last voyage on the great
+lake. So they anxiously awaited his answer to the question:
+
+"Have you a man named Richard Peveril aboard your craft?"
+
+When it came, although it was neither yes nor no, it so thoroughly
+confirmed their suspicions that they had no hesitation in attempting
+to rescue their friend by force, and the _Broncho's_ men gave a yell
+of delight as the two vessels crashed together.
+
+On board the tug this moment had been foreseen and prepared for. Two
+small anchors had been got ready to serve as grappling-irons, and each
+man had been told off for special duty. The regular crew of four men
+had been materially strengthened by the addition of the two
+passengers; but, as the engineer must be left on board under all
+circumstances, the available fighting force was reduced to five. As it
+happened, this was the exact number on board the schooner. So, as the
+_Bronchos_ scrambled to her deck, each singled out an individual and
+went for him.
+
+The vessel had been thrown into the wind by the collision, her sails
+were thrashing to and fro with a tremendous clatter, which, combined
+with a roar of escaping steam from the tug, created such dire
+confusion among the smugglers as rendered them almost incapable of
+resistance. In fact, their captain was the only one who made a show of
+fighting; and, springing at him with a howl of delight, Mike Connell
+sent him sprawling to the deck with a single blow. Then the Irishman
+dove down the companionway, cast a hasty glance about the little
+cabin, and made for the only door in sight. A couple of vigorous kicks
+burst it open, and in another minute Richard Peveril was again a free
+man.
+
+As the two friends reached the deck, Connell uttered a wild Irish yell
+of triumph, while the released captive, who now gained his first
+inkling of what had taken place, stared about him in bewilderment.
+
+Then he burst into a shout of laughter at the spectacle of four men,
+one of whom was the dignified manager of the great White Pine Mining
+Company, calmly sitting on the prostrate bodies of four others, while
+a fifth, who had just struggled to his feet with a very rueful
+countenance, suddenly dropped to the deck again as he caught sight of
+Connell.
+
+Greeting Peveril with a hearty cheer, and carrying him with them, the
+_Bronchos_ regained their ship and cast off the lines that held her to
+the schooner. As these were loosed her jingle-bell rang merrily, her
+screw churned the dimpled waters into a yeasty foam, and, with a
+derisive farewell yell from her exultant crew, she dashed away,
+leaving her recent antagonist enveloped in a cloud of sulphurous
+smoke. The whole affair had occupied just five minutes.
+
+There was no lack of entertainment on board the good tug _Broncho_ as
+she again headed southward and ploughed her way briskly towards
+Laughing Fish, for every one had thrilling stories to tell or to hear.
+
+"It seems to me," remarked Major Arkell to Peveril, after listening
+attentively to the young man's narration, "that you have managed to
+compress a greater number of desperate adventures and hair-breadth
+escapes into a short space of time than any other man in the Copper
+Country. I, for instance, have been here for ten years, and haven't
+yet had an adventure worth the telling."
+
+"Not even the one of this morning?"
+
+"Oh, that was only an incident compared with what has happened to you.
+How do you manage it? Do you always find such stirring times wherever
+you go?"
+
+"No, indeed," laughed Peveril; "until very recently I have led a most
+quiet and uneventful life. Even now I would gladly exchange all my
+adventures, as you are pleased to call them, for the smallest scrap of
+information regarding the mine that I came out here to find."
+
+"Haven't you learned anything concerning your Copper Princess yet?"
+
+"Not one word."
+
+"That's strange! I wonder if it can be located in the Ontonagon
+region?"
+
+"I had just about made up my mind to visit that section and find out,"
+replied Peveril. "That is, if I have earned enough money while working
+for you to pay my travelling expenses."
+
+"I guess you have," laughed the major; "but I can't let you go yet a
+while, for I shall want you to help me settle accounts with that old
+fellow who stole our logs. Besides, you have so aroused my curiosity
+regarding those prehistoric workings of yours that I should like very
+much to visit them. Do you think you could find the entrance again?"
+
+"Which entrance--the hole down which I was thrown, or the one through
+which I crawled out?"
+
+"The one by which you were introduced to them, of course. From your
+own account, the other is altogether too small for comfort, and the
+chances of being shot for trespass are altogether too great in its
+vicinity."
+
+"I expect I could find the locality, but I hate the idea of ever going
+near it again. I don't think you can imagine what I suffered while
+down there. I am sure the place will haunt my worst dreams during the
+remainder of my life."
+
+"By going down again with plenty of light, company, and an assured
+means at leaving at any moment, the place will present a very
+different and much more cheerful aspect. Besides, the ancient tools
+that you mention as existing in such numbers down there are becoming
+so scarce as to be very valuable and well worth collecting. So, on the
+whole, I think we had better go and take a look at your prehistoric
+diggings this very day."
+
+"Very well, sir. Since you insist upon it, I will act as your guide;
+but I must confess that I shall be heartily glad to leave this part of
+the country and return to the civilization of Red Jacket."
+
+"Civilization of Red Jacket is good!" laughed the other. "How long
+since you considered it as civilized?"
+
+"Ever since I left there and found out how much worse other places
+could be."
+
+As a result of this conversation, four men left Laughing Fish soon
+after the tug again dropped anchor in its cove, and took to the trail
+that two of them had followed before. These two were Peveril and
+Connell. The others were the White Pine manager and Captain Spillins.
+Arrived at the point from which "Darrell's Folly" could be seen, they
+turned abruptly to the right and plunged into the woods.
+
+Only too well did Peveril remember the path over which he had been
+dragged a helpless captive only three days before. But the way seemed
+shorter now than then, and he was surprised to discover the dreaded
+shaft within a few hundred feet of the trail they had just left.
+
+They had brought ropes with them, as well as an axe, and candles in
+abundance. Now, after cutting away the bushes from the shaft-mouth,
+and measuring its depth by letting down a lighted candle until it was
+extinguished in the water at the bottom, they prepared for the
+descent. The major was to go first, and Peveril, whose dread of the
+undertaking had been partially overcome, was to follow. The others
+were to remain on the surface to pull their companions up, when their
+explorations should be finished.
+
+So Major Arkell seated himself in a loop of the rope, swung over the
+edge of the old shaft, and was slowly lowered until the measured
+length had run out. Then the others, peering anxiously down from
+above, saw his twinkling light swing back and forth until it suddenly
+disappeared. A moment later the rope was relieved of its strain, and
+they knew that its burden had been safely deposited on the rocky
+platform described by Peveril. He went next, and was quickly landed in
+safety beside his companion.
+
+"It is an old working, sure as you live!" exclaimed the major, who was
+examining the walls of the gallery with a professional eye. "And here
+are the tools you spoke of. Beautiful specimens, by Jove! Finest I
+ever saw. We must have them all up--every one. But let us go back a
+piece and examine the drift. First time I ever knew of those old
+fellows drifting, though. They generally only worked in open pits
+until they struck water, and then quit. Didn't seem to have any idea
+of pumps."
+
+Still filled with his recent horror of the place, Peveril tried to
+dissuade the other from penetrating any farther into the workings, but
+in vain; and so, each bearing a lighted candle, they set forth. At the
+several piles of material, previously noted as barring the way, the
+major uttered exclamations of delight and astonishment.
+
+"It is copper!" he cried. "Mass copper, almost pure! The very richest
+specimens I have ever seen! Why, man, the old mine must have been a
+bonanza, if it all panned out stuff like this! These piles were
+evidently ready for removal when something interfered to prevent.
+Wonder what it could have been? Didn't find any bones, did you, or
+evidences of a catastrophe?"
+
+"No. Nothing but what you see. Good heavens, major! What's that?"
+
+With blanched faces the two stood and listened. Strong men as they
+were, their very limbs trembled, while their hearts almost ceased
+beating.
+
+Again it came from the black depths beyond them--a cry of agony,
+pitiful and pleading.
+
+"Let's get out of this," whispered the major, clutching at Peveril's
+arm and endeavoring to drag him back the way they had come. "I've had
+enough."
+
+"No," replied the other, resolutely; "we can't leave while some human
+being is calling for deliverance from this awful place."
+
+[Illustration: THE TWO MEN STOOD AND LISTENED]
+
+"You don't think it a human voice?"
+
+"I do, and at any rate I am going to see. There! Hear it?"
+
+Again came the shrill cry, echoing from the rocky walls. "Help! For
+God's sake, don't leave us here to perish!"
+
+At the sound Peveril sprang forward, and the major tremblingly
+followed him.
+
+Back in the gloom, a hundred yards from where they had halted, they
+came upon a scene that neither will ever forget so long as he lives.
+
+A slender youth and a white-haired man stood clinging to each other,
+and gazing with wildly incredulous eyes at the advancing lights.
+
+"It is Richard Peveril, father! Oh, thank God! Thank God, sir, that
+you have come in time!" cried the younger of the two.
+
+"Richard Peveril?" repeated the old man, huskily. "No, no, Mary! It
+can't be! It must not be! Richard Peveril is dead, and the contract is
+void. He has no claim on the Copper Princess. It is all mine. Mine and
+yours. But don't let him know. Keep the secret for one week
+longer--only one little week--then you may tell it to the world."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVI
+
+FIRST NEWS OF THE COPPER PRINCESS
+
+
+When Peveril made his miraculous escape from the old mine, he left his
+place of exit open. In his impatience to get away from the scene of
+his sufferings, he had not even given another thought to the great
+stone slab that he had raised with such difficulty and precariously
+propped into position by a few fragments of rock. So the narrow
+passage leading down from the cavern into the ancient workings that
+had been so carefully concealed for centuries was at length open to
+the inspection of any who should happen that way. Thus it remained
+during the day of exciting incidents in the cavern, and through the
+struggle that was ended by the smugglers bearing Peveril away captive
+to their schooner.
+
+Having thus disposed of the person whom of all in the world he most
+dreaded, and placed him where it was apparently impossible for him to
+make a claim on the Copper Princess before the expiration of the term
+of contract, Ralph Darrell rejoined his daughter.
+
+She, noting his excitement and fearing to increase it, made no mention
+of her own encounter with the other stranger, whose presence in the
+cavern seemed to have escaped her father's notice. So they only
+talked of Peveril; and the girl, picturing him as he had appeared on
+the several occasions of their meeting, wondered if he could really be
+trying to rob them of their slender possessions, as her father
+claimed.
+
+The latter talked so incoherently of a conspiracy, a contract, and of
+the great wealth that would be theirs in one week from that time, that
+she was completely bewildered, and for the first time in her life
+began to wonder if her papa knew exactly what he was saying.
+
+Thus thinking, she soothed him as best she could, and finally
+succeeded in getting him off to bed; but in the morning the subject
+was again uppermost in his mind, and he would talk of nothing else.
+Now he wondered how Peveril could have found his way into the cavern;
+and as Mary was also very curious on that point, she willingly
+accompanied him on a tour of investigation.
+
+In this search it was not long before they discovered the upraised
+stone slab at the rear end of the cavern, and peered curiously into
+the black passage beneath it, which from the very first Ralph Darrell
+was determined to explore.
+
+"It is a part of our own mine," he said, "and so I must find out all
+about it. There is no danger, for I can go very carefully, and return
+when I please. I must go, though, for it is clearly my duty to do so.
+Who knows but what I may strike another vein down there, as valuable
+as the one we are already working. So, dear, do you wait here, and I
+will come back to you very shortly."
+
+But brave Mary Darrell would not agree to any such proposition, and
+declared that if her father insisted on going into that horrid place
+she should follow him.
+
+So the old man and the girl--the former filled with eager curiosity
+and the latter with a premonition of danger--crept under the great
+slab and entered the sloping passage. They had but a single candle
+with them, and of this Mary was glad, for she knew it would limit
+their exploration and compel a speedy return.
+
+Both of them being of much slighter frame than Peveril, they found
+little difficulty in slipping through the passage and reaching the
+ancient workings to which it led. Here Darrell began to find copper,
+and went into ecstasies over its richness.
+
+Forgetful of everything else, he pushed eagerly forward from one pile
+of the valuable metal to another, and Mary, inspired by his
+enthusiasm, almost forgot her dread of the gloomy place in which so
+much wealth was stored. So absorbed were they that neither of them
+paid any attention to a dull sound, as of some heavy body falling,
+that came from a distance.
+
+Finally, their candle burning low warned them to hasten their return;
+but to their consternation, when they again reached the end of the
+passage, they found its entrance closed. The great slab, insecurely
+supported, had fallen into place, and the utmost exertion of their
+feeble strength was insufficient to move it.
+
+As they realized the full extent of the disaster that had thus
+befallen them, the girl was awed into a despairing silence; while the
+old man's impaired intellect gave way completely beneath the awful
+strain of the situation, and he broke into incoherent ravings. At
+length Mary Darrell knew that her beloved father had lost his mind,
+and that she must share her living tomb with a madman.
+
+In his ravings he declared that the situation was exactly as he wanted
+it; for now no one, not even Richard Peveril himself, could share
+their new-found wealth. With the next breath he expressed an intention
+of getting back to the piles of copper as quickly as possible, that he
+might defend them with his life against all claimants.
+
+Terrible as it was to the girl to hear her father talk in this way,
+his mention of Peveril brought a faint ray of hope. If the young man
+had indeed gained access to the cavern from this direction, then the
+old workings must possess some other exit. If they could only discover
+such a place, it was barely possible that they might still escape.
+Thus thinking, she humored her father's desire to return to the piles
+of copper, and even hastened his steps in that direction, for their
+candle was burning perilously low. So nearly had it expired that they
+had hardly regained the old workings before its feeble flame gave a
+final flicker, and they were plunged into blackness.
+
+Through this they still groped their way until the old man's strength
+was exhausted and he refused to go farther. Then, clinging to him in
+an agony of despair, the poor girl closed her eyes and prayed:
+
+"Dear Christ, help me in this time of my bitter trouble, for I have no
+strength save in Thee!"
+
+Her cry was heard and her prayer was answered even as it was uttered;
+for with the opening of her eyes she caught a far-away gleam of light.
+A minute later, when Richard Peveril came to her, he seemed like one
+sent from heaven, and at that moment she could have worshipped him.
+
+Peveril's heart leaped at the sound of her voice, and he received two
+other distinct thrills of delight from her father's incoherent words.
+One was when he addressed the slight figure at his side as "Mary," and
+the other was caused by his mention of the Copper Princess. By the
+first Peveril's recently aroused suspicion concerning the sex of the
+wearer of that golf costume was reduced to a certainty, while by the
+other he gained his first clue to the mine of which he was in search.
+
+At the moment, however, these things merely flashed through his mind;
+for he realized that the present was neither the time nor the place to
+discuss them. The two helpless ones, so wonderfully intrusted to his
+care, must be removed at once from the place in which they had
+suffered so keenly. Both he and the major agreed that it would be best
+to take them out by way of the shaft, and though they were full of
+curiosity as to how the Darrells came into their distressing position,
+both manfully refrained from asking questions until they had escorted
+them to the entrance. For this forbearance the major deserved even
+greater credit than his young friend; for as yet he had no knowledge
+of who the strangers were, nor how it happened that they seemed to
+know Peveril.
+
+[Illustration: RESCUED FROM THE SHAFT]
+
+Arrived at the shaft, it was decided that the major should ascend
+first, to prepare those at the top for what was coming, as well as to
+receive the old man, who would be sent up next. As he adjusted the
+rope about his body, he whispered to Peveril, who was assisting him:
+
+"Who are they?"
+
+"Darrells," was the laconic answer.
+
+"Not old man Darrell of the 'Folly'?"
+
+"Yes."
+
+"And his daughter?"
+
+"I believe so," replied the young man, at the same time wondering how
+the other had discovered so quickly the rightful sex of the apparent
+lad.
+
+"But how on earth do they happen to know you?"
+
+"They ought to, seeing that the old man has shot at me twice; while
+Miss Darrell and I have met several times, and on one occasion, at
+least, she saved my life."
+
+"Whew! No wonder you greet each other like old friends," rejoined the
+major, as he swung off over the black pool and began slowly to ascend
+the ancient shaft.
+
+When the rope was again lowered it brought some bits of stout cord for
+which Peveril had asked, and with these he fastened the old man so
+securely into the loop that there was no possibility of his falling
+out. Although Ralph Darrell was still highly excited and talked
+constantly, he readily agreed to every proposition made by his
+daughter, and offered no objection to going up the shaft.
+
+As he swung out from the platform, and those above began to hoist on
+the rope, his daughter bent anxiously forward to note his progress.
+Apparently unconscious of her own danger, she leaned out farther and
+farther, until Peveril, fearful lest she should lose her balance and
+plunge into the pool, reached an arm about her waist and held her.
+
+The girl was so intent upon watching her father that for a moment she
+paid no attention to this. Then, suddenly becoming conscious of the
+strong support against which she was leaning, she stepped quickly back
+to a position of safety.
+
+"I didn't suppose you would think it necessary to take such care of a
+boy," she said, with an attempt at dignity.
+
+"I shouldn't," laughed Peveril; "but why didn't you tell me yesterday
+that you were a young lady, and that your name was Mary?"
+
+"I don't remember that you asked me."
+
+"That's so. It was you who asked all the questions and I who answered
+them. So now it is my turn."
+
+"I sha'n't promise to answer, though."
+
+"Oh, but you must; for there are some things that I am extremely
+anxious to know. For instance, why do you dress in boy's costume?"
+
+"Because my father wished me to."
+
+"An excellent reason. Now I want to know if 'Darrell's Folly' and the
+Copper Princess are one and the same mine?"
+
+"I believe the Copper Princess has been called by that other name,
+which, however, I will thank you not to repeat in my presence."
+
+"All right, I won't; but tell me--"
+
+"Here is the rope, Mr. Peveril, and, thanking you over and over again
+for your very great kindness, I will bid you _au revoir_," said the
+girl, hurriedly adjusting the loop and preparing to ascend.
+
+There was never a more amazed or abashed man in this world than was
+Mike Connell when the "young lady" whom he, full of curiosity, was
+helping to hoist from the old shaft made her appearance, and he
+discovered her to be the "lad" whom he had treated with such freedom
+the evening before. He was so staggered that he could not utter a
+word, but simply stared at her with an expression in which
+mortification and admiration were equally blended.
+
+The moment the girl gained a footing on the surface she made a
+comprehensive little bow to the men assembled about the shaft-mouth,
+and said:
+
+"My father and I thank you, gentlemen, from overflowing hearts, for
+your great kindness to us, and shall hope to see you at our home for
+supper, after you have been rejoined by Mr. Peveril. Come, papa, let
+us go and make ready for company." With this she led the old man away
+in the direction of his "Folly."
+
+Half an hour later the four men from White Pine were received at the
+door of the Darrell house by a dignified young lady, simply but
+becomingly dressed in the usual costume of her sex. Looking directly
+at one of them, she said:
+
+"I bid you welcome, Mr. Peveril, to your own Copper Princess."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVII
+
+A NIGHT WITH A MADMAN
+
+
+When left alone at the bottom of the ancient shaft, with the
+impenetrable gloom of the prehistoric workings crowding him close,
+Peveril had found a few minutes in which to reflect upon the strange
+happenings of the past half-hour. "Darrell's Folly" was the Copper
+Princess, the mine in which he owned a half-interest--the one for
+which he had searched so long and had almost given up hopes of
+finding. Was it of any value? Or did the name, applied in derision,
+rightly describe it? And the old man who had twice attempted to take
+his life, whom he had just rescued from a living tomb, was his
+partner! How could they ever work harmoniously together? He certainly
+should not agree to the carrying on of further smuggling operations,
+and so there was a barrier to their amicable relations at the very
+outset.
+
+But was that man the person with whom he would have to deal, after
+all? He was evidently crazy, and probably had been from the very
+first; for Peveril now remembered that Mr. Ketchum had hinted at
+something of the kind during their last interview. As a crazy man
+could not legally transact business, his dealings would then be with
+Ralph Darrell's heirs or legal representatives. Who were those heirs?
+Were there any other besides this daughter, Mary? He hoped not. What a
+brave, splendid girl she was, and how pleasant it would be to discuss
+business plans with her! How absurd of him not to have recognized her
+at once, even in her boyish costume, and how stupid she must think
+him!
+
+He wished those fellows up above had not been in such a hurry with
+that rope, for there were a lot more questions he wanted to ask her.
+So many that he would not have objected if he and she had been left
+down there together ever so much longer. How different the old mine
+seemed now to what it had when he first knew it! Hereafter it would
+always be associated in his mind with memories of a slight figure that
+he had been permitted to hold for a single minute, a flushed face, a
+pair of glorious eyes, and a voice that he should never forget. How
+shy she was, and at the same time how dignified; how sweet and womanly
+in her anxiety about her father! He hoped they could be friends, as
+all business partners should be. Of course they could never be
+anything more than that; for he was not forgetting his obligation to
+Rose--oh no, not for one minute.
+
+How infernally slow those chaps up above were now, and why didn't they
+let down the rope? Were they going to keep him waiting in that beastly
+hole forever? It really seemed so.
+
+By a simple process of reasoning, and the putting together of the
+various bits of information gained from her father, Mary Darrell had
+reached the conclusion that the young man whose fortunes had been so
+strangely interwoven with hers during the past ten days was the
+rightful owner of the mine that her father had claimed for so many
+years. She was too loyal to the latter to believe for a moment that he
+had consciously attempted to defraud Peveril of his rights, but
+credited all his actions to the sad mental condition of which she had
+only now become aware.
+
+"Poor, dear papa!" she said to herself. "He has done splendidly to
+take care of me for so long as he has, and now I will take care of
+him. We will go away from this horrid place, where he gets so excited,
+and find some little home in the East, where he can rest until his
+mind is wholly restored.
+
+"In the meantime this Mr. Peveril can have the old mine, to do with as
+he pleases. I shall let him know that we consider it his property
+before he has a chance to even make a claim against it. I mustn't let
+him see for a moment how badly we feel about it, though, for he seems
+very nice, and has certainly placed us under a great obligation by
+coming to our rescue so splendidly. I wonder how he knew that papa and
+I were down in that awful place?"
+
+Having got her father to his room, told Aunty Nimmo to prepare for
+company, and hurriedly changed her dress, Mary Darrell greeted the
+expected guests according to her privately arranged programme, and
+invited them in to supper. After seeing them seated at the table and
+provided with a bountiful meal, she left them on the plea that her
+father needed her attention.
+
+The girl had not been gone many minutes, and Peveril's friends were
+still congratulating him upon having come into his fortune, at the
+same time speculating whether the "Folly" was worth anything or not,
+when she re-entered the room with a frightened expression on her face.
+Addressing herself to Major Arkell, she said:
+
+"Would you mind coming up to see my father, sir? I fear he is very
+ill."
+
+The major at once complied with this request, and, after he had gone,
+Captain Spillins said: "I shouldn't wonder if the old fellow played
+out and left you in sole possession of the Princess, after all, Mr.
+Peveril."
+
+"Which Princess are you meanin', captain?" asked Mike Connell. "Sure
+it seems to me there's two of them."
+
+"Have a care, Connell," said Peveril, warningly. "Remember the
+circumstances under which we are here."
+
+"I beg your pardon, Mister Peril," exclaimed the Irishman, contritely;
+"I'd near forgot that you was already bespoke."
+
+A hot flush sprang to the young man's cheek, but ere he could frame a
+reply Major Arkell reappeared, looking greatly worried.
+
+"Boys," he said, "we've a very serious case on our hands, and one that
+demands immediate action. The old man up-stairs is fairly out of his
+head, besides being in a high fever. He needs medical attendance as
+quickly as it can be got to him, and careful nursing. I have given him
+an opiate, which I hope will keep him quiet for a while, and now I
+propose to go to Red Jacket in the tug for a doctor and a nurse.
+Captain Spillins will, of course, go with me, and we shall try to be
+back by morning. In the meantime the poor young lady must not be left
+alone, or with only that old aunty, who is nearly frightened out of
+her wits, and so I think you, Peveril, ought to stay here with Connell
+and do what you can. You are, in a sense, the proprietor here, you
+know, and as Connell has also been here before, maybe the old man will
+be more reasonable with you than he would be with entire strangers."
+
+"I quite agree with you that some of us ought to stay here and do what
+we can," said Peveril; "and, under the circumstances, I suppose
+Connell and I are the ones to do so. At the same time, I haven't had
+much experience in caring for madmen."
+
+"No more have I," said Connell, "but I'll do me best, for sake of the
+young lady, and maybe she'll forgive me for treating her the same as I
+would a lad."
+
+"And, major," added Peveril, "if you will kindly fetch my luggage from
+the Trefethen's I shall be greatly obliged."
+
+So the party separated; and, while two of them wended their way back
+to the tug at Laughing Fish, the others prepared for the long vigil of
+the night.
+
+After the effect of the opiate had passed, their patient was seized
+with paroxysms of raving and frantic efforts to leave his bed for the
+purpose of protecting his property. At such times it required the
+united efforts of the two volunteer nurses to restrain him, and after
+each attack he was left weak and helpless as an infant. Then he would
+weep, and beg piteously not to be abandoned to the mercy of his
+enemies; or he would fancy himself still in the awful blackness of the
+ancient workings, and plead with his attendants not to be left thereto
+die.
+
+"For the sake of my daughter, gentlemen--my only child--who has no one
+else in the world to love her or care for her, I beg of you to save
+me. If you are human, take pity on her and let me go!" he would cry.
+
+At such times no voice, not even Mary's, seemed to soothe him as did
+that of Peveril, and his most violent struggles were controlled by the
+gentle firmness of the young athlete.
+
+All through that dreadful night Mary Darrell watched Peveril with
+tear-filled eyes, wondering at his strength and gentleness, and
+unconsciously loving him for them. Not that she would for an instant
+have admitted such a thing even to herself. She tried instead to
+believe that he was the cause of all this sorrow, and that she hated
+him for it. "In whatever he does," she said to herself, "he is
+actuated by remorse, and a desire to atone in some way for ruining my
+father's life."
+
+The anxiously awaited dawn found Ralph Darrell lying quietly with
+closed eyes and Peveril keeping wakeful watch beside him. Aunty Nimmo
+had been sent to her bed long since, and Connell was fast asleep on
+the floor of the hall just outside the sick-room door. Mary Darrell
+sat in an easy-chair, overcome by exhaustion, also sleeping lightly.
+
+As the growing light fell on her tear-stained face, crowned by a
+wealth of close-clipped hair curling in tiny ringlets, Peveril looked
+at her curiously, and wondered why he had never thought her beautiful
+until that moment. Apparently conscious of the young man's gaze, the
+girl suddenly opened her eyes, and a faint flush suffused her pale
+cheeks. Ere either she or Peveril could speak, the muffled sound of a
+steam-whistle broke the morning stillness.
+
+"Our friends have come, Miss Darrell," whispered the watcher. "You
+have just time to go to your room and refresh yourself with a dash of
+cold water before they appear."
+
+Nodding assent, the girl accepted the suggestion and departed.
+
+Then Peveril sent Connell to meet the new-comers, who, as he knew,
+would steam directly into the land-locked basin, and remained to
+finish his vigil alone.
+
+Suddenly, as he sat absorbed in meditation, the madman, who had been
+watching through half-closed eyes, sprang upon him without a sound of
+warning and clutched his throat with a vise-like grip.
+
+Not even the utmost exertion of Peveril's splendid strength served to
+loose that horrid hold. In silence he fought for his life, until he
+grew black in the face and his eyes started from their sockets. His
+head seemed on the point of bursting. He reeled, staggered, and then,
+together with his terrible assailant, fell heavily to the floor. As
+they did so, the old man's head struck on a sharp corner; he uttered a
+moan, and at last the deadly clutch on Peveril's throat was relaxed.
+
+With his next moment of consciousness Peveril was sitting on the floor
+gasping for breath, and Ralph Darrell lay motionless beside him in a
+pool of blood. Then came quick steps on the stair, and Mary Darrell,
+accompanied by Major Arkell and the doctor from Red Jacket, entered
+the room.
+
+For an instant the girl stared horror-stricken at the scene before
+her. Then she darted forward and clasped her father's body in her
+arms, crying out as she did so:
+
+"You have killed him, Richard Peveril!--killed an old man, sick and
+helpless; robbed him of his all, and then murdered him! Oh,
+papa!--dear, dear papa! Why did I leave you for a single minute?"
+
+"My! How she hates poor Mr. Peril!" whispered Nelly Trefethen, who had
+come to act as nurse, and who, guided by Mike Connell, reached the
+doorway in time to witness the tableau, as well as to hear Mary
+Darrell's cruel words.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVIII
+
+LEFT IN SOLE POSSESSION
+
+
+Although Ralph Darrell was to all appearance dead, the doctor
+pronounced him to be still alive, and caused him to be lifted back to
+the bed, where he dressed his wound, at the same time administering
+restoratives. While this was being done, Major Arkell, taking charge
+of Peveril, led him to another room, in which his things, brought from
+the Trefethen house, had been placed. The young man was still
+trembling from his recent awful experience.
+
+"In another minute all would have been over with me," he said, in
+describing the incident to his friend. "For I could no more loosen his
+clutch than if it had been a band of steel."
+
+"That fall was a mighty lucky thing, then," commented the other.
+
+"Yes, I suppose it was, for apparently nothing else could have saved
+me. At the same time, think how unpleasant it would have been for me
+if it had killed him, and I had been charged with his murder!"
+
+"Oh, pshaw! no one would have imagined such a thing."
+
+"His daughter did," replied Peveril, in whose ears Mary Darrell's
+terrible accusation was still ringing.
+
+"She didn't know what she was saying. You must remember the trying
+circumstances of her position, and forgive and forget everything else.
+If I am any judge of human character, she is just the girl to bitterly
+regret her hasty words, if she ever recalls having uttered them."
+
+"Of course I forgive her," said Peveril; "but I doubt if I can forget
+as long as I live."
+
+A bath in water as hot as he could bear it, followed by a cold douche
+and a brisk rubbing with the coarse towels procured from Aunty Nimmo,
+restored the young man to his normal condition. Then he exchanged the
+ragged garb of a miner, that he had worn ever since leaving Red
+Jacket, for a suit of his own proper clothing. With this the
+transformation in his appearance was so complete that when, a little
+later, Mary Darrell passed him in the hall, it was without
+recognition. She only regarded him as one of the many strangers who
+seemed suddenly to have taken unauthorized possession of her home.
+
+At breakfast-time the doctor reported that his patient was sleeping
+quietly and doing wonderfully well. "In fact," said the medical
+gentleman, "I believe the blood-letting that resulted from his fall
+was just what he needed; and, as he seems to have a vigorous
+constitution, unimpaired by intemperate living, I predict for him a
+speedy recovery."
+
+This prediction was so far fulfilled that, within two days, Ralph
+Darrell was sitting up, and, by the end of a week, he had very nearly
+regained his strength. At the same time his excitability had wholly
+disappeared, leaving him very quiet and as docile as a child, but with
+little memory of past happenings. His daughter was the one person whom
+he recognized, and to her he clung with passionate fondness, readily
+accepting her every suggestion, but always begging her to take him
+back to his Eastern home.
+
+His rapid convalescence was largely due to her devoted care, and to
+the capital nursing of Nelly Trefethen, who proved most efficient in
+the sick-room. During that week the night-watches were taken by Mike
+Connell, whom Miss Darrell engaged expressly for the purpose, but
+Peveril was not asked to share them.
+
+On the few occasions when he and Mary chanced to meet she treated him
+with formal politeness, but rarely spoke, and never gave him the
+opportunity of exchanging with her more than a few commonplace
+remarks. At the same time she watched him furtively, and he seldom
+left the house or entered it without her knowledge. She had learned
+his history, so far as Nelly Trefethen knew it, and, by her readiness
+to listen, encouraged the girl to talk by the hour on this theme.
+
+She also learned one thing about him that was not told her, and that
+was that he was engaged to be married. One evening Nelly and Connell,
+coming back from a walk, encountered Peveril near the house, and close
+under a window at which Mary happened to be standing. As the young man
+was about to pass them the Irishman stopped him, saying:
+
+"Oh, Mister Peril, would you mind telling Nelly here the thing you
+told me down the new shaft that time?"
+
+"I don't think I remember what it was."
+
+"About your being bespoke."
+
+"Oh! about my engagement? Yes, I remember now that you did want me to
+tell Miss Nelly of it, though I am sure I can't imagine why it should
+interest her."
+
+"Arrah, Mister Peril, don't every young woman be interested to know if
+she's to smile on a young man or give him the cold stare?"
+
+"If that is the case," laughed Peveril, "I am afraid all the girls
+must give me the cold stare, for I certainly am engaged; and, by the
+way, Miss Nelly, do you know if there is a letter awaiting me at your
+house? I received one from my sweetheart on the very day that I left
+Red Jacket, and, with most unpardonable carelessness, managed to lose
+it without having even opened it."
+
+"I don't know, Mr. Peril--I mean, I didn't hear mother, speak of it,"
+stammered the girl, so frightened that for a moment she had no idea of
+what she was saying. "I do mind, though, seeing one advertised in the
+post-office with a name something like yours," she added, more
+coherently.
+
+"Then I must have dropped it on the street, and whoever found it must
+have been honest enough to return it to the post-office. I will write
+at once for it, and am much obliged for your information."
+
+Some days later Peveril did write to the Red Jacket postmaster, and
+received prompt answer that the bit of mail-matter in question had
+been sent to the dead-letter office. So he wrote to Washington
+concerning his missing letter, and in due time learned that it had
+been returned to sender. Then, as he had no idea of "sender's" present
+address, he decided to wait until hearing from her again before
+attempting to forward his explanation of how it all happened.
+
+In the meantime he was extremely interested in other affairs that
+engrossed more and more of his attention. On that very first morning
+he had shown to Major Arkell several papers that came to him with his
+baggage. Among these were Boise Carson's letter, lawyer Ketchum's note
+of identification, and the famous contract under which he claimed a
+half-ownership in the Copper Princess.
+
+At a later date he also attempted to show these papers to Mary
+Darrell, but she declined to look at them, saying that, as she did not
+doubt the validity of his claim, she had no desire to discuss it.
+
+Major Arkell, however, examined the papers carefully, and expressed
+himself as thoroughly satisfied that his young friend was a half-owner
+in the mine heretofore known as "Darrell's Folly."
+
+"And now," he said, "let us examine the property, and see whether it
+is worth anything or not."
+
+So these two set forth on a tour of inspection. They found the several
+buildings to be in fair order, and all machinery in an excellent state
+of preservation. Then they descended the shaft and examined the
+material through which the several galleries had been driven, and
+which the White Pine manager pronounced as barren even of promise as
+any rock he had ever seen.
+
+"The trouble seems to be," he said, "that they persistently drifted in
+exactly the wrong direction, and went away from the true vein--which I
+believe to be indicated by those ancient workings over yonder--instead
+of towards it. Thus the engineer who laid out this mine either
+displayed great ignorance, or else your property does not include that
+strip of territory. But I'll tell you what we'll do. You stay here and
+hold the fort for a few days while I go and look the thing up."
+
+"I don't like to have you take so much trouble," protested Peveril.
+
+"No trouble at all, my dear fellow--purely a matter of business. I
+want, if possible, to become associated with you in this proposition.
+As it now stands, your mine is worthless, unless it includes, or can
+be made to include, those old workings. I believe they will make it
+extremely valuable, for I am persuaded that the vein indicated by them
+can be reached at a lower level from this very shaft."
+
+So the major took his departure, and Peveril waited a whole week for
+his return. In the meantime he familiarized himself with his property,
+and, by means of a careful survey, established the relative positions
+of the prehistoric mine and the shaft of the Copper Princess.
+
+During this week, as has been said, he saw very little of Mary
+Darrell, and often wondered how she occupied her time.
+
+Finally there came a day when Miss Darrell informed Mike Connell that,
+as her father was now so much better, it would no longer be necessary
+to watch with him at night. So the honest fellow, who had been working
+hard with Peveril on his measurements, and was rejoiced at the
+prospect of an unbroken night's rest, retired early to the quarters
+that he and the young proprietor occupied together at some distance
+from the Darrells' house.
+
+Very early on the following morning the two men were awakened by a
+loud knocking at their door, and the voice of Nelly Trefethen calling
+as though in distress.
+
+"Coming!" shouted Peveril, as they both sprang from bed and hurriedly
+dressed. As they emerged from the house the girl exclaimed:
+
+"They're gone, Mr. Peril! gone in the night, and I never heard a
+sound. How they went, no one can tell, for all the outer doors were
+left locked, with the keys on the inside. But they're gone, for I have
+hunted high and low without finding a sign of them."
+
+"Who have gone?" demanded Peveril.
+
+"Miss Mary and her father and the old colored woman."
+
+That these three had taken a mysterious departure was only too
+apparent when the two men returned with Nelly to the house and
+searched it from top to bottom.
+
+Then, under Connell's guidance, they went through the secret passage
+to the cavern. There they found a lighted lantern hung on the stunted
+cedar just outside the entrance, the canvas curtain drawn aside, the
+derrick swung out, and its tackle hanging down to within a foot of
+the black ledge, but that was all.
+
+Three months after that time Peveril received the following letter:
+
+     "DEAR MR. PEVERIL:
+
+     "I feel it a duty to tell you that my dear father has at length
+     passed peacefully away, and so will never trouble you again. At
+     the very last he spoke lovingly of Richard Peveril, and said he
+     was a splendid fellow; but I am inclined to think he referred
+     to your father rather than to yourself. He was also perfectly
+     rational on all subjects except that of the Princess, which he
+     persisted in declaring was one of the richest copper mines of
+     the world. I, of course, know better, for I realized long ago
+     how truly the name 'Darrell's Folly' described that unfortunate
+     venture.
+
+     "Whatever pleasure you may find in owning such an
+     unremunerative piece of property you may enjoy without any fear
+     of molestation, for I, as my father's sole heir, shall never
+     lay claim to any share in it, and hereby authorize you to do
+     with it as you think best.
+
+     "We have been very happy since we left you so suddenly and
+     unexpectedly. The opportunity for departure came, and we
+     embraced it.
+
+     "I have but one more thing to say before closing this one-sided
+     correspondence forever--I humbly beg your pardon and crave your
+     forgiveness for the cruel injustice that I once did you in a
+     moment of agony.
+
+     "Trusting that you are happy (I knew of your engagement) and
+     prosperous,
+
+     "I remain, always under obligations, your friend,
+
+     "MARY DARRELL."
+
+With this letter there was no date nor address, and its only post-mark
+was the stamp of the railway postal-service on a distant Eastern
+road.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIX
+
+A ROYAL NAME FOR A ROYAL MINE
+
+
+Peveril was greatly distressed at the unforeseen and mysterious
+disappearance of the Darrells; for it made him feel as though he had
+driven them from their home and usurped their rights. The place also
+seemed very empty and forlorn without Mary Darrell's winning face and
+all-pervading presence; for, though he had seen but little of her and
+had reason to believe that she did not feel kindly towards him, he now
+realized how much his happiness had depended on the knowledge that she
+was always close at hand.
+
+Then, too, the domestic establishment that ran on so smoothly under
+the supervision of Aunty Nimmo was completely broken up. Nelly
+Trefethen must, of course, return at once to Red Jacket, and this she
+did that very day on Mary Darrell's pony, under escort of Mike
+Connell, who was only too happy to make the journey on foot. The few
+men employed by Mr. Darrell having been paid off and discharged, the
+departure of his two remaining friends left the young proprietor
+entirely alone, in a place as desolate as though it were beyond the
+reach of human knowledge. The sky was overcast, making the day dark
+and cheerless, so that, as Peveril wandered disconsolately about his
+deserted property, the future looked to him as gloomy as the present.
+
+"There can't be anything in it," he said to himself, as he gazed
+moodily down the black mouth of the shaft. "Of course, the men who
+sank a fortune in that hole would have found it out long ago if there
+were. As for those prehistoric workings on which the major counts so
+largely, I don't believe but what the old fellows who opened them also
+made a pretty thorough clean-up of everything in them. Certainly the
+few small piles of copper that they left behind would not now pay for
+their removal.
+
+"It has all been very pleasant to dream of becoming a wealthy
+mine-owner, but the sooner I realize that it is only a dream, and wake
+from it to the necessity of earning a livelihood by hard work, the
+better off I shall be. At any rate, I know I won't spend another day
+alone in this place. If I did, I should go crazy. No wonder old man
+Darrell lost his mind under the conditions surrounding him. I don't
+believe Major Arkell will come back, anyway. Why should he, if, as is
+probable, he has discovered the utter worthlessness of the property?
+He knows that if he leaves me here alone I must turn up in Red Jacket
+sooner or later, and thinks the bad news he has to tell will keep
+until I do. Well, I shall throw the whole thing up to-morrow and go to
+him for a job. There isn't anything else for it that I can see.
+
+"I guess he will give me something to do, and after a while I shall
+rise to be a plat-man, or timber boss, or even store-keeper, and
+then--Well, then I can settle down and marry some nice girl like Nelly
+Trefethen, perhaps achieve fame as a local politician, and so end my
+days in a blaze of glory. Oh, it's a lovely prospect! As for poor
+Rose, there's no use in thinking any longer of her, and the sooner she
+forgets me the better. Probably she has ere this, and, if so, I can't
+blame her."
+
+At length the long day dragged itself wearily away, and darkness found
+Peveril faint with hunger, for he had not had the heart to prepare a
+dinner, awkwardly attempting to provide himself with something to eat
+in Aunty Nimmo's kitchen. A single lamp threw a faint ray out from the
+window, and in all that forlorn little mining village it was the only
+gleam of light to be seen.
+
+Suddenly there came a clatter of hoofs and a cheery "Hello, the
+house!"
+
+Instantly forgetful of his culinary operations, Peveril sprang to the
+door, just in time to fling it open and welcome Major Arkell, who was
+alighting from a weary-looking horse.
+
+"What will you take for your Copper Princess, my boy?" shouted the
+new-comer as he entered the room, rubbing his hands and sniffing
+expectantly at the pleasant odors of cooking with which it was
+pervaded.
+
+"About five cents," responded Peveril.
+
+"Done! It's a bargain," cried the other. "And we'll settle the details
+of the transfer after eating the elegant supper that I discover in
+process of preparation. But you are not cooking half enough. I could
+eat twice as much as that and still be hungry. Let me show you how.
+What has become of Aunty Nimmo, that I find you presiding over her
+domain? Never mind; tell me later, after you've called Connell or some
+one to look after my horse."
+
+"I will gladly attend to the horse, major, if you will take charge of
+the cooking," said Peveril, laughing for the first time that day. "You
+see, I am not an expert at this sort of thing, and--"
+
+"No, I should judge not," interrupted the other, glancing comically at
+the various burned, lumpy, and muddy failures with which the stove was
+covered; "but I'll do the trick for you if you will look after the
+beast."
+
+Half an hour later the two sat down to a bountiful and fairly
+well-cooked meal that in the major's cheery company seemed to poor,
+hungry Peveril about as fine a one as he had ever eaten. While it was
+in progress he told of the happenings of the past week, including the
+mysterious disappearance of the Darrells; but, as the major did not
+seem to have any news to impart in return, he concluded that there was
+none to tell, and so forbore to ask questions.
+
+It was not until after they had finished supper and were sitting
+before a cheerful blaze in the cosey living-room of the Darrell house
+that the major said:
+
+"Now for our bargain. Though I could, of course, hold you to that
+five-cent deal, I won't do so, but will, instead, make an offer of ten
+thousand dollars for one-half of your half-interest in the Copper
+Princess."
+
+"What!" gasped Peveril.
+
+"Yes, I mean it; and, in addition, if you will devote that sum to the
+development of the mine, I will advance an equal amount, or ten
+thousand dollars more, for the same purpose. Now don't say a word
+until I have explained the situation. By a careful searching of old
+records and maps I have discovered that the Princess property not only
+embraces our prehistoric mine, but extends some distance beyond it. I
+think I have also found out why those who originally laid out this
+mine started their cuts on the wrong side of their shaft. They
+evidently knew that ancient workings existed somewhere in this
+neighborhood, but they were deceived as to their location, for on all
+the maps I find them marked, but the place thus indicated is always in
+the opposite direction from that in which we now know them to lie."
+
+"But--" began Peveril.
+
+"Wait a minute. Of course those old fellows may merely have struck a
+pocket and exhausted it, but I don't believe so, and am willing to
+risk twenty thousand dollars on the continuance of the vein. If it is
+there, that sum of money ought to enable us to reach it from your
+present shaft; and if we do strike it, why, in the slang of the day,
+the Copper Princess is simply a 'peach.' Are you game to accept my
+offer and go in for raising that kind of fruit?"
+
+"I certainly am."
+
+"Good! Shake. The bargain is made, and the sooner we get to work the
+better."
+
+Ten days from that time sees the legal formalities of that quickly
+concluded bargain settled, and the mining village of Copper Princess
+presenting a vastly different appearance from what it did on the
+melancholy day when Peveril was its sole occupant. All its houses are
+now occupied, and from every window cheery lights stream out with the
+coming of evening shadows.
+
+Peveril occupies the comfortable quarters so long ago provided for the
+manager, and until recently the home of the Darrells. With him lives a
+young engineer of about his own age, recommended by Major Arkell, and
+here, too, are the several offices. The nearest cottage to it is that
+of our old friends the Trefethens--for Mark Trefethen is captain of
+the mine, and Tom is shaft boss. Mrs. Trefethen and Nelly have their
+hands full in caring for both these houses and in providing meals for
+their occupants. Mike Connell is timber boss, and, in timbering the
+ancient mine, as well as the new workings, is one of the busiest men
+in the place.
+
+Although he has a cottage of his own, it is still a lonely one, and he
+is looking eagerly forward to the time when the anxiously expected
+vein shall be struck. Then, and not until then--and, in case it is not
+struck at all, perhaps never--will Nelly Trefethen become his wife. So
+it is no wonder that the impatient fellow descends the shaft each day
+to anxiously inspect the new work.
+
+With nearly one hundred sturdy miners engaged on it, and the other
+tasks necessary to its progress, it is driven by night as well as by
+day, and in reality advances with great rapidity, though to Connell
+it seems to creep by inches. The great chimney pours forth clouds of
+smoke, heavy skips hurry up and down the shaft, there is always a
+cheerful ring of anvils, rafts of logs lie in the land-locked basin,
+men and teams are to be seen in every direction, and everywhere is
+heard the inspiring hum of many industries, though as yet not one
+pound of copper has been brought up from the underground depths.
+
+For weeks and months the work goes on with unabated energy. Peveril,
+always willing to listen to advice and never ashamed to ask it from
+those more experienced than himself, is everywhere, seeing to
+everything and directing everything. Though he is thinner than when we
+first met him, and his face has taken on an anxious look, it wears at
+the same time an expression of greater manliness, self-confidence, and
+determination.
+
+Major Arkell has not yet appeared on the scene in person, and only the
+young proprietor is known as the responsible head of all this
+bewildering activity.
+
+It is bewildering to outsiders to see the long-abandoned "Darrell's
+Folly" suddenly transformed into one of the busiest mining-camps of
+the copper region, for as yet no one, except Connell and the
+Trefethens, knows the secret hopes of the proprietors. Even those who
+are driving the new side-cut far beneath the surface, straight as a
+die towards the prehistoric mine, though on a much lower level, know
+not what they are expected to find.
+
+At length three months have passed since the night on which Peveril
+sold for ten thousand dollars an undivided half of his interest in the
+Copper Princess. Since that time he has not once left the scene of his
+labors, his hopes, and his fears. He has not even visited Red Jacket
+since the morning, that now seems so long ago, when he left it in
+charge of a gang of log-wreckers. Now the money put into this new
+venture is very nearly exhausted. It will hold out for one more
+pay-day, but that is all. And as yet only barren rock has come up from
+that yawning shaft that seems to gulp down money with an appetite at
+once inordinate and insatiable.
+
+A huge pile of rock has accumulated about its mouth. If it were copper
+rock it would be worth a fortune; as it is, it is worse than
+worthless, for it contains only disappointed hopes. And yet a point
+directly beneath the ancient workings has been reached and passed. Is
+the quest a vain one, after all? Is Peveril's as great a folly as
+Darrell's ever was? It would seem so; and the young proprietor's heart
+is heavy within him.
+
+He has just received the letter in which Mary Darrell declares the
+Copper Princess to be a worthless property. With it in his pocket he
+visits the mouth of the shaft, intending to descend. As he approaches
+it, a skip containing several men comes to the surface. When they
+emerge into daylight they are yelling in delirious excitement. One of
+them leaps out and runs towards him, shouting incoherently. It is Mike
+Connell.
+
+What had gone wrong? Has there been some terrible accident
+underground?
+
+"We've struck it, Mister Peril! We've struck the vein, and it's the
+richest ever knowed!" yells the Irishman. "Here's a specimen. Did ever
+you see the like? It's gold--nothing less! Hooray for us! Hooray for
+the Princess! and hooray for Nell Trefethen, that'll be Mrs. Michael
+Connell this day week, plaze God!"
+
+A few minutes later every cottage in the settlement holds specimens of
+the wonderful rock glistening with glowing metal. Every man is
+cheering himself hoarse. The great steam-whistle is shrieking out the
+glorious news, and Richard Peveril, with heavy pockets, is riding like
+mad in the direction of Red Jacket. The Copper Princess--a royal name
+for a royal mine--has at last entered as a power the ranks of the
+world's wealth-yielding properties.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXX
+
+PEVERIL ACQUIRES AN UNSHARED INTEREST
+
+
+An autumn evening two years later finds Richard Peveril seated in the
+smoking-room of the University, the most thoroughly home-like and
+comfortable of all New York clubs. He has dined alone, and now, with a
+tiny cup of black coffee on the stand beside him, is reflectively
+smoking his after-dinner cigar.
+
+This is his first visit to the East since he left it, more than two
+years before, almost penniless and wellnigh friendless, on a search
+for a mine that he was assured would prove worthless when found. Today
+that same mine is yielding an enormous revenue, of which he receives
+one-quarter, or a sum vastly in excess of his simple needs, for he is
+still a bachelor, acting as manager of the Copper Princess, and still
+makes his home in the little mining settlement on the shore of the
+great Western lake.
+
+A fortune twice as large as his own, and derived from the same source,
+lies idle in the vaults of a trust company awaiting a claimant who
+cannot be found. Her name is Mary Darrell, and though from the very
+first Peveril has guarded her interests more jealously than his own,
+and though he has made every effort to discover her, her fortune still
+awaits its owner.
+
+He has not only been disappointed at the non-success of his efforts in
+this direction, but is deeply hurt that the girl, who has been so
+constantly in his thoughts during his two years of loneliness, should
+so persistently ignore him. That she has occupied so great a share of
+his time for thinking is due largely to the fact that there is no one
+else to take a like place, for Rose Bonnifay long since released him
+from his engagement to her, and he has contracted no other.
+
+As soon as he believed his _fiancée_ to be in New York, he wrote her a
+long letter descriptive of his good-fortune and promising very soon to
+rejoin her for the fulfilling of his engagement. To his amazement it
+was promptly returned to him, endorsed on the outside in Miss
+Bonnifay's well-known handwriting.
+
+  "As my last to you came back to me unopened, I now take
+  pleasure in returning yours in the same condition."
+
+He immediately wrote again, only to have his second letter treated as
+the first had been, except that this time it came to him without a
+word. From that day he had heard nothing further from Rose Bonnifay.
+
+Now business had called him to New York, and he had reached the city
+but an hour before his appearance at the club. Here he gazed curiously
+about him, as one long strange to such scenes, but who hopes to
+discover the face of a friend in that of each new-comer. Thus far he
+had not been successful, nor had he been recognized by any of the men,
+many of them in evening-dress, who came and went through the spacious
+rooms. Peveril was also in evening-dress, for he had conceived a vague
+idea of going to some theatre, or possibly to the opera. And now he
+listlessly glanced over the advertised list of attractions in an
+afternoon paper.
+
+While he was thus engaged, a young man, faultlessly apparelled and
+pleasing to look upon, stood in front of him, regarded him steadily
+for a moment, and then grasped his hand, exclaiming:
+
+"If it isn't old Dick Peveril--come to life again after an age of
+burial! My dear fellow, I am awfully glad to see you. Where have you
+been, and what have you been doing all these years? Heard you had gone
+West to look up a mine, but never a word since. Hope you found it and
+that it turned out better than such properties generally do. Was it
+gold, silver, iron, or what?"
+
+"You may imagine its nature from its name," answered Peveril, who was
+genuinely glad to meet again his old college friend, Jack Langdon; "it
+is called the 'Copper Princess.'"
+
+"The 'Copper Princess'!" cried the other. "By Jove! you don't say so!
+Why, that mine is the talk of Wall Street, and if you own any part in
+it, you must be a millionaire!"
+
+"Not quite that," laughed Peveril, "though I am not exactly what you
+might call poor."
+
+"I should say not, and only wish I stood in your shoes; but, you
+see--" Here Langdon plunged into a long account of his own affairs, to
+which Peveril listened patiently. Finally the former said:
+
+"By the way, what have you on hand for to-night?"
+
+"Nothing in particular. Was thinking of going to some theatre."
+
+"Don't you do it! Beastly shows, all of them. Nothing but vaudeville
+nowadays. Come with me and I'll take you to a place where you will not
+only have a pleasant time, but will meet old friends as well. You
+remember old Owen?--'Dig' Owen, we used to call him."
+
+"Yes."
+
+"Well, he is here in New York, and has made a pot of money--no one
+knows how. Shady speculations of some kind, and, between ourselves, it
+is liable to slip through his fingers at any moment. But that's
+neither here nor there. He married, about a year ago, a nice enough
+girl, who has apparently lived abroad all her life. Rather a
+light-weight, but entertains in great shape. Always has something good
+on hand--generally music. They give a blow-out to-night, to which I am
+going to drop in for a while, and, of course, they will be delighted
+to see you. So don't utter a protest, but just come along."
+
+In accordance with the programme thus provided, Peveril found himself
+an hour later entering the drawing-room of a spacious mansion on upper
+Fifth Avenue. It was already so well filled that it was some time
+before the new-comers could approach their hostess.
+
+When they finally reached the place where she was talking and laughing
+with a group of guests, her face was so averted that Peveril did not
+see it until after Langdon had said:
+
+"Good-evening, Mrs. Owen. You have gathered together an awfully jolly
+crowd, and I have taken the liberty of adding another to their number.
+He is an old college friend of your husband's, and quite a lion just
+now, for he is the owner of the famous Copper Princess that every one
+is talking about. May I present him? Mrs. Owen, my friend Mr. Richard
+Peveril." With this Langdon stepped aside, and Peveril found himself
+face to face with Rose Bonnifay.
+
+For an instant she was deadly pale. Then, with a supreme effort, she
+recovered her self-possession, the blood rushed back to her cheeks,
+and, extending her hand with an engaging smile, she said:
+
+"This is indeed an unexpected pleasure, Mr. Peveril, and I am ever so
+much obliged to Mr. Langdon for bringing you. Did he know, I wonder,
+that you were an old friend of mine, as well as of Mr. Owen's? No!
+Then the surprise is all the pleasanter. Oh! there is mamma, and she
+will be delighted to meet you again. Mamma, dear, here is our old
+friend, Mr. Peveril. So pleased, and hope we shall see you often this
+winter."
+
+[Illustration: PEVERIL FINDS MARY AGAIN]
+
+Other newly arrived guests demanding Mrs. Owen's attention at this
+moment, Peveril found himself borne away by her mother, who had
+greeted him effusively, and now seemed determined to learn everything
+concerning his Western life to its minutest details. To accomplish
+this she led him to a corner of the conservatory for what she was
+pleased to term an uninterrupted talk of old times, but which really
+meant the propounding of a series of questions on her part and the
+giving of evasive answers on his.
+
+While Peveril was wondering how he should escape, a hush fell on the
+outer assembly, and some one began to sing. At first sound of the
+voice the young man started and listened attentively.
+
+"Who is she?" he asked.
+
+"Nobody in particular," responded Mrs. Bonnifay; "only a girl whom
+Rose met when she was studying music in Germany. I fancy she spent her
+last cent on her musical education, which, I fear, won't do her much
+good, after all; for, as you must notice, she is utterly lacking in
+style. She is dreadfully poor now, and earns a living by singing in
+private houses--all her voice is really fit for, you know. So Rose
+takes pity on her, and has her in once in a while. Why, really, they
+are giving her an encore! How kind of them; and yet they say the most
+wealthy are the most heartless. But you are not going, Mr. Peveril? I
+haven't asked you half--"
+
+Peveril was already out of the conservatory and making his way towards
+the piano, as though irresistibly fascinated. For her encore the
+singer was giving a simple ballad that had been very popular some
+years before. The last time Peveril heard it was when cruising along a
+shore of Lake Superior, and it had come to him from somewhere up in
+the red-stained cliffs.
+
+At last he had found Mary Darrell--"his Mary," as he called her--in
+quick resentment of the smiling throng about him, who _paid_ her to
+sing for them.
+
+He did not speak to her then, nor allow her to see him, but when, with
+her task finished, she left the room, his eyes followed her every
+movement and lingered lovingly on her beautiful face--for it was
+beautiful. He knew it now, as he also knew that he loved her, and
+always had done so from the moment that he first beheld her, a vision
+of the cliffs.
+
+When, accompanied by faithful Aunty Nimmo, she left the house, he was
+waiting outside. She tried to hurry away as he approached her, but at
+the sound of his voice she stood still, trembling violently.
+
+An hour later, in the modest apartment far downtown, which was the
+best her scanty earnings could afford, he had told his story. Mary
+Darrell knew that she was no longer a poor, struggling singer, but an
+heiress to wealth greater than she had ever coveted in her wildest
+dreams. But to this she gave hardly a thought, for something greater,
+finer, and more desirable than all the wealth of the world had come to
+her in that same brief space of time. She knew that she was loved by
+him whom she loved, for he had told her so. Even now he stood
+awaiting, with trembling eagerness, her answer to his plea.
+
+Could she not love him a little bit in return? Would she not go back
+with him, as his wife, to the house that had been hers, and still
+awaited her, by the shore of the great lake?
+
+"But I thought, Mr. Peveril--I mean, I heard that you were engaged?"
+
+"So I was. I was engaged to Mrs. Owen, at whose house you sang this
+evening, and where I was so blessed as to find you. But she thought me
+unworthy and let me go. I know I am unworthy still; but, Mary dear,
+won't you give me one more chance? Won't you take me on trial?"
+
+"Well, then, on trial," she answered, though in so low a tone that he
+barely caught the words.
+
+In another instant he had folded her in his arms, for he knew that she
+was wholly his, and that in _this_ Copper Princess his interest was
+unshared.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+THE END
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+By S. R. KEIGHTLEY
+
+
+THE LAST RECRUIT OF CLARE'S. Being Passages from the Memoirs of
+Anthony Dillon, Chevalier of St. Louis, and Late Colonel of Clare's
+Regiment in the Service of France. Illustrated. Post 8vo, Cloth,
+Ornamental, $1.50.
+
+This is a romance not of love, but of daring adventure, and so well
+worked as to be profoundly interesting.--_Chicago Inter-Ocean._
+
+Cleverly told, and enchains the reader's attention immediately,
+holding him captive to the last page.--_Brooklyn Standard-Union._
+
+A series of vivid pictures of the life of a soldier who was also a
+gentleman.--_N. Y. Press._
+
+
+THE CRIMSON SIGN. A Narrative of the Adventures of Mr. Gervase Orme,
+sometime Lieutenant in Mountjoy's Regiment of Foot. Illustrated. Post
+8vo, Cloth, Ornamental, $1.50.
+
+Recounts in an able manner the terrible scenes which culminated in the
+siege and relief of Londonderry, giving his readers a personal
+interest in the characters he has created, and many and pathetic are
+the resulting pictures. Mr. Keightley, with a few deft touches of his
+pen, brings them home to the reader with a force that enables him to
+realize what such warfare really means. The French soldier is a
+strange character, strikingly conceived.--_Literary World_, London.
+
+
+THE CAVALIERS. A Novel. Illustrated. Post 8vo, Cloth, Ornamental,
+$1.50.
+
+Full of adventure, incident, and the wild spirit of the age, yet
+written withal in so true, simple, and vigorous a manner that it is
+the people of the narrative as much as their doings and escapades that
+interest the reader.--_Chicago Journal._
+
+Compels immediate and enduring interest on the part of the reader.
+From an artistic and literary point of view, indeed, the book is
+entirely noteworthy. It has swing, verve, and genuine force. The
+interest is cumulative, and the denouement of the story in no wise
+disappointing.--_Philadelphia Bulletin._
+
+
+PUBLISHED By HARPER & BROTHERS, NEW YORK
+
+_The above works are for sale by all booksellers, or will be sent by
+the publishers, postage prepaid, on receipt of the price._
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+BY CAPT. CHARLES KING
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+CAMPAIGNING WITH CROOK, AND STORIES OF ARMY LIFE. Post 8vo, Cloth,
+$1.25.
+
+A WAR-TIME WOOING. Illustrated by R. F. ZOGBAUM. pp. iv., 196. Post
+8vo, Cloth, $1.00.
+
+BETWEEN THE LINES. A Story of the War. Illustrated by GILBERT GAUL.
+pp. iv., 312. Post 8vo, Cloth, $1.25.
+
+In all of Captain King's stories the author holds to lofty ideals of
+manhood and womanhood, and inculcates the lessons of honor,
+generosity, courage, and self-control--_Literary World_, Boston.
+
+The vivacity and charm which signally distinguish Captain King's
+pen.... He occupies a position in American literature entirely his
+own.... His is the literature of honest sentiment, pure and
+tender.--_N. Y. Press._
+
+A romance by Captain King is always a pleasure, because he has so
+complete a mastery of the subjects with which he deals.... Captain
+King has few rivals in his domain.... The general tone of Captain
+King's stories is highly commendable. The heroes are simple, frank,
+and soldierly; the heroines are dignified and maidenly in the most
+unconventional situations.--_Epoch_, N. Y.
+
+All Captain King's stories are full of spirit and with the true ring
+about them--_Philadelphia Item._
+
+Captain King's stories of army life are so brilliant and intense, they
+have such a ring of true experience, and his characters are so
+lifelike and vivid that the announcement of a new one is always
+received with pleasure.--_New Haven Palladium._
+
+Captain King is a delightful story-teller.--_Washington Post._
+
+In the delineation of war scenes Captain King's style is crisp and
+vigorous, inspiring in the breast of the reader a thrill of genuine
+patriotic fervor.--_Boston Commonwealth._
+
+Captain King is almost without a rival in the field he has chosen....
+His style is at once vigorous and sentimental in the best sense of
+that word, so that his novels are pleasing to young men as well as
+young women.--_Pittsburgh Bulletin._
+
+It is good to think that there is at least one man who believes that
+all the spirit of romance and chivalry has not yet died out of the
+world, and that there are as brave and honest hearts to-day as there
+were in the days of knights and paladins.--_Philadelphia Record._
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
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+  <head>
+    <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" />
+    <title>
+      The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Copper Princess, by Kirk Munroe.
+    </title>
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+<pre>
+
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Copper Princess, by Kirk Munroe
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The Copper Princess
+       A Story of Lake Superior Mines
+
+Author: Kirk Munroe
+
+Illustrator: W.A. Rogers
+
+Release Date: October 22, 2008 [EBook #26993]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE COPPER PRINCESS ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Betsie Bush, Robin Monks, Karen Dalrymple, and
+the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
+http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_i" id="Page_i">[Pg i]</a></span></p>
+
+
+<h1>THE COPPER PRINCESS</h1>
+
+<h2>A Story of Lake Superior Mines</h2>
+
+<div class="center">
+<i>By</i> KIRK MUNROE.<br /><i>Author of "The Painted Desert"<br />"Rick Dale" The
+"Mates" Series, etc.<br /> Illustrated by</i> W. A. ROGERS
+<br /><br /><br />
+</div>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 100px;">
+<img src="images/logo.jpg" width="100" height="127" alt="logo" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<div class="center">
+<br /><br />
+NEW YORK AND LONDON<br />
+HARPER &amp; BROTHERS PUBLISHERS<br />
+1898<br />
+</div>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_ii" id="Page_ii">[Pg ii]</a></span></p>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 486px;">
+<img src="images/illus001.jpg" width="486" height="679" alt="ON THE FACE OF THE CLIFF STOOD A GIRLISH FIGURE" title="" />
+</div>
+<div style="margin-left: 33em;">Page <a href='#Page_105'>105</a><br /></div>
+<div class="center">
+<span class="caption">ON THE FACE OF THE CLIFF STOOD A GIRLISH FIGURE</span>
+</div>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_iii" id="Page_iii">[Pg iii]</a></span></p>
+<div class="center"><b>BY KIRK MUNROE.</b><br /><br /></div>
+
+<p>
+<span style="margin-left: 10em;">THE PAINTED DESERT. A Story of Northern Arizona.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 10em;">RICK DALE. A Story of the Northwest Coast.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 10em;">SNOW-SHOES AND SLEDGES. A Sequel to "The Fur-Seal's Tooth."</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 10em;">THE FUR-SEAL'S TOOTH. A Story of Alaskan Adventure.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 10em;">RAFTMATES. A Story of the Great River.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 10em;">CANOEMATES. A Story of the Florida Reef and Everglades.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 10em;">CAMPMATES. A Story of the Plains.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 10em;">DORYMATES. A Tale of the Fishing Banks.</span><br />
+</p>
+
+<div class="center"><i>Each one volume. Illustrated. Post 8vo, Cloth, $1 25.</i></div>
+
+<div class="center"><i>The "Mates" Series, 4 vols., in a box, $5 00.</i></div>
+
+<hr style="width: 10%;" />
+
+<p>
+<span style="margin-left: 10em;">WAKULLA. A Story of Adventure in Florida.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 10em;">THE FLAMINGO FEATHER.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 10em;">DERRICK STERLING. A Story of the Mines.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 10em;">CHRYSTAL, JACK &amp; CO., and DELTA BIXBY. Two Stories.</span>
+</p>
+
+<div class="center"><i>Each one volume. Illustrated. Square 16mo, Cloth, $1 00.</i></div>
+
+<hr style="width: 10%;" />
+
+<div class="center">NEW YORK AND LONDON:<br />
+
+HARPER &amp; BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS.<br /><br /><br />
+</div>
+
+<div class="center">
+Copyright, 1898, by HARPER &amp; BROTHERS.<br />
+
+<i>All rights reserved.</i>
+</div>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_iv" id="Page_iv">[Pg iv]</a></span></p>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CONTENTS</h2>
+
+<hr style="width: 25%;" />
+
+<div class="smcap"><span style="margin-left: 2em;">chapter</span><span class="linenum">page</span><br /></div>
+
+<ol>
+<li><span class="smcap">Startling Introduction of Tom Trefethen</span><span class="linenum"><a href='#Page_1'>1</a></span></li>
+
+<li><span class="smcap">Peveril Ties "Blacky's" Record</span><span class="linenum"><a href='#Page_9'>9</a></span></li>
+
+<li><span class="smcap">A 'Varsity Stroke Strikes Adverse Fortune</span><span class="linenum"><a href='#Page_17'>17</a></span></li>
+
+<li><span class="smcap">Starting in Search of the Copper Princess</span><span class="linenum"><a href='#Page_25'>25</a></span></li>
+
+<li><span class="smcap">The Trefethens</span><span class="linenum"><a href='#Page_32'>32</a></span></li>
+
+<li><span class="smcap">A Mile Beneath the Surface</span><span class="linenum"><a href='#Page_40'>40</a></span></li>
+
+<li><span class="smcap">Cornwall to the Rescue</span><span class="linenum"><a href='#Page_48'>48</a></span></li>
+
+<li><span class="smcap">In the New Shaft</span><span class="linenum"><a href='#Page_56'>56</a></span></li>
+
+<li><span class="smcap">Winning a Friend by Sheer Pluck</span><span class="linenum"><a href='#Page_65'>65</a></span></li>
+
+<li><span class="smcap">Heroism Rewarded</span><span class="linenum"><a href='#Page_73'>73</a></span></li>
+
+<li><span class="smcap">Nelly Trefethen Finds a Letter</span><span class="linenum"> <a href='#Page_81'>81</a></span></li>
+
+<li><span class="smcap">A Vision of the Cliffs</span><span class="linenum"><a href='#Page_89'>89</a></span></li>
+
+<li><span class="smcap">Log-wreckers and Smugglers</span><span class="linenum"><a href='#Page_95'>95</a></span></li>
+
+<li><span class="smcap">A Vain Effort to Recover Stolen Property</span><span class="linenum"> <a href='#Page_102'>102</a></span></li>
+
+<li><span class="smcap">Peveril in the Hands of His Enemies</span><span class="linenum"> <a href='#Page_110'>110</a></span></li>
+
+<li><span class="smcap">Lost in a Prehistoric Mine</span><span class="linenum"><a href='#Page_118'>118</a></span></li>
+
+<li><span class="smcap">Underground Wanderings</span><span class="linenum"> <a href='#Page_125'>125</a></span></li>
+
+<li><span class="smcap">From One Trap Into Another</span><span class="linenum"> <a href='#Page_133'>133</a></span></li>
+
+<li><span class="smcap">"Darrell's Folly" and its Owner</span><span class="linenum"> <a href='#Page_141'>141</a></span></li>
+
+<li>
+  <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_v" id="Page_v">[Pg v]</a></span>
+  <span class="smcap">Peveril Is Taken for a Ghost</span><span class="linenum"> <a href='#Page_148'>148</a></span>
+</li>
+
+<li><span class="smcap">Mike Connell To the Rescue</span><span class="linenum"> <a href='#Page_156'>156</a></span></li>
+
+<li><span class="smcap">The Signal is Changed</span><span class="linenum"> <a href='#Page_164'>164</a></span></li>
+
+<li><span class="smcap">A Battle With Smugglers</span><span class="linenum"> <a href='#Page_172'>172</a></span></li>
+
+<li><span class="smcap">Connell Makes Good his Escape</span><span class="linenum"><a href='#Page_180'>180</a></span></li>
+
+<li><span class="smcap">A Sea Fight on Lake Superior</span><span class="linenum"><a href='#Page_188'>188</a></span></li>
+
+<li><span class="smcap">First News of the Copper Princess</span><span class="linenum"><a href='#Page_196'>196</a></span></li>
+
+<li><span class="smcap">A Night with a Madman</span><span class="linenum"> <a href='#Page_205'>205</a></span></li>
+
+<li><span class="smcap">Left in Sole Possession</span><span class="linenum"><a href='#Page_213'>213</a></span></li>
+
+<li><span class="smcap">A Royal Name for a Royal Mine</span><span class="linenum"> <a href='#Page_221'>221</a></span></li>
+
+<li><span class="smcap">Peveril Acquires an Unshared Interest</span><span class="linenum"><a href='#Page_230'>230</a></span></li>
+</ol>
+
+<p><br /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_vi" id="Page_vi">[Pg vi]</a></span></p>
+<h2>ILLUSTRATIONS</h2>
+<hr style="width: 25%;" />
+
+<div style="margin-left: 3em;">
+<span class="smcap">on the face of the cliff stood a girlish figure</span><span class="linenum"><a href="#Page_ii"><i>Frontispiece</i></a></span><br />
+</div>
+<div style="margin-left: 3em;">
+<span class="smcap">"in breathless silence the group watched peveril's movements"</span><span class="linenum">  <i>Facing p.</i> <a href='#Page_12'>12</a></span><br />
+</div>
+<div style="margin-left: 3em;">
+<span class="smcap">peveril goes to work</span><span class="linenum">"&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href='#Page_36'>36</a></span><br />
+</div>
+<div style="margin-left: 3em;">
+<span class="smcap">the car-pushers made a furious attack on peveril</span><span class="linenum">"&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href='#Page_46'>46</a></span><br />
+</div>
+<div style="margin-left: 3em;">
+<span class="smcap">peveril leaped down among the sputtering fuses</span><span class="linenum">"&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href='#Page_66'>66</a></span><br />
+</div>
+<div style="margin-left: 3em;">
+<span class="smcap">the men hastily threw peveril head-first into the bushes</span><span class="linenum">"&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href='#Page_106'>106</a></span><br />
+</div>
+<div style="margin-left: 3em;">
+<span class="smcap">peveril sat beside the fire in forlorn meditation</span><span class="linenum">"&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href='#Page_130'>130</a></span><br />
+</div>
+<div style="margin-left: 3em;">
+<span class="smcap">at seeing peveril, the men uttered a cry of terror</span><span class="linenum">"&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href='#Page_152'>152</a></span><br />
+</div>
+<div style="margin-left: 3em;">
+<span class="smcap">a wild-looking man levelled a pistol at peveril</span><span class="linenum">"&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href='#Page_174'>174</a></span><br />
+</div>
+<div style="margin-left: 3em;">
+<span class="smcap">the two men stood and listened</span><span class="linenum">"&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href='#Page_194'>194</a></span><br />
+</div>
+<div style="margin-left: 3em;">
+<span class="smcap">rescued from the shaft</span><span class="linenum">"&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href='#Page_200'>200</a></span><br />
+</div>
+<div style="margin-left: 3em;">
+<span class="smcap">peveril finds mary again</span><span class="linenum">"&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href='#Page_234'>234</a></span><br />
+</div>
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p><hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>THE COPPER PRINCESS</h2>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I"></a>CHAPTER I</h2>
+
+<h3>STARTLING INTRODUCTION OF TOM TREFETHEN</h3>
+
+
+<p>"Look out, there!"</p>
+
+<p>"My God, he is under the wheels!"</p>
+
+<p>The narrow-gauge train for Red Jacket had just started from the
+Hancock station, and was gathering quick headway for its first steep
+grade, when a youth ran from the waiting-room and attempted to leap
+aboard the "smoker." Missing the step, he fell between two cars,
+though still clutching a hand-rail of the one he had attempted to
+board.</p>
+
+<p>With cries of horror, several of those who witnessed the incident from
+the station platform averted their faces, unwilling to view the
+ghastly tragedy that they believed must occur in another instant.</p>
+
+<p>At sound of their cries, a neatly dressed young fellow,
+broad-shouldered and of splendid physique, who was in the act of
+mounting the car-steps, turned, and instantly comprehended the
+situation. Without a moment of hesitation he dropped the bag he was
+carrying and flung his body over the guard-rail,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span> catching at its
+supporting stanchions with his knees. In this position, with his arms
+stretched to their utmost, he managed to grasp the coat-collar of the
+unfortunate youth who was being dragged to his death. In another
+moment he had, by a supreme effort, lifted the latter bodily to the
+platform.</p>
+
+<p>Those who witnessed this superb exhibition of promptly applied
+strength from the station platform gave a cheer as the train swept by,
+but their voices were drowned in its clatter, and the two actors in
+their thrilling drama were unaware that it had been noticed. The
+rescued youth sat limp and motionless on the swaying platform where he
+had been placed, dazed by the suddenness and intensity of his recent
+terror; while the other leaned against the guard-rail, recovering from
+his tremendous effort. After a few minutes of quick breathing he
+pulled himself together and helped his companion into the car, where
+they found a vacant seat.</p>
+
+<p>A few of the passengers noted the entrance of two young men, one of
+whom seemed to be in need of the other's assistance, and glanced at
+them with meaning smiles. There had been races at Hancock that day,
+and they evidently believed that these two had attended them. No one
+spoke to them, however, and it quickly became apparent that the
+supremest moment in the life of one of the two, which would also have
+been his last on earth but for the other, had passed unnoticed by any
+of the scores of human beings in closest proximity to them at the
+time.</p>
+
+<p>It was hard to realize this, and for a few minutes<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span> the young men sat
+in silence, dreading but expecting to be overwhelmed with a clamor of
+questions. It was a relief to find that they were to be unmolested,
+and when the conductor had passed on after punching their tickets, the
+one who had rescued the other turned to him with a smile, saying:</p>
+
+<p>"No one knows anything about it, for which let us be grateful."</p>
+
+<p>"You can bet I'm grateful, Mister, in more ways than one," answered
+the other, his eyes filling with the tears of a deep emotion as he
+spoke. "I won't forget in a hurry that you've saved my life, and from
+this time on, if ever you can make any use of so poor a chap as me,
+I'm your man. My name's Tom Trefethen, and I live in Red Jacket, where
+I run a compressor for No. 3 shaft of the White Pine Mine. That's all
+there is to me, for I 'ain't never done anything else, don't know
+anything else, and expect I'm no good <i>for</i> anything else. So, you
+see, I hain't got much to offer in exchange for what you've just give
+me; same time, I'm your friend all right, from this minute, and I
+wouldn't do a thing for you only just what you say; but that goes,
+every time."</p>
+
+<p>"That's all right, Tom, and don't you worry about trying to make any
+return for the service I have been able to render you. I won't call it
+a slight service, because to do so would be to undervalue the life I
+was permitted to save. Besides, you have already repaid me by giving
+me a friend, which was the thing of which I stood in greatest need,
+and had almost despaired of gaining."</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span></p>
+<p>"Why, Mister&mdash;"</p>
+
+<p>"Peveril," interrupted the other. "Richard Peveril is my name, though
+the friends I used to have generally called me 'Dick Peril."'</p>
+
+<p>"Used to have, Mr. Peril? Do you mean by that that you hain't got any
+friends now?"</p>
+
+<p>"I mean that five minutes ago it did not seem as though I had a friend
+in the world; but now I have one, who, I hope, will prove a very
+valuable one as well, and his name is Tom Trefethen."</p>
+
+<p>"It's good of you to say so, Mr. Peril, though how a poor, ignorant
+chap like me can prove a valuable friend to a swell like you is more
+than I can make out."</p>
+
+<p>At this the other smiled. "I don't know just what you mean by a
+swell," he said. "But I suppose you mean a gentleman of wealth and
+leisure. If so, I certainly am no more of a swell than you, nor so
+much, for I have just expended my last dollar for this railroad
+ticket, and have no idea where I shall get another. In fact, I do not
+know where I shall obtain a supper or find a sleeping-place for
+to-night, and think it extremely probable that I shall go without
+either. I hope very much, though, to find a job of work to-morrow that
+will provide me with both food and shelter for the immediate future."</p>
+
+<p>"Work! Are you looking for work?" asked Tom, gazing at Peveril's natty
+travelling-suit, and speaking with a tone of incredulity.</p>
+
+<p>"That is what I have come to this country to look for," was the
+smiling answer. "I came here because<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span> I was told that this was the one
+section of the United States unaffected by hard times, and because I
+had a letter of introduction to a gentleman in Hancock whom I thought
+would assist me in getting a position. To my great disappointment, he
+had left town, to be gone for several months, and, as I could not
+afford to await his return, I applied for work at the Quincy and other
+mines, only to be refused."</p>
+
+<p>"Is it work in the mines you are looking for?" asked Tom Trefethen,
+evidently doubting if he had heard aright.</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, that or any other by which I can make an honest living."</p>
+
+<p>"Well, sir, I wouldn't have believed it if any one but yourself had
+told me."</p>
+
+<p>"But you must believe it, for it is true, and I am now on my way to
+Red Jacket because I have been told there is more work to be had there
+than at any other place in the whole copper region, or in the State,
+for that matter."</p>
+
+<p>"And more people to do it, too," muttered Tom Trefethen, as he sank
+into a brown-study.</p>
+
+<p>By this time the train had climbed from the muddy level of Portage
+Lake, which with its recently cut ship-canals bisects Keweenaw Point,
+making of its upper end an island, and was speeding northward over a
+rough upland. Its way led through a naked country of rocks and
+low-growing scrub, for the primitive growth of timber had been
+stripped for use in the mines. Every now and then it passed tall
+shaft-houses and chimneys, belching forth thick volumes of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span> smoke,
+which, with their clustering villages, marked the sites of
+copper-mines. Finally, as darkness began to shroud the uninteresting
+landscape, the train entered the environs of a wide-spread and
+populous community, where huge mine buildings reared themselves from
+surrounding acres of the small but comfortable dwellings of
+North-country miners. Everywhere shone electric lights, and everywhere
+was a swarming population.</p>
+
+<p>Peveril gazed from his car window in astonishment. "What place is
+this?" he asked.</p>
+
+<p>"Red Jacket," answered his companion. "That is, it is Red Jacket, Blue
+Jacket, Yellow Jacket, Stone Pipe, Osceola, White Pine, and several
+other mining villages bunched together and holding in all about
+twenty-five thousand people."</p>
+
+<p>"Whew! and I expected to find a place of not over one thousand
+inhabitants."</p>
+
+<p>"You don't know much about the copper country, that's a fact," said
+Tom Trefethen, with the slight air of superiority that residents of a
+place are so apt to assume towards strangers. "Why, a single company
+here employs as many as three thousand men."</p>
+
+<p>"I am willing to admit my ignorance," rejoined Peveril, "but I am also
+very anxious to learn things, and hope in course of time to rank as a
+first-class miner. Therefore, any information you can give me will be
+gratefully received. To begin with, I wish you would tell me the name
+of some hotel where my grip will serve as security for a few days'
+board and lodging."</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span></p>
+<p>"A hotel, Mr. Peril! You can't be feeling so very poor if you are
+thinking of going to a hotel. Or perhaps you don't know how expensive
+our Red Jacket hotels are. You see, there is always such a rush of
+business here that prices are way up. Why, they don't think anything
+of charging two dollars a day; and they get it, too&mdash;don't give you
+anything extra in the way of grub, either. I can do lots better than
+that for you, though. There's a-plenty of boarding-houses here that'll
+fix you up in great shape for five a week. You just wait here at the
+station a few minutes while I go and look up one that I know of."</p>
+
+<p>Without waiting for a reply Tom Trefethen hurried from the train,
+which was just coming to a stop at the bustling Red Jacket station,
+and disappeared in the crowd of spectators who had gathered to witness
+its arrival. Peveril followed more slowly, and, depositing the
+handsome dress-suit case that he had learned to call a "grip" in a
+vacant corner of the platform, prepared to await the return of his
+only acquaintance in all that community, "or in the whole State of
+Michigan, so far as I know," reflected the young man.</p>
+
+<p>"As for friends, I wonder if I have any anywhere. This Tom Trefethen
+claims to have a friendly feeling towards me, and, if he comes back, I
+will try to believe in him. It is more than likely though that his
+leaving me here is only a way of escaping an irksome obligation, and I
+shouldn't be one bit surprised never to see him again. It seems to be
+the way of the world, that if you place a fellow under an obligation
+he begins to dislike you from that moment. My!<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span> if all the fellows
+whom I have helped would only pay what they owe me, how well fixed I
+should be at this minute. I could even put up with a clear conscience
+at one of Tom Trefethen's two-dollar-a-day hotels. What an
+unsophisticated chap he is, anyway. Wonder what he would say to the
+Waldorf charges? And yet only a short time ago I thought them very
+moderate. It's a queer old world, and a fellow has to see all sides of
+it before he can form an idea of what it is really like. I must
+confess, however, that I am not particularly enjoying my present point
+of view. Must be because I am so infernally hungry. Odd sensation, and
+so decidedly unpleasant that if my friend with the Cornish name
+doesn't return inside of two minutes more I shall abandon our tryst
+and set forth in search of a supper."</p>
+
+<p>At this point in his dismal reflections Peveril became aware of a
+short, solidly built man, having a grizzled beard, and wearing a rough
+suit of ill-fitting clothing, who was standing squarely before him and
+regarding him intently. As their eyes met, the new-comer asked,
+abruptly:</p>
+
+<p>"Be thy name Richard, lad?"</p>
+
+<p>"Yes."</p>
+
+<p>"What's t'other part of it?"</p>
+
+<p>"Peveril. And may I inquire why you ask?"</p>
+
+<p>"Because, lad, in all t'world thee has not a truer friend, nor one
+more ready to serve thee, than old Mark Trefethen. So come along of
+me, and gi' me a chance to prove my words."</p>
+
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span></p><hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II"></a>CHAPTER II</h2>
+
+<h3>PEVERIL TIES "BLACKY'S" RECORD</h3>
+
+
+<p>"Are you the father of Tom Trefethen?" asked Peveril of the man who
+had so abruptly introduced himself.</p>
+
+<p>"Certain I be, lad, feyther to the young fool who, but for thee, would
+never have come home to us no more. His mother was that upset by
+thought of his danger that she couldn't let him leave her, and so bade
+me come to fetch you mysel'. Not that I needed a bidding, for I'm
+doubly proud of a chance to serve the man who's gied us back our Tom.
+So come along, lad, to where there's a hearty welcome waiting,
+togither with a bite and a bed."</p>
+
+<p>"But, Mr. Trefethen, I can't allow you to&mdash;"</p>
+
+<p>"Man, you must allow me, for I'm no in the habit o' being crossed.
+Besides, I'd never dare go back to mother without you. This thy grip?"</p>
+
+<p>With this the brawny miner swung Peveril's bag to his shoulder, and
+started briskly down the station platform, followed closely by the
+young man, who but a moment before had believed himself to be without
+a friend.</p>
+
+<p>They had not gone more than a block from the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span> station, and Peveril was
+wondering at the crowds of comfortable-looking folk who thronged the
+wooden sidewalks, as well as at the rows of brilliantly lighted shops,
+when his guide turned abruptly into the door of a saloon.</p>
+
+<p>Following curiously, the young man also entered, and, passing behind a
+latticed screen, found himself in a long room having a sanded floor,
+and furnished with a glittering bar, tables, chairs, and several
+queer-looking machines, the nature of which he did not understand.
+Several men were leaning against the counter of the bar; but without
+noticing them other than by a general nod of recognition, Mark
+Trefethen walked to the far end of the room, where he deposited
+Peveril's bag on the floor beside one of the machines already
+mentioned.</p>
+
+<p>It was a narrow, upright frame, placed close to the wall, and holding
+a stout wooden panel. In the centre of this, at the height of a man's
+chest, was a stuffed leathern pad, on which was painted a grotesque
+face, evidently intended for that of a negro, and above it was a dial
+bearing numbers that ranged from 1 to 300. The single pointer on this
+dial indicated the number 173, a figure at which Mark Trefethen
+sniffed contemptuously.</p>
+
+<p>"Let's see thee take a lick at 'Blacky,' lad, just for luck," he said.</p>
+
+<p>Although he had never before seen or even heard of such a machine as
+now confronted him, Peveril was sufficiently quick-witted to realize
+that his companion desired him to strike a blow with his fist at the
+grinning<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> face painted on the leathern pad, and he did so without
+hesitation. At the same time, as he had no idea of what resistance he
+should encounter, he struck out rather gingerly, and the dial-pointer
+sprang back to 156.</p>
+
+<p>Mark Trefethen looked at once incredulous and disappointed. "Surely
+that's not thy best lick, lad," he said, in an aggrieved tone; "why,
+old as I am, I could better it mysel'." Thus saying, the miner drew
+back a fist like a sledge-hammer, and let drive a blow at "Blacky"
+that sent the pointer up to 180.</p>
+
+<p>"Now, lad, try again," he remarked, with a self-satisfied air; "and
+remember, what I should have telled thee afore, that the man who lets
+pointer slip back owes beer to the crowd."</p>
+
+<p>Wondering how he should cancel the indebtedness thus innocently
+incurred, and also at the strangeness of such proceedings on the part
+of one who had just invited him to a much-longed-for supper, Peveril
+again stepped up and delivered a nervous blow against the unresisting
+leathern pad, driving the pointer to 184.</p>
+
+<p>The miner's shout of "Well done, lad! That's spunky," attracted the
+idlers at the bar and brought them to the scene of contest. They
+arrived just in time to see Trefethen deliver his second blow, the
+force of which drove the sensitive needle six points farther on, or
+until it registered 190.</p>
+
+<p>With a flush of pride on his strongly marked face, the old Cornishman
+exclaimed, "There's a mark for thee lad, but doan't 'ee strike 'less
+thee can better it, for I'd like it to stand for a while."</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span></p>
+<p>Peveril only smiled in answer, and, taking a quick forward step,
+planted so vigorous a blow upon the painted leather that the pointer
+gained a single interval. So small were the spaces that at first it
+was thought not to have moved; but when a closer examination showed it
+to indicate 191, a murmur of approbation went up from the spectators.
+Mark Trefethen said not a word, but, throwing off his coat and baring
+his corded arm for a mighty effort, he again took place before the
+machine. Carefully measuring his distance, he drew back and delivered
+a blow into which he threw the whole weight of his body. As though
+galvanized into action, the needle leaped up four points and
+registered 195.</p>
+
+<p>"A record! A record!" shouted the spectators, while the miner turned a
+face beaming with triumph towards his athletic young antagonist. On
+many an occasion had he played at solitaire fisticuffs with that
+leathern dummy, but never before had he struck it such a mighty blow,
+and now he did not believe that another in all Red Jacket could equal
+the feat he had just performed.</p>
+
+<p>"Lat it stand, lad! Lat it stand!" he said, good-humoredly, but in a
+tone unmistakably patronizing. "You've done enough to take front rank,
+for not more than three men in all the Jackets have ever beat your
+figure. Besides, the beer is on the house now for a record, but 'twill
+be on any man who lowers yon&mdash;so best lat well enough alone."</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 494px;">
+<img src="images/illus002.jpg" width="494" height="501" alt="&quot;IN BREATHLESS SILENCE THE GROUP WATCHED PEVERIL&#39;S
+MOVEMENTS&quot;" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&quot;IN BREATHLESS SILENCE THE GROUP WATCHED PEVERIL&#39;S
+MOVEMENTS&quot;</span>
+</div>
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>This advice was tendered in all sincerity, and was doubtless very
+good, but Peveril was now too deeply<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span> interested in the novel contest
+to accept defeat without a further effort. Besides, the stroke-oar of
+a winning crew in the great Oxford-Cambridge boat-race, which is what
+Dick Peveril had been only two months earlier, was not accustomed to
+be beaten in athletic games.</p>
+
+<p>So he, too, threw off his coat and bared the glorious right arm that
+had at once been the pride of his college and the envy of every other
+in the 'varsity. In breathless silence the little group of spectators
+watched his movements, and when, with sharply exhaled breath, he
+planted a crashing "facer" straight from the shoulder squarely upon
+the leathern disk they sprang eagerly forward to note the result. For
+an instant they gazed at each other blankly, for the needle, though
+trembling violently, remained fixedly pointing at the figure 195.</p>
+
+<p>Then they realized what had happened. Mark Trefethen's score had been
+neither raised nor lowered, but had been duplicated. A double record
+had been established, and that in a single contest. Such a thing had
+never before happened in Red Jacket, where trials of strength and
+skill similar to the one they had just witnessed were of frequent
+occurrence. As the amazing truth broke upon them, they raised a great
+shout of applause, and every man present pressed eagerly about the two
+champions with cordially extended hands.</p>
+
+<p>But Peveril and the old miner were already shaking hands with each
+other, for Mark Trefethen had been the first to appreciate the result
+of his opponent's blow, and had whirled around from his examination
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span>of the dial to seize the young man's hand in both of his.</p>
+
+<p>"Now I believe it, lad!" he cried. "Now I believe the story boy Tom
+telled this night. I couldn't make it seem possible that you had
+lifted him as he said, and so I wanted proof. Now I'm got it, and now
+I know you for best man that's come to mines for many a year. Pray
+God, lad, that you and me'll never have a quarrel to settle wi' bare
+fists, for I'm free to say I'd rayther meet any ither two men in the
+Jackets than the one behind the fist that struck yon blow."</p>
+
+<p>"You will never meet him in a quarrel if I can help it, Mr.
+Trefethen," replied Peveril, flushing with gratified pride, "for I
+can't imagine anything that would throw me into a greater funk than to
+face as an enemy the man who established the existing record on that
+machine. But, now, don't you think we might adjourn to the supper of
+which you spoke awhile since? I was never quite so famished in my
+life, and am nearly ready to drop with the exhaustion of hunger."</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, Jimmy!" groaned one of the listening spectators. "If 'e done wot
+'e did hon a hempty stummick, hit's 'eaven 'elp the man or the machine
+'e 'its when 'e's full."</p>
+
+<p>"Step up for your beers, gentlemen," cried the bartender at this
+moment. "The house owes two rounds for the double record, and is proud
+to pay a debt so handsomely thrust upon it."</p>
+
+<p>This invitation was promptly accepted by the spectators<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> of the recent
+contest, all of whom immediately lined up at the bar. Mark Trefethen
+stood with them, and when he noticed that Peveril held back, he called
+out, heartily, "Step up, lad, and doan't be bashful. We're waiting to
+take a mug wi' thee."</p>
+
+<p>"I thank you all," rejoined Peveril, politely, "but I believe I don't
+care to drink anything just now."</p>
+
+<p>"What! Not teetotal?"</p>
+
+<p>"Not wholly," replied the other, with a laugh, "but I long ago made it
+a rule not to take liquor in any form on an empty stomach."</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, it won't hurt you. And this time needn't count, anyway," said one
+of the men, whose features proclaimed him to be of Irish birth.</p>
+
+<p>"I think it would hurt me," replied Peveril, "and if my rule could be
+broken at this time, of course it could at any other. So I believe I
+won't drink anything, thank you."</p>
+
+<p>"You mane you're a snob, and don't care to associate with
+working-men," retorted the other.</p>
+
+<p>"I mean nothing of the kind, but exactly what I said, that I don't
+propose to injure my health to gratify you or any other man. As for
+associating with working-men, I am a working-man myself, and have come
+to this place with the hope of finding a job in one of the mines. If I
+hadn't wanted to associate with working-men I shouldn't be here at
+this minute."</p>
+
+<p>"Well, you can't associate with them in one thing if not in all, Mr.
+Workingman," rejoined the Irishman, sneeringly, "and so, if you won't
+drink with us, you can't become one of us."</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span></p>
+<p>"That's right," murmured several voices.</p>
+
+<p>"Moreover," continued the speaker, "you don't look, talk, or act like
+a working-man, and I'm willing to bet the price of these beers that
+you never earned a dollar by honest labor in your life."</p>
+
+<p>"If I didn't, that's no reason why I shouldn't."</p>
+
+<p>"But did you?"</p>
+
+<p>"No, I never did."</p>
+
+<p>"I knew it from the first," exclaimed the other, triumphantly, "you're
+nothing but a d&mdash;d&mdash;"</p>
+
+<p>"Shut up, Mike Connell! don't ye dare say it!" shouted Mark Trefethen,
+shaking a knotted fist in close proximity to the Irishman's face. "How
+dare you insult the friend I've brought to this place? Lad's right
+about the liquor, too, and damned if I'll drink a drop of it mysel'.
+Same time, working-man or no, he's worth any two of you wi' his fists,
+and, I'll bate, has more brains than the rest of us put together. So
+keep a civil tongue in your head in the presence of your betters, Mike
+Connell. Come, lad, time we were getting home. Mother 'll be fretting
+for us."</p>
+
+<p>Thus saying, the sturdy miner laid his toil-hardened hand on Peveril's
+shoulder and led him from the place.</p>
+
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span></p><hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III"></a>CHAPTER III</h2>
+
+<h3>A 'VARSITY STROKE STRIKES ADVERSE FORTUNE</h3>
+
+
+<p>Richard Peveril, student at Christ Church, was not only one of the
+most popular men in his own college, but, as stroke of the 'varsity
+eight, was becoming one of the best known of Oxford undergraduates
+when the blow was struck that compelled him to leave England and
+return to the land of his birth without even waiting to try for his
+degree. He had been an orphan from early boyhood, and, under the
+nominal care of a guardian who saw as little of his charge as
+possible, had passed most of his time in American boarding-schools,
+until sent abroad to finish his education. While his guardian had
+never been unkind to him, he had not tried to understand the boy or to
+win his affection, but had placed him at the best schools, supplied
+him liberally with pocket-money, and then let him alone.</p>
+
+<p>Although the lad had thus been denied the softening influence of a
+home, the tender care of a mother, and a father's counsel, his
+school-life had trained him to self-reliance, prompt obedience to
+lawful authority, a strict sense of honor, and to a physical condition
+so perfect that in all his life he had never known a day's<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> sickness.
+Having always had plenty of money, he had never learned its value,
+though in his school-days his allowance had been limited by the same
+wise rules that also checked undue extravagance. Thus, while brought
+up to live and spend money like a gentleman, he had not been permitted
+to acquire vicious habits.</p>
+
+<p>Even at college his allowance had always been in excess of his needs,
+and so, though ever ready to help a friend in trouble, he had never
+run into debt on his own account.</p>
+
+<p>Another influence for good was the lad's inherited love for all
+out-of-door sports, and he could not remember the time when he was not
+in training for a team, a crew, or an athletic event of some kind.
+Thus the keeping of regular hours, together with a studied temperance
+in both eating and drinking, had been grafted into his very nature.</p>
+
+<p>Life had thus been made very pleasant for our hero, and, believing
+himself to be heir to a fortune, he had never been disturbed by
+anxieties concerning the future. Of course, while he had hosts of
+acquaintances, most of whom called themselves his friends, he was well
+aware that some of them were envious of his position and would rejoice
+at his downfall, should such an event ever take place. It was partly
+this knowledge, partly his own sense of absolute security in life, and
+partly a habit acquired during a long career of leadership among his
+school companions that rendered him brusque with those for whom he did
+not particularly care and contemptuous to the verge of rudeness
+towards such <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span>persons as he disliked. Thus it will be seen that our
+young man possessed a facility for the making of enemies as well as
+friends.</p>
+
+<p>Of his secret enemies the most bitter was a fellow-student, also an
+American, named Owen, who, possessed of barely means enough to carry
+him through college, and with no prospects, had, by relinquishing
+everything else, taken much the same stand in scholarship that Peveril
+had in athletics. As a consequence, each was envious of the other, for
+the stroke of the 'varsity eight was so little of a student that he
+had never more than barely scraped through with an examination in his
+life, and was always overwhelmed with conditions. This jealousy would
+not, however, have led to enmity without a further cause, which had
+been furnished within a year.</p>
+
+<p>Owen had crossed on a steamer with Mrs. Maturin Bonnifay, of New York,
+and her only daughter, Rose. They did London together, and never had
+the young American found that smoke-begrimed city so delightful. At
+his solicitation the Bonnifays consented to visit Oxford, and
+permitted him to act as their escort. In contemplating the pleasure of
+such a visit, Owen had lost sight of its dangers; but, alas for his
+happiness! they became only too quickly apparent.</p>
+
+<p>The ladies must be taken to the river, of course, and there the one
+thing above all others to see was the 'varsity eight at practice. Of
+the entire crew none attracted such instant attention as the
+stroke-oar, and when they learned that he was an American their
+interest in him was doubled.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span></p>
+<p>Of course he and Mr. Owen, being compatriots in a strange land, and
+both having done so splendidly at the dear old university, must be
+friends.</p>
+
+<p>Oh, certainly.</p>
+
+<p>Then wouldn't Mr. Owen present his friend? It was always so pleasant
+to meet the right kind of Americans when abroad. "Why! There he comes
+now! I am sure that must be he; isn't it, Mr. Owen? Though one does
+look so different in a boat and out of it."</p>
+
+<p>It was indeed Peveril, who had purposely sauntered in that direction
+for a closer view of the pretty girl whom "Dig" Owen, of all men, had
+picked up; and, in another minute, Owen, with an extremely bad grace,
+had introduced him.</p>
+
+<p>From that moment, as is always the case when athletes and scholars
+compete for feminine favor, the scholar was almost ignored, while his
+muscular rival was petted to a degree that Owen declared simply
+scandalous. Although the latter was still allowed to act as
+second-best escort to the ladies, and form a fourth in their various
+excursions, it was always Peveril who walked, sat, strolled, and
+talked with Miss Rose, while Owen was monopolized by her mother.</p>
+
+<p>The Bonnifays had only intended to spend a day or two in Oxford, but
+the place proved so charmingly attractive that they remained a month,
+and when they finally took their departure for the Continent Miss Rose
+wore a superb diamond ring on the third finger of her left hand, that
+had very recently been placed there by Peveril.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span></p>
+<p>Before they separated it had been arranged that he and they should
+travel through Norway together during the following summer. Owen had
+also been invited to join the party, but had declined on the ground
+that immediately upon taking his degree he would be obliged to return
+to America.</p>
+
+<p>So that winter the scholar, filled with envy and bitterness, ground
+away gloomily but persistently at his books; while the athlete,
+radiant with happiness, steadily cheerful and good-natured, labored
+with his crew. Finally, he stroked them to a win on the Thames, and
+then, at the height of his glory, began to consider his chances for a
+degree. At this moment the blow was struck, and it came in the shape
+of a cablegram from a New York law firm.</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>"Return at earliest convenience. Carson dead. Affairs badly
+involved."</p></div>
+
+<p>Boise Carson was the guardian whom Peveril had so seldom seen, but who
+had always controlled his affairs and provided so liberally for all
+his wants. Upon coming of age, a few months before, Peveril had sent
+over a power of attorney, and his ex-guardian had continued to act for
+him as before. They were to have had a settlement when the young man
+took his degree, for which purpose he had planned to run over to New
+York, spend a few days there, and return in time for his Norway trip
+with the Bonnifays. In the autumn he and they would sail for New York
+together, and the wedding would take place as soon thereafter as was
+practicable.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span></p>
+<p>Now this wretched cablegram promised to upset everything, and he must
+look forward to spending the summer in trying to disentangle an
+involved business, instead of spending it with the girl of his heart.
+Perhaps, though, "badly involved" did not mean so <i>very</i> badly, and
+possibly he might get through with the hated business in time for the
+Norway trip after all, if he only set to work at once. Of course that
+would necessitate the giving up of his degree, but what difference did
+that make? Other things were of infinitely more importance.</p>
+
+<p>So Peveril bade farewell to Oxford, wrote a long letter, full of love
+and hopeful promises, to Rose Bonnifay, at Rome, sent her a reassuring
+telegram from Southampton, and sailed for New York. Having been so
+long absent, he found very few friends in that city, and it seemed to
+him that some even of those few greeted him with a constraint
+bordering on coldness.</p>
+
+<p>As Boise Carson, who had lived and died a bachelor, had roomed at the
+Waldorf, Peveril also established himself in that palatial
+caravansary, and was then ready to plunge into the business that had
+brought him to America.</p>
+
+<p>His first shock came from the lawyer who had summoned him, and who at
+once told him that he feared everything was lost.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't exactly understand what you mean," said Peveril.</p>
+
+<p>"In plain terms, then, I am afraid that your late guardian not only
+squandered his own fortune in <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span>unwise speculation, but yours as well.
+Perhaps this note, left for you, will explain the situation."</p>
+
+<p>Thus saying, the lawyer handed Peveril a sealed envelope addressed to
+him in the well-known handwriting of Boise Carson. Tearing it open,
+the young man read as follows:</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>"<span class="smcap">My Dear Richard</span>:</p>
+
+<p>"Having lost everything, including your fortune and my own
+honor, I have no longer an object in living. I therefore
+conclude that it will be best to efface myself as speedily as
+possible. I have made a will, leaving you my sole heir and
+executor. You are welcome to whatever you can save from the
+wreck. All papers belonging to your father and left in my
+charge will be handed you by Mr. Ketchum. Good-bye.</p>
+
+<div style="margin-left: 20em;">
+"Yours, for the last time,<br />
+</div>
+<div style="margin-left: 27em;">
+"<span class="smcap">Boise Carson</span>."<br />
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>"He didn't commit suicide?" exclaimed Peveril, incredulously.</p>
+
+<p>"It is to be feared that he did," replied the lawyer, "and the state
+of his affairs bears out the supposition."</p>
+
+<p>After this Peveril spent a month in New York, trying to recover
+something from the wreck of his fortune. At the end of that time he
+found himself with less than one hundred dollars over and above his
+obligations. Realizing at length that he must for the future depend
+entirely upon his own efforts, he made several applications for vacant
+positions in the city, only to find in every case that they were also
+sought by men more competent to fill them than he.</p>
+
+<p>One day, when, for want of something better to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> do, he was
+mechanically looking over a package of old papers that had belonged to
+his father, he came across a contract of partnership between his
+parent and a certain Ralph Darrell. It was for the opening and
+development of a mine, to be known as the "Copper Princess," and
+located in the upper peninsula of Michigan. By the terms of the
+contract the partnership was to exist for twenty years, and, if either
+party died during that time, his heir or heirs were to accept the
+liabilities and receive all benefits accruing to an original partner.
+It was, however, provided that the claims of such heirs must be made
+before expiration of the contract, otherwise the entire property would
+fall into possession of the longest-surviving partner or his heirs.
+The document bore a date nineteen years old.</p>
+
+<p>"Well," said Peveril, reflectively, as he finished reading this paper,
+"although everything else is lost, it would seem that as my father's
+sole heir I am still half-owner in a copper mine. I wonder if it is
+worth looking up?"</p>
+
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span></p><hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV"></a>CHAPTER IV</h2>
+
+<h3>STARTING IN SEARCH OF THE COPPER PRINCESS</h3>
+
+
+<p>Viewed through the sanguine eyes of youth, the possession of a
+half-interest in a copper mine seemed to offer a ready solution of
+Peveril's recent difficulties. He vaguely recalled stories of great
+fortunes made in copper, and speculated concerning the market value of
+his newly discovered property. "There must be plenty of people ready
+to buy such things, if they are only offered cheaply enough," he said
+to himself; "and Heaven knows I wouldn't hold out for any fancy price.
+Ten thousand dollars, or even five, would be sufficient for the Norway
+trip, and after that something would be certain to turn up."</p>
+
+<p>Of all his trials none had seemed so hard to bear as the giving up of
+that journey to Norway, and now it might be accomplished, after all.
+He had written several letters to Rose since reaching New York, and at
+first they had been filled with hopes of a speedy reunion. Then, as he
+began to realize the condition of his fortunes, they became less
+frequent and less hopeful, until for some weeks, not knowing what to
+write, he had not written at all.</p>
+
+<p>Now filled with a new courage, he wrote a long<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> and cheerful letter,
+in which he stated a belief that his business troubles were so nearly
+ended that he would speedily be able to join his friends in Norway.
+This letter, finished and mailed, the young mine-owner visited his
+lawyer, to inform him of his discovery and learn its probable value.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Ketchum smiled grimly as he glanced at the contract on which
+Peveril was building such high hopes, and then, handing it back, said,
+pityingly:</p>
+
+<p>"My dear boy, I hate to dash your hopes, but I doubt if this thing is
+worth anything more than the paper on which it is written. Boise
+Carson brought it to us years ago, and we looked into it at that time.
+We discovered that a property located somewhere in Northern Michigan,
+and supposed to be rich in copper, had been purchased at a stiff price
+by your father and this Ralph Darrell, who was a banker in one of the
+New England cities&mdash;Boston, I believe. They christened it the 'Copper
+Princess,' invested nearly a million dollars in a complete
+mining-plant, and sank a shaft into barren rock. Not one cent did the
+mine ever yield, and the deeper they went the poorer became their
+prospects. Finally, Darrell, completely ruined financially, became
+crazed by his troubles and disappeared; nor has he ever been heard
+from since. Your father, having put half of his fortune into the
+venture, brooded over its loss until his death, which, I am convinced,
+was largely caused by the failure of the Copper Princess."</p>
+
+<p>"What became of the property after that?" asked<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> Peveril, who had
+listened with a sinking heart to this recital.</p>
+
+<p>"I believe it stands to-day, as it was abandoned years ago, one of the
+many monuments of ruined hopes in that country of squandered
+fortunes."</p>
+
+<p>"But there is copper in that region, is there not?"</p>
+
+<p>"Certainly there is, and in fabulous quantity, but apparently not in
+the immediate vicinity of the Copper Princess."</p>
+
+<p>"Did you visit the place yourself?"</p>
+
+<p>"No. We conducted our inquiries through a mine-owner of Hancock, which
+was at that time the nearest town of importance to the property."</p>
+
+<p>"Does your correspondent still live there?"</p>
+
+<p>"I believe so. At any rate, he did within a year."</p>
+
+<p>"Will you give me a note of introduction to him, and also a paper of
+identification, by which I may substantiate my claim to a
+half-ownership in the Copper Princess?"</p>
+
+<p>"Certainly I will; but may I ask how you propose to use such
+documents? You surely do not intend to visit the property with the
+hope that anything can be realized from it?"</p>
+
+<p>"I don't think I have much hope of any kind just now," replied
+Peveril, bitterly. "But I suppose there is as much work to be done in
+the copper country as anywhere else, while my chances of obtaining
+employment there will at least be as good as they are here. Besides,
+it will be a sort of satisfaction to gaze upon the only existing
+evidence that there ever was a fortune in the family. You said that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span>
+buildings of some sort had been erected on the property, did you not?"</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, according to my recollection there was quite a village of
+miners' houses, besides all the other necessary structures."</p>
+
+<p>"Then I may at least discover a roof under which I can dwell, rent
+free, while the sensation of finding myself lord of a manor will be
+decidedly novel."</p>
+
+<p>Having thus decided upon a course of action, our young mine-owner lost
+no time in carrying out his newly formed plans. That very afternoon he
+purchased a ticket for Buffalo, from which point he proposed to
+economize his slender resources by taking a lake steamer to his point
+of destination. His last duty before leaving New York, and the one
+from which he shrank most, was the writing of a second letter to Rose,
+telling her that the trip to Norway was no longer a possibility, so
+far as he was concerned. He wrote:</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>"I am suddenly confronted with the necessity of taking rather a
+long Western journey, to investigate the condition of a mine in
+which I own a half-interest. I hate to go, because every mile
+will lengthen the distance between us, and am more bitterly
+disappointed than I can express at being compelled to give up
+our Norwegian trip. But my call to the West is imperative, and
+must be obeyed. So, dear, let us bear our disappointment as
+best we can, for I hope it is one to you as well as to me, and
+look forward to a joyful reunion in this city next autumn."</p></div>
+
+<p>The epistle, of which the above is but a fragment, not only caused
+Miss Bonnifay to utter an impatient<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> exclamation as she read it, but
+also led to complications.</p>
+
+<p>Feeling that, with Peveril safely across the Atlantic, there might be
+some hope for him, Owen had reconsidered his determination not to go
+to Norway, and had written from Oxford, offering to escort the ladies
+on that trip. His letter reached them in company with that from
+Peveril announcing that he too would shortly be with them. Thereupon
+Mrs. Bonnifay replied to Owen that, while they should be delighted to
+have him join their party, he must not inconvenience himself to do so,
+as Mr. Peveril's business was in such shape that he would be able to
+carry out his original intention of accompanying them.</p>
+
+<p>Then came Peveril's second letter, stating that he could not leave
+America, after all, and the elder lady hurriedly penned the following
+note:</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>"<span class="smcap">My Dear Mr. Owen</span>:</p>
+
+<p>"We are so glad that you can accompany us to Norway, the more
+so that Mr. Peveril will, after all, be prevented from so
+doing. He has just written that business of the utmost
+importance, connected with an immensely valuable mine that he
+owns somewhere in the West, will prevent his leaving America
+this summer. Of course he is in despair, and all that, while we
+are awfully sorry for him, but we shall not allow our grief to
+interfere in the least with the pleasure we are anticipating
+from a trip to Norway under your escort. Hoping, then, to see
+you here very soon,</p>
+
+<div style="margin-left: 20em;">
+"I remain," etc., etc.</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>Quickly as this letter followed its immediate predecessor, it arrived
+too late to accomplish its purpose;<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> for, on the very day that he
+received it, Owen had cabled his acceptance of a position offered him
+in the United States and procured his ticket for New York.</p>
+
+<p>"Was ever a man so cursed by fate!" he cried, as he finished reading
+Mrs. Bonnifay's note; "or, rather, by the stupidity of a blundering
+idiot! I don't believe Dick Peveril cares a rap for the girl; if he
+did, he would not desert her on any such flimsy pretext. The idea of
+his having business with a mine! He never did have any business, and
+never will. How I hate the fellow!"</p>
+
+<p>With this, Mr. Owen composed a letter to Mrs. Bonnifay, in which his
+regrets at the miscarriage of their plans were skilfully interwoven
+with insinuations that possibly Peveril had found America to hold even
+greater attractions than Norway. He also promised to keep them
+informed concerning the latest New York news.</p>
+
+<p>This promise he redeemed two weeks later by forwarding whatever of
+gossip he could gather regarding Peveril. It included the information
+that the latter had not only lost his fortune, but had sought so
+unsuccessfully for employment in the city that he had finally been
+obliged to leave it, and no one knew whither he had gone. Having
+accomplished this piece of work, Mr. Owen also departed from New York,
+and turned his face westward.</p>
+
+<p>In the mean time, Peveril, happily unconscious of these several
+epistles, was finding his own path beset by trials such as he had
+never encountered on any previous journey, for they were those caused
+by a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> scarcity of funds with which to meet his every-day expenses.</p>
+
+<p>His determination to economize failed because of his ignorance of the
+first principles of economy. Besides that, his appearance, his manner,
+his dress, and his personal belongings were all so many protests
+against economy. Thus, when he inquired concerning a hotel in Buffalo,
+no one thought of naming any save the most expensive, and he drove to
+it in a carriage, because he did not know how else to reach it. Then
+it happened that the first boat leaving for the Superior country was
+the <i>Northland</i>, one of the most luxurious and extravagant of lake
+craft. To be sure, she was also the swiftest, and would carry him
+through without loss of time; but when he left her at the Sault, as he
+found he must in order to reach the copper country, his scanty stock
+of money was depleted beyond anything he had deemed possible on so
+short a trip. From the Sault he travelled by rail, and finally reached
+Hancock with but five dollars in his pocket.</p>
+
+<p>Then, failing to find the only person to whom he had a note of
+introduction, and also being unable to obtain work, he finally
+expended his last dollar for transportation to Red Jacket, where he
+knew he must either find employment or starve. And thus was our hero
+led to the point at which we first made his acquaintance.</p>
+
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span></p><hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V"></a>CHAPTER V</h2>
+
+<h3>THE TREFETHENS</h3>
+
+
+<p>As Peveril walked with his newly made acquaintance through the brisk
+mining-town, of whose very name he had been ignorant until that day,
+Mark Trefethen directed his attention to its various places and
+objects of interest. Of one small but handsome stone building,
+surrounded by grass and shade-trees, he said:</p>
+
+<p>"There's where the swells get's their beer."</p>
+
+<p>Peveril instantly knew it for a club-house, and, with a pang of regret
+for the lost comforts of such an establishment, glanced enviously at
+its cosey interior, disclosed through open windows.</p>
+
+<p>At length they reached the modest cottage, built on the plan of a
+hundred others, that Mark Trefethen rented from the company and called
+his home. The room into which Peveril was ushered was scrupulously
+clean and neat, but seemed to him painfully bare and cheerless. It was
+lighted by a single, unshaded lamp, that stood in the middle of an
+oilcloth-covered table laid for supper. Half a dozen cheap wooden
+chairs and a sewing-machine of inferior grade completed its
+furnishing. The new-comer had only time for a single glance at these
+things as he entered the door, before<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> his recent acquaintance of the
+train, who now seemed almost like an old friend, sprang forward with
+outstretched hand, exclaiming:</p>
+
+<p>"I'm so glad you've come, for I was afraid father might not find you,
+or you might get tired of waiting, or that something might have
+happened to take you some other place. I would have gone back myself,
+only father wouldn't have it that way, and claimed 'twas his place to
+fetch you."</p>
+
+<p>"Surely, son; and why not? Could I do less than give the first welcome
+to one who has done for us what Mr. Peril has? Mother, take a step and
+shake hands wi' him who saved our boy to us this day. I couldn't
+believe it till I seen him hit 'Blacky' such a blow as but one other
+in all Red Jacket has ever struck. What do you think of one
+ninety-five for a record?"</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, father! you surely didn't take him&mdash;"</p>
+
+<p>But Tom's words were lost in the heartfelt though somewhat trying
+greeting that Peveril was at that moment receiving from Mrs.
+Trefethen. She was a large woman, whose ample form was unconfined by
+stay or lace, and with whom to "take a step" was evidently an
+exertion. That she was also of an emotional nature was shown by the
+tears that rolled in little well-defined channels down her cheeks as
+she made an elephantine courtesy before her guest.</p>
+
+<p>"Mister Peril, sir," she said, in a voice that seemed to bubble up
+through an overflow of tears, "may you never hexperience the feelinks
+of a mother, more especial the mother of a honly son, which 'arrowing
+is no name for them. As I were saying to Miss Penny<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span> this very day&mdash;a
+true lady, sir, if there is one in hall Red Jacket, and wife of No. 2,
+timber boss, my Mark being the same in No. 3&mdash;Miss Penny, sez I&mdash;but,
+laws! what's the use of telling sich things to a mere man? as I
+frequent sez to my Mark and my Tom, which he hain't no more'n a boy
+when all's said and done, if he does claim to vote, and halways on the
+side of 'is father, when, if wimmen had the privilege&mdash;as Miss Penny,
+who is a geniwine lady, and by no means a woman-sufferer, has frequent
+said to me, that it's a burning shame they shouldn't&mdash;things would be
+more naturally equalled up. Same time, young sir, seeing has 'ow
+you've come&mdash;"</p>
+
+<p>"And is also nearly starved," interrupted Mark Trefethen. "Let's have
+supper. You've done yourself proud, mother, and give Mr. Peril a
+master-welcome; but eating before talking, say I, and so let us fall
+to."</p>
+
+<p>Faint with hunger as he was, the guest needed no second invitation to
+seat himself at the homely but hospitable table, on which was placed a
+great dish of corned beef and cabbage, another of potatoes, a wheaten
+loaf, and a pot of tea. Cups, plates, and saucers were of thickest
+stone-ware, knives and forks were of iron, and spoons were of pewter,
+but Peveril managed to make successful use of them all, and though
+betraying a woful ignorance of the proper functions of a knife, ate
+his first working-man's meal with all of a working-man's appetite and
+hearty appreciation.</p>
+
+<p>Mrs. Trefethen occupied a great rocking-chair at<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> one end of the
+table, surrounded by a group of clamorous little ones, into whose open
+mouths she dropped bits of food as though they were so many young
+birds in a nest, and kept up an unceasing flow of conversation
+regarding her friend Mrs. Penny, to which Peveril strove to pay polite
+attention.</p>
+
+<p>From the opposite end her husband expatiated between mouthfuls upon
+the fate that had overtaken 'Blacky' that evening, but Peveril was too
+hungry to talk, and so apparently was Tom. These four were waited on
+by a slim, rosy-cheeked lass, with demure expression but laughing
+eyes, to whom the guest had not been introduced, but who, from her
+likeness to Tom, he rightly concluded must be his sister. She was
+addressed as "Nelly."</p>
+
+<p>After supper the three men adjourned to a little front porch, where
+Mark Trefethen lighted a pipe and questioned Peveril concerning his
+plans for the future. After listening attentively to all that his
+guest chose to tell of himself, he said:</p>
+
+<p>"It's plain, lad, thee's not been brought up to work, and knows nought
+of mining; but thee's got head to learn and muscle to work with. So if
+'ee wants job thee shall have it, or Mark Trefethen 'll know why. Now
+I tell 'ee what. Bide along of us, and be certain of welcome. Take
+to-morrow to look about, and by night I'll have news for you."</p>
+
+<p>Gratefully accepting this invitation, the Oxford undergraduate slept
+that night in a tiny chamber of the Trefethen cottage, from which he
+shrewdly suspected Miss Nelly had been turned out to make room for
+him.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span></p>
+<p>The next day he went with his new-found friends to the mine, where, in
+the "Dry," he saw the underground laborers change into their
+red-stained working-suits. Then he watched them clamber, a dozen at a
+time, into the great ore-cages and disappear with startling suddenness
+down the black shaft into unknown depths of darkness. After all were
+gone he spent some time in the "compressor-room" of the engine-house
+with Tom, who was there on duty. The remainder of the day he passed in
+wandering among shaft-houses, rock-crushers, ore-cars, and shops,
+making close observations, asking questions, and gaining a deal of
+information concerning the mining of copper.</p>
+
+<p>That evening Mark Trefethen told him that he had made arrangements by
+which he could, if he chose, go to work in the mine the following
+morning. "Job's wi' timber gang, lad," he said, "in bottom level. It's
+hard work and little pay at first&mdash;only one twenty-five the day&mdash;but
+if 'ee's game for it, job's thine."</p>
+
+<p>"I am game to try it, at any rate," replied the young man, gratefully,
+"and will also try my best to prevent you from being ashamed of me."</p>
+
+<p>"No fear, lad. Only fear is I'll be proud of thee, and lat others see
+it, which would be very bad indeed. Now, I'll bate 'ee hasn't rag of
+clothing fit for mine work."</p>
+
+<p>"I have only what I am wearing," answered Peveril, who had left his
+trunks in Hancock, "but I guess they will do until I can earn the
+money to buy others more suitable."</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 673px;">
+<img src="images/illus003.jpg" width="673" height="484" alt="PEVERIL GOES TO WORK" title="" />
+<span class="caption">PEVERIL GOES TO WORK</span>
+</div>
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span></p>
+<p>"Do, lad! They'd be ruined forever in first five minutes. Besides,
+thee'd be laughing-stock of whole mine, if 'ee went down dressed like
+Jim Dandy. No, no; come along of me and I'll rig 'ee out proper."</p>
+
+<p>So Peveril was taken to the company store, where, with Mark Trefethen
+to vouch for him, he was allowed to purchase, on credit, two
+blue-flannel shirts, a suit of brown canvas, a pair of heavy hobnailed
+shoes, two pairs of woollen socks, a hard, round-topped hat, a
+dinner-pail, and a miner's lamp. As these things were, by order of the
+timber boss, charged to "Dick Peril," that was the name under which
+our young Oxonian began his new life and became known in the strange
+community to which erratic fortune had led him.</p>
+
+<p>On the following morning he sallied forth from the Trefethen cottage
+with a tin dinner-pail on one arm, his working-suit under the other,
+and uncomfortably conscious that he was curiously regarded by every
+person whom he met on his way to the mine. As the "Dry" was already
+overcrowded, he shared Tom's locker, and was grateful for the
+opportunity of changing his clothing in the comparative seclusion of
+the compressor-room rather than in company with the two hundred men
+who thronged the steam-heated building devoted especially to that
+purpose.</p>
+
+<p>Having assumed his new garments, and feeling very awkward in them,
+Peveril made his way to the shaft-mouth. There he was joined by Mark
+Trefethen, who regarded the change made in his prot&eacute;g&eacute;'s appearance
+with approving eyes. Together, and in company with<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> a stream of men
+talking in a bewildering Babel of tongues, they climbed flight after
+flight of wooden stairs to the uppermost floor of the tall
+shaft-house.</p>
+
+<p>An empty cage that had just deposited its load of copper conglomerate
+was again ready to descend into the black depths, and, hurrying
+Peveril forward, Mark Trefethen, with half a dozen other miners,
+entered it. An iron gate closed behind them and a gong clanged in the
+engine-house.</p>
+
+<p>"Hold fast, lad, and remember there's no danger," was all that the
+timber boss had time to say. Then the bottom seemed to drop out of
+everything, and Peveril, experiencing the sickening sensation of
+having left his stomach at the top of the shaft, found himself rushing
+downward with horrible velocity through utter blackness. Instinctively
+reaching out for something by which to hold on, he clutched a
+rough-coated arm, but his grasp was rudely shaken off, and a gruff
+voice bade him keep his hands to himself.</p>
+
+<p>He could not frame an answer, for his brain was in a whirl, his ears
+were filled with a dull roaring, and a whistling rush of air caught
+away his breath. The motion of the cage was so smooth and noiseless
+that after a while he could not tell whether it were going up or down,
+though it seemed to be doing both, as though poised on a gigantic
+spring. At length faint glimmers of light began to flash past as it
+shot by the mouths of working levels, and finally it stopped with a
+jerk that threw its passengers into a confused huddle.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span></p>
+<p>A gate was flung open, and as Peveril stumbled out of the cage he was
+only conscious of dancing lights, a crashing rumble of iron against
+iron, and a medley of shouting voices. At the same time all these
+sounds seemed far away and unreal.</p>
+
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span></p><hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI"></a>CHAPTER VI</h2>
+
+<h3>A MILE BENEATH THE SURFACE</h3>
+
+
+<p>"Swallow, lad!"</p>
+
+<p>Mark Trefethen uttered the words, and Peveril, dimly comprehending
+him, instinctively obeyed. The effect of that simple muscular action
+was marvellous. His brain was instantly cleared of its weight, the
+ringing in his ears ceased, and his hearing was restored to its normal
+keenness. At the same time he was happily conscious that his stomach
+had been restored to its proper position.</p>
+
+<p>"This is plat of bottom level, and we're a mile underground,"
+continued Mark. "They put us down in one-thirty this time, but often
+they do it ten seconds better."</p>
+
+<p>"I wonder how much longer it would take to drop from a balloon one
+mile above the earth?" reflected Peveril, at the same time gazing
+about him with a lively interest.</p>
+
+<p>The place in which he stood was a spacious room, hewn from solid rock.
+Lighted by several lanterns and little, flaring mine-lamps, it was
+also smoothly floored with iron plates, and from it a narrow-gauge
+railway led away into the blackness. Articles of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> clothing and
+dinner-pails were hung about the walls, and on the side opposite the
+shaft was a bench of rude workmanship.</p>
+
+<p>Every few minutes an iron car holding several tons of copper rock was
+run into the plat with a tremendous clatter from the little railway
+that penetrated to every "drift" and "stope" of the level. Each of
+these cars was pushed by a team of three wild-looking men, who were
+stripped naked to the waist. Their haggard faces and naked bodies were
+begrimed with powder-smoke, stained red with ore-dust, and gleamed in
+the fitful lamp-light with trickling rivulets of perspiration. The
+car-pushers were all foreigners&mdash;Italians, Bohemians, Hungarians, or
+Poles&mdash;and the uncouth jargon of their shouts intensified the wildness
+of their appearance. Theirs was the very lowest form of mine drudgery,
+and but few of them were possessed of intelligence or ambition
+sufficient to raise them above it.</p>
+
+<p>One, who was accounted somewhat brighter than his fellows, by whom he
+was regarded as a leader, had indeed been promoted on trial by the
+timber boss to a position in his own gang. He was a perfect brute for
+strength, but so densely ignorant and of such sullen disposition that
+when a better man was offered, in the person of Dick Peveril, the boss
+was only too glad to return him to his hated task of car-pushing and
+accept the new-comer in his place. His sentence of degradation,
+pronounced only the day before, had been received as a personal
+affront by every wild-eyed car-pusher of the mine. All knew that some
+one<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> must fill the place from which their leader had been ousted, and
+all were prepared to hate him the moment his identity should be
+disclosed.</p>
+
+<p>Thus, as Peveril stumbled awkwardly out of the cage in which he had
+just made that breathless, mile-deep descent, he was instantly spotted
+as being a new man, and a team of car-pushers, slaking their thirst at
+a water-barrel in one corner of the plat, gazed at him with scowling
+intentness, that they might minutely describe his appearance to their
+fellows. As he knew nothing of the circumstances through which a place
+had been made for him, he paid no attention to these men, other than
+to note their savage appearance as a feature of his novel
+surroundings.</p>
+
+<p>In fact, he had barely time to take a single comprehensive glance
+around the plat before a man who had been one of his fellow-passengers
+in the cage remarked, sneeringly:</p>
+
+<p>"Pretty well scared, wasn't you, young feller?"</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, I was," replied Peveril, turning and facing his questioner. "But
+how did you know it?"</p>
+
+<p>"By the way you grabbed my arm. If you'd done it again I'd have
+punched your head; for I don't 'low no man to catch holt on me that
+way."</p>
+
+<p>Peveril had already recognized the speaker's face; but, without
+deigning a further reply, he turned to Mark Trefethen and said:</p>
+
+<p>"Will you kindly give me the name of this unpleasant person, as I wish
+to file it away in my memory for future reference?"</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span></p>
+<p>"Person be blowed!" exclaimed the man, stepping forward with a
+menacing gesture. "What do you mean by calling me names, you damned&mdash;"</p>
+
+<p>"Shut up, Mike Connell, and go about your business," commanded the
+timber boss. "Come, lad, he's not worth noticing," and, thus saying,
+Mark Trefethen led Peveril away.</p>
+
+<p>Although the car-pushers had not caught the words of this brief
+conversation, they had readily understood Mike Connell's threatening
+gesture towards the new-comer, and several times during that day one
+or more of them might have been seen in low-voiced consultation with
+the scowling-faced Irishman.</p>
+
+<p>"Here, lad, fill lamp wi' sunlight," said the timber boss, as he and
+his prot&eacute;g&eacute; were leaving the plat. "First rule of mine is always have
+lamp in trim, and carry candle, besides plenty of matches in pocket."</p>
+
+<p>With this Mark scooped up in his hand a small quantity of a stiff,
+whitish substance from an open box beside them, and stuffed it into
+his lamp. The box was indeed marked "Sunlight," but when Peveril
+followed his companion's example he found its contents to be merely
+solidified paraffine.</p>
+
+<p>With their lamps well filled and flaring brightly, the two walked for
+half a mile through a dry and well-ventilated gallery, which had been
+driven by drill and blast through solid rock, and from which thousands
+of tons of copper had been taken. Now Peveril learned for the first
+time what "timbering" a mine meant, and realized the necessity for the
+huge piles of great logs that he had seen above ground in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span> close
+proximity to the shaft. Not only had it been incased on all four sides
+by logs mortised together and laid up like the walls of a house, but
+the drift through which he now walked was timbered from end to end.
+Its roof was upheld by huge tree-trunks standing from ten to twenty
+feet apart, and occasionally in groups of three or four together.
+Supported by them, and pressing against the roof or "hanging," were
+other great timbers known as "wall plates," and behind these was a
+compactly laid sheathing of split timber spoken of as "lagging."</p>
+
+<p>As the two men advanced deeper into the drift, an occasional ore-car,
+pushed by its panting human team, rumbled heavily past, while every
+now and then came dull, tremulous shocks like those of an earthquake.
+These were blasts on other levels, or in other parts of the one on
+which they were.</p>
+
+<p>At sound of a confused shouting from somewhere ahead of them, they
+stood still until, with a crashing roar that bellowed and echoed
+through the galleries like a peal of loudest thunder, one of these
+blasts was fired close at hand. A minute later they were enveloped in
+a pungent smoke, through which twinkled dimly a score of lights.
+Brawny, half-naked forms were already wielding pick and shovel amid
+the masses of rock just loosened, a powerful air-drill was being
+placed in position for another attack upon the wall of tough rock, and
+a small timber gang was struggling to hoist a huge log that they
+called a "stull" into position.</p>
+
+<p>"Here's the place, lad. Take hold and give a lift.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> Now, boys,
+altogether"! shouted Mark Trefethen, and in another moment Dick
+Peveril found himself hard at work.</p>
+
+<p>Within a few minutes the new hand was as begrimed and dripping with
+perspiration as any member of the gang, all of whom exchanged
+significant glances as they noted the willingness with which he
+exerted his great strength. Never had the heavy timbers been set in
+place so quickly, and never in their remembrance had a green hand
+"caught on" so readily.</p>
+
+<p>"He won't last long, though, at that pace," remarked one of the older
+men to Trefethen, as he paused to wipe the sweat-drops from his eyes,
+"he's too fresh."</p>
+
+<p>"Perhaps not," replied the timber boss. "We'll give him a bit of a
+try, though, before dropping him," and then he walked away to inspect
+the operations of another gang in a distant part of the mine.</p>
+
+<p>Late that day, as Peveril's first shift of work drew towards its
+close, he ached in every part of his body, but was learning his new
+trade so rapidly that his fellows were already beginning to regard him
+as one of the best men in their gang. He had made several trips to and
+from the foot of the timber-shaft in company with others, and so,
+when, shortly before quitting time, the foreman of his gang sang out:</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, Peril! Just run back to the stack and bring us one of them small
+sprags. Hurry, now!" the new man started without a moment's
+hesitation.</p>
+
+<p>He found his way without difficulty to the timber pile, and began a
+search for such a piece as he had<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> been told to fetch. The better to
+see what he was doing, he removed the lamp from his hat and held it
+low in front of him, in which position his own face was clearly
+revealed by its light. While he was thus engaged, a miner, who, with
+his day's work finished, was walking towards the plat, paused to
+regard him. The man's face bore a malicious expression, and he seemed
+to meditate some mischief towards the unsuspecting youth, for he
+clinched his fists and took a step in Peveril's direction. Just then
+the rumble of an approaching car caused him to pause and wait until it
+should pass. As it came abreast of him he recognized one of its
+pushers, and drew him aside, while the car, still propelled by two
+members of its team, moved on out of sight.</p>
+
+<p>Without a word the miner directed his companion's attention to the
+figure still bending over the log pile, and made several significant
+gestures. The brutish face of the pusher lighted with an ugly leer,
+expressive of understanding, and he began to move cautiously towards
+the man who had that day displaced him from the timber gang. As he had
+left his light on the car, there was nothing to warn Peveril of his
+approach until he was close at hand and about to deliver a cowardly
+blow.</p>
+
+<p>At that instant the mysterious premonition that always gives warning
+of human presence caused the young man to turn his head. Although he
+was too late to avoid the impending blow, it was deflected by his
+movement, and instead of stunning him it merely caused him to stagger
+and drop his lamp. He also partially warded off a closely following
+second blow, and then his own terrible fist was planted with crashing
+force full on his assailant's jaw.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 647px;">
+<img src="images/illus004.jpg" width="647" height="476" alt="THE CAR-PUSHERS MADE A FURIOUS ATTACK ON PEVERIL" title="" />
+<span class="caption">THE CAR-PUSHERS MADE A FURIOUS ATTACK ON PEVERIL</span>
+</div>
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span></p>
+<p>The man uttered a scream of agony, covered his face with his hands,
+and started to run. At this moment the other two car-pushers appeared
+on the scene, and with fierce cries began a furious attack upon the
+young man whom they had sworn either to kill or drive from the mine.
+At this time the battleground was only dimly illumined by the
+flickering light of the miner who was thus far sole spectator of the
+contest. Peveril fought in dogged silence, but his assailants uttered
+shrill cries in an unknown tongue. Attracted by these, other lights
+began to appear from both directions, and all at once Mark Trefethen's
+gruff tones were heard demanding to know what was going on.</p>
+
+<p>At this sound Peveril uttered a joyful shout, while at the same moment
+the light in Mike Connell's hat was extinguished.</p>
+
+<p>Recognizing his prot&eacute;g&eacute;'s voice, the timber boss sprang to his side,
+and within another minute the two car-pushers would have been
+annihilated had not the coming of a second car given them a
+reinforcement of three more half-naked savages.</p>
+
+<p>Thus beset and outnumbered by more than two to one, Trefethen thought
+it no shame to call for aid, and, uplifting his mighty voice, he sent
+rolling and echoing through the rock-bound galleries the rallying cry
+of the Cornishmen:</p>
+
+<p>"One and all for Cornwall! One and all!"</p>
+
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span></p><hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII"></a>CHAPTER VII</h2>
+
+<h3>CORNWALL TO THE RESCUE</h3>
+
+
+<p>"One and all!" The rallying-cry of the most clannish county in
+England. The one in which, from Land's End to Plymouth Sound, every
+family claims some degree of cousinship with every other, until, at
+home and abroad, "Cousin Richard" is the name proudly borne by all
+Cornishmen.</p>
+
+<p>"One and all!" As the startling cry rang through the black underground
+depths it was heard and answered, caught up and repeated, until it
+penetrated the remotest corners of the far-reaching level. At its
+sound the men of Cornwall, working in stope or drift, breast or
+cross-cut, dropped their tools and sprang to obey its summons. By twos
+and threes they ran, shouting the magic words that Cornish tongues
+have carried around the world. They met in eager groups, each
+demanding to know who had first given the alarm and its cause. As none
+could answer, and the shouts still came from far away, they swept on,
+in ever-increasing numbers and with growing anxiety, for the call of
+Cornwall is never given save in an emergency.</p>
+
+<p>In the meantime the fight between two and five<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> rages with unabated
+fury; the two, with their backs to a wall, putting up the splendid
+defence of trained boxers against the fierce but untaught rush of mere
+brutes. Science, however, labored under the disadvantage of fighting
+in a gloom that was almost darkness, for Mark Trefethen's lamp had
+been extinguished at the outset, and the only one still burning was on
+a car standing at a distance from them.</p>
+
+<p>Of a sudden the timber boss heard a groan at his side, and found
+himself fighting alone. His comrade had sunk limply to the ground, and
+an exultant yell from the others proclaimed their knowledge that they
+had no longer to fear his telling blows. As they were about to rush in
+and complete their victory, the battle-cry of Cornwall, accompanied by
+the flash of many lights, came rolling down the gallery.</p>
+
+<p>Help was close at hand. If Mark Trefethen could hold out for another
+minute he would be surrounded by friends. With an answering shout of
+"One and all!" he sprang to meet his assailants, and, realizing their
+danger, they fled before him. At the same instant the lamp on their
+car disappeared, and in the utter darkness that followed Trefethen
+could only grope his way back to Peveril's side.</p>
+
+<p>A moment later the flaring lights of the Cornish miners disclosed the
+old man, with face battered and bleeding, standing grimly undaunted
+beside the motionless form of the newest comer to the mine. The latter
+lay unconscious, with an ugly wound on the side of his head, from
+which blood was flowing freely. It had been made by a fragment of
+copper rock, evidently<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span> taken from the loaded car close at hand, and
+flung from that direction. Several other similar pieces were picked up
+near where the two men had defended themselves, and, now that
+Trefethen had time for reflection, he recalled having heard these
+crash against the wall behind him.</p>
+
+<p>Who had flung them was a mystery, as was the cause of the attack on
+Peveril. Even the identity of his assailants seemed likely to remain
+unrevealed, for these had slipped away in the darkness, and though the
+rescuing party searched the level like a swarm of angry hornets, they
+could not discover a man bearing on his person any signs of the recent
+fray.</p>
+
+<p>In the gloom shrouding the scene of conflict, Mark Trefethen had not
+been able to recognize those with whom he fought, but only knew them
+to be foreigners and car-pushers. It afterwards transpired that a
+number of these had, on that evening, made their way to a shaft a mile
+distant, and so gained the surface. One of them was reported to have
+had his head tied up as the result of an accident, but no one had
+recognized him.</p>
+
+<p>While certain of the Cornishmen searched the mine, Trefethen and
+others bore the still unconscious form of Richard Peveril to the plat,
+and sounded the alarm signal of five bells. Nothing so startles a
+mining community as to have this signal come from underground. It may
+mean death and disaster. It surely means that there are injured men to
+be brought up to the surface, and the time elapsing before their
+arrival is always filled with deepest anxiety.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span></p>
+<p>It was so in the present case, and when the cage containing the two
+battered miners, one of whom had also every appearance of being dead,
+emerged from the shaft, a throng of spectators was waiting to greet
+it.</p>
+
+<p>These learned with a great sigh of relief that there had been no
+accident, but merely a fight, in which the men just brought up were
+supposed to be the only ones injured. Their revulsion of feeling led
+many of the spectators to treat the whole affair as a joke, especially
+as the only person seriously hurt was a stranger.</p>
+
+<p>"It's always new-comers as stirs up shindies," growled a miner who,
+having reached the surface a few minutes earlier, formed one of the
+expectant group. "They ought not to be let underground, I say."</p>
+
+<p>"How about Trefethen?" asked a voice. "He's no new-comer."</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, Mark's a quarrelsome old cuss, who's always meddling where he has
+no call."</p>
+
+<p>"You lie, Mike Connell, and you know it. My father never fights
+without good cause," cried Tom Trefethen, who had arrived just in time
+to resent the slurring remark.</p>
+
+<p>"I'll teach you, you young whelp!" shouted the miner, springing
+furiously forward; but Tom leaped aside, leaving the other to be
+confronted by several burly Cornishmen, in whose ears was still
+ringing the cry of "One and all!"</p>
+
+<p>"Lad's right, Maister Connell," said one of these. "If 'ee doan't
+believe it, come along and get proof."</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span></p>
+<p>But the Irishman, muttering something about not caring to fight all
+Cornwall, turned abruptly and walked away.</p>
+
+<p>Tom Trefethen, not yet knowing that Peveril had been hurt, also
+hurried away to find his father, who, having left his young friend in
+the hands of the mine surgeon, had gone to change his clothing. At the
+same time poor Peveril lay in a small room of the shaft-house, having
+the gash in his head sewn up. Several spectators regarded the
+operation curiously, and among them was a gentleman, addressed by the
+doctor as Mr. Owen, whom none of the others remembered to have seen
+before, but who seemed to take a great interest in the still
+unconscious sufferer.</p>
+
+<p>"Do you consider it a serious case, doctor?" he asked.</p>
+
+<p>"No. Not at all serious. These miners are a tough lot, and not easily
+done for, as you'll find out before you have seen as much of them as I
+have. This one will probably be out and at work again in a day or two.
+I'm always having such little jobs on my hands, the results of
+accident, mostly, though this, I believe, is a case of fighting,
+something very uncommon in our mine, I can assure you. Splendid
+physique, hasn't he? Savage-looking face, though. Hate to trust myself
+alone with him. I understand old Mark Trefethen had a hard tussle
+before he brought him to terms."</p>
+
+<p>"What was the trouble?"</p>
+
+<p>"I don't know, exactly. Insubordination, I suppose;<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> but old Mark
+don't put up with any nonsense."</p>
+
+<p>"Do you know this fellow's name, or anything about him?"</p>
+
+<p>"Um&mdash;yes. I have learned something, but not much. His name is
+Peril&mdash;Richard Peril. Odd name, isn't it? He's a new-comer, and, like
+yourself, has just entered the company's employ. Rather a contrast in
+your positions, though. Illustrates the difference between one brought
+up and educated as a gentleman, and one destined from the first for
+the other thing, eh? It is all poppycock to say that education can
+make a gentleman; don't you think so? In the present case, for
+instance, I doubt if even Oxford could make a gentleman of this
+fellow. His whole expression is a protest against such a supposition.
+But now he's coming to all right, and I'm glad of it, for I have an
+engagement at the club, and don't want to spend much more time with
+him."</p>
+
+<p>Poor Peveril, whose begrimed and blood-streaked face was not
+calculated to prepossess one in his favor, began just then to have a
+realizing sense that he was still alive, and the doctor, bending over
+him, said:</p>
+
+<p>"There now, my man, you are doing nicely, and by taking care of
+yourself you will be about again in a day or two. You had a close
+call, though, and it's a warning to behave yourself in the future; for
+I can assure you that one given to fighting or disobedience of orders
+is not allowed to linger in these parts. I must leave you now, but
+will call again this evening<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span> to see how you are getting along. What
+is your address?"</p>
+
+<p>"He lives along of us, sir," answered Tom Trefethen, who had just
+entered the room; "and if you think it's safe to move him, we'll take
+him right home."</p>
+
+<p>"Certainly you can move him; in fact, he could walk if there was no
+other way; but it will be as well to take him in a carriage. Let me
+see, your name is Trefethen, is it not?"</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, sir."</p>
+
+<p>"Very well; put your boarder to bed as soon as you get him home, keep
+him quiet, give him only cooling drinks, and I'll call round after a
+while. Now I must hurry along."</p>
+
+<p>The stranger, who walked away with the self-important young doctor,
+was none other than Peveril's Oxford classmate&mdash;"Dig" Owen&mdash;who,
+having obtained a position in the Eastern office of the White Pine
+Mining Company, had been advised to visit the mine and learn something
+of its practical working before assuming his new duties. He had just
+arrived when the rumor of an accident caused him to hurry to the
+shaft-mouth. There he was thunderstruck at recognizing in one of the
+two men brought up from the depths his recent college-mate and rival.
+In the excitement of the moment he had very nearly betrayed the fact
+of their acquaintance, but managed to restrain himself, and was
+afterwards careful to keep out of Peveril's sight, foreseeing a great
+advantage to himself by so doing.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span></p>
+<p>That same evening he sat in the comfortable writing-room of the
+club-house&mdash;at which poor Peveril had gazed with envious eyes&mdash;and
+composed a long epistle to Rose Bonnifay, in which he mentioned that
+he had just run across their mutual friend, Dick Peveril, working as a
+day-laborer in a copper-mine.</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>"This" [he continued] "is doubtless the mine in which he
+claimed to be <i>interested</i>, and under the circumstances one can
+hardly blame the poor fellow for putting it in that way. At the
+same time, I consider it only fair that <i>you</i> should know the
+real facts in the case.</p>
+
+<p>"His misfortunes seem also to have affected his disposition,
+for on the very day of my arrival he was engaged in a most
+disgraceful fight with some of his low associates, by whom he
+was severely and justly punished. Of course I could not afford
+to recognize him, and so took pains to have him kept in
+ignorance of my presence. Is it not sad that a fellow of such
+promise should in so short a time have fallen so low?</p>
+
+<p>"Within a few days I shall return to the East, where my own
+prospects are of the brightest," etc.</p></div>
+
+<p>"There," said Mr. Owen to himself, as he sealed and addressed this
+letter. "If that don't effectually squelch Mr. Richard Peveril's
+aspirations in a certain direction, then I'm no judge of human
+nature."</p>
+
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span></p><hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII"></a>CHAPTER VIII</h2>
+
+<h3>IN THE NEW SHAFT</h3>
+
+
+<p>When the mine-surgeon visited his patient that evening he found only
+Mrs. Trefethen, sitting on the porch and awaiting him, "her men-folk,"
+as she informed him, "being on the trail of they murderers."</p>
+
+<p>"Which, if they ain't so many Cainses this night, hit bain't their
+fault, as I sez to Miss Penny the moment I sees that pore lamb brought
+into the 'ouse just like 'e was struck down the same as a flower of
+the field that bloweth where hit listeth; and she sez to me&mdash;for me
+and Miss Penny was wishing at that blessed minute, like hit were
+providential&mdash;she sez&mdash;"</p>
+
+<p>"It is certainly very kind of you to take such an interest in a
+stranger," ruthlessly interrupted the doctor; "but may I inquire how
+my patient is getting along?"</p>
+
+<p>"You may indeed, sir, and may the good Lord preserve you from a like
+harm, which hit make my blood boil to think of my pore Mark's hescape,
+him being what you might call owdacious to that degree. He were
+telling me has'ow 'One and hall' was everythink that saved 'im, and
+they rocks pattering same has 'ailstones hall the time. Law, sir!"</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span></p>
+<p>"Doubtless, madam, the episode must have been most exciting; but now,
+if you will allow me to interview the cause of all this trouble, I
+shall be much obliged."</p>
+
+<p>"Trouble, doctor, dear! Don't mention the word when hit's 'im 'eld the
+life of my Tom in 'is two 'ands, and but for they cruel rocks that
+battered 'is fore'ead would ha' throttled them rascal pushers same as
+rattan in tarrier's grip; for my man 'olds there was ne'er a
+fisticuffer like 'im in hall the Jackets. But, doctor! doctor! Oh,
+drat the man! now 'e'll go hand wake Maister Peril, which I were
+a-settin' 'ere a pu'pos' to tell 'im lad's asleep."</p>
+
+<p>Impatient of longer delay, and despairing of obtaining a direct answer
+to his questions, the doctor had indeed slipped into the house and
+instinctively made his way up-stairs towards the only room in which a
+light was burning. He was met outside the door by a warning "Sh!" from
+Nelly Trefethen, who had been left on guard by her mother, and
+together they entered the room where the wounded man lay tossing in
+restless slumber.</p>
+
+<p>The doctor started at close sight of him, and for a moment refused to
+believe that the handsome, high-bred face, from which every trace of
+grime and blood had been carefully removed, was that of the young
+fellow who, he had declared, could never become a gentleman. Only the
+evidence of his own handiwork, in shape of the bandages still swathing
+Peveril's head, served to convince him that this was indeed his
+patient of the shaft-house.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span></p>
+<p>After a few minutes of observation he left the room, without awakening
+the sleeper, and gave his directions for the night down-stairs. He
+also questioned Nelly closely concerning the young man who had so
+aroused his curiosity, but she could only tell him that the stranger's
+name was "Peril," that he had come to Red Jacket in search of work,
+had saved her brother's Tom's life, and had in consequence been given
+a job in the mine.</p>
+
+<p>"But he is evidently a gentleman?" said the doctor.</p>
+
+<p>"Claims to be working-man," put in Mrs. Trefethen.</p>
+
+<p>"He can be both, can't he, mother?" asked Nelly, somewhat sharply.
+"Surely you think father is a gentleman."</p>
+
+<p>"Not same as him yonder," replied the older woman, stoutly.</p>
+
+<p>"Well, I don't care what he is or isn't," answered the girl, with a
+toss of her pretty head, "he hasn't shown any sign yet of holding
+himself above us, and Tom thinks he is just splendid. If he was here
+he wouldn't hear a word said against him, I know that much."</p>
+
+<p>"Save us, lass! Who's said aught 'gainst thy young man?"</p>
+
+<p>"He's not my young man, mother, and you know it. Can't a girl stand up
+for a stranger who saved her brother's life, and who has just been
+knocked senseless while fighting beside her own father, without being
+twitted about him?"</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span></p>
+<p>"Certainly she can," replied the doctor, with an admiring glance at
+the girl's spirited pose and flushed face. "But have a care, Miss
+Nelly. There's nothing so dangerous to a girl's peace of mind as an
+interesting invalid of the opposite sex."</p>
+
+<p>"Thank you, for nothing, doctor, and you needn't fret one little bit
+about me. We Red Jacket girls can take care of ourselves without going
+to any man for advice."</p>
+
+<p>"Save us, lass, but thee's getting a pert hussy!" cried Mrs.
+Trefethen; but the doctor only laughed, and took his departure,
+promising to call again the next day.</p>
+
+<p>He had hardly gone before Mark Trefethen returned, filled with
+excitement over certain discoveries he had just made. One was that the
+car-pushers of the mine had sworn either to force Peveril from it or
+to kill him. He had also learned that Rothsky, the Bohemian, who had
+been found wanting when tried in the timber gang, had led the attack
+of that evening, and had received a broken jaw in consequence. The
+identity of the two car-pushers who were with him at the time having
+also been discovered, the captain of the mine had promptly discharged
+all three. Moreover, the Cornish miners had sworn that if either their
+own leader or his prot&eacute;g&eacute; were again molested while underground they
+would drive every foreign car-pusher from the workings.</p>
+
+<p>When Tom came home he confided to his father a belief that Mike
+Connell had been at the bottom of all the recent deviltry, but, as he
+confessed that he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span> could not verify his suspicions, Mark Trefethen
+bade him keep them to himself.</p>
+
+<p>"We'll not take away any man's character, lad," he said, "without
+proof that he deserves to lose it. But if ever I know for certain that
+Mike Connell had hand in this, lat him have a care o' me. As for yon
+Dick Peril, there's no fear but what he can look out for hissel', now
+that we can warn him of his enemies."</p>
+
+<p>For two days Peveril kept his bed, assiduously waited on by Mrs.
+Trefethen and her daughter, watched over at night by Tom, and an
+object of anxious solicitude to the entire family. Then he was allowed
+to venture down-stairs, while the children were driven from the house,
+that they might not disturb him. Before the week ended he was taking
+short walks, escorted by Miss Nelly, who was only too proud to show
+off this new cavalier before the other girls of her acquaintance.
+Several times as the doctor saw them thus together he shook his head
+doubtfully.</p>
+
+<p>During one of these walks Peveril made the joyful discovery of a
+public library, and thereafter much of his convalescence was passed
+within its walls. There he read with avidity all that he could find
+concerning the Lake Superior copper region, and mining in general.
+Particularly was he interested in everything pertaining to the
+prehistoric mining of copper by a people, presumably Aztecs or their
+close kin, who possessed the art, long since lost, of tempering that
+metal.</p>
+
+<p>All this time he never for a moment forgot the object<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> of his coming
+to that country, nor neglected a possible opportunity for gaining news
+of the mine in which he believed himself to be a half-owner. Thus, in
+all his reading, as well as in his conversations with Mark Trefethen
+and other miners, he always sought for information concerning the
+Copper Princess, but could find none. His books had nothing to say on
+the subject, and, while the men knew by report of many abandoned
+mining properties, they had not heard of one bearing the name in
+question.</p>
+
+<p>Finally, chafing under this enforced idleness, as well as under the
+poverty that compelled him to be a pensioner on those who could ill
+afford to support him, Peveril announced his complete restoration to
+health, and declared his intention of again going to work.</p>
+
+<p>Mark Trefethen tried to persuade him to wait a while longer before
+thus testing his strength, but without avail, and at length, finding
+the young man set in his determination, used his influence to procure
+for him a temporary situation in which the work would be much lighter
+than with the timber gang. This job was in a shaft then being sunk by
+the White Pine Company, and included a certain supervision of the
+explosives used in blasting.</p>
+
+<p>The new shaft was already down several hundred feet, and was being
+driven through solid rock by drill and blast, at the rate of twenty
+feet per week. Of course there was no regular running of cages up and
+down as yet, but the loosened material was hoisted to the surface in a
+big iron bucket, or "skip,"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span> and in this the miners engaged in the
+work also travelled back and forth.</p>
+
+<p>The great opening was a rectangle twenty-two by six and a half feet,
+and to sink it a series of holes was drilled around its sides. Then
+all the men but one were sent to the surface, while Peveril descended
+with a load of dynamite and a fuse. The man left at the bottom was
+always an experienced miner, and it was his duty to charge the holes,
+place and light the fuses, which were timed to burn for several
+minutes, jump into the skip and give the signal for hoisting. In all
+of this work he was of course assisted by Peveril, and when their task
+was completed the two men were lifted to the surface as quickly as
+possible.</p>
+
+<p>After our young friend had been engaged in this delicate business some
+two weeks, and had become thoroughly familiar with its details, he was
+disagreeably surprised one day, upon descending with his freight of
+explosives, to find Mike Connell awaiting him at the bottom of the
+shaft. The Irishman seemed equally annoyed at seeing him, but the
+purpose for which they were there must be accomplished, and so, glad
+as each would have been for a more congenial companion, they set
+doggedly to work.</p>
+
+<p>When Connell, in a spirit of bravado, handled the sticks of dynamite
+with criminal recklessness, and finally managed to drop one of them
+close beside Peveril, the latter sharply commanded him to be more
+careful.</p>
+
+<p>"Afraid, are you?" sneered the other.</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, I am afraid to work with a man who knows<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span> so little of his
+business as you appear to," answered Peveril.</p>
+
+<p>"Go to the top then, and lave me to finish the job alone. Lord knows,
+I don't want no dealings with a coward."</p>
+
+<p>"It makes no difference what you want or do not want," answered the
+younger man steadily, though with a hot flush mounting to his cheeks.
+"I was sent here for a certain duty, and intend to stay until I have
+performed it."</p>
+
+<p>"And I've a great mind to do what I ought to have done the first day
+you struck Red Jacket, and that is to punch your head."</p>
+
+<p>"You shall have a chance to try it when we get to the surface."</p>
+
+<p>"Where you think you'll find friends to protect you. No, by &mdash;&mdash;, I'll
+do it now!"</p>
+
+<p>With this the Irishman sprang forward with clinched fists, but the
+other, being on guard, caught him so deft a blow under the chin that
+he dropped like a log. Then, with the full exercise of his strength,
+the young Oxonian picked his enemy up and dropped him into the skip.
+After doing which he proceeded to complete arrangements for the blast.</p>
+
+<p>He worked with nervous haste, and did not see that his enemy had so
+far recovered as to be watching him with an expression of deadly hate
+over the side of the great iron bucket. But it was so, and, just as
+Peveril had lighted the several fuses, Connell gave the signal to
+hoist.</p>
+
+<p>The movement of the skip disclosed his devilish<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> purpose in time for
+Peveril to spring and catch with outstretched arms one of its
+supporting bars. With a mighty effort he drew himself up, and, in
+spite of Connell's furious attempts to prevent him, gained its
+interior.</p>
+
+<p>At that moment something went wrong with the hoisting machinery, the
+upward movement was arrested, and the bucket hung motionless not more
+than ten feet above the deadly mine. In the awfulness of their common
+danger, the men forgot their enmity and gazed at each other with
+horror-stricken eyes. Then, with a groan of despair, Mike Connell sank
+limply to the bottom of the skip.</p>
+
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span></p><hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IX" id="CHAPTER_IX"></a>CHAPTER IX</h2>
+
+<h3>WINNING A FRIEND BY SHEER PLUCK</h3>
+
+
+<p>Peveril's lamp had been extinguished during his struggle to force an
+entrance into the skip, while that in Mike Connell's hat went out as
+he sank helpless from terror and crouched at the other's feet. So the
+blackness that shrouded them as with a pall was only faintly illumined
+by the fitful flashing of the fuses that hissed like so many fiery
+serpents beneath them. Their red eyes gleamed spitefully through the
+gloom, and for an instant Peveril, leaning over the side of the skip,
+gazed at them in fascinated helplessness.</p>
+
+<p>Then he leaped down among them and began to tear them from their
+connection with the devilish forces that only awaited a signal to
+burst forth and destroy him. The fiery serpents bit at him as he flung
+them, to writhe in impotent rage, where they could do no harm; but he
+heeded not the pain, and after a little they expired, one by one,
+hissing spitefully to the last.</p>
+
+<p>Some of them had already burned so low that he could not pluck them
+forth, and was forced to stamp out their venomous lives with the
+constant knowledge that, should a single spark escape this imperfect<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span>
+method of extinguishment, he would still be lost. So fiercely did he
+labor that in less than one minute the last visible spark from a score
+of fuses had glimmered out, and he stood in absolute darkness. But he
+must wait for a full minute more before he could be certain that none
+had escaped him, to creep viciously down through the loose tamping and
+still reach the hidden dynamite. It was a period of the same helpless
+anxiety that immediately precedes the hearing of a sentence that may
+be either one of death or acquittal. While it lasted Peveril was
+bathed in a cold perspiration, his brain reeled, and his limbs
+trembled until he was obliged to lean against the side of the shaft
+for support.</p>
+
+<p>As second after second dragged itself away, until it was finally
+certain that sixty of them had passed, and that sentence had been
+pronounced in his favor, the young miner sank to his knees and framed,
+as best he could, a prayer of gratitude. How long he thus remained in
+grateful contemplation of his narrow escape from death he never knew,
+but he was at length aroused by a shout from above, and, looking up,
+saw an approaching light twinkling like a star of good promise through
+the blackness. The call that came to him was one of anxious
+uncertainty; but, as his answering shout sped upward, it was changed
+to an exultant cry of joy. Then came cheer after cheer as the skip
+slowly descended until it finally reached the bottom, and a solitary
+figure sprang from it.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 464px;">
+<img src="images/illus005.jpg" width="464" height="683" alt="PEVERIL LEAPED DOWN AMONG THE SPUTTERING FUSES" title="" />
+<span class="caption">PEVERIL LEAPED DOWN AMONG THE SPUTTERING FUSES</span>
+</div>
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>This person acted like a crazy man, first flinging his arms about
+Peveril, and then falling on his knees<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> at the young man's feet, with
+a torrent of words in which praise and gratitude were mingled with
+pleas for forgiveness. He was Peveril's recent companion and avowed
+enemy, who, after the former had leaped from the skip, had leaned
+weakly over its side and watched with fascinated gaze the struggle for
+life going on below him. Ere it was ended, the hoisting-machinery
+began again to work, and the skip was suddenly impelled upward with
+breathless speed.</p>
+
+<p>Those who witnessed its safe arrival at the surface had their
+congratulations changed to exclamations of dismay by the discovery
+that it contained but a single occupant. Though the time-limit for the
+explosion was already passed, and though Mike Connell begged them to
+send him down again at once, they refused to do so until another full
+minute should elapse. During its slow passage they crowded about the
+shaft-mouth in breathless silence, listening with strained ears for
+the awful sound they so dreaded to hear.</p>
+
+<p>Even with the minute of safety passed, it was not certain that the
+explosion might not yet occur; but the young Irishman demanded so
+fiercely to be instantly lowered to the very bottom that they finally
+consented to do as he desired. Several were even willing to accompany
+him, but he waved these back and insisted upon going alone.</p>
+
+<p>He had to meet the man to whom he owed his life, as well as a shameful
+confession of cowardly acts, and he preferred to meet him alone. Two
+minutes later he was at the bottom of the shaft, kneeling in
+semi-darkness on its rocky floor, acknowledging his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> obligation,
+confessing his guilt, and imploring forgiveness.</p>
+
+<p>"You are the bravest man I've ever known, Mister Peril, though I've
+met them as was counted brave before; but none of them would dare do
+what you have this day. You have given me my life, and yet I tried
+twice to take yours, for 'twas me flung that rock in the mine.
+And&mdash;I'm choked with the shame of the black deed&mdash;but I gave the
+signal to hoist the skip a few minutes since, and tried to leave you
+here to die. I'm a coward and a murderer at heart, Mister Peril, and
+the dirtiest blackguard that ever was let live. I'm not worthy of your
+contempt, and yet, sir, I'm going to dare ask a favor of you."</p>
+
+<p>"My dear fellow," interrupted Peveril, who was greatly moved by the
+man's attitude and words of self-condemnation. "Believe me&mdash;"</p>
+
+<p>"Wait, Mister Peril. Please wait, sir, till you've heard me through.
+You have the right to hate me, to despise me, or even to kill me, and
+I'd not lift a finger to prevent you; but I'm going to ask you to
+forgive me. If you don't, I can never hold up my head or look an
+honest man in the face again. If you can't forgive me I shall never
+dare ask the forgiveness of God in heaven."</p>
+
+<p>"I do forgive you, with all my heart," exclaimed Peveril, "and there
+is my hand on it." With this he grasped the young Irishman's hand and
+almost lifted him to his feet. "You have done a brave deed in coming
+down here after me," he added, "while there was still danger of an
+explosion, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span> one much braver even than that, in confessing your
+faults. These two things prove that you are not a coward, and from
+this time on I shall claim you as a friend."</p>
+
+<p>"Thank you, Mister Peril, and may God bless you for them words," cried
+Connell, in a voice choked with feeling. "As for being your friend,
+sir, I'd be proud to be counted your slave."</p>
+
+<p>"I would much rather have a friend than a slave," returned the other,
+smiling. "And so, if you don't mind, we'll stick to the first
+proposition. But, Connell, I want to ask you a question. What made you
+hate me, as you seemed to do from the very first?"</p>
+
+<p>"Jealousy, Mister Peril. Just black, bitter jealousy, and nothing at
+all else."</p>
+
+<p>"How could that be, when you didn't even know me?"</p>
+
+<p>"Because, sir, I'm near crazy with love for a girl who only laughs at
+me, and whose folks treat me with contempt. When I first saw you, so
+strong and handsome and gentleman-like, with her father, and knew he
+was going to take you to live in the very house along of her, I
+couldn't help but hate you."</p>
+
+<p>"You surely can't mean Miss Trefethen?"</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, sir, no other; and when I seen you and her walking together, and
+she looking up so smiling into your face, I swore I'd kill you if ever
+I had the chance, and this day the devil gave it to me. But now,
+Mister Peril, you've proved yourself the best man of us two, and if
+you want her I'll never again stand in your way."</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span></p>
+<p>"But I don't want her!" cried Peveril. "Nothing was ever farther from
+my thoughts; and even if I did, I couldn't have her, because I am
+engaged to another young lady."</p>
+
+<p>"You are, sir? Bless you for them words! And may I tell her that you
+are already bespoke?"</p>
+
+<p>"Certainly; or, better still, I will tell her myself at the very first
+opportunity I have for speaking with her on such a subject. But, now
+that everything is settled between us, don't you think we'd better
+prepare the blast again before we go up? There is fuse enough left in
+the skip."</p>
+
+<p>"Well, you are a game one!" exclaimed Connell, admiringly. "Of course,
+if you are willing to do it after what you've just gone through, I'm
+the man to stand by you. Only I do hope as there won't be no hitch in
+the hoisting this time."</p>
+
+<p>The signal, "All's well," having already been sent to the surface,
+Connell now notified the engineer to be ready to hoist for a blast,
+and the two set to work. In a few minutes the charge, that had so
+nearly proved fatal to both of them, was again ready for firing, and
+the hissing fuses were lighted. Then both men sprang into the skip,
+the signal to hoist was hurriedly sounded, and away they sped up the
+black shaft towards the distant sunlight.</p>
+
+<p>As they reached the surface and clambered from the skip, aided by a
+dozen eager hands, there came from the depths below a dull roar and
+the tremor of a heavy explosion. At this a throng of persons which, to
+Peveril's surprise, was gathered at the shaft-mouth<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> raised a mighty
+cheer. Then they crowded tumultuously forward to shake hands with, or
+even to gaze on, the hero of the hour; for, on his previous visit to
+surface, Mike Connell had told of Peveril's brave deed, and news of it
+had already spread far and wide. So the night-shift had paused to see
+him before entering the mine, and the day-shift had waited to greet
+him before going to their homes, while others had come from all
+directions.</p>
+
+<p>Waving them all back, and grasping Peveril's hand, Mike Connell
+shouted:</p>
+
+<p>"Wait a minute, mates! Only one minute, and then you shall have a
+chance at him. First, though, I want you all to know that Mister Peril
+here has just stepped from the very jaws of hell, where he went of his
+own free will to save my life. It's proud I am to call him my friend,
+and for the deed he has done this day I name him the bravest lad in
+all Red Jacket. If any man denies that, he'll have to settle with Mike
+Connell, that's all. And now, boys, you may treat him as a brave man
+deserves to be treated."</p>
+
+<p>Poor Peveril, covered with confusion, tried to explain that whatever
+he had done was for his own salvation as well as for that of his
+friend, Mr. Connell; but no one would listen. All were too busy with
+cheering and in crowding forward for a look at him.</p>
+
+<p>In another minute he was hoisted on the shoulders of half a dozen
+sturdy miners, the foremost of whom was proud old Mark Trefethen, and
+was being borne in triumphal procession through the principal streets
+of the town.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span></p>
+<p>It was a spontaneous tribute of working-men to a fellow-workman; and,
+gladly as Peveril would have modified the form of the ovation, he was
+more proud of it than of any ever tendered him for having stroked the
+Oxford 'varsity eight to a win.</p>
+
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span></p><hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_X" id="CHAPTER_X"></a>CHAPTER X</h2>
+
+<h3>HEROISM REWARDED</h3>
+
+
+<p>As the story of Peveril's brave act preceded him, it gained so
+remarkably in passing from mouth to mouth that, by the time it reached
+Mrs. Trefethen, she received a confused impression that by some
+unheard-of bravery the young man had saved all in the mine, including
+her Mark and her Tom, from instant destruction. Her information having
+come direct from her dearest friend, Mrs. Penny, she could not doubt
+its truth, nor had she time to do so before the triumphal procession
+of miners appeared and halted at her very door.</p>
+
+<p>Calling upon Nelly to support her, the worthy woman started forth to
+greet her heroes, and welcome them with all the warmth of her
+overflowing heart. As she gained the roadway, she was so blinded by
+thankful tears that she could not distinguish one person from another,
+but impulsively flung her arms about the neck of the first man she
+encountered, who happened to be Mike Connell, and treated him to a
+hearty embrace.</p>
+
+<p>"Gie mun a kiss, lass!" she called to Nelly, as she loosed her arms
+and made towards another victim.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span> "Nought's too good for they brave
+lads this day. Oh, Mark, man! but I be proud o' being thy earthly
+wife, 'stead o' seeing thee in 'eaven this blessed minute."</p>
+
+<p>This last was addressed to a bewildered stranger whom Mrs. Trefethen
+had mistaken for her husband, and who was vainly striving to escape
+from her encircling arms.</p>
+
+<p>"Art crazy, mother, to be hustling men in public street thiccy way? I
+be 'shamed of 'ee!" cried Mark Trefethen, catching hold of his wife at
+this moment. "Come along in house, or if 'ee must have man to hug take
+me or Tom here, or Maister Peril, who deserves it best of all for this
+day's work."</p>
+
+<p>Nothing loath to do as she was bid, Mrs. Trefethen made a third effort
+to express her feelings towards Peveril, in her own peculiar fashion;
+but he laughingly evaded her, and she fell instead upon the neck of
+another astonished stranger who happened in her way, and upon whose
+head she tearfully called down the choicest blessings of Heaven.</p>
+
+<p>"Thee's saved me from widow's grave, lad, which the same, I frequent
+saz to Miss Penny, I did 'ope never to live to see; but our 'Eveanly
+Feyther knows best, and if hits 'Is will&mdash;But there, I'm that
+over-set&mdash;Nelly, gie Maister Peril a kiss, lass, in token of thy
+forgiveness for what 'e's done this day."</p>
+
+<p>So saying, the well-meaning blunderer released her victim, with the
+view of allowing Nelly a chance to express her gratitude, and, for the
+first time, caught sight of his face.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span></p>
+<p>"Thee's not Dick Peril!" she cried. "W'at's thee mean by scandalizing
+honest woman thiccy way? Isn't thee 'shamed on thysel', thou great
+lump?"</p>
+
+<p>The poor man tried in vain to explain his innocence of act or
+intention, but his voice was drowned in the boisterous laughter of his
+mates, amid which the crowd gradually dispersed, while Mrs. Trefethen,
+still exclaiming against the duplicity of men in general, was led into
+the house by her husband and son.</p>
+
+<p>In the meantime Miss Nelly had demurely shaken hands with Mike
+Connell, who was still gasping in astonishment at the warmth of Mrs.
+Trefethen's reception. Then she kissed her father and Tom, stole one
+look at Peveril's face, and, murmuring something about seeing after
+supper, ran into the house.</p>
+
+<p>Although Peveril had not forgotten the promise to his newly made
+friend to inform Nelly of his own engagement as soon as possible, he
+had no chance to do so that evening; for supper had hardly been eaten
+when he began to receive visitors eager to congratulate him upon his
+recent act of heroism. Among these was Major Arkell, general manager
+of the mine, whom the young man had never before met.</p>
+
+<p>The Trefethens were thrown into a flutter of hospitable pride by the
+coming to their cottage of so distinguished a visitor, but, after a
+courteous greeting to them, he devoted his entire attention to him
+whom he had come purposely to see. After the latter had been
+introduced to him as "Mr. Peril," he asked so many questions
+concerning the recent incident as to finally draw out the whole story
+of that day's experience.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span> He was a good listener, though a man of few
+words, and during Peveril's narrative gained a very fair idea of our
+young miner's education and capabilities. When the latter had
+finished, the major asked him if he proposed to continue his career as
+a miner.</p>
+
+<p>"I expect I shall have to," answered Peveril, "seeing that I am
+entirely dependent upon my own exertions for a livelihood, and have no
+knowledge of any other business."</p>
+
+<p>"Do you mind telling me what led you to choose this line of work from
+all others?"</p>
+
+<p>"Because," replied Peveril, flushing, "finding myself in Red Jacket
+without a dollar, I was glad to accept the first job that offered."</p>
+
+<p>"And we was only too glad to have him for one of us, major," broke in
+Mark Trefethen, "seeing as how he introduced himself by saving our
+Tom's life."</p>
+
+<p>"Indeed! I hadn't heard of that. How did it happen?"</p>
+
+<p>Glad of an opportunity for singing his young friend's praises, the
+timber boss eagerly related the incident; and when it was told the
+manager said, with a smile:</p>
+
+<p>"Well, sir, you seem to have such a happy faculty for life-saving that
+I don't know but what we ought to appoint you inspector of accidents.
+Seriously, though, I am very glad to have a man of your evident
+ability and steady nerve with us, and if you are inclined to remain in
+our employ I shall make it my business to see that your interests do
+not suffer. So, if you will call at my office about eight o'clock
+to-morrow morning<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span> I shall be pleased to have a further talk with
+you."</p>
+
+<p>"Thank you, sir," rejoined Peveril; "I will not fail to be there."</p>
+
+<p>After the great man had departed, the Trefethens indulged in many
+speculations as to what he intended to do for their guest; nor was
+Peveril himself devoid of a hopeful curiosity in the same direction.</p>
+
+<p>"Mayhap he'll make 'ee store-keeper," suggested Mrs. Trefethen; "hand
+if 'e only will, Maister Peril, me and Miss Penny 'll take all our
+trade to thy shop, though they do say has 'ow company ginghams woan't
+wash, while has for white goods, they've poorest stock in hall Red
+Jacket. Same time, there's many other little things can be 'ad
+reasonable, and Miss Penny's a lady as isn't above buying 'er own
+groceries, which hit's a treat to see 'er taking, a taste of this or a
+nibble at that, and always giving shopkeeper the benefit of 'er
+hexperience."</p>
+
+<p>"Store-keeper be danged!" growled Mark Trefethen. "'Tisn't likely
+they'll try to make a counter-jumper outen a lad of Maister Peril's
+size and weight o' fist, to say nothing of his l'arnin'. No, no. More
+like he'll get a good berth underground&mdash;foreman of gang, or plat
+boss, or summut like that."</p>
+
+<p>Tom thought it might be a job connected with the railroad, which was
+his own ambition; while Nelly, usually so ready with her tongue, for a
+wonder kept silent and made no suggestions.</p>
+
+<p>On the following morning, when, promptly at eight o'clock, Peveril
+presented himself at the manager's<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span> office, his patience was tried by
+being compelled to wait in an anteroom for more than an hour while the
+great man despatched an immense amount of business with many
+subordinates. Richard could not help overhearing many of the
+conversations carried on in the private office, and, as he listened,
+was filled with admiration at the decisive readiness with which the
+manager disposed of one difficult problem after another.</p>
+
+<p>Finally, when all the others had been dismissed, Peveril was summoned
+to the inner room, where, after a word of regret at having kept him so
+long in waiting, the manager bade him be seated, and said:</p>
+
+<p>"Mr. Peril, it is so evident that you have been accustomed to a
+position far removed from that of a common laborer, that I am desirous
+of knowing something more of your life before intrusting you with a
+responsibility. Do you mind telling me what brought you to this
+section of country?"</p>
+
+<p>"No, sir; I don't know that I do. I came out here ruined in fortune,
+through no fault of my own, to seek information concerning an old,
+and, I believe, a long-ago-abandoned mine, known as the Copper
+Princess."</p>
+
+<p>"Um! I remember hearing the name; and, if I am not mistaken, it
+applied to a worthless property on which a large sum of money was
+squandered many years since."</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, sir."</p>
+
+<p>"How are you interested in it?"</p>
+
+<p>"My father was an owner, and I am his heir."</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span></p>
+<p>"I am glad you have told me this, and relieved to find that no worse
+folly has caused a gentleman to seek employment as a common miner,
+though I cannot hold out the slightest hope that you will ever recover
+a dollar from your property. Still, I will make inquiries, and let you
+know anything I may learn."</p>
+
+<p>"Thank you, sir."</p>
+
+<p>"Do you know anything about boats?" asked the manager, abruptly
+changing the subject.</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, sir; I have handled boats more or less all my life."</p>
+
+<p>"Good! Then I want you to take charge of a gang of men whom you will
+find awaiting you on the company's tug down at the landing. They are
+going some distance up the coast, to recover whatever may be found of
+a valuable timber raft belonging to us, and wrecked near Laughing Fish
+Cove during the gale of two days ago. All our logs are marked 'W. P.'
+If you find any such in possession of other parties, you will lay
+claim to them, and even take them by force if necessary. The tug will
+leave you at the cove, where you will establish a camp, and to which
+you will raft the recovered logs, holding them against her return,
+which will be in about a week. Here is a note of introduction to her
+captain. Do you understand?"</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, sir; I think I do."</p>
+
+<p>"Then you may start at once."</p>
+
+<p>"Very well, sir;" and the young man, realizing his employer's love of
+promptness, rose to leave.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span></p>
+<p>"By the way," said the other, as he reached the door, "is your name
+Peril?"</p>
+
+<p>"No, sir; it is Peveril."</p>
+
+<p>"Richard?"</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, sir."</p>
+
+<p>"Then this letter is probably for you. It has lain here several days,
+awaiting a claimant."</p>
+
+<p>With this Major Arkell handed the young man a dainty-looking missive
+that he acknowledged to be for him, and which, as he thrust it into
+his pocket, he saw with a thrill of joy was addressed in the
+handwriting of Rose Bonnifay.</p>
+
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span></p><hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XI" id="CHAPTER_XI"></a>CHAPTER XI</h2>
+
+<h3>NELLY TREFETHEN FINDS A LETTER</h3>
+
+
+<p>Having donned his best suit for the interview with Major Arkell, and
+realizing that his mine clothing would be more in keeping with the job
+now on hand, Peveril first hastened home to make the change. He found
+only Mrs. Trefethen in the house, and at sight of him she expressed an
+eager curiosity to learn the result of his recent interview.</p>
+
+<p>"It's all right," he laughed, as he bounded up the narrow stairway
+leading to his room. "I'm to turn sailor, and be captain of a craft
+somewhere up the coast."</p>
+
+<p>"Whativer can lad mean?" exclaimed the perplexed woman. "'Im a sailor!
+Did iver any one 'ear the like o' that? Oh, Maister Peril! be iver
+coming back?"</p>
+
+<p>"Of course I am!" shouted Peveril from the little upper room, in which
+he was hastily changing his clothing. "I shall be back whenever my
+ship comes in, which will probably be in a week, or it may take a few
+days longer. There's a wreck, you know, and I am going to save the
+pieces. But I'll be down directly."</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span></p>
+<p>"A wrack!" gasped Mrs. Trefethen, "and 'im in hit! Save us! but 'twill
+be worse than down shaft. Shaft be dry land, anyway, but they awful
+sea that rageth like a lion seeking whom it may devour. Oh, Maister
+Peril!"</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, coming!"</p>
+
+<p>The young man was just then making a hasty transfer of the contents of
+his pockets, besides cramming into those of his working-suit several
+articles that he imagined might prove useful. At that moment an
+impatient whistle from the timber train that would take him to the
+landing warned him that he had no more time to spare, and, snatching
+his hat, he sprang down the stairway.</p>
+
+<p>"Good-bye, Mrs. Trefethen!" he cried. "Tell Miss Nelly she sha'n't be
+turned out of her own room any longer, and tell her&mdash;But never mind;
+only tell her that I will have something important to say to her when
+I come back. Give her my love, and&mdash;" Here his words were cut short by
+another shrill whistle from the waiting train; and Peveril ran from
+the house, shouting back "Good-bye!" as he went, and leaving the good
+woman gasping with the breathless flurry of his departure.</p>
+
+<p>When Nelly Trefethen reached home a half-hour later she received such
+a confused account of what had just happened as caused her rosy cheeks
+to take on a deeper color and filled her with a strange agitation. Mr.
+Peril had gone to be a sailor, and would come back very shortly as
+captain of a ship. Perhaps it would be a splendid, great steamer, such
+as she had<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span> seen lying at the Marquette ore docks. He had left his
+love for her; he would have something of the greatest importance to
+say the next time he saw her; and she was not to be turned out of her
+room again. What could he mean by that, and what a very strange thing
+it was for a young man to say? Since he had said it to her mother,
+though, it must have meant&mdash;Oh dear! how she wished she had not gone
+out that morning, and what an endless time a whole week seemed!</p>
+
+<p>At length, anxious to escape from her mother's torrent of words, and
+to be alone with her own thoughts, the blushing girl fled up-stairs on
+the pretence of putting Mr. Peril's room in order.</p>
+
+<p>The very first thing she spied on entering the room, about which his
+belongings were scattered in every direction, was a letter lying on
+the floor, and almost hidden beneath the bed. Picking it up, she was
+surprised to find it sealed, and still more so to note that it was
+addressed to Mr. Richard <i>Peveril</i>. How could that be? Was their guest
+living among them under an assumed name? No, of course he wouldn't do
+such a thing; and this letter must have been handed to him by mistake.
+That was the reason why he had not opened it. The names were very much
+alike in sound, though so differently spelled. Besides, this letter
+was addressed in a lady's handwriting, and evidently came from some
+foreign country. She knew Mr. Peril was an American, because he had
+said so. He had also told them that he was, so far as he knew, without
+a relative in the world, so there were no sisters or young lady
+cousins to write to him.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span></p>
+<p>She did not think he could be engaged, because he had never mentioned
+the fact, while all the other young men of her acquaintance were in
+the habit of talking very freely about their "best girls," if they
+were so fortunate as to have such. Besides, had not Mr. Peril just
+left his love for <i>her</i>, and a message to the effect that he had
+something very important to tell <i>her</i>? She would keep this hateful
+letter, though, and confront him with it the moment she saw him again.
+Then his manner would convey the information she wanted. How she did
+long to open it and just glance at its contents! The impulse to do
+this was so strong that only by thrusting the letter into her pocket
+could she resist it.</p>
+
+<p>Now the innocent cause of her perplexity seemed to burn like a coal of
+fire until she again drew it forth. A dozen times that day did she do
+this, with the temptation to set her doubts at rest by tearing open
+the sealed envelope always assailing her with increased force.
+Finally, to her great relief, an honorable way of escaping this
+temptation presented itself. She would return the horrid letter to the
+post-office. From there, if it were indeed for Mr. Peril, he would in
+due course of time receive it, as he had before; while, if it were
+intended for some one else, it would be delivered to its rightful
+owner. This plan was no sooner conceived than executed; and, as the
+troublesome missive disappeared through the narrow slit of the
+post-office letter-box, the girl heaved a sigh of relief.</p>
+
+<p>When, the very next day, that identical letter was <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span>advertised on the
+post-office bulletin, and Nelly Trefethen saw the notice, she was
+assured that she had done the right thing. For ten days that
+advertisement stared her in the face whenever she visited the office,
+and then, to her great satisfaction, it disappeared. Rose Bonnifay's
+message from across the sea had gone to the place of "dead" letters,
+but Nelly believed that it had at last found its rightful owner.</p>
+
+<p>On the very evening of Peveril's departure Miss Nelly's old
+sweetheart, Mike Connell, joined her for a walk, and, after much
+preliminary conversation, finally plucked up courage to ask if Mr.
+Peril had told her anything of importance before going away.</p>
+
+<p>"What should he have to tell me?" asked the girl, evasively.</p>
+
+<p>"He might have tould you that he liked you better than any other girl
+in the world," was the diplomatic answer.</p>
+
+<p>"You know he'd never say a thing like that, Mr. Connell," cried Nelly,
+blushing furiously.</p>
+
+<p>"Well, then, he might have said he was already bespoke."</p>
+
+<p>"I don't believe it."</p>
+
+<p>"It's true, all the same."</p>
+
+<p>"What right have you to say so?" asked Nelly, whose face was now quite
+pale.</p>
+
+<p>"The right of his own words, for he telled me so himself."</p>
+
+<p>"Who is she?"</p>
+
+<p>"He didn't say."</p>
+
+<p>"Where does she live, then?"</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span></p>
+<p>"Divil a bit do I know."</p>
+
+<p>"I don't believe you know anything at all about it. You are just
+making up a story to tease me."</p>
+
+<p>"T'asing you is the last thing I'd be thinking of, Nelly darlin',
+except it was t'asing ye to marry me. No, alanna, it's the truth I'm
+telling you, and if you can't believe me just ax him. At the same
+time, I'm sore hurted that ye should be caring whether he's bespoke or
+no."</p>
+
+<p>"I will ask him," answered the girl, "and until I do I'll thank you,
+Mr. Connell, never to mention Mr. Peril's name again."</p>
+
+<p>"Not even to tell you what a brave, bowld lad he is, and how
+handsome?"</p>
+
+<p>"You'd not be telling me anything I don't know."</p>
+
+<p>"But, darlin', when he tells you with his own mouth that he's already
+bespoke and not to be had at all, you'll not refuse a bit of hope to
+one who loves the very ground trod by your two little feet."</p>
+
+<p>"Good-night, Mr. Connell. Here's the door, and I'm going in."</p>
+
+<p>In the meantime Peveril, after bidding good-bye to Mrs. Trefethen, had
+been whirled away by the little timber train to a landing on the lake
+shore, where he found the tug <i>Broncho</i> awaiting him. Towing behind it
+was a light double-ended skiff, and on its narrow deck he saw three
+men, dressed very much as he was himself, whom he knew must be those
+chosen to assist him in his forthcoming labors. One of them was a
+bright-looking French Canadian, while the others were evidently
+foreigners of the same class as the car-pushers<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span> in the mine. The
+captain of the tug was a Yankee named Spillins.</p>
+
+<p>The latter glanced over the note from Major Arkell that the new-comer
+handed him, and said, "All right, Mr. Peril; if you're ready for a
+start, I am."</p>
+
+<p>"Yes," replied Peveril, "I'm ready," and in another minute they were
+off. As they got under way the young leader of the expedition walked
+aft to make the acquaintance of his men. He was annoyed to find that,
+while two of them were brawny fellows who looked well fit for work,
+they could not muster a dozen words of English between them. Noting
+his efforts to converse with them, the third man, who introduced
+himself as Joe Pintaud, came to his assistance.</p>
+
+<p>"No goot you talk to dem Dago feller, Mist Pearl," he said; "zey can
+spik ze Anglais no more as woodchuck. You tell 'em, 'dam lazy
+scoundrel,' zey onstan pret goot; but, by gar, you talk lak white man
+you got kick it in hees head."</p>
+
+<p>Realizing the truth of Joe Pintaud's words, Peveril left the others to
+a stolid smoking of their long-stemmed pipes, and sought whatever
+information their more intelligent companion had to give concerning
+their present undertaking. He quickly discovered that, while Joe was
+as ignorant as himself of that coast, he was an expert raftsman and
+logger. He also found that the tug carried a good supply of rope,
+axes, pike-poles, and other things necessary for the work in hand.</p>
+
+<p>After having satisfied himself on these points,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span> Peveril gazed for a
+while at the bleak, rock-bound coast along which they were running,
+and then, suddenly bethinking himself of a pleasure that he had
+reserved for a leisure moment, he entered the pilot-house, and,
+sitting down on a cushioned locker behind Captain Spillins, who stood
+at the wheel, began to feel in his pockets.</p>
+
+<p>As he did this his movements grew more and more impatient, until
+finally, with a muttered exclamation, he turned the entire contents of
+his pockets out on the cushion.</p>
+
+<p>"Lost something?" asked the captain, looking around.</p>
+
+<p>"Yes."</p>
+
+<p>"Not your money, I hope."</p>
+
+<p>"No, but a letter that was worth more to me than all the money in the
+world."</p>
+
+<p>"Whew!" whistled the captain. "Must have been important."</p>
+
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span></p><hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XII" id="CHAPTER_XII"></a>CHAPTER XII</h2>
+
+<h3>A VISION OF THE CLIFFS</h3>
+
+
+<p>Rose Bonnifay had acted more from impulse than from real feeling when
+she consented to become engaged to Richard Peveril. As a popular
+Oxford man and stroke of the 'varsity eight he was a hero to attract
+almost any girl. His wealth was by no means to be despised, and it
+would certainly be a fine thing to have him in devoted attendance
+during her proposed trip to Norway. She was greatly disappointed at
+his failure to rejoin them, and wondered what he could mean by
+announcing the loss of his fortune when he was still the owner of a
+gold-mine.</p>
+
+<p>Miss Rose said "gold"-mine to herself, because, while Peveril had not
+specified the character of his property, she imagined all Western
+mines to be gold-bearing. Of course, too, their owners must be
+wealthy. So she hoped for the best; and, while realizing that she was
+not at all in love, determined to let her engagement hold good for the
+present.</p>
+
+<p>Under the circumstances she felt that this decision was very
+creditable to her loyalty, which, however, was sadly shaken by Owen's
+first gossipy letter from New York. With its disquieting news still
+fresh in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> her mind, she received a second that completely dispelled
+her illusions, and caused her to wonder how she could ever have been
+so foolish as to engage herself to a man of whom she knew so little.</p>
+
+<p>This second letter, which contained the cruel distortion of facts
+penned by Mr. Owen in Red Jacket, followed the Bonnifays to Norway,
+where it was received. Acting on the impulse acquired by reading it,
+Rose immediately sat down and wrote to Peveril the letter that reached
+him in due course of time, but which he lost without even having
+broken its seal.</p>
+
+<p>He had joyfully recognized the handwriting of its address, but was at
+the same time puzzled to know how Rose could have learned his present
+abiding-place. Now he was filled with consternation at his
+carelessness. Of course, though, he must have dropped the letter while
+transferring the contents of his pockets, and he would surely find it
+again upon his return to the Trefethen cottage.</p>
+
+<p>At Laughing Fish Cove the log-wrecking party was landed, shortly after
+noon, near a fishing settlement of half a dozen forlorn-appearing huts
+that stood in an irregular row on the beach. A few slatternly women,
+and twice their number of wild-eyed children, were the sole occupants
+of the place, for its men were away on the lake tending their nets.</p>
+
+<p>Again was Peveril disappointed to learn, from the appearance and
+conversation of these people, that they also were foreigners, speaking
+a language unintelligible to him, though evidently comprehended by two
+of his men.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span></p>
+<p>Captain Spillins explained that, uninviting as the place looked, it
+was one of the very few harbors on that rugged coast in which the logs
+of which Peveril was in search could be rafted and held in safety
+until called for. So the stores and supplies were landed, and, after
+the tug had steamed away, Peveril set his men at work building a camp
+and collecting firewood, while he took the skiff for an exploration of
+the adjacent coast.</p>
+
+<p>On the south side of Laughing Fish Cove he found logs bearing the
+letters "W. P." strewn for miles along the shore, and piled in every
+conceivable position among the rocks, on which they had been hurled by
+furious seas. As he studied the situation, our young wreck-master
+foresaw an immense amount of labor in dislodging these and getting
+them once more afloat. Besides those on the rocks he discovered a
+number on the beach of the cove that could easily be got into the
+water. But all that he thus saw formed only about one-half of what had
+been contained in the great raft.</p>
+
+<p>The remainder must, then, be found somewhere to the northward of
+Laughing Fish, and, accordingly, late in the afternoon he headed his
+skiff in that direction. The coast that he now skirted was very wild
+but grandly beautiful, with precipitous cliffs brilliant in the reds
+and greens of mineral stains, and surmounted by a dense growth of
+sharp-pointed firs, among which were set groups of white birches. At
+the base of the cliffs, and amid the detached masses fallen from them,
+the crystal-blue waters plashed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span> softly, and an occasional wood-duck
+in iridescent plumage swam hurriedly from his course with anxious
+backward glances. In the upper air, nesting gulls in spotless white
+darted to and fro, noting his movements with keen, red eyes.</p>
+
+<p>He found some logs near the cove; but the farther he went from it the
+scarcer they became, until finally he passed a mile or more of coast
+without seeing one.</p>
+
+<p>"Strange!" muttered the young man. "What can have become of them?
+There are hundreds still missing, and they should be somewhere in this
+vicinity."</p>
+
+<p>He was paddling almost without a sound, and skirting a ledge of black
+rocks that jutted well out into the lake, as he spoke. At that same
+moment something impelled him to glance upward and encounter a vision
+startling in its unexpectedness.</p>
+
+<p>On the very face of the cliff, some twenty feet above the water, and
+leaning slightly forward, stood a girlish figure gazing directly at
+him with great, wondering eyes. For an instant she seemed to read his
+very soul. Then a vivid flush sprang to her cheeks, and with a quick
+movement she disappeared as though the solid rock had opened to
+receive her.</p>
+
+<p>Peveril rubbed his eyes and looked again. She certainly was not there,
+nor could he discover the slightest indication of an opening through
+which she could have vanished. Yet, even as he looked, a pebble
+leaped, apparently from the unbroken face of the cliff, and dropped
+with a clatter to the ledge close beside him.</p>
+
+<p>He paddled farther out into the lake, but still failed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span> to discover
+any aperture. He moved for short distances both up and down the coast
+without any better success. To be sure, a stunted cedar growing out
+from the rocky face near where the girl had disappeared showed the
+existence of either a crevice or ledge, and she might have concealed
+herself behind it, though Peveril did not believe she had. Even if she
+were thus hidden, how had she gained that perilous position?&mdash;how
+would she escape from it?&mdash;who was she?&mdash;and where had she come from?</p>
+
+<p>She was not one of the fisher-women from the cove; of that he was
+certain. Neither was she an Indian girl, for the face, indelibly
+pictured in his memory, was fair and refined. It had not struck him as
+being beautiful, except for the glorious eyes that had looked so fully
+into his.</p>
+
+<p>He called several times: "Are you in trouble? Can I help you?" But
+only mocking echoes, and the harsh screams of a flock of gulls
+circling about the very place where he had seen her, came to him in
+answer. He sought for some means of scaling the cliff, but found none.
+Everywhere it was smooth and sheer. Never in his life had the young
+man been so baffled and never so loath to own himself beaten; but he
+was at length warned by the setting of the sun to give over his quest
+and row vigorously back the way he had come.</p>
+
+<p>Twilight was merging into darkness when he again entered Laughing Fish
+Cove, but a bright fire on the beach served at once as a beacon and a
+promise of good cheer.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span></p>
+<p>A comfortable cabin of poles and bark had been built by the men during
+his absence. In it were all the stores, as well as a quantity of
+spruce boughs and hemlock tips for bedding. The chill evening air was
+filled with a delicious fragrance of burning cedar, mingled with the
+pleasant odor of boiling coffee. Several white-fish nailed to oak
+planks were browning before a bed of glowing coals, while slices of a
+lake-trout were sizzling together with bits of bacon in the
+frying-pan.</p>
+
+<p>Supper was ready, as Joe, who superintended the culinary operations,
+announced with a shout the moment Peveril's skiff grated on the beach.
+Several of the fisher-huts were lighted, others had bright fires
+blazing outside their doors. The boats had returned, and there was a
+pleasant bustle about the little settlement.</p>
+
+<p>Peveril did not mention the perplexing vision he had seen that
+afternoon, though it continually haunted him, and a decided zest was
+given to his work of the coming week by the thought of this mystery.
+As he lay on his couch of fragrant boughs that evening planning how to
+solve it, he almost forgot his unhappiness of the morning, and a
+little later a new face had found its way into his dreams.</p>
+
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span></p><hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIII" id="CHAPTER_XIII"></a>CHAPTER XIII</h2>
+
+<h3>LOG-WRECKERS AND SMUGGLERS</h3>
+
+
+<p>There were no laggards in the camp on the following morning, for, with
+the stars still shining, Peveril routed out his men from their
+fragrant couches. Leaving Joe Pintaud to prepare breakfast, he and the
+two Bohemians began to form their raft by rolling to the water's edge,
+setting afloat, and securing such logs as lay nearest at hand.</p>
+
+<p>While the wreckers were thus engaged, the fishermen appeared from
+their huts and made ready for another day on the lake. They were an
+ill-favored set, and Peveril was not pleased to note that they seemed
+to make sneering remarks concerning the task on which he was engaged.
+Beneath their jeers his own men grew so surly and restless that he was
+relieved when Joe called them to breakfast.</p>
+
+<p>After that all hands set forth in the skiff to work at the logs
+stranded along the coast to the southward. As they pulled out of the
+cove Peveril noticed that a small schooner, which he had believed
+belonged to the fishermen, was still at anchor, and that the crew
+lounging about her deck were of a different class from those who had
+already gone out. He was about to call<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span> Joe's attention to this, when
+that individual hailed the schooner, and began to carry on a lively
+conversation with her men.</p>
+
+<p>When they had passed beyond hearing, Peveril questioned the Canadian
+concerning the strange craft, and was told that she was not a
+fishing-boat, but a trader.</p>
+
+<p>"What does she trade in?"</p>
+
+<p>"Plenty t'ing. Cognac, seelk, dope, everyt'ing. Plenty trade, plenty
+mun. Much better as mining. Mais, parbleu! I am a fool, me."</p>
+
+<p>"Why?"</p>
+
+<p>"Zat I, too, vill not trade and make ze mun."</p>
+
+<p>"Why don't you, if you prefer that business?"</p>
+
+<p>"Ah! It is because I am what you call too mooch a cow&mdash;a hard cow. I
+like not ze jail, me."</p>
+
+<p>"You mean a coward?"</p>
+
+<p>"Oui, oui. Cowhard. I am one cowhard for ze jail."</p>
+
+<p>"Oh!" cried Peveril, suddenly enlightened. "Your friends of the
+schooner are smugglers."</p>
+
+<p>"Oui, zat it. Smoogler, an' bimeby, some time, maybe, soldat catch it.
+Take all ze mun, put it in jail. Bim! No good!"</p>
+
+<p>"That is the first time I ever heard of any smugglers on this coast,"
+remarked Peveril, reflectively. "I wonder if they can have taken our
+logs?"</p>
+
+<p>"Log, no," replied Joe, contemptuously. "Canada, he gat plenty
+log&mdash;too plenty. Tradair tak' ze drapeau, ze viskey, ze tick-tick, but
+not ze log."</p>
+
+<p>Here the conversation was ended by the arrival at the scene of labor,
+and the work of dislodging stranded<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span> logs was begun. All day long they
+toiled at the difficult task, straining, lifting, stumbling, rolling,
+and slipping on the wet rocks, receiving many a bump and bruise,
+pausing only for a bite of lunch and a whiff of pipe-smoke at noon,
+and finally returning to Laughing Fish at dusk, slowly towing into the
+cove a small raft of the recovered wreckage.</p>
+
+<p>For several days longer, sometimes in clear weather, but often in
+cheerless rain and fog, was the task of collecting such logs as had
+stranded on the south side of the cove continued. At length the last
+one was gathered from that direction, and our wreckers were ready to
+explore the coast lying to the northward.</p>
+
+<p>Not since the day of his coming had Peveril found leisure to revisit
+the place where he had seen the mysterious figure of the cliffs. He
+had thought often of her, and had so longed to return to that part of
+the coast that only a strict sense of duty had prevented him. Now that
+he was free to unravel the mystery if he could, he was as excited as a
+boy off for a holiday.</p>
+
+<p>He purposed gathering the few logs already seen on that side of the
+cove, and then to continue his exploration indefinitely in search of
+others; but, to his amazement, as they skirted the rugged coast, not a
+log was to be found. In vain did the young leader stand up in his
+boat, the better to scan every inch of the shore. In vain did he land
+on the rocks and scramble over their broken surface. There were no
+logs, and yet he knew they had been there five days earlier. Nor had
+there been any storm during that time to dislodge them.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span></p>
+<p>"Joe, your smuggling friends must have taken them."</p>
+
+<p>"Non. He gat plenty log in Canada, him."</p>
+
+<p>"What, then, has become of them?"</p>
+
+<p>"Dunno. Maybe dev catch him."</p>
+
+<p>"It is a human devil of some kind, then, and he must have carried them
+still farther up the coast, for we should have seen them if they had
+been carried the other way."</p>
+
+<p>"Oui, m'sieu."</p>
+
+<p>"Give way, men! I'm going to find those logs if they are anywhere on
+Keweenaw Point."</p>
+
+<p>So the light skiff shot ahead, with the two Bohemians rowing, and the
+others in bow and stern, watching the coast sharply as they slipped
+past its rocky front. They were already beyond any point at which
+Peveril had previously discovered logs, and were rapidly approaching
+the place of his mystery. He could see the jutting ledge, and was
+eagerly scanning the cliffs above it, when suddenly Joe held up his
+hand with a warning "Hist!"</p>
+
+<p>Without a word Peveril gave the signal to stop rowing, which was
+instantly obeyed. In the silence that followed they heard a sound of
+singing. It was a plaintive melody, sung in a girlish voice,
+untrained, but full and sweet. To his amazement Peveril recognized it
+as one of the very latest songs of a popular composer, whose music he
+had supposed almost unknown in America. The voice also seemed to be
+close at hand.</p>
+
+<p>At first the men gazed about them with an idle<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span> curiosity, but, not
+seeing anyone, they began to grow uneasy, and to cast frightened
+glances on every side.</p>
+
+<p>"By gar!" exclaimed Joe Pintaud, and on the instant the singing
+ceased.</p>
+
+<p>The sudden silence was almost as disquieting as the voice of an
+invisible singer, and again Joe uttered his favorite exclamation.</p>
+
+<p>"Where did that voice come from?"</p>
+
+<p>"Dunno, Mist Pearl. One tam I t'ink from rock, one tam from water.
+Fust he come from ze hair, zen he gat under ze bateau. Bimeby he come
+every somewhere. One tam I t'ink angele, me; one tam dev. Mostly I
+t'ink dev."</p>
+
+<p>"It seemed to me to come from the cliff," said Peveril.</p>
+
+<p>"Oui; so I t'ink."</p>
+
+<p>"Though I could also have sworn that it rose from the water."</p>
+
+<p>"Oui, m'sieu. You say dev, I say dev."</p>
+
+<p>By this time Peveril had again got his craft under way, and they were
+skirting a wooded islet that lay off the coast just beyond the black
+ledge. This island appeared to be nearly cut in two by a narrow bay;
+but as those in the boat seemed to see every part of this, and were
+convinced that it contained no logs, they did not enter it.</p>
+
+<p>The young leader was not giving much thought to either logs or his
+immediate surroundings just then, for his ears were still filled with
+the music that had come to him as mysteriously as had the vision of a
+few days earlier.</p>
+
+<p>So lost was he in reflection that he started abruptly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span> when the rowing
+again ceased, and one of the men whispered, hoarsely:</p>
+
+<p>"Mist Pearl, look!"</p>
+
+<p>He was pointing back from where they had come; and, turning, Peveril
+saw, apparently gliding from the very shore of the island they had
+just passed, a small schooner. She must have sailed from the bay into
+which they had gazed, and yet they believed they had scrutinized every
+inch of its surface.</p>
+
+<p>"By gar!" cried Joe Pintaud. "Some more dev, hein?"</p>
+
+<p>"It looks to me like the boat of your friends the smugglers,"
+suggested Peveril, studying the vessel closely.</p>
+
+<p>"Oui, certainment! It ees ze sheep of ze tradair."</p>
+
+<p>"Then we will go and see where she came from, for so snug a
+hiding-place is worth discovering."</p>
+
+<p>So the skiff was put about and rowed back to the little bay bisecting
+the island. Then it was found that there were two small islands, and
+that the supposed bay was really an inlet from the lake, which made a
+sharp angle at a point invisible from outside. This channel led to a
+narrow sound, from which another inlet cut directly into the
+rock-bound coast. It was quite short, and quickly widened into an
+exquisite basin, completely land-locked and very nearly circular.</p>
+
+<p>Peveril had followed this devious course with all the eagerness of an
+explorer; but his men had cast many nervous glances over their
+shoulders, and even Joe Pintaud had expressed a muttered hope that
+they were not being led into some trap.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span></p>
+<p>As the skiff emerged from the high-walled inlet and shot into the
+smiling basin, an exclamation burst from all four men at once.</p>
+
+<p>"Ze log!" cried Joe.</p>
+
+<p>"Our logs!" echoed Peveril.</p>
+
+<p>The others probably used words meaning the same thing. At any rate,
+they talked excitedly, and pointed to the opposite side of the basin,
+where was moored a raft of logs.</p>
+
+<p>Two men with a yoke of oxen were in the act of hauling one of these
+from the water, and a deeply marked trail, leading up the bank to a
+point of disappearance, showed where a number of its predecessors had
+gone.</p>
+
+<p>"Give way!" cried Peveril, and the skiff sped across the basin.</p>
+
+<p>As it ranged alongside the moored raft, the young leader recognized
+the deep-cut mark of the White Pine Mine on one floating stick after
+another.</p>
+
+<p>"Hold on!" he shouted. "Where are you going with that log?"</p>
+
+<p>"None of your business!" answered one of the two men, who was old and
+white-headed. "What are you doing here, anyway?"</p>
+
+<p>"I've come after these logs."</p>
+
+<p>"Well, you can't have them, and you want to get out of here quicker
+than you came in!" With this the man spoke a few words to his
+assistant, who immediately ran up the trail and disappeared, while
+Peveril, with a hot flush mounting to his forehead, ordered his crew
+to pull for the shore.</p>
+
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span></p><hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIV" id="CHAPTER_XIV"></a>CHAPTER XIV</h2>
+
+<h3>A VAIN EFFORT TO RECOVER STOLEN PROPERTY</h3>
+
+
+<p>Leaping ashore the moment his skiff grated on the beach, Peveril
+stepped directly up to the old man and said:</p>
+
+<p>"I do not know who you are, sir, nor what claim you make to ownership
+in those logs. I do know, however, that they bear the private mark of
+the White Pine Mining Company, and formed part of a raft recently
+wrecked on this coast. Having been sent here expressly to secure this
+property, I am determined to use every endeavor to carry out my
+instructions. Such being the case, I trust that you will not interfere
+with the performance of my duty."</p>
+
+<p>"I shall, though," answered the old man, gruffly. "I have need of this
+timber, and consider that I have a just claim to it, seeing that it
+was cast up by the sea on my land. I have also expended a great amount
+of labor in bringing it to this place; so that if I had no other claim
+I have one for salvage."</p>
+
+<p>"Which will doubtless be allowed when presented in proper form,"
+replied Peveril. "In the meantime I am ordered to take possession of
+all logs that I may find bearing the W. P. mark."</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span></p>
+<p>"Supposing I forbid you to do so?"</p>
+
+<p>"I am also authorized to use force, if necessary, to carry out my
+instructions."</p>
+
+<p>"That sounds very much like a threat, my young friend; but I decline
+to be frightened by it, and still forbid you to touch those logs."</p>
+
+<p>Joe Pintaud had followed his young leader ashore, and stood close
+beside him during the foregoing interview, while the Bohemians still
+remained in the skiff. Now, without deigning any further reply to the
+old man, Peveril, in a low tone, ordered the Canadian to provide
+himself and the others with poles, and, if possible, shove the raft
+off from shore, adding that he would join in their efforts the moment
+he had cast loose its moorings.</p>
+
+<p>As Joe started to obey these instructions, Peveril ran to the farther
+of two ropes holding the raft and unfastened it. While he did this the
+old man stood without remonstrance, but with a cynical smile on his
+thin lips.</p>
+
+<p>Finding himself uninterrupted, Peveril fancied that no resistance was
+to be offered, after all, and, with the carelessness of confidence,
+stooped to cast off the remaining line. The next instant a nervous
+shove from behind sent him headforemost into the lake. Just then there
+came a rush of feet, and as Peveril, half-choked by his sudden bath in
+the icy water, rose to the surface and attempted to regain the bank he
+was seized by half a dozen pair of brawny hands belonging to as many
+wild-looking men who had been summoned from beyond the ridge.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span></p>
+<p>In another minute the young wrecker was lying in the bottom of his own
+skiff, and it was being towed out to sea by a second boat manned by
+two lusty foreigners. In its stern-sheets sat the old man holding a
+cocked revolver, from which he threatened to put a bullet through
+Peveril's head if he lifted it above the gunwale.</p>
+
+<p>Under the circumstances the latter, though raging at his sudden
+discomfiture, deemed it best to lie still and await, with what
+patience he might, the result of his misadventure.</p>
+
+<p>So he was towed for a long distance, and when his skiff finally seemed
+to have lost motion and be drifting, he ventured to lift his head.
+Before he could see over the side there came the sharp report of a
+pistol, a bullet whistled close above him, and he was ordered to
+remain quiet until he received permission to sit up.</p>
+
+<p>Peveril obeyed, and for nearly half an hour longer lay motionless.
+Then his craft struck bottom, and he sprang up in alarm. He was alone,
+and his skiff was bumping against a black ledge that he recognized as
+the one lying at the foot of the mysterious cliff. Not a boat was to
+be seen, but on the rocks close at hand lay the oars that had been
+taken from his skiff when he was thrown into it. They were not lying
+together, but at some distance apart, as though flung there, but
+whether from a boat or from some other direction he could not tell. At
+any rate, he was thankful to have them, and at once began to plan how
+he should use them in connection with his regained liberty.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span></p>
+<p>At first his indignation at his recent treatment suggested that he row
+back and attempt, at least, to recover his men; but a moment's
+reflection showed the folly of such a scheme. Not only would he again
+be confronted by an overpowering number of opponents, but it was
+probable that his men were even then on their way overland to Laughing
+Fish, for he did not believe the old man would dare hold them
+prisoners. At any rate, it would be best to rejoin them before
+planning to gain possession of the logs in the basin, upon which he
+was still determined.</p>
+
+<p>Although the young man did not know it, he was keenly watched during
+these moments of indecision by a pair of bright eyes that peered down
+from the cliff above him. When he shiveringly re-entered his skiff the
+eyes were hastily withdrawn lest he should look up. A little later a
+young girl of slight figure, clad in a dark gown, stepped out from the
+cliff, as from behind a curtain, and, half concealed by the stunted
+cedar, watched him curiously until he was lost to view.</p>
+
+<p>"He is ever so different from an ordinary miner," she soliloquized,
+"and looks as though he might be interesting. I wonder if I shall ever
+see him again? I am glad I thought of getting these oars and throwing
+them down, even if he has used them to go away with. What will papa
+think when he finds them gone? Anyhow, the monotony of this stupid
+place has been broken at last, and now, perhaps, something else will
+happen. I believe something must be going to happen very soon, anyhow,
+from the way papa talks.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> Dear papa! how queerly he acts, and how I
+wish I could see him happy just once! Now I must go and tell him that
+the schooner is coming."</p>
+
+<p>With this the girl apparently performed a miracle, for she seemed to
+push aside a portion of the red-stained cliff and disappear behind it
+without leaving a trace of an opening.</p>
+
+<p>As Peveril rowed steadily down the coast he saw in the distance a
+schooner that he believed to be the one belonging to Joe Pintaud's
+friends beating up from the southward. For a moment he thought of
+trying to board her, but, quickly dismissing the idea, doggedly
+pursued his way.</p>
+
+<p>Arrived at the cove, he was disappointed to find his camp vacant and
+without a sign that his coming companions had returned to it. Building
+a fire, he made a pot of coffee, and prepared to await their coming
+with what patience he could command. Some of the fisher-children came
+and watched him shyly, but when he attempted to draw them into
+conversation they only laughed and ran away.</p>
+
+<p>Feeling very lonely, and undecided as to what he should do, he had
+just begun to eat a lunch of cold food prepared by Joe that morning
+when a plan occurred to him. It was to set forth on foot to meet his
+men, failing to do which he could at least spy out the enemy's
+strength. "I can discover, too, what lies behind that ridge, and where
+they are carrying those logs," he said, half aloud.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 656px;">
+<img src="images/illus006.jpg" width="656" height="477" alt="THE MEN HASTILY THREW PEVERIL HEAD-FIRST INTO THE
+BUSHES" title="" />
+<span class="caption">THE MEN HASTILY THREW PEVERIL HEAD-FIRST INTO THE
+BUSHES</span>
+</div>
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span></p><p>So impatient was he to put this plan into execution that he would not
+wait to finish his lunch, but, swallowing a mug of coffee and stuffing
+a few hard biscuit into the ample pockets of his now nearly dry coat,
+he set forth. Coming across a well-trodden though narrow trail,
+leading in what he believed to be the right direction, he turned into
+it, and followed it briskly for several miles.</p>
+
+<p>It was by this time late afternoon, and long shadows were creeping
+over the rugged upland country that he traversed. No house was to be
+seen, nor evidence of human occupation. All the large timber having
+been long since cut off, the region was now covered with a ragged
+second growth and thick underbrush. Extensive tracts had been burned
+over, and thousands of small trees, standing in the melancholy
+attitudes of death, added to the desolation of the scene. Every now
+and then he passed yawning prospect-holes, offering mute evidence of
+disappointed hopes.</p>
+
+<p>At length he caught a whiff of smoke, a dull clang of machinery came
+to his ears; and, with curiosity keenly aroused, he pursued his way
+more cautiously. A few minutes later he reached a point where he
+caught glimpses of buildings, evidently belonging to a mine. A tall
+shaft-house was surrounded by various shops and a cluster of
+dwellings, most of them very humble in appearance, though one was
+large and pretentious.</p>
+
+<p>Although smoke was curling lazily from a lofty stack, that he imagined
+belonged to an engine-house, and though there was a certain amount of
+noise, as of machinery in motion, there were no other signs of
+activity about the place. In fact, it was pervaded by<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> an aspect of
+desolation and desertion. There were no hurrying men nor teams. Most
+of the buildings appeared to be permanently closed; doors were boarded
+up, windows were broken, and the smaller dwellings were almost hidden
+by the rank growth of weeds and bushes that closely surrounded them.</p>
+
+<p>As Peveril stared in perplexity at this melancholy picture his
+attention was attracted by a sound of voices near at hand. He gazed
+eagerly, and even took a few steps forward, hoping to meet his own
+party, but was grievously disappointed to see instead a group of three
+burly strangers clad in mining costume. As they drew near he
+recognized them to be Bohemians, and was particularly struck by the
+hideous expression of him who seemed to act as leader of the party.</p>
+
+<p>Although the new-comers started at sight of the young man, and
+regarded him with scowling faces as they drew near, they did not speak
+nor offer to molest him, but passed by in silence.</p>
+
+<p>Disappointed that they were not his own men, but relieved to be so
+easily rid of them, Peveril again turned his attention to the
+semi-deserted mining village that had so aroused his curiosity. So
+deeply interested did he at once become in watching a team of oxen
+that had just appeared, hauling a log over a rise of ground, that he
+did not hear the approach of stealthy footsteps nor note the crouching
+forms creeping up behind him. Closer and closer they came, until they
+were within reach of their unconscious victim. Then they sprang upon
+him all at once, and he was hurled to the ground.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span></p>
+<p>In another moment his arms were bound, and he recognized in one
+distorted face, leering close above his own, that of the man who had
+led the attack on him in the mine, and whom he had sent reeling away
+with a broken jaw.</p>
+
+<p>Now the cruel face was rendered doubly hideous by a grin of triumph,
+and Peveril's heart sank within him as he gazed into the pitiless eyes
+that lighted its brutish features.</p>
+
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span></p><hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XV" id="CHAPTER_XV"></a>CHAPTER XV</h2>
+
+<h3>PEVERIL IN THE HANDS OF HIS ENEMIES</h3>
+
+
+<p>Having been driven from Red Jacket by the Cornishmen under Mark
+Trefethen, the Bohemian, Rothsky, and his fellow car-pushers of the
+White Pine Mine who had assaulted Peveril on his first day of work,
+had taken to the woods like wild beasts. Although restrained of their
+evil intentions for the time being, they were more bitter than ever
+against the innocent cause of their trouble, and swore, with strange,
+foreign oaths, to kill him if the chance should ever offer.</p>
+
+<p>In the meantime they must find some way of gaining a livelihood, and
+this finally came to them at a queer, semi-abandoned mine across which
+they stumbled in the course of their wanderings. Its proprietor was an
+old man who seemed half crazed; and the mine that he was working in a
+small way, with a pitifully inadequate force, was absolutely barren of
+copper; but, as he paid their wages promptly, the car-pushers were
+willing to do his bidding without asking questions.</p>
+
+<p>One of the scarcest things about this mine was timber with which to
+support the roof of the only drift<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span> that was being opened. The
+proprietor tried to force his men to continue their work, and open the
+drift far beyond a point of safety without the protection of this most
+necessary adjunct, and when they refused he became furiously angry.
+Their job seemed to have come to an end, and all hands were about to
+leave, when, by an opportune gale, a supply of the desired material
+was cast up on the adjacent coast.</p>
+
+<p>Every able-bodied man was immediately set to work collecting this, and
+in towing raft after raft of the Heaven-sent logs to a land-locked
+basin that lay but a short distance from the mine. In this way, even
+before the arrival of Peveril and his wreckers, a large amount of the
+needed timber had been secured.</p>
+
+<p>Although the miners were well aware that their employer carried on
+some other business besides the development of his barren property,
+they neither knew nor cared to know what it was. They discovered that
+it was in some way connected with the coming and going of certain
+vessels, but beyond this they were kept in ignorance.</p>
+
+<p>When one of these vessels reported a party at Laughing Fish also
+engaged in a search for wrecked logs, the exertions of the
+white-haired mine-owner were so redoubled that before Peveril found
+time to work the coast to the northward of his camp, it had been
+stripped of every log. Having obtained possession of his coveted
+timber, the old man was now making every effort to have it transported
+to the mouth of his shaft, believing that, if he could once get it
+underground, his right to the logs would remain<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span> unquestioned. He had,
+however, only partially succeeded in effecting this removal, when, to
+his chagrin, Peveril appeared on the scene of activity.</p>
+
+<p>After the defeat of the young man's attempt to capture the raft, his
+two Bohemians were easily induced to join the enemy by promises of
+better pay than they were getting. As for Joe Pintaud, he was indeed
+taken prisoner, but was purposely so loosely guarded that he found no
+difficulty in escaping to the schooner of his friends, which came into
+port that afternoon, and on which he was carried off to Canada.</p>
+
+<p>Thus was the White Pine wrecking expedition completely broken up, and
+only its leader was left to carry out, if he could, its objects. Even
+he had been set adrift in an oarless skiff, with the hope that he
+would be so long delayed in reporting to his employers as to allow
+time for the captured logs to be put underground before another demand
+for them could be made.</p>
+
+<p>This disposition of the captive was only known to the old man, who
+had, unobserved, removed the oars from Peveril's skiff; and so it was
+generally supposed that he would return directly to his camp at
+Laughing Fish.</p>
+
+<p>Rothsky, the Bohemian, who was one of those working near the log raft,
+had instantly recognized Peveril, and at sight of him his hatred
+blazed up with redoubled fury. To be sure, his broken jaw had healed,
+but so awry as to disfigure his face and render it more hideous than
+ever. Now to find the man who<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span> had done him this injury again
+interfering with his plans filled him with rage.</p>
+
+<p>Although he had no opportunity for venting it at the moment, he easily
+learned from Peveril's late followers the location of their camp, and,
+believing that the young man would be found there, he planned an
+attack upon it for that very night. He had no difficulty in inducing
+the two other car-pushers who had been driven from the White Pine to
+join him, and as soon as they quit work that evening they set forth on
+foot.</p>
+
+<p>They had not settled on any plan of action, and, though Rothsky was
+determined to kill the man he hated, his associates imagined that the
+young fellow was only to be punished in such a way as would cause him
+a considerable degree of suffering and at the same time afford them
+great amusement. They did not anticipate any interference with their
+plans, even should they be discovered, for the fishermen of the cove
+were their fellow-countrymen, bound to them by the ties of a common
+hatred against all native-born Americans.</p>
+
+<p>Now it so happened that the only daughter of the erratic old
+mine-owner had set forth that afternoon, accompanied only by her
+ever-present body-guard, a great, lean stag-hound, on a long gallop
+over the wild uplands surrounding her home. For that desolate little
+mining village was the only home Mary Darrell had known since the
+death of her mother, five years before, or when she was but twelve
+years of age.</p>
+
+<p>Until then she had lived in New England, and had only seen her father
+upon the rare occasions of his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span> visits from the mysterious West in
+which his life was spent. To others he was a man of morose silence,
+suspicious of his fellows, secretive and unapproachable, but to his
+only child, the one light of his darkened life, and the sole hope of
+his old age, he was ever the loving father, tender and indulgent.</p>
+
+<p>Bringing her to the only home he had to offer, he had made all
+possible provision for her comfort and happiness. The most recent
+books were sent to her, and the latest music found its way into the
+wilderness for her amusement. Himself a well-educated man, Ralph
+Darrell devoted his abundant leisure to her instruction, and to the
+study of her tastes. Only two of the girl's expressed wishes were left
+ungratified, and both of these he had promised to grant when she
+should be eighteen years of age.</p>
+
+<p>One of them was that they might return to the home of her childhood.
+To this her father's unvarying answer was that business and a regard
+for her future welfare compelled him to remain where they were until
+the expiration of a certain time. When it should be elapsed, he
+promised that she should lead him to any part of the world she chose.
+Cheered by this promise, she planned many an imaginary journey to
+foreign lands, and many a long hour did Mary and her father beguile in
+arranging the details of these delightful wanderings.</p>
+
+<p>Her other wish was for a companion of her own age; but this was so
+decidedly denied that she knew it would be useless to express it again
+after the first time.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span></p>
+<p>"It would mean ruin, absolute ruin and beggary for us both," said Mr.
+Darrell, "if I were to allow a single stranger, young or old, of even
+ordinary intelligence, to visit this place. From the time you are
+eighteen years of age you shall have plenty of friends of your own
+choosing; but until that date, dear, you must be content with only the
+society of your old dad."</p>
+
+<p>So Mary Darrell studied, sang, read, rode, and thought the fanciful
+thoughts of girlhood alone, but always with impatient longings for the
+coming of the magic hour that should set her free. And yet she was not
+wholly alone, for her father would at any time neglect everything else
+to give her pleasure, while she also had both "Sandy," her stag-hound,
+and "Fuzz," her pony, for devoted companions.</p>
+
+<p>She was allowed to ride when and where she pleased, with only these
+attendants, on two conditions. One was that she should never visit,
+nor even go near, a human residence; and the other that, when on such
+excursions, she should, for greater safety, dress as a boy. When she
+was thus costumed her father was very apt to call her by her middle
+name, which was Heaton; and so it was generally supposed by the few
+miners who caught glimpses of her that the old man had two children&mdash;a
+girl, and a boy who was not only younger than she, but devoted to
+horseback riding.</p>
+
+<p>Only one duty devolved upon the girl thus strangely reared, and that
+was the keeping watch for certain vessels that came in from the great
+lake and sailed away again at regular intervals.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span></p>
+<p>So Mary Darrell was out riding on the evening that witnessed the
+capture of Richard Peveril by his bitterest enemies, and as twilight
+deepened into dusk she was urging her way homeward with all speed.</p>
+
+<p>In the meantime the three rascal car-pushers, who had come so
+unexpectedly upon him whom they sought, and had so easily effected his
+capture, led Peveril directly away from the trail he had been
+following to a place in the woods known only to Rothsky. Close to
+where they finally halted and began preparations for the punishment of
+the prisoner, who was also expected to afford them infinite amusement
+by his sufferings, yawned a great black hole. It was of unknown depth,
+and was nearly concealed by a tangle of vines and bushes. Rothsky had
+stumbled upon it by accident only a few days before, and now conceived
+that it would be a good place in which to dispose of a body, in case
+they should happen to have one on their hands.</p>
+
+<p>Trusting to the wildness of their surroundings and the absence of
+human beings from that region to shield them from observation, they
+ventured to build a fire, by the light of which they proposed to carry
+out their devilish plans.</p>
+
+<p>Besides binding Peveril's arms, they had, on reaching this place,
+taken the further precaution of tying his ankles, so that he now lay
+on the ground utterly helpless, a prey to bitter thoughts, but nerving
+himself to bear bravely whatever torture might await him.</p>
+
+<p>All at once the deep baying of a hound and a crash<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span> of galloping
+hoofs, coming directly towards the fire-light, sounded through the
+wood.</p>
+
+<p>With a fierce imprecation Rothsky gave a hasty order, at which all
+three men sprang to where Peveril was lying in deepest shadow.
+Hurriedly picking him up, they carried him a short distance, gave a
+mighty swing, and flung him from them. There was a crash of parted
+bushes and rending vines, a stifled cry, and all was still.</p>
+
+<p>A minute later, when a boyish figure on horseback swept past the fire,
+the three men seated by it only aroused a fleeting curiosity in Mary
+Darrell's mind as to what they could be doing in such a place at such
+a time.</p>
+
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span></p><hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVI" id="CHAPTER_XVI"></a>CHAPTER XVI</h2>
+
+<h3>LOST IN A PREHISTORIC MINE</h3>
+
+
+<p>After the disappearance of the young rider, whose coming had so
+materially changed the plan of Rothsky and his associate scoundrels,
+they gazed at each other for a full minute in sullen silence. In the
+minds of two of them the anger of their disappointment was mingled
+with a cowardly terror at the awful deed they had committed, and they
+began fiercely to denounce their leader for having implicated them in
+it.</p>
+
+<p>Rothsky answered with equal bitterness that he was no more to blame
+than they, and the quarrel grew so furious that for a time it seemed
+as though only the shedding of blood could settle it. At length they
+were quieted by a realizing sense of the common danger that might only
+be averted by mutual support. So they finally swore with strange oaths
+never to betray each other, or breathe a word to a living soul of what
+had just taken place.</p>
+
+<p>Of course they did not for a moment anticipate that their crime would
+ever come to light, though each was secretly determined that if it did
+he would promptly secure his own safety by denouncing his comrades.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span></p>
+<p>With the patching up of this truce and the forming of their worthless
+compact the three wretches prepared to depart from the scene of their
+villany. First, however, they advanced cautiously as close as they
+dared to the edge of the pit into which they had flung their victim,
+and, peering into its blackness, listened fearfully. No sound broke
+the awful silence, and of a sudden the three men, moved by a common
+impulse, turned and fled through the darkness, stumbling and falling,
+clutched at by invisible fingers as they ran, and uttering
+inarticulate cries of terror.</p>
+
+<p>At that same moment their victim was lying on a ledge of rock deep
+down in the ground beneath them, still alive, but numbed almost into
+unconsciousness by the hopeless horror of his situation. In the first
+agony of falling he had instinctively exerted a strength of which he
+would have been incapable under other circumstances, and burst asunder
+the bonds confining his arms.</p>
+
+<p>He believed that in a moment he would be dashed into eternity, and yet
+a medley of incongruous and commonplace thoughts darted through his
+mind with inconceivable rapidity. Innumerable scenes of his past life
+glanced before him, but more distinct than any, sharp and clear as
+though revealed by a flash of lightning, shone the wonderful eyes that
+had appeared to him from the red-stained cliffs overlooking the great
+lake. And, strangest of all, the face seemed to smile at him with a
+promise of hope.</p>
+
+<p>In another instant all the pictures were blotted<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span> out, and his whole
+world was gulfed by a rush of water in which he sank to fathomless
+depths.</p>
+
+<p>After an endless space of time he began slowly to rise, until at
+length, to his infinite amazement, he found himself still alive and
+gasping for a breath of the blessed air into which he had once more
+emerged.</p>
+
+<p>Although his ankles were still bound, his arms were free, and, with
+the instinct of self-preservation strong within him, he began,
+awkwardly and feebly, to swim. Dazed, fettered, and weighted by
+clothing as he was, his utmost efforts would not have carried him more
+than a few feet, and then he must have sunk forever in that black
+flood. But the strength given him was sufficient, and ere it was
+exhausted his hands struck a shelf of rock upon which he finally
+managed to drag himself.</p>
+
+<p>On the flinty platform that he thus gained he lay weakly motionless,
+chilled to the bone, dimly conscious that he had for a time been
+granted a respite from death, but without a hope that it would be much
+longer extended.</p>
+
+<p>After a while the sense that he still lived became stronger, and with
+it grew the desire for life. Animated by it he sat up and made an
+effort to loosen the cord that still bound his ankles. It was tightly
+knotted, and the knot was so hardened with the water that for a long
+time his trembling fingers could make no impression on it. Still he
+persevered, and his exertions infused him with a slight warmth.
+Finally the knot yielded and his limbs were free, though so<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span> numbed
+that it was several minutes before he could stand up.</p>
+
+<p>Knowing nothing of his surroundings he dared not move more than a step
+or two in any direction for fear of again plunging into that deadly
+water. Nor could he with outstretched arms touch a wall on any side.</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, for a light!" he groaned, "that I might at least see what my tomb
+looks like!"</p>
+
+<p>Then he remembered that he actually did possess both matches and a
+candle, it having been impressed upon him by old Mark Trefethen that a
+miner should never be without those necessities. So he had always
+carried them in a pocket of his canvas mining-suit. But were they not
+rendered useless by the double wetting he had received that day?</p>
+
+<p>With trembling eagerness he drew forth the silver match-safe that Tom
+Trefethen had insisted on presenting to him in token of his gratitude.
+It had been called water-tight. Would it prove so in this time of his
+greatest need? A match was withdrawn, and he struck it against a
+roughened side of the safe. There was a splutter of sparks, but no
+flame. That, however, was more than he had dared hope for, and,
+sitting down, that he might not run the chance of dropping his
+precious box, he rubbed it briskly in his hands until it was
+thoroughly dry before making another attempt.</p>
+
+<p>This time there was no result, the head of the match having evidently
+flown off. With breathless anxiety he tried a third, and was thrilled
+with joy<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span> by having it burst into flame. Tom Trefethen's gift had
+redeemed its promise.</p>
+
+<p>By the fitful flare of that match, whose cheery gleam filled him with
+a new hope, Peveril saw that he was sitting on the rocky floor of a
+cave or chamber that extended back beyond his narrow circle of light.
+On the other side, and but a few inches below him, was outspread a
+gleaming surface of water, smooth as a mirror and black as ink. These
+things he saw, and then his match burned out.</p>
+
+<p>The darkness that followed was so absolute as to be suffocating; but
+before striking another of the priceless "fire-sticks" he drew forth
+the candle that had lain quietly in his pocket for several weeks
+awaiting just such an emergency as the present. After many reluctant
+sputterings, it, too, yielded to his efforts, and finally burned with
+a steady flame. With it he was enabled to make a much more careful and
+extended survey of his surroundings. To his great delight he
+discovered, lodged here and there on the rocks about him, a
+considerable quantity of dry wood in small pieces.</p>
+
+<p>Whittling some shavings from one of these, he soon had a brisk blaze
+that not only drove the black shadows to a respectful distance, but
+imparted a delicious warmth to his chilled body.</p>
+
+<p>"I'll live to get out of this place yet and confront the wretches who
+tried to murder me&mdash;see if I don't!" he cried, filled with a new
+courage inspired by the magic of light and warmth. "They probably
+think me safely dead long ere this; but they'll find<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span> out that I am
+very much alive, and I'll know them when I see them again, too. What
+could have been their object, and what can they have against me? I
+wonder if the old fellow who claimed the logs could have set them on
+to me? I hate to believe it; but the whole business looks awfully
+suspicious.</p>
+
+<p>"There's a deep game going on somewhere, but I may live to fathom it
+yet. What made them start up in such a hurry and fling me down this
+hole? I remember: they were scared by the barking of a dog and the
+approach of some one on horseback. Whoever that chap was, I'll owe him
+a debt of gratitude if ever I get out of here; and if I don't&mdash;Well,
+perhaps he did me a good turn anyhow, for they would probably have
+killed me in the end. Hello! I had forgotten these hardtack."</p>
+
+<p>Mechanically thrusting his hands into the pockets of his coat during
+this soliloquy, Peveril found the hard biscuit that he had slipped
+into them on leaving camp. Now, though these were soggy with water,
+they were still in a condition to be handled, and, carefully
+withdrawing them, he ate one hungrily, but laid the other near the
+fire to dry. Then he removed his clothing, wrung what water he could
+from each article, rubbed his body into a glow, re-dressed, and again
+sat beside his fire for a further consideration of his strange
+situation.</p>
+
+<p>As he could arrive at no conclusion regarding an attempt to escape
+until the coming of daylight, which he hoped would reach him with
+sufficient clearness to disclose the nature of his prison, his
+thoughts finally<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span> drifted to other matters. He recalled his lost
+letter, and wondered if Rose would grow very impatient at his long
+delay in answering it.</p>
+
+<p>"If she does, she must," he remarked, philosophically, "for I am not
+in a position to hurry the mails just now. How distressed the dear
+girl would be, though, if she could see me at this minute! That is, if
+she didn't find it a situation for laughter, and, by Jove! I believe
+she would, for she laughs at most everything. I only hope we will have
+the chance to laugh over it together some time."</p>
+
+<p>In some way thoughts of Rose led to a recollection of that other girl,
+whom he had only seen for an instant; and when, a little later, in
+spite of his desperate situation, he actually fell asleep on his bed
+of cold flint, it was the face of the unknown that again haunted his
+dreams.</p>
+
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span></p><hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVII" id="CHAPTER_XVII"></a>CHAPTER XVII</h2>
+
+<h3>UNDERGROUND WANDERINGS</h3>
+
+
+<p>When Peveril next awoke he was racked with pain, and so stiff in every
+joint that an attempt to move caused him to groan aloud. A faint light
+dimly revealed his surroundings; but these were so strange and weird
+that for several minutes he could not imagine where he was nor what
+had happened. Slowly the truth dawned upon him, and one by one the
+awful incidents of the past night began to shape themselves in his
+mind.</p>
+
+<p>"I have been murdered and drowned," he said to himself. "Now I am
+entombed alive, beyond reach of hope or human knowledge. Never again
+shall I see the sunlight, never revisit the surface of the earth,
+never look upon my fellows nor hear the voice of man. I may live for
+several days, but I must live them alone&mdash;alone must I bear my
+sufferings, and finally I must die alone. What have I done to deserve
+such a fate? Is there no escape from it? I shall go mad, and I hope I
+may. Better oblivion than a knowledge of such agony as is in store for
+me.</p>
+
+<p>"And yet why should I lose faith in the Power that has thus far
+miraculously preserved me? I am alive,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span> and in possession of all my
+faculties. I shall not suffer from thirst. I even have a certain
+amount of food, together with the means for procuring fire. I am not
+left in utter darkness, and, above all, I have not yet proved by a
+single trial that escape is impossible. How much better off I am in
+every respect than thousands of others, who, finding themselves in
+desperate straits, have yet had the strength and courage to work out
+their own salvation! What an ingrate I have been! What a coward! But,
+with God's help, I will no longer be either!"</p>
+
+<p>Having thus brought himself to a happier and more courageous frame of
+mind, Peveril stiffly gained his feet, moved his limbs, and rubbed
+them until a certain degree of suppleness was restored. He was about
+to build a fire, but refrained from so doing upon reflection that his
+stock of fuel must be limited, and that a fire might be of infinitely
+greater value at some other time.</p>
+
+<p>Now the prisoner began a careful survey of his surroundings by the
+feeble light finding its way down the shaft into which he had been
+flung. As it did not materially increase, he concluded that full day
+had already reached the upper world. It was also brightest in the
+middle of the black pool, which showed that the opening through which
+it came must be directly above that point, and that the shaft must be
+perpendicular.</p>
+
+<p>Peveril called the hole a shaft, because, while he could neither see
+to the top nor clearly make out the outlines of the portions nearest
+at hand, it still <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span>impressed him as being of artificial construction,
+while the opening at one side, in which he stood, also seemed very
+much like a drift or gallery hewn from the solid rock by human hands.</p>
+
+<p>The impossibility of scaling the sheer, smooth walls of the shaft was
+evident at a single glance, and Peveril turned from it with a heavy
+heart. At the same moment his attention was attracted by a sharp
+squeaking, and, to his dismay, he made out a confused mass of
+something in active motion about the precious biscuit that he had left
+beside his fireplace. With a loud cry he sprang in that direction,
+only to stumble and fall over a small pile of what he took to be rocks
+that lay in his path.</p>
+
+<p>Without waiting to regain his feet, he flung several of these at the
+animals that had discovered and were devouring his hardtack. A louder
+squeak than before showed that at least one of his missiles had taken
+effect, and then there was a scampering away of tiny feet. When he
+reached the scene of destruction his only biscuit was half eaten,
+while beside it lay a huge rat that had been killed by one of his
+shots.</p>
+
+<p>"With plenty of rats and plenty of rocks I need not starve, at any
+rate," he remarked, grimly. "The idea of eating rats is horrid, of
+course, but I don't know why it should be. Certainly many persons have
+eaten them, and in an emergency I don't know why I should be any more
+squeamish than others.</p>
+
+<p>"What heavy rocks those were, though, and what sharp edges they had! I
+expect it will be a good idea<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span> to collect a few, and have them ready
+for my next rat-hunt."</p>
+
+<p>With this Peveril returned to the pile over which he had stumbled, and
+to his amazement found it to be composed of hammers and hatchets,
+chisels, knives, and other tools that he was unable to name, all of
+quaint shape, and all made of tempered copper. In an instant the
+nature of his prison became clear. He was in a prehistoric
+copper-mine, opened and worked thousands of years ago by a people so
+ancient that even tradition has nought to say concerning them.</p>
+
+<p>The knowledge thus thrust upon him filled the young man with awe, and
+he glanced nervously about him, as though expecting to see the ghosts
+of long-ago delvers advancing from the inner gloom. The thought that
+he was probably the first human being to set foot on that rocky
+platform since the prehistoric workmen had flung down their tools on
+it for the last time was overpowering.</p>
+
+<p>At the same time, if this were indeed a mine, it must also be a tomb,
+for it was not likely to have any exit save the unscalable shaft
+glimmering hopelessly above him. Here, then, was the end of all his
+hopes, for of what use were strength and courage in a place where
+neither could be made available?</p>
+
+<p>But hold! Where had the rats come from? Certainly not from the water,
+nor was it probable that they had come down the shaft, for its rocky
+sides appeared as straight and smooth as those of a well. Why should
+they have come at all to a place that could not contain a crumb of
+food, except the scanty<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span> supply that he had brought? If that alone had
+attracted them, why had they not found it hours before, while he was
+asleep? Might it not be possible that they had come from a distance in
+search of water after a night of feasting elsewhere? They had, at any
+rate, run back into the gallery; and by following the lead thus
+presented he might find some place of exit from that terrible
+subterranean prison. Even if it were only a rat-hole, he might be able
+to enlarge it, now that he had tools with which to work.</p>
+
+<p>At this moment how he blessed the dear old friend at whose insistence
+he had provided himself with the matches and candle that now rendered
+it possible for him to explore the dark depths of that prehistoric
+drift! Before starting on the trip that he was now determined to make,
+he ate the portion of biscuit left by the rats. He also so far
+overcame his repugnance as to skin and clean the dead rat, which he
+placed on a ledge of rock for future use in case he should be driven
+to it. Then he lighted his candle and set forth.</p>
+
+<p>For a considerable distance the gallery was open and fairly spacious,
+while everywhere the young explorer found scattered on its floor the
+ancient and quaintly shaped tools that told of the great number of
+workmen employed in its excavation. After a while his way began to be
+encumbered by piles of loose rock that seemed to have been collected
+for the purpose of removal.</p>
+
+<p>Now his way grew narrower and rougher, until in several places it was
+nearly blocked by masses of <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span>material that had fallen from the roof or
+caved in from the sides. Over some of these he was forced to creep on
+hands and knees, flattening himself into the smallest possible
+compass.</p>
+
+<p>At length the gallery came to an end, though from it a small "winze,"
+or passage, barely wide enough to crawl through, led upward at a sharp
+angle. At the bottom of this Peveril hesitated. His precious candle
+was half burned out, and would not much more than serve to carry him
+back to the place from which he had started. Besides this, the passage
+before him was so small that a person entering it could by no
+possibility turn around if he should desire to retrace his course. It
+was even doubtful if he could back out after having penetrated a short
+distance into the winze.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't know why I should care, though," said Peveril, bitterly,
+"for, even if I should get stuck in there, it would only be exchanging
+a tomb for a grave. At the same time, one does like to have room even
+to die in, and I don't believe the risk is worth taking. There isn't
+the slightest chance of a hole like that leading anywhere, and, so
+long as I can draw a breath at all, I am going to draw it in the
+open."</p>
+
+<p>So, with the last spark of hope extinguished, and with a heart like
+lead, the poor fellow turned to retrace his steps to the place in
+which he proposed to spend his few remaining hours of life, and then
+to yield it up as bravely as might be. As he did so a little gusty
+draught of air blew the flame from his candle and plunged him into
+absolute darkness.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 687px;">
+<img src="images/illus007.jpg" width="687" height="500" alt="PEVERIL SAT BESIDE THE FIRE IN FORLORN MEDITATION" title="" />
+<span class="caption">PEVERIL SAT BESIDE THE FIRE IN FORLORN MEDITATION</span>
+</div>
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span></p><p>Peveril was so startled by this occurrence that for some time he
+plunged blindly with outstretched hands back over the way he had come,
+forgetting in his bewilderment that he still had matches with which to
+relight his candle. Ere this was suggested to him he had retraced
+about half the distance, guided solely by the sense of feeling, though
+not without innumerable bruises and abrasions.</p>
+
+<p>When he at length reached the end of the gallery and stood once more
+beside the black pool into which he had been flung, what little of
+daylight found its way into those dim depths was rapidly fading. It
+only served while he gathered every stick of drift that some former
+high stage of water had deposited on the rocky platform, and then
+another night of almost arctic length was begun.</p>
+
+<p>To escape the awful gloom, Peveril lighted a fire and sat beside it in
+forlorn meditation, carefully feeding it one stick at a time, and
+longing for some sound to break the oppressive silence. Finally, faint
+with hunger, he recalled the bit of game that he had stored away ready
+for cooking. Fetching this, he quickly had it spitted on a sliver of
+wood and broiling with appetizing odor over a tiny bed of coals. It
+smelled so good as it sizzled and browned that all his repugnance
+vanished, and he was only impatient for it to be cooked. The moment it
+was so he began to devour it ravenously, regretting at the same time
+that he had not half a dozen rats to eat instead of one.</p>
+
+<p>He felt better after his meal, and a new courage crept into his heavy
+heart as he again sat in meditation<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span> beside his flickering blaze. Why
+he should feel more hopeful he could not imagine, for no glimmer of a
+plan for escape had presented itself.</p>
+
+<p>It was not until he had once more stretched himself on his flinty bed,
+with a block of wood for a pillow, and was trying to forget his
+wretchedness in sleep, that he knew. Then he sprang up with a shout.</p>
+
+<p>"What an idiot I am! What an absolute idiot! Where did the draught
+that blew out my light come from? From up that sloping passage, of
+course, and a draught can only be caused by an opening of some kind to
+the outer air. If I can only find it, I believe I shall also find a
+way out of here. So, old man, cheer up and never say die! You'll live
+to stand on top of the world again, yet&mdash;see if you don't!"</p>
+
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span></p><hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVIII" id="CHAPTER_XVIII"></a>CHAPTER XVIII</h2>
+
+<h3>FROM ONE TRAP INTO ANOTHER</h3>
+
+
+<p>The light of another day was dimly penetrating those underground
+depths before our prisoner was prepared to make his last effort for
+liberty. For all the aid he would receive from the pitiful amount
+allotted to him he might as well have started hours earlier; but while
+he longed to make the trial he also dreaded it. The thought of that
+box-like passage, through which he would be obliged to force his way
+without a chance of retreat, was so terrible that he shrank from it as
+we all shrink from anything dangerous or painful. Then, too, if he
+should escape, he would want daylight by which to guide his future
+movements. So, after tossing for hours on his hard bed and considering
+every aspect of his situation, he finally fell into a troubled sleep
+that lasted until morning.</p>
+
+<p>For breakfast he had only water, but of this he drank as much as he
+could, for he knew not when he would find another supply. Then he
+selected such of the copper tools as he thought might prove useful.
+Into one of them, which was a sort of a pick, he fitted a rude wooden
+handle, while the others,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span> which had cutting edges and were in the
+nature of knives, he thrust into his pockets. Having thus completed
+his simple preparations, he took a long look, that he well knew might
+be his last, on the daylight that was now so doubly precious, and then
+resolutely faced the inner gloom of the ancient mine.</p>
+
+<p>Determined to save his candle for use in the unknown winze, he slowly
+groped his way through utter darkness, and finally reached what he
+believed to be the end of the drift. Now he lighted his candle, and
+for a moment his unaccustomed eyes ached from the glare of its flame.
+He was, as he had thought, at the lower opening of the narrow passage,
+and, as he noted its steep upward slope, he was agitated by
+conflicting hopes and fears. It might lead to liberty, but there was
+an equal chance that in it he should miserably perish.</p>
+
+<p>At the very outset he was confronted by a condition that was not only
+disappointing, but exerted a most depressing influence. There was no
+draught, such as he had believed would issue from the winze. In vain
+did he hold up a wetted finger, in vain watch for the slightest
+flicker in the flame of his candle. The air was as stagnant as that of
+a dungeon. And yet there certainly had been a decided current at that
+very place only a few hours before. Puzzled and disheartened, he was
+still determined to press forward, and, stooping low, he entered the
+passage.</p>
+
+<p>It almost immediately became so contracted that he was compelled to
+creep on hands and knees, by which method he slowly and painfully
+overcame foot<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span> after foot of the ascent. A little later he was forcing
+his way with infinite labor, an inch at a time, through a space so
+narrow that he was squeezed almost to breathlessness. He was also
+bathed in perspiration, and was obliged to recruit his strength by
+frequent halts.</p>
+
+<p>At length his candle, which had burned low, was about to expire. With
+despairing eyes he watched its last flickering flame, feeling only the
+terror of impending darkness, and heedless of the fact that it was
+burning his hand. With the quenching of its final spark he resigned
+himself to his fate. He had fought his best, but the odds against him
+were too heavy, and now his strength was exhausted. Closing his eyes,
+and resting his head wearily on his folded arms, he prepared for the
+oblivion that he prayed might come speedily.</p>
+
+<p>Lying thus, and careless of the passage of time, he was visited by
+pleasant dreams, in which were mingled happy voices, laughter, and
+singing. He rested on a couch of roses, and cool breezes fanned his
+fevered brow. He was free as air itself and surrounded by illimitable
+space.</p>
+
+<p>All at once he became conscious that he was not dreaming, but was wide
+awake and staring with incredulous eyes at a glimmer of light, so
+wellnigh imperceptible that only by passing a hand before his face and
+so shutting it out for an instant could he be certain of its
+existence. At the same time an unmistakable draught of air was finding
+its way to him, and a voice as of an angel came to his ears faintly
+but distinctly with the snatch of a gay song.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span></p>
+<p>With hot blood surging to his brain, the poor fellow tried to call
+out, but the words died in his parched throat, and he could only emit
+a husky whisper. Then he struggled forward, and found himself in a
+larger space that widened rapidly until he was able to sit up and move
+his arms with freedom.</p>
+
+<p>He had reached the end of the passage; for, above his head, he could
+feel only a smooth surface of rock. The singing had ceased, the ray of
+light had faded into darkness, and the draught of air was no longer
+felt. But Peveril had noted the aperture by which it had come, and
+could now thrust his hand through this into a vacant space beyond.</p>
+
+<p>It seemed to him that the rock above his head was but a slab of no
+great thickness, and he tried to lift it. For some minutes he could
+not succeed, but finally he secured a purchase, got his shoulders
+directly beneath it, and, with a mighty upward heave, moved it
+slightly from the bed in which it had lain for centuries.</p>
+
+<p>With another powerful effort it was lifted the fraction of an inch,
+and, though it immediately settled back in place, the prisoner knew
+that the time of his deliverance had come. He could not raise the
+great slab bodily, but with wedges he could hold the gain of each
+upward lift. His first aids of this kind were the copper knives that
+he had brought with him. Then, by a dim light that came through the
+crevice thus opened, he used his pick to break off fragments of rock,
+which were slipped under the slab.</p>
+
+<p>It was thus raised and supported an inch at a time,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span> until at length
+an opening nearly two feet in width was presented. The moment this was
+effected Peveril drew himself through it, and, with a great sigh of
+thankfulness for his marvellous escape, lay for some minutes
+recovering breath after his tremendous exertions and studying his new
+surroundings.</p>
+
+<p>Although the small amount of light greeting his eyes as he lifted the
+rock had shown him that he was not to emerge into the open air, he
+could not help a feeling of disappointment at finding himself still
+underground. To be sure, he was in a spacious chamber or cavern, he
+could not yet tell which, illumined by a faintly diffused light that
+gave promise of some connection with the outer world; but he feared
+this might prove to be another unscalable shaft, in which case he
+would be no better off than before&mdash;in fact, he might find himself
+worse off, for he was desperately thirsty and could see no sign of
+water.</p>
+
+<p>"It would be pretty hard lines if I should be compelled to return to
+my old well for a drink," he said to himself.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as he had recovered breath, Peveril rose to his feet and began
+to walk slowly towards that part of the cavern where the light seemed
+brightest. As he went he looked eagerly on all sides for some trace of
+the singer whose voice had inspired him with a new hope at the moment
+of his blackest despair, but no person was to be seen or heard.</p>
+
+<p>At the same time he found abundant proof that human beings had
+recently visited that place, and would doubtless soon do so again.
+This was in the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span> shape of boxes, bales, and casks piled against the
+walls on both sides of the passage. For a moment Peveril was greatly
+puzzled by these; then, as he recalled Joe Pintaud's conversation
+regarding smugglers, he concluded that he had stumbled across a depot
+of goods belonging to those free-traders of the great lake.</p>
+
+<p>"In which case," he said to himself, "I shall surely be out of here
+within a few minutes; for an entrance for smugglers must mean an exit
+for prisoners."</p>
+
+<p>This was a sound theory, but, like a great many other theories, one
+that proved faulty upon practical application, as our young friend
+discovered a few minutes later.</p>
+
+<p>Directly beyond the packages of goods he came upon a small derrick,
+set firmly into the solid rock at both top and bottom. It had a
+substantial block-and-fall attachment, and was swung inward. At this
+point also a heavy tarpaulin, reaching from floor to ceiling, was hung
+completely across the cavern.</p>
+
+<p>Cautiously raising one corner of this, Peveril was blinded by such a
+flood of light that for a moment he was completely dazzled. As his
+vision was gradually restored he found himself on the brink of a
+precipice and gazing out over a boundless expanse of water&mdash;in fact,
+over the great lake itself. A narrow ledge projected a little beyond
+the curtain that he had lifted, and as he hesitatingly stepped out
+upon it he also instinctively grasped a small cedar that grew from it
+to steady himself while he looked down.</p>
+
+<p>The descent was sheer for twenty feet, and so<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span> smooth as not to afford
+a single foothold along its entire face. From the rippling water at
+its base rose a jagged ledge of black rocks, which Peveril recognized
+the moment his eyes fell upon them.</p>
+
+<p>"Of all mysteries this is the most inexplicable!" he cried; "and yet
+it surely is the very place."</p>
+
+<p>As he spoke he turned to look at the curtain which he had let fall
+behind him, and very nearly tumbled from the ledge in amazement at
+what he saw. Instead of the sheet of dingy canvas that he expected, he
+was confronted by a sheer wall of cliff, stained the same rusty red as
+that extending for miles on either side, and apparently not differing
+from it in any particular. He was compelled to reach out his hand and
+touch it before he could dispel the illusion and convince himself that
+only a sheet of painted canvas separated him from the cavern he had
+just left.</p>
+
+<p>"It is one of the very cleverest things in the way of a hiding-place I
+ever heard of," he said, half aloud; "and now I understand the
+disappearance of that girl. But where on earth did she come from? How
+did she get here? and where did she go to? Could it have been she whom
+I heard singing a little while ago? If so, where is she now? Not in
+the cavern. That I'll swear to."</p>
+
+<p>Peveril might have speculated at much greater length concerning this
+mystery had not the sight of water that he could not reach so
+aggravated his thirst that for the moment he could think of little
+else. All at once he hit upon a plan, and two minutes later had drawn
+aside the curtain, swung out the little<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span> derrick, and was letting
+himself down towards the ledge by means of its tackle.</p>
+
+<p>Lying flat on the rough rocks, he drank and drank of the delicious
+water, lifting his head for breath or to gaze ecstatically about him,
+and then thrusting it again into the cool flood for the pleasure of
+feeling the water on his hot cheeks.</p>
+
+<p>At length a slight sound caused him to turn quickly and look upward.
+To his dismay and astonishment the tackle by which he had lowered
+himself had disappeared. Unless he could make up his mind to swim for
+miles through water of icy coldness, he was as truly a prisoner on
+that ledge of rock as ever he had been in the underground depths from
+which he had so recently escaped.</p>
+
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span></p><hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIX" id="CHAPTER_XIX"></a>CHAPTER XIX</h2>
+
+<h3>"DARRELL'S FOLLY" AND ITS OWNER</h3>
+
+
+<p>Ralph Darrell was possessed by a passion for accumulating wealth, and,
+not satisfied with the certain but slow gains of his legitimate
+business of banking, was always on the lookout for extraordinary
+investments, in which he was willing to take great risks on the chance
+of receiving proportionate returns. During an excitement caused by
+marvellous finds of copper in the upper peninsula of Michigan, he,
+too, caught the fever, and became convinced that here was his
+opportunity for acquiring a fortune.</p>
+
+<p>From experts in whom he placed confidence he received such good
+accounts of a certain mineral tract located on Keweenaw Point, where
+mines of fabulous richness were already opened, that he purchased it,
+and persuaded Richard Peveril's father to become associated with him
+in a scheme for its development.</p>
+
+<p>When the crash came, and their golden dreams were dispelled by a rude
+awakening, he had sunk his own modest fortune, together with half of
+Peveril's, in a barren mine, and the blow was so heavy as to partially
+deprive him of his reason. He imagined himself to be the object of a
+conspiracy, headed by his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span> partner, to obtain entire control of the
+mine, which he also imagined to be immensely valuable.</p>
+
+<p>For the purpose of protecting the interests that he fancied to be
+thus endangered, Ralph Darrell disappeared from his home, made his
+way to the scene of his wrecked hopes, and took up a solitary abode
+in the deserted mining village. Although he was now a desperate man,
+and also one so crazed by misfortune that he believed every rock
+taken from the Copper Princess to be rich in metal, he retained much
+of the business shrewdness gained by years of experience. At the same
+time, he had become sly, suspicious of his fellows, and absolutely
+non-communicative. He had conceived the idea of holding on to the
+mine, and at the same time spreading reports of its worthlessness
+until the term of contract had expired, when he hoped that, in default
+of other claims, the entire property would fall into his hands. Then
+he would proclaim its true value and reap his long-delayed reward.</p>
+
+<p>So he lived alone in the comfortable house that had been built for the
+manager of the mine, held no intercourse with his widely scattered
+neighbors, discouraged all attempts on the part of outsiders to learn
+anything concerning him, rejoiced when he heard his mine spoken of as
+"Darrell's Folly," and devoted himself to keeping its valuable plant
+in repair, against the time when he should be free to use it for his
+own sole benefit.</p>
+
+<p>In looking about for some method of acquiring means with which to
+reopen and work the mine when<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span> it should be wholly his, he ran across
+a crew of Canadian fishermen, who were also smugglers in a small way,
+and, joining them, soon developed their unlawful trade into a
+flourishing business.</p>
+
+<p>Having discovered a deep cavern opening on the lake and extending
+close to the cellar of the very house in which he dwelt, he decided to
+use it as a receptacle and hiding-place for smuggled goods. To enhance
+its value for this purpose, he connected it with his own residence by
+an underground passage. On this he expended a vast amount of labor,
+digging it with his own hands, and holding it a secret from every
+human being. Even the smugglers, who implicitly obeyed his orders,
+since he had made it so profitable for them to do so, knew nothing of
+it, nor what became of their goods after they were delivered at night
+on a certain rocky ledge, and hoisted up the face of the cliff to some
+place that they never saw. Nor were the peddlers, by whom these same
+goods were carried far and wide, any wiser, for they always transacted
+their business with "old man" Darrell, and received their merchandise
+after dark, in a certain room of his house, the only one they were
+ever allowed to enter.</p>
+
+<p>Not only had Darrell retained to himself the secret of the cavern, but
+he had also conceived the idea of hiding it from the observation of
+passing vessels by means of a canvas screen drawn over its entrance,
+and cleverly painted to resemble the adjacent cliffs.</p>
+
+<p>Surrounded by these safeguards, and further protected by its locality
+in that desolate region, the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span>unlawful business flourished amazingly.
+It not only yielded its chief promoter a sufficient income to support
+his family comfortably in their distant Eastern home and enable him to
+keep his mining-plant in good repair, but each year saw a very tidy
+surplus stored away for the future development of the Copper Princess.</p>
+
+<p>Darrell had learned of his partner's death, and waited anxiously for
+years to hear from the Peveril heirs. As they remained silent, and
+made no claim against the property in which his own life was so
+completely bound up, he cherished the belief that they considered it
+too worthless even to investigate, and that he would be left in
+undisturbed possession to the end. He became so emboldened by this
+belief that, when the term of contract had so nearly expired that it
+had but a few months more to run, he even began in a small way to
+resume work in the mine. Thus he had it pumped out and partially
+retimbered. He also started work on a new level, and in every way
+possible, without attracting too much attention, got his property
+ready for the great scheme of development upon which he was determined
+the moment he should be freed from his contract.</p>
+
+<p>In the meantime his wife had died, and his only child, who had been
+born since he entered upon this strange existence, had come to share
+his lonely home. As she was but twelve years old when this great
+change in her life took place, she of course knew nothing of business,
+and had never heard of such a thing as smuggled goods. In her eyes
+everything<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span> that her dear papa did was right, and she was too happy at
+being permitted to become in any degree his assistant to think of
+questioning his methods.</p>
+
+<p>So the secret of the cavern and its underground connection was finally
+confided to her. She was also intrusted with the duty of watching for
+the little vessels that brought the goods in which her father dealt,
+and of hanging out the signal-lights by which their movements were
+guided. As these lights were always displayed from the stunted cedar
+at the mouth of the cavern, and as this place also served her for a
+post of observation, she passed much of her time within the limits of
+the great cave.</p>
+
+<p>Her father had won her promise never to mention the existence of the
+cavern, and had also warned her not to allow herself to be seen in it.
+There was, however, no necessity of such a warning, for Mary Darrell
+was too proud of her great secret to share it. Even Aunty Nimmo, the
+old black nurse who had come West with her, and had remained to care
+for her ever since, was not told of the cavern, though she shrewdly
+suspected its existence.</p>
+
+<p>If to the foregoing explanation it is added that the little
+trading-vessels, which were also to all appearance fisher-boats, never
+took on their return cargoes from the cavern, but always at either
+Laughing Fish Cove or the land-locked basin, the situation as it
+existed at the time of Peveril's appearance on the scene will be
+understood.</p>
+
+<p>As the sister schooner of the one that had carried off Joe Pintaud was
+due to arrive at about this date,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span> Mary Darrell was keeping a sharp
+watch for it, and paying frequent visits to her post of observation at
+the mouth of the cavern for that purpose. On each of these she of
+course drew aside the painted curtain, thereby letting in a rush of
+air that penetrated to the innermost recesses of the great cavity
+behind her.</p>
+
+<p>It was a little breath from one of these that, finding its way through
+the aperture beside the slab of rock, and so on down the narrow
+passage that led to the prehistoric mine, had blown out Peveril's
+candle. Of course the girl, who was the innocent cause of that bit of
+mischief, had no idea of what the breeze was doing, for neither she
+nor her father, or any one else for that matter, knew of the existence
+of the old workings so close at hand.</p>
+
+<p>On the following morning Mary again entered the cavern, singing
+light-heartedly as she did so. This time she remained but a few
+minutes, for she had something to attend to in the house; but she held
+aside the canvas curtain long enough to look out, assure herself that
+no vessel was in sight, and to allow another inrush of air. From it a
+second little breeze found its way beneath the great slab and into the
+darkness of the underground passage, where it restored poor,
+despairing Peveril to life and hope by cooling his fevered brow and
+carrying the sound of singing to his ears.</p>
+
+<p>The very next time the girl entered the cavern she was at first
+bewildered to find the canvas screen drawn aside from its opening and
+the place flooded with light. Next she was frightened to note that the
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span>derrick was swung outward, and that its attached tackle was hanging
+down out of sight.</p>
+
+<p>Her first impulse was to run and call her father. Then she remembered
+that, as he was down in the mine, it would be a long time before he
+could come. Also, being a brave young woman and not easily frightened,
+she determined to find out for herself if there was any real cause for
+alarm. So she crept softly to the mouth of the cavern and peered
+cautiously out.</p>
+
+<p>At sight of a man lying on the rocks at the foot of the cliff, with
+his head in the water, her heart almost stopped its beating and she
+almost screamed. He lay so still that for a moment she imagined him to
+be dead, though the next instant she knew he was not, for he lifted
+his head to catch a breath. Then he again plunged it into the water,
+and quick as thought the girl drew up the tackle by which he had
+lowered himself.</p>
+
+<p>"There," she said to herself; "I guess you will stay where you are,
+Mister Man, until I can bring papa; and he'll know what to do with
+you!"</p>
+
+<p>She had drawn in the tackle very cautiously, without noticing the
+little scraping noise that its lower block made in crossing the rocky
+ledge, and she turned to go as she spoke.</p>
+
+<p>But she must take one more look, just to see if that horrid man was
+still there, and what he was doing.</p>
+
+<p>So she very carefully leaned forward and gazed straight down into the
+upturned face of Richard Peveril.</p>
+
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span></p><hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XX" id="CHAPTER_XX"></a>CHAPTER XX</h2>
+
+<h3>PEVERIL IS TAKEN FOR A GHOST</h3>
+
+
+<p>The situation in which the two principal characters of this story were
+left at the close of the preceding chapter was so embarrassing to both
+that for several seconds they continued to stare at each other in
+silent amazement. Mary Darrell, her face alternately flushing and
+paling with confusion, seemed fascinated and incapable of motion. In
+spite of Peveril's astonishingly disreputable appearance, she at once
+recognized him as being the young stranger whom she had seen twice
+before, and had even helped out of an awkward predicament. She also
+knew that he had in some way aroused her father's enmity. But he had
+taken his departure from that vicinity several days earlier, and,
+though she had wondered if he would ever come back, she had not really
+expected to see him again.</p>
+
+<p>Now to come upon him so suddenly, looking so dreadful, and to realize
+that, incredible as it seemed, he must have learned the secret of the
+cavern, was all so bewildering and startling as to very nearly take
+away her breath. So she simply stared.</p>
+
+<p>It must be confessed that Peveril's present appearance<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span> was not so
+prepossessing as it had been at other times, and might be again. He
+had lost his hat, his hair was uncombed, his hands were bruised and
+soiled, while his clothing was torn and covered with dirt from the
+underground passages through which he had so recently struggled. But
+his face was quite clean, for he had just given it a thorough
+scrubbing, and to it the girl's gaze was principally directed.</p>
+
+<p>It was Peveril who first broke the embarrassing silence.</p>
+
+<p>"I am very glad to see you again," he said, "and to find that you are
+a real flesh-and-blood girl, instead of only a vision, or a sort of a
+rock-nymph, as I imagined you might be from the way you disappeared
+that other time."</p>
+
+<p>"What makes you think I am a girl?" asked Mary Darrell, whose face was
+the only part of her that Peveril could see.</p>
+
+<p>"Why, because," he began, hesitatingly&mdash;"because you are too
+good-looking to be anything but a girl, and because&mdash;Oh, well, because
+I am certain that you are. What else could you be, anyway?"</p>
+
+<p>Mary Darrell's face was crimson, but still she answered, stoutly, "I
+might be a boy, you know."</p>
+
+<p>"No, indeed. No boy could blush as you are doing at this moment."</p>
+
+<p>In reply, the girl rose to her feet and stepped out on the ledge in
+full view of the young man. She was clad in a golf suit, neat-fitting
+and becoming, but masculine in every detail. She had become so
+accustomed to dressing in that way that she was perfectly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span> at her ease
+in the costume, and even preferred it to her own proper garments.</p>
+
+<p>"I beg your pardon," stammered poor Peveril, as he gazed in
+bewilderment at the apparition thus presented. "I'm awfully ashamed to
+have made such a stupid mistake, but really, you know&mdash;"</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, it's all right," replied the other, "and you needn't apologize. I
+have so often been taken for a girl that I am quite used to it. And
+now may I ask who you are? why you are here? what you are doing down
+there? how you propose to get away? and&mdash;"</p>
+
+<p>"Hold on, my dear fellow!" interrupted Peveril. "Don't you think your
+list of questions is already long enough without adding any more?"</p>
+
+<p>"I suppose it is," laughed the other, assuming a seat in an expectant
+attitude at the base of the stunted cedar.</p>
+
+<p>The novelty of the situation, combined with its absolute safety, so
+far as she was concerned, was fascinating to the lonely girl. "Now you
+may begin," she added, "and tell me everything you know about
+yourself."</p>
+
+<p>"That would be altogether too long a story," replied Peveril, a little
+nettled at what he mentally termed the cheek of the youth. "Besides,"
+he continued, "I am too nearly starved to do much talking, seeing
+that, for more days than I can remember, I have had nothing to eat but
+a rat, and&mdash;"</p>
+
+<p>"A rat!" cried the other, in a tone of horror. "You didn't really eat
+a rat?"</p>
+
+<p>"Indeed I did, and I would gladly eat another at<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span> this very minute, I
+am so hungry. Don't you think you could get me one? Or if you had any
+cold victuals that you could spare&mdash;"</p>
+
+<p>At that moment Mary Darrell, without waiting to hear another word,
+jumped up and disappeared, leaving Peveril to wonder what had struck
+the young fellow, and hoping that he had gone for something in the
+shape of food.</p>
+
+<p>"I wish I'd got him to let down that rope again first," he said to
+himself, as he paced back and forth across the ledge; "then I could
+have pulled myself up and gone with him, thereby saving both time and
+trouble. I would have sworn, though, that he was a girl. Never was so
+deceived in my life. He must have a sister, and perhaps they are
+twins, for it surely was a girl that I saw here the other time. All
+the same, I'm rather glad she isn't on hand just now, for I should
+hate to have any girl see me in my present disguise. My appearance
+must be decidedly tough and tramp-like. Wonder if I can't do something
+to improve it? That chap might be just idiot enough to bring his
+sister back with him."</p>
+
+<p>Thus thinking, the young man attempted to get a look at himself in the
+water-mirror of the lake, and was trying to comb his hair with his
+fingers, when a merry laugh from above put an end to his toilet and
+caused him to start up in confusion.</p>
+
+<p>His young friend of the golf suit had returned, and was letting down a
+small basket attached to a stout cord.</p>
+
+<p>"Why don't you drop the tackle and let me come<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span> up there to you?"
+suggested Peveril, who was not only very tired of the ledge, but
+curious to make a closer acquaintance with his new friend.</p>
+
+<p>"Oh no," said the other, hurriedly, "I can't do that. But look out!
+catch the basket. I am sorry not to have brought you a better lunch,
+but you seemed in such a hurry that I thought you might not be
+particular."</p>
+
+<p>"It's fine," rejoined Peveril, who was already making a ravenous
+attack on the bread and cold meat contained in the basket. "You
+couldn't have brought me anything that I should have liked better, or
+that would have done me more good, and I am a thousand times obliged."</p>
+
+<p>A few minutes of silence ensued after this, while the one in the golf
+suit eagerly watched the other satisfy his hunger.</p>
+
+<p>When the last crumb of food had disappeared, Peveril heaved a sigh of
+content. "I feel like a new man now," he said, "and if you will only
+be so kind as to throw down that tackle&mdash;"</p>
+
+<p>"But you haven't answered a single one of my questions," interrupted
+the other.</p>
+
+<p>"Can't I do that up there as well as here?"</p>
+
+<p>"No, I want them answered right off, now."</p>
+
+<p>"Well, you are a queer sort of a chap," retorted Peveril; "but, seeing
+that you were so kind about the lunch, I don't mind humoring you a
+bit. Let me see: What were they? Oh! First&mdash;who am I? Well, I am
+Richard Peveril; but beyond that I hardly know how to answer.
+Second&mdash;why am I here? Because I can't get away. Third&mdash;what am I
+doing? Answering questions. Fourth&mdash;how do I propose to get away? By
+climbing the rope that you will let down to me, of course, and then
+have you show me the same way out of the cavern that you take."</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 695px;">
+<img src="images/illus008.jpg" width="695" height="451" alt="AT SEEING PEVERIL, THE MEN UTTERED A CRY OF TERROR" title="" />
+<span class="caption">AT SEEING PEVERIL, THE MEN UTTERED A CRY OF TERROR</span>
+</div>
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span></p>
+<p>"Oh, but I can't do that!"</p>
+
+<p>"Why not?"</p>
+
+<p>"Because I have promised never to show it to any one. But, if you
+don't know the way, how did you get into the cavern?"</p>
+
+<p>"If you'll show me your way out, I'll show you mine," replied Peveril,
+who was growing impatient.</p>
+
+<p>"I tell you I can't. It is simply impossible."</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, well! I won't urge you, then. Only let down the rope, so that I
+can get up to where you are, and I'll manage to find my own way out."</p>
+
+<p>"But I don't dare even to do that," answered the other, in genuine
+distress.</p>
+
+<p>"You don't mean to leave me down here forever, do you?"</p>
+
+<p>"No, of course not; but&mdash;Oh, I know! I'll send a boat for you. So,
+just wait patiently a little while longer and you shall be taken off."</p>
+
+<p>"I say! hold on!" cried Richard; but his words were unheeded, for,
+acting on the impulse of the moment, the other had disappeared, and he
+was talking to empty space.</p>
+
+<p>"Confound the boy!" he exclaimed, impatiently. "I never heard of
+anything so utterly absurd. Why, in the name of common-sense, should
+he object to showing me the way out of his old cave? One would<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span> think
+that ordinary humanity&mdash;But boys are such heartless young beggars that
+there's no such thing as appealing to their sympathies. If it had only
+been his sister now!"</p>
+
+<p>In the meantime Mary Darrell had hastened from the cavern full of her
+new plan for rescuing the prisoner without betraying the secret of the
+underground passage.</p>
+
+<p>She at first thought of appealing to her father for aid, but,
+remembering his bitterness against the young man, decided to act
+without him. So she called two miners who were at work about the mouth
+of the shaft and bade them follow her. As they did so she led the way
+to the basin, and, entering a boat, ordered the men to row her out
+into the lake.</p>
+
+<p>They obeyed without hesitation, and, as Mary steered, she soon had the
+satisfaction of seeing her prisoner just where she had left him.</p>
+
+<p>He was at the same time relieved of a growing anxiety by the approach
+of the boat, in which he finally recognized the young fellow who,
+although acting so curiously, had, on the whole, proved himself a
+friend.</p>
+
+<p>The boat approached so close to the ledge that Mary had given the
+order to cease rowing before the oarsmen turned their heads to see
+where they were. As they did so, they uttered a simultaneous cry of
+terror, again seized their oars, whirled their light craft around,
+and, in spite of Mary Darrell's angry protestations, began to row with
+frantic haste back in the direction from which they had come.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span></p>
+<p>Although Peveril was not so much surprised at this proceeding as he
+might have been had he not recognized the villain Rothsky in the
+bow-oarsman, he was bitterly disappointed, and paced up and down his
+narrow prison with restless impatience.</p>
+
+<p>"Oh! If I ever get out of this scrape!" he cried.</p>
+
+<p>Less than an hour afterwards, when Mary Darrell again entered the
+cavern, but this time in company with her father, to whom she had
+confided the whole story, Peveril had disappeared. There was no boat
+to be seen, and they were confident that none had been on the coast
+that day. The derrick, with its tackle, was just as Mary had left it,
+yet neither in the cavern nor on the ledge was a trace of the young
+man to be seen.</p>
+
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span></p><hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXI" id="CHAPTER_XXI"></a>CHAPTER XXI</h2>
+
+<h3>MIKE CONNELL TO THE RESCUE</h3>
+
+
+<p>On the very day that the White Pine logging expedition had been so
+completely disbanded, the tug <i>Broncho</i> had been sent up the coast in
+a hurry after a supply of timber. She reached Laughing Fish Cove in
+the evening after Peveril's departure from his camp, and spent the
+night there awaiting him. Her captain was greatly perplexed by the
+failure of any of the party to put in an appearance, and the more so
+when he learned from the fishermen that Peveril had returned alone
+only to depart again on foot soon afterwards.</p>
+
+<p>By morning he dared not wait longer, for his instructions were to
+start back immediately with such logs as had been collected. He also
+imagined that, having picked up all the timber they could find, and
+becoming tired of waiting for him, the wreckers might have set out for
+Red Jacket on foot. So, taking in tow the raft that he found in the
+cove, he started down the coast, arriving at his destination that same
+evening.</p>
+
+<p>Mike Connell, who had been anxiously awaiting Peveril's coming, was at
+the landing to meet his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span> friend, and was much disappointed at his
+non-appearance. After gaining all the news concerning the missing
+party that Captain Spillins could give him, he hastened back to Red
+Jacket, and went at once to the Trefethen cottage with a faint hope
+that Peveril might be there.</p>
+
+<p>The inmates of the little house had also pleasantly anticipated the
+return of the young man in whom they were so interested, and had made
+such simple preparations as came within their means for welcoming him.
+Now their disappointment at Connell's report was mingled with a
+certain anxiety that increased as they discussed the situation.</p>
+
+<p>"I'm feared lad's got into some trouble along of they furriners,"
+reflected Mark Trefethen, as he puffed thoughtfully at his short pipe.
+"Not but he'll find way outen it, though, for he's finely strong and
+handy wi' his fists. Still, there's always the knives and deviltry of
+they furriners to be reckoned with."</p>
+
+<p>"They do tell as hit's a cruel country up yon, full o' thieves and
+murderers, to say naught o' smuggling pirates," put in his wife;
+"which, as I were saying to Miss Penny no longer ago than yesterday,
+when me and 'er was looking in at company store, the same as Maister
+Peril should be running this blessed minute if 'e 'ad 'is rights,
+'Miss Penny,' sez I, 'that pore young man'll never get it in this
+world, now 'e's gone for a sailor, mark my words,' little thinking
+they'd so soon come true."</p>
+
+<p>"If I was a man," said Nelly Trefethen, at the same time casting a
+meaning glance at her sweetheart,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span> "I'd not be sitting here wondering
+how he's to be got out of trouble, especially if he'd done for me what
+he has for some."</p>
+
+<p>"No more will I," spoke up Mike Connell, "for I'm going to find him,
+which is what I came to say along with telling the news."</p>
+
+<p>"And I'll go with you!" exclaimed Tom Trefethen, springing to his
+feet, as though for an immediate start.</p>
+
+<p>"No, Tom; glad as I'd be of your company, it's best I should go alone,
+seeing as I know that country well, and one man can get along in it
+when two couldn't. Besides, you are needed here, while I'm not."</p>
+
+<p>In spite of young Trefethen's protests, the Irishman remained firm in
+his decision to set forth alone in search of his friend; and as he
+left the house Nelly, who with the others accompanied him to the door,
+managed to give his hand an approving squeeze.</p>
+
+<p>Although Major Arkell gave orders for the tug to return to Laughing
+Fish in search of the missing loggers the moment her services could be
+spared, it was not until twenty-four hours after bringing in the raft
+that it was possible for her to do so.</p>
+
+<p>In the meantime Mike Connell, starting at the break of day, and
+walking briskly northward, reached the cove that still held Peveril's
+deserted camp that same afternoon.</p>
+
+<p>Through an intimacy with several of his countrymen who were successful
+peddlers of Ralph Darrell's smuggled goods, Connell had learned much
+concerning that section of country, and the various operations
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span>conducted within its limits. He had at one time seriously contemplated
+going into the peddling business himself, and had made so many
+inquiries in regard to its details that he was even familiar with
+"Darrell's Folly," though it was a place he had never visited.</p>
+
+<p>Knowing it to be a headquarters for smugglers, and believing that, if
+Peveril had really got himself into trouble, it would be in connection
+with some of those people, he felt that it was a likely locality in
+which to search for information. Accordingly he headed directly for
+it, only going a short distance out of his way to visit Laughing Fish
+Cove. Having heard that the fisher-folk were in league with the
+smugglers, he did not care to betray his presence to them, and so did
+not show himself in the little settlement, but only skirted it, until
+certain that his friends were not there. Then he proceeded towards his
+destination by the same trail that Peveril had followed only two
+nights before.</p>
+
+<p>As he walked slowly along the narrow pathway, trying to invent some
+plausible excuse for presenting himself before the irascible old man
+who, he had heard, excluded all strangers from "Darrell's Folly," his
+steps were arrested by the sound of voices approaching from the
+opposite direction. In another moment he saw three men hurrying
+towards him, gesticulating wildly and talking loudly in an unknown
+tongue.</p>
+
+<p>As they drew near he recognized in them the three car-pushers recently
+driven from the White Pine Mine.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span> It also flashed into his mind that
+these were the men whom he had urged to make a cowardly attack on the
+young fellow he had then considered an enemy, but for whom he was now
+searching as for a dear friend.</p>
+
+<p>The new-comers also recognized him, and, regarding him as of one
+purpose with themselves in all that concerned Peveril, did not
+hesitate to advance and speak to him. After an exchange of greetings,
+Connell broached the business in hand by asking if they had seen
+anything in those parts of the chap who had driven them from White
+Pine.</p>
+
+<p>The men glanced at each other hesitatingly for a moment, and then
+Rothsky answered:</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, my friend, indeed we have seen him, and to our sorrow, since it
+is but now that he has driven us from another job, better even than
+that."</p>
+
+<p>"How so?" inquired Connell, pricking up his ears.</p>
+
+<p>"It is this way: We are working, at good wages, for the old fool over
+yonder, when that devil of a Per'l comes and tries to steal our
+timbers. Then the boss compels us to seize him and put him in his
+boat, which we tow far out in the lake. Then, as he makes a try to
+escape, the boss, who is like a man crazy, shoots him with a pistol
+through the head, and we all see him fall without life in the bottom
+of his boat. He is so very dead that he does not even move, and so is
+let go to drift, him and his boat, while we return to shore."</p>
+
+<p>"A fine way of treating trespassers, bedad!" exclaimed Connell; "but
+all the same, there is folks who would call it murder."</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span></p>
+<p>"Yes, was it not? But wait. All that was three days ago; and yet, but
+one hour since, two of us have seen the ghost of this beast Per'l
+standing on the black rocks, with the white face of death, the wet
+hair of the drowned, and his clothing torn by the teeth of fishes. He
+said not one word, but waited for us, and would have dragged us to the
+bottom if we had not fled in time. Now, with such things allowed, we
+can no longer work in this place, and so, for the second time, has he
+driven us from our good job."</p>
+
+<p>"It's a cruel shame and an outrage on dacency, nothing less!" cried
+Connell, in pretended indignation. "At the same time, Rothsky, man,
+I'd like to have been with you, for do you know I've never laid eyes
+on a ghost at all, but would like mightily to have the exparience.
+Would ye mind tellin' me now where could I find this one, just for the
+pleasure of the sensation?"</p>
+
+<p>"No, no, Mist Connell! Don't go near it, for you'll be going to your
+death if you do."</p>
+
+<p>"But, if I'm willing to risk it why not?"</p>
+
+<p>So the Irishman insisted that they should permit him to share with
+them the glory of having seen a ghost, and finally won from them full
+directions how to discover the place from which they had fled in
+terror. The sly fellow even made pretence of wishing them to go back
+with him, and, when they declined to consider his invitation, declared
+them to be a set of cowards, and set forth alone.</p>
+
+<p>"It's my belief," he said to himself, as he made<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span> his way towards the
+place where they had told him he would find a boat, "that them divils
+of Dagos have played some dirty trick on Mister Peril. If there'd been
+but two of them I'd found some way of extorting a confession from
+their lying mouths, but odds of three to one is too big to risk. So I
+had to blarney them; but maybe I'll be able to help the lad some way;
+and, anyhow, here's for the trying."</p>
+
+<p>It was dusk when Connell, having found the boat, pulled unobserved out
+of the land-locked basin, and by the time he reached the ledge, where
+he had been told he would find Peveril's ghost, darkness had so closed
+in that he could not tell whether it was occupied or not until he had
+left his craft and explored its limited area.</p>
+
+<p>"Mister Peril!" he called, softly; "come out, if you're hiding, for
+it's only me, Mike Connell, come to take you away from this&mdash;Oh, bad
+cess to it, he's not here at all, and it's a great song-and-dance them
+Dagos give me! Now I'll have to go and beg a night's lodging of the
+old man, and maybe he'll give me a job in place of them as has just
+left him. In that case I'll find out something, or me name's not&mdash;Holy
+smoke! where's me boat? Bad luck to the slippery craft! It's gone
+entirely, and here I am left to spend the cruel night alone on a bit
+of a rock in the sea. If I was in jail I'd be better off."</p>
+
+<p>It was only too true. The light skiff, carelessly left to its own
+devices, had been caught by a gentle breeze and borne without a sound
+beyond sight or hearing.</p>
+
+<p>As the second prisoner claimed by the black ledge<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span> that day stood
+dismally bemoaning his hard fate, a light flashed out above him, and,
+glancing upward, he saw what he took to be a man in the act of hanging
+two lanterns to a bit of a tree. It was a danger-signal warning the
+smugglers to keep away, and Mary Darrell was placing it by order of
+her father, who feared Peveril might still be lingering in that
+vicinity.</p>
+
+<p>"Hey, lad," cried Connell, noting her slight figure, "will you help a
+fellow-creature in distress by tossing down the end of a rope?"</p>
+
+<p>"Are you really still there?" exclaimed the girl, in a tone of dismay,
+and striving to peer down through the darkness.</p>
+
+<p>"I am that, but most anxious to get away."</p>
+
+<p>"And if I do let down the rope, will you promise to depart at once the
+same way you came?"</p>
+
+<p>"I'll promise anything if you'll only let me up."</p>
+
+<p>"Well, then, there it is. I know I am doing wrong, but I can't leave
+you down there all night, for you would be dead by morning."</p>
+
+<p>"True for ye," answered Connell, as he began briskly to climb the
+rope, hand over hand.</p>
+
+<p>As his face appeared within the circle of lantern-light, the poor
+girl, who was waiting with trembling anxiety, uttered a cry of terror
+and fled into the gloom of the cavern.</p>
+
+<p>"Well, if that don't bate my time!" exclaimed the new-comer, as he
+gained a foothold on the ledge. "Whatever could the lad be frightened
+of?"</p>
+
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span></p><hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXII" id="CHAPTER_XXII"></a>CHAPTER XXII</h2>
+
+<h3>THE SIGNAL IS CHANGED</h3>
+
+
+<p>Peveril had been amazed and disgusted at the sudden turning about and
+departure of the boat that had so nearly effected his rescue. Of
+course, on recognizing the oarsmen, he understood why they declined to
+help him, though it did not enter his mind that they regarded him as a
+supernatural being.</p>
+
+<p>"What cowards they are!" he reflected, bitterly. "They are determined
+to kill me though, that is evident, and I don't believe they will be
+content with simply leaving me here to die of exposure. It's more than
+likely they will roll rocks down on me from the cliffs during the
+night. There's a cheerful prospect to contemplate, with darkness
+already coming on, too!</p>
+
+<p>"That young fellow seemed willing enough to help me, only he was bound
+to do it in his own way; but now I suppose those wretches will prevent
+him from making any more efforts in my behalf. What is he doing with
+that gang of murderers, I wonder? Apparently he is about as far
+removed from that class as a person can be. Well, that's neither here
+nor there. The one thing to be considered just now is,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span> how am I to
+get out of this fix? I wonder if there is any possibility of that cord
+bearing my weight."</p>
+
+<p>The cord thus referred to was the one by which the basket of food had
+been lowered. As it still hung close at hand, Peveril gave it a sharp
+pull. Although it yielded slightly, it did not break, and, encouraged
+by this, he threw his whole weight on it as a conclusive test of its
+strength. The result was sudden, surprising, and wellnigh disastrous.
+The cord gave way so readily that Peveril sprawled at full length on
+the rocks, while, at the same time, something heavy fell with a rush
+down the face of the cliff and struck with great force close beside
+his head.</p>
+
+<p>Springing to his feet in alarm at this most unexpected happening, the
+prisoner found to his amazement and also to his delight that he had
+pulled down the derrick-tackle by which he had descended. To be sure,
+the block at its lower end had very nearly dashed out his brains, but
+what did he care for that so long as he had been given the benefit of
+the miss? For a moment he was puzzled to know how his pull on the cord
+could have effected so desirable a result, but, upon an examination of
+the tackle, he laughed aloud at the simplicity of the proposition. For
+want of something better to hold her end of the cord, Mary Darrell had
+tied it to the block of the derrick-tackle, intending, of course, to
+draw up the basket again as soon as her starving guest had emptied it.
+Then, absorbed in a suddenly evolved plan for releasing him from his
+predicament<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span> and at the same time preserving her father's secret, she
+had gone away and neglected to do so.</p>
+
+<p>Peveril was not slow to avail himself of the means of escape thus
+provided, and a few minutes later stood once more within the portal of
+the great cavern. His first care was to haul up the tackle and dispose
+it as he imagined it to have been left, with the attached cord hanging
+down the face of the cliff.</p>
+
+<p>"There!" he said, when this was done to his satisfaction. "The young
+fellow is almost certain to come back for another look at me, and,
+though I fancy he'll be somewhat surprised to find me gone, it will
+never enter his head that I am up here. Then when he leaves I will
+simply follow his lead, and so find the way out of this mysterious
+place. Perhaps, though, I can discover it for myself."</p>
+
+<p>Thus thinking, Peveril made as careful an examination of the cavern
+walls as the fading light would permit, but could find no sign of an
+opening. Finally, deciding to carry out his original plan, he selected
+a hiding-place, and, settling himself in it as comfortably as
+possible, began to await with what patience he might the return of his
+young friend.</p>
+
+<p>By this time the cavern was quite dark, save for a dim twilight at its
+opening; and, having nothing to distract his attention, he began to
+realize how very weary he was after the exertions and nervous strain
+of the past three days. He had also just eaten a hearty meal. It is
+little wonder then that, within five minutes, and in spite of his
+strenuous exertions<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span> to keep awake, he fell fast asleep. Fortunately
+he did not snore, nor make any sound to betray his presence, but
+unfortunately, also, his slumber was so profound that when, a little
+later, Mary Darrell and her father softly entered the gallery and
+cautiously proceeded to its mouth for a look at the prisoner, whom
+they supposed still to be on the black ledge, he did not waken.</p>
+
+<p>Puzzled as they were at his disappearance, they were also greatly
+relieved to have him gone. They never for a moment imagined that he
+could have regained the cavern, and so, after drawing up the basket,
+they retired as they had come, leaving Peveril undisturbed to his nap.</p>
+
+<p>While it was not certain that the expected smuggling schooner would
+reach the coast that evening, she might do so, and, with the
+cautiousness marking all of his operations, Ralph Darrell decided that
+it would not do for her cargo to be landed while there was a chance of
+a stranger, who was at the same time an enemy, being in the
+neighborhood. He felt assured that the young man who had so
+mysteriously appeared and disappeared that day must be an enemy; for,
+though Mary had not mentioned his name, she had described him as being
+the one who had recently attempted to steal his logs from the
+land-locked basin. Now he had no doubt that the chap was a
+revenue-officer who had come to spy out his smuggling operations, and
+only pretended to be in search of wrecked timber as a cloak for his
+real designs. Else why should he still hang around, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span> especially in
+the vicinity of the cavern, where there were no logs?</p>
+
+<p>Mary even declared a belief that he had been in their carefully
+concealed hiding-place, but, of course, she must be mistaken. Still,
+no more cargo must be landed until the spy was located and driven from
+that region.</p>
+
+<p>"I sha'n't need to carry on the business much longer," said the old
+man to himself; "but so long as I choose to remain in it I don't
+propose to be interfered with."</p>
+
+<p>So Mary was directed to go and display two lanterns at the mouth of
+the cavern as a signal that no goods were to be landed that night,
+while her father went out for the final look at his precious mining
+property that he took every evening just after the men had quit work.</p>
+
+<p>Ralph Darrell's heart was bound up in the new work he had recently
+began, and so anxious was he to push it that he was engaging all
+laborers who came that way. As yet his force was very small, but he
+was in hopes of speedily increasing it. Thus, to discover that three
+of his strongest men had suddenly thrown up their jobs and left him
+without warning filled him with anger. So furious was he, even after
+he entered the house, that poor Mary, who had just returned badly
+frightened from the cavern, dared not confess to him that, through her
+own carelessness, another stranger had been admitted to the hidden
+storehouse of the cliffs.</p>
+
+<p>Perhaps by morning this unwelcome visitor would<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span> have disappeared, as
+the other had done; and, at any rate, he could never find the secret
+passage, for it was too carefully concealed. By morning, too, her
+father would be restored to his ordinary frame of mind, and it would
+be easier to tell him what she had done, if, indeed, it should prove
+necessary to tell him at all.</p>
+
+<p>In the meantime Mike Connell was much puzzled by the nature of the
+place in which he found himself after his climb, as well as by the
+abrupt disappearance of the lad upon whom he had counted for guidance.
+The darkness, with its accompanying profound silence, so affected him
+that, while he called several times, "Whist now! Where are you? Come
+out o' that, young feller, and have done with your foolin'!" he did so
+in an awed tone but little above a whisper.</p>
+
+<p>"All right; stay where you are then!" he added, after listening vainly
+for a reply. "If it's a game of hide-and-seek ye want, I can soon
+accommodate you, seeing as how you've been so kind as to leave me a
+couple of glims, though it's only one of them I'll need."</p>
+
+<p>Thus saying, the new-comer removed one of the two lanterns that had
+been hung out as a warning to the smugglers, and unwittingly changed
+the danger-signal into one of safety and invitation by so doing. With
+the lantern thus acquired to light his footsteps, he began a careful
+survey of the cavern, hoping to discover either an exit from it or his
+vanished guide.</p>
+
+<p>With his previous knowledge of the principal industry of that region,
+it did not take him long to conjecture<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span> the meaning of the bales and
+boxes upon which he soon stumbled.</p>
+
+<p>"Holy smoke!" he cried; "it's a cave of smugglers you've broke into,
+Mike Connell, no less, and a sorrowful time ye'll have of it if the
+folks comes home and catches you at the trespassing! Where the divil
+is the back door, I wonder, for the one in front is no good at all?
+Saints preserve us! What's that?"</p>
+
+<p>With this last exclamation the frightened Irishman began to retreat
+slowly backward, holding his lantern so that, while it revealed his
+own terror-stricken face, its light also fell full on the form of
+Richard Peveril standing before him and staring in blankest amazement.</p>
+
+<p>"Plaze, good Mister Spook&mdash;I mean yer Honor&mdash;Oh, Holy Fathers! what
+will I say?" stammered the poor fellow, in such faltering accents that
+Peveril broke into a roar of laughter.</p>
+
+<p>"Mike Connell!" he cried; "wherever did you come from? and what has
+happened? You look as though you had seen a ghost!"</p>
+
+<p>"And haven't I?" retorted the other, still staring dubiously. "Is it
+yourself, lad? But sure it must be, seeing you have a voice of your
+own, which is a thing never yet given to a spook. Glory be to
+goodness, Mister Peril, that I've found you just as I'd lost you
+entirely, and meself as well!"</p>
+
+<p>"But how do you happen to be here?" asked the still bewildered
+Peveril.</p>
+
+<p>"Sure I just came, thinking you might want me."</p>
+
+<p>"Which way did you come?"</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span></p>
+<p>"Through the front door, the same as yourself."</p>
+
+<p>"But I came in by a back entrance."</p>
+
+<p>"Then we'd best be getting out that way, for I'm afeard there'll soon
+be others here as won't be pleased to see us."</p>
+
+<p>"We can't, for that way is barred," answered Peveril; "but let us sit
+down and try to arrive at some understanding of this mysterious
+affair."</p>
+
+<p>So, for nearly an hour, the two talked over the situation; and, though
+each frequently interrupted the other with questions or exclamations,
+they finally gained a pretty clear comprehension of their position. At
+the end of the conference Peveril exclaimed:</p>
+
+<p>"Then, so far as I can see, we are shut up here like two rats in a
+trap."</p>
+
+<p>"Yes," cried Connell, "and here comes the rat-catchers after us now!"</p>
+
+<p>As he spoke he pointed to the outer entrance, where the head and
+shoulders of a man had just appeared above the rocky ledge.</p>
+
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span></p><hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXIII" id="CHAPTER_XXIII"></a>CHAPTER XXIII</h2>
+
+<h3>A BATTLE WITH SMUGGLERS</h3>
+
+
+<p>After supper that same evening the violence of Ralph Darrell's rage
+had so subsided that his daughter ventured to inquire concerning its
+cause. When he had informed her, she said:</p>
+
+<p>"Why should you let a little thing like that worry you, papa? Surely
+you can engage plenty more miners if you want them. I don't see why
+you should bother with the old mine, though. It don't seem to be worth
+anything."</p>
+
+<p>"Not worth anything!" cried the old man, standing up in his
+excitement. "Why, child, it is worth millions! It is one of the
+richest copper properties in the world, and in one week's time it will
+be all my own. Rather, it will be yours, since it is for you alone
+that I have lived in this wilderness all these years, thereby saving
+it from destruction, and warding off the conspiracy that would reduce
+you to beggary. For your sake only have I so guarded the secret of its
+wealth that no living soul suspects it. Even the men who delve in its
+depths know not the value of the material in which they toil, for I
+have not told them. Nor have I allowed an assay to be<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span> made of its
+smallest fragment; but I know its worth, its fabulous value, that will
+make the owner of the Copper Princess one of the richest heiresses in
+the world."</p>
+
+<p>"Who is the Copper Princess, papa?" asked the girl, who, though
+bewildered by the old man's extravagant statements, could not help but
+be interested in them.</p>
+
+<p>"You are, my darling, you are a copper princess; but the name also
+applies to your mine, and was given to it before you were born.
+'Darrell's Folly' is what men, in their ignorance, call it now, but in
+one week's time it may assume its rightful title, and thereafter the
+fame of the Copper Princess will spread far and wide."</p>
+
+<p>"But why not let people call the mine by its real name now, papa? What
+difference will one week make?"</p>
+
+<p>"Because," replied Ralph Darrell, bending towards his daughter, and
+lowering his voice almost to a whisper, as though fearful of being
+overheard, "in one week's time&mdash;only one week from this very day&mdash;the
+contract will expire, and the heirs of Richard Peveril can make no
+claim."</p>
+
+<p>"Richard Peveril!" cried the girl, with a sudden recollection; "why,
+papa, that is the name of the young man who was in the cavern to-day,
+for he told me so himself. He is the same, you know, who came for your
+logs."</p>
+
+<p>For an instant the old man glared at his daughter with an expression
+so terrible that she shrank from<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span> him frightened. Then it cleared, and
+in his ordinary tone he said, gently:</p>
+
+<p>"I wish, dear, you would go and change your dress. I don't like to
+have you wear this boy's costume in the evening."</p>
+
+<p>With only a moment of hesitation the girl obeyed him and left the
+room.</p>
+
+<p>She had no sooner disappeared than the strange expression that he had
+so successfully banished for a minute returned to the man's face, and,
+possessing himself of a revolver, he proceeded to load it. As he did
+so he muttered:</p>
+
+<p>"I must do it for her sake, though she must never know. Richard
+Peveril shall not be given an opportunity for making his claim. If he
+is really in the cavern he must not be allowed to escape from it
+alive."</p>
+
+<p>So saying, the old man left the room, while Mary Darrell, who had been
+anxiously watching his movements through a crack of the opposite
+doorway, followed swiftly after him.</p>
+
+<p>In the cavern, at that moment, two groups of men were confronting each
+other suspiciously, but hesitating as to what attitude they should
+assume. The expected schooner had reached the coast that evening, and,
+assured of safety by the single light displayed from the cliffs, had
+run boldly in to her accustomed anchorage. As the operations of the
+smugglers were necessarily conducted with great promptness, a portion
+of her valuable cargo was immediately transferred to a small boat, and
+four men accompanied it to the usual landing-place on the black
+ledge. Here the goods were taken out, and two of the men returned to
+the schooner with the boat while the others remained on shore. These
+became so impatient at not receiving the usual intimation from above
+that all was in readiness for hoisting, nor any answer to their
+repeated signals, that they finally decided to avail themselves of the
+tackle hanging ready beside them to go up and investigate. The captain
+of the schooner, who was an Englishman, went first, and the other, who
+was a French Canadian, followed closely after him.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 681px;">
+<img src="images/illus009.jpg" width="681" height="498" alt="A WILD-LOOKING MAN LEVELLED A PISTOL AT PEVERIL" title="" />
+<span class="caption">A WILD-LOOKING MAN LEVELLED A PISTOL AT PEVERIL</span>
+</div>
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span></p>
+<p>To their amazement they found the cavern, which they had been told was
+never entered except by old man Darrell or his son, in possession of
+two strangers, who appeared equally surprised at seeing them.</p>
+
+<p>"What are you chaps doing 'ere?" demanded the Englishman.</p>
+
+<p>"Oui. By gar! vat you do in zis place?" added his follower.</p>
+
+<p>"I was about to ask that same question," said Peveril. "What are <i>you</i>
+doing here?"</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, be jabers! That's what <i>we</i> want to know. What be <i>yous</i> doing
+here?" chimed in Mike Connell.</p>
+
+<p>At that moment a wild-looking, white-headed figure suddenly appeared
+on the scene, and, with one searching glance at Peveril, who stood
+fully revealed in the light of Mike Connell's lantern, levelled a
+pistol full at him. As he did so, a cry of terror rang through the
+rock-hewn chamber, and a pair of soft arms were flung about the old
+man from behind. By<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span> this his aim was so disconcerted that, though the
+shot still rang out with startling effect in that confined space, its
+bullet flew wide of the intended mark, and Peveril stood unharmed.</p>
+
+<p>In another second the schooner's captain had sprung upon the madman
+and wrenched the pistol from his hand, crying out:</p>
+
+<p>"No, no, Mr. Darrell! There must be no murder connected with this
+business. It is bad enough, God knows, without having that added!"</p>
+
+<p>"C'est vrai! Certainment! By gar!" shouted the Canadian.</p>
+
+<p>"You bet your sweet life, old man! That sort of thing don't go down in
+the copper country, and it's mighty lucky for you that the young
+feller was on hand to kape you from carrying out your murderous
+intentions," said Mike Connell, sternly.</p>
+
+<p>Peveril, seeing that the man, whom he had already recognized, was
+rendered harmless by the loss of his pistol, remained coolly silent,
+waiting for some cue by which his own course of action might be
+determined.</p>
+
+<p>"I see I have made a mistake, gentlemen," said Ralph Darrell, changing
+his tactics with all a madman's cunning and readiness. "And I beg
+Mister&mdash;a&mdash;"</p>
+
+<p>"Peveril," said the young man&mdash;"Richard Peveril is my name, sir."</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, of course; and, as I was saying, I beg Mr. Richard Peveril's
+pardon for being so hasty; but my daughter here, having informed me of
+his suspicious presence in the vicinity of this warehouse, I came to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span>
+protect my property from possible depredation. Finding him in the very
+place that I was most anxious to guard, I very naturally took him for
+a burglar, and acted accordingly. I am sorry, of course, if I have
+made a mistake; but, if I remember rightly, I have already had
+occasion to accuse Mr. Peveril of trespassing, and to order him from
+my premises."</p>
+
+<p>"You did, sir, and I refused to go until I had recovered certain
+property to which I have a claim."</p>
+
+<p>"Do you refuse to go now, when I tell you that the property in
+question has been removed beyond your reach?"</p>
+
+<p>"I do not."</p>
+
+<p>"Will you promise never to return?"</p>
+
+<p>"I will not."</p>
+
+<p>"Will you go with these men on their schooner?"</p>
+
+<p>"Certainly not, unless compelled by force, for I have no inclination
+to trust myself with a gang of smugglers."</p>
+
+<p>By this time two more of the schooner's crew, who had reached the
+ledge with a second boat-load of goods in time to be attracted by the
+pistol-shot in the cavern, had made their appearance on the scene, and
+stood wonderingly behind their captain.</p>
+
+<p>To this individual the old man whispered: "I will give you one
+thousand dollars to capture this spy, who threatens to break up our
+business. Carry him on board your schooner, and keep him there for one
+week&mdash;one whole week, remember. Five hundred down, and the remainder
+at the end of the week, if you have him still on board."</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span></p>
+<p>"Done!" said the captain, eagerly; and, turning to his men, he
+muttered a few words to them in a low tone.</p>
+
+<p>Peveril and Connell watched this by-play with considerable anxiety,
+for they had no idea what action would be best to take. It would be
+folly to make an attack on so strong a force, especially as they had
+no direct provocation for so doing. Even should they succeed in
+driving them from the cavern, they had no clear idea of what would be
+gained. At the same time they did not relish the idea of waiting
+quietly while the others carried on their secret consultation.</p>
+
+<p>"The divils mean mischief, Mister Peril," whispered Connell. "Kape
+your eye on them; and mind, if we get separated in the shindy, I'm not
+the lad to desert a friend. Look out! Here they come! Take that, you
+imps of Satan!"</p>
+
+<p>With this final exclamation, the Irishman hurled his lighted lantern
+full into the faces of the group at that moment rushing towards them.
+It struck with a crash of glass, and then everything was enveloped in
+darkness.</p>
+
+<p>The fight was fierce, but short-lived. Peveril found himself striking
+out wildly, was conscious of delivering several telling blows, and of
+receiving twice as many in return. Then he was overwhelmed by numbers,
+and, still fighting stoutly, was borne to the rocky floor.</p>
+
+<p>When all was over and a lantern was brought, it revealed several
+bloody faces and blackened eyes. Peveril was lying flat on his back,
+with three men holding<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span> him down. Connell had disappeared, and so had
+Mary Darrell, who was still looked upon by all present, except her
+father, as being a boy. The old man held the lighted lantern, and the
+captain of the schooner, swearing savagely, was holding his hands to
+his face, which had been badly cut by the Irishman's missile.</p>
+
+<p>A cord was brought, the very one that had lowered the lunch-basket,
+and with it Peveril was trussed like a fowl for roasting. Then he was
+swung down to the ledge at the base of the cliffs, tossed into a boat,
+and rowed away. A few minutes later he was handed aboard the schooner,
+taken below, and chucked into a small, evil-smelling state-room, the
+door of which was locked behind him.</p>
+
+<p>It was a very unpleasant position to occupy, and yet his thoughts were
+not dwelling half so much upon it as they were upon the fact that the
+young person in golf costume who had saved his life that evening had
+been spoken of as a <i>daughter</i>.</p>
+
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</a></span></p><hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXIV" id="CHAPTER_XXIV"></a>CHAPTER XXIV</h2>
+
+<h3>CONNELL MAKES GOOD HIS ESCAPE</h3>
+
+
+<p>From the very first Mike Connell had determined not to be captured, if
+he could possibly help it, wisely concluding that he would stand a
+better chance of serving his friend in freedom than as a prisoner. He
+realized that Ralph Darrell's enmity was especially directed towards
+Peveril, and believed that he, therefore, would be the principal
+object of attack. At the same time he knew that, no matter how
+desperately two might fight against six, there was little hope of
+success in face of such overwhelming odds. So, while he was prepared
+to throw himself heart and soul into the fray, he was also on the
+watch for a chance of escape.</p>
+
+<p>The entrance of the Darrell's into the cavern had been so precipitate,
+and both of them had been so intent upon the object of their coming,
+that they had forgotten their usual precaution and neglected to close
+the door giving them admittance.</p>
+
+<p>It was a slab of stone, carefully fitted to its place, swinging easily
+on iron pivots, and usually fastened by a stout spring. Being left
+open, it disclosed a patch of blackness a shade darker than the wall
+on<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span> either side, and this caught Connell's eye just as the rush was
+made.</p>
+
+<p>Believing that here was offered a chance of escape that could be
+utilized better in darkness than in light, and knowing also that a
+battle against odds could be more successfully waged under the same
+conditions, he used his lantern as a weapon of offence, and thereby
+dashed out its flame at the very beginning of the fracas.</p>
+
+<p>For a moment he entertained a vague hope that he would be able to draw
+Peveril with him into the place that he had discovered, and that thus
+they might effect an escape together. Quickly finding this impossible,
+he sprang to one side, after knocking down one of his enemies, groped
+along the wall until he found the desired opening, and entered it.</p>
+
+<p>As he did so he came in contact with the slight figure of Mary
+Darrell, who had here taken refuge at the outbreak of the struggle,
+and was awaiting its termination in trembling anxiety. Now, thinking
+the new-comer to be her father, and desirous of saving him from harm,
+she gave the stone door a push that closed it. Then she said:</p>
+
+<p>"I am so glad to have you safely away from those dreadful men, dear
+papa! Now you will go back with me to the house, won't you, for I am
+afraid to go alone?"</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, only hurry!" whispered the Irishman, readily accepting the
+situation, but not daring to speak aloud for fear of betraying his
+identity. At the same time the thought, "What a coward the young
+fellow<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span> is, to be sneaking away from an elegant shindy like the one
+behind us! I've a mind to give him a taste of me fist for luck when we
+get out of this black hole! No, I will not, though. I'll lave him be,
+for wasn't it him saved Mr. Peril's life, after all?"</p>
+
+<p>Resting one hand lightly on his guide's shoulder, he followed her
+closely, and had barely reached the foregoing conclusion when the girl
+flung open a door, and the two stepped into a lighted room. For a
+moment their eyes were completely dazzled by its brightness.</p>
+
+<p>Mary was the first to become accustomed to the glare of light, and
+turned to speak to her supposed father. Upon seeing the face of a
+perfect stranger she uttered a cry of dismay, and started as though to
+fly, but the other clutched her arm.</p>
+
+<p>"None of that, young feller!" he said, sternly. "Now that you've
+brought me so far you'll see me farther and show me the way out of
+here. You're a fine, bold chap, ain't you?" he added, in a tone of
+scorn. "Look like you was fitter to be a girl than a lad, any day,
+and, if it wasn't for the good turn you done me friend back yonder,
+I'd be tempted to give you a kindergarten lesson in the manly art of
+self-defence. As it is, I'll let you off this time, provided you'll
+show me the way out. But you want to get a move on."</p>
+
+<p>Terribly frightened as she was, the girl still found strength to open
+a door on the opposite side of the room and motion for the man to pass
+through. As he did so she slammed it behind him and locked it.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span> Then
+her overwrought feelings gave way, and she sank into a chair, sobbing
+hysterically.</p>
+
+<p>Furious at finding himself thus tricked, the Irishman's first impulse
+was to turn and batter down the door, but a couple of heavy kicks
+delivered against it for this purpose brought forth a loud cry from
+some lower region.</p>
+
+<p>"Hi! up dar. What you all a-doin'?"</p>
+
+<p>At the same time it flashed into Connell's mind that his recent
+enemies of the cavern might appear at any moment and open the door in
+such a way as to cause him to regret that it had not remained closed.
+Besides, was he not capable of finding his own way out of a house?</p>
+
+<p>"Of course I am," he muttered, "and I'd best be doing it in a hurry,
+too. So good-bye, young feller, and here's hoping we'll meet again."</p>
+
+<p>Then he made his way down-stairs, opened a door, and found himself in
+a kitchen, confronted by a resolute old colored woman, who, after one
+glance at his strange face, let fly at it a ladle of hot water. This
+assault was immediately followed by such a well-directed shower of
+plates, pans, and culinary utensils as caused the intruder to utter
+howls of pain and make a blind dash for an outer door.</p>
+
+<p>Even outside the house his troubles were far from ended, for shouting
+men were running towards him through the darkness, while at the same
+time a dog leaped at him.</p>
+
+<p>Throttling the animal and flinging him off after a vigorous struggle,
+Connell had next to knock down<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span> a man who was attacking him on the
+opposite side, receive a blow from a broom-handle wielded by Aunty
+Nimmo, dodge several other assailants, and finally to run for his
+life.</p>
+
+<p>When the poor fellow at length found himself alone and safe from
+present pursuit, he sat breathlessly on a log, over which he had just
+pitched headlong, and began to consider his situation.</p>
+
+<p>"You may talk about your dynamite and gunpowder," he said, "but being
+blown up with aither of them isn't a patch to what I've gone through
+this night. What with being wracked on a rock in the sea, fighting
+smugglers, nagurs, and Polanders&mdash;to say nothing of dogs and other
+wild animals&mdash;beat and battered, torn and scalded, tripped up and lost
+in the wilderness, and all in the middle of a cruel blackness, is an
+experience that any man might be grateful to be done with. If I have a
+whole bone left inside of me skin, or a rag to me back, it's more than
+I'm hoping. Now what'll I do next?</p>
+
+<p>"Will I go back to the house? Indade I will not. Will I make another
+try for the cave? Not so long as I have me right mind. Will I go back
+to Red Jacket?&mdash;and meet them as would ax me what had I done with
+Mister Peril? Not on your life. Where is Mister Peril at this blessed
+minute, anyhow? At sea on board the smuggler, or I miss me guess. How
+will I get to him? By taking a boat, of course. Where will I find one?
+At Laughing Fish Cove, to be sure. That's the very place, bedad! and
+the sooner I'm getting there the better."</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</a></span></p>
+<p>The tug <i>Broncho</i> had reached Laughing Fish about an hour before Mike
+Connell arrived at this decision. She had come in search of the party
+of log-wreckers that she had brought to that place more than a week
+earlier, and now those on board were greatly troubled at not finding a
+trace of the missing men save their deserted camp. Nor could they
+obtain any information concerning them from the fisher folk of the
+cove.</p>
+
+<p>On board the tug was Major Arkell, who had been led by curiosity to
+take the trip. He was curious to know what had become of the young man
+whom he had sent into that region to pick up wrecked logs, and he was
+also curious to ascertain what had become of a large number of those
+same logs that still remained unaccounted for. At the same time he
+would like to investigate certain reports that had reached him of the
+reopening of some old mine-workings in that neighborhood. He had hoped
+that his researches might not take him beyond Laughing Fish, where he
+anticipated finding Richard Peveril prepared to answer all his
+questions. Failing to discover the young man, or any trace of him, the
+problems that he had set out to solve became more interesting than
+before, and he ordered Captain Spillins to start at daybreak on a
+cruise still farther up the coast.</p>
+
+<p>Early on the following morning, therefore, everything was in readiness
+on board the tug, and its crew were getting up the anchor when their
+attention was arrested by the shouts and gesticulations of a man on
+the beach.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</a></span></p>
+<p>"Send a boat in and see what he wants," said the manager; and ten
+minutes later Mike Connell was on board, telling his story to a highly
+interested group of listeners.</p>
+
+<p>Within an hour after receiving her new passenger, the <i>Broncho</i>, under
+full head of steam, was several miles to the northward of Laughing
+Fish, and well out to sea, in hot pursuit of a small schooner. The
+latter was slipping easily along before the fresh morning breeze that
+had recently set in after a night of calm. The water rippled merrily
+past her flashing sides, and she was making some six miles an hour. At
+the same time the <i>Broncho</i>, pouring forth great clouds of soft-coal
+smoke and heaping the smooth water into double white-crested billows
+as she rushed through it, was doing two miles to her one, and would
+soon overtake her.</p>
+
+<p>"Whatever can that bloomin' teakettle want of us?" growled the captain
+of the schooner as he blinked with half-closed eyes at his pursuer.
+"She ain't no revenue boat, as I can see. Tom, h'ist our ensign as a
+hint for 'em to keep away."</p>
+
+<p>The sailor obeyed, and a minute later ran the crimson flag of Great
+Britain to the main peak, where it streamed out bravely in the
+freshening breeze.</p>
+
+<p>"Got a flag aboard this boat, Captain Spillins?" asked Major Arkell as
+he watched the schooner from the <i>Broncho's</i> pilot-house.</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, sir, two of 'em."</p>
+
+<p>"Good. We'll see that fellow and go him one better. Set 'em both."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>In consequence of this order the Stars and Stripes were quickly
+snapping defiantly from both the forward and after jack-staffs of the
+on-rushing tug.</p>
+
+<p>"Sheer off, blast you, or you'll run us down!" bellowed the captain of
+the schooner as the tug ranged close abreast.</p>
+
+<p>"Is that your man?" asked the manager, of Mike Connell.</p>
+
+<p>"He is. Sure I'd know him from a thousand by me own frescos on his
+purty face."</p>
+
+<p>"Have you a man named Richard Peveril aboard your craft?" demanded
+Captain Spillins.</p>
+
+<p>"None of your d&mdash;&mdash;d business."</p>
+
+<p>"Run him down!" ordered Major Arkell, sternly, and the words had
+hardly left his mouth before the two vessels came together with a
+crash.</p>
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</a></span></p>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXV" id="CHAPTER_XXV"></a>CHAPTER XXV</h2>
+
+<h3>A SEA-FIGHT ON LAKE SUPERIOR</h3>
+
+
+<p>As no other schooner was in sight, and as this one was standing off
+the coast when discovered, the <i>Broncho</i> people had from the very
+first believed her to be the one they wanted. Her hoisting of British
+colors strengthened this belief, and it was finally confirmed by
+Connell's recognition of her captain. Until that moment, however, they
+had entertained serious doubts as to whether they should find Peveril
+on board; for it did not seem credible that even a smuggler,
+accustomed to running great risks, would dare abduct and forcibly
+carry off an American citizen. They did not know of the tempting
+reward promised to the schooner's captain for doing that very thing,
+nor of his determination to make this his last voyage on the great
+lake. So they anxiously awaited his answer to the question:</p>
+
+<p>"Have you a man named Richard Peveril aboard your craft?"</p>
+
+<p>When it came, although it was neither yes nor no, it so thoroughly
+confirmed their suspicions that they had no hesitation in attempting
+to rescue their friend by force, and the <i>Broncho's</i> men gave a yell
+of delight as the two vessels crashed together.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>On board the tug this moment had been foreseen and prepared for. Two
+small anchors had been got ready to serve as grappling-irons, and each
+man had been told off for special duty. The regular crew of four men
+had been materially strengthened by the addition of the two
+passengers; but, as the engineer must be left on board under all
+circumstances, the available fighting force was reduced to five. As it
+happened, this was the exact number on board the schooner. So, as the
+<i>Bronchos</i> scrambled to her deck, each singled out an individual and
+went for him.</p>
+
+<p>The vessel had been thrown into the wind by the collision, her sails
+were thrashing to and fro with a tremendous clatter, which, combined
+with a roar of escaping steam from the tug, created such dire
+confusion among the smugglers as rendered them almost incapable of
+resistance. In fact, their captain was the only one who made a show of
+fighting; and, springing at him with a howl of delight, Mike Connell
+sent him sprawling to the deck with a single blow. Then the Irishman
+dove down the companionway, cast a hasty glance about the little
+cabin, and made for the only door in sight. A couple of vigorous kicks
+burst it open, and in another minute Richard Peveril was again a free
+man.</p>
+
+<p>As the two friends reached the deck, Connell uttered a wild Irish yell
+of triumph, while the released captive, who now gained his first
+inkling of what had taken place, stared about him in bewilderment.</p>
+
+<p>Then he burst into a shout of laughter at the spectacle of four men,
+one of whom was the dignified<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</a></span> manager of the great White Pine Mining
+Company, calmly sitting on the prostrate bodies of four others, while
+a fifth, who had just struggled to his feet with a very rueful
+countenance, suddenly dropped to the deck again as he caught sight of
+Connell.</p>
+
+<p>Greeting Peveril with a hearty cheer, and carrying him with them, the
+<i>Bronchos</i> regained their ship and cast off the lines that held her to
+the schooner. As these were loosed her jingle-bell rang merrily, her
+screw churned the dimpled waters into a yeasty foam, and, with a
+derisive farewell yell from her exultant crew, she dashed away,
+leaving her recent antagonist enveloped in a cloud of sulphurous
+smoke. The whole affair had occupied just five minutes.</p>
+
+<p>There was no lack of entertainment on board the good tug <i>Broncho</i> as
+she again headed southward and ploughed her way briskly towards
+Laughing Fish, for every one had thrilling stories to tell or to hear.</p>
+
+<p>"It seems to me," remarked Major Arkell to Peveril, after listening
+attentively to the young man's narration, "that you have managed to
+compress a greater number of desperate adventures and hair-breadth
+escapes into a short space of time than any other man in the Copper
+Country. I, for instance, have been here for ten years, and haven't
+yet had an adventure worth the telling."</p>
+
+<p>"Not even the one of this morning?"</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, that was only an incident compared with what has happened to you.
+How do you manage it? Do you always find such stirring times wherever
+you go?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>"No, indeed," laughed Peveril; "until very recently I have led a most
+quiet and uneventful life. Even now I would gladly exchange all my
+adventures, as you are pleased to call them, for the smallest scrap of
+information regarding the mine that I came out here to find."</p>
+
+<p>"Haven't you learned anything concerning your Copper Princess yet?"</p>
+
+<p>"Not one word."</p>
+
+<p>"That's strange! I wonder if it can be located in the Ontonagon
+region?"</p>
+
+<p>"I had just about made up my mind to visit that section and find out,"
+replied Peveril. "That is, if I have earned enough money while working
+for you to pay my travelling expenses."</p>
+
+<p>"I guess you have," laughed the major; "but I can't let you go yet a
+while, for I shall want you to help me settle accounts with that old
+fellow who stole our logs. Besides, you have so aroused my curiosity
+regarding those prehistoric workings of yours that I should like very
+much to visit them. Do you think you could find the entrance again?"</p>
+
+<p>"Which entrance&mdash;the hole down which I was thrown, or the one through
+which I crawled out?"</p>
+
+<p>"The one by which you were introduced to them, of course. From your
+own account, the other is altogether too small for comfort, and the
+chances of being shot for trespass are altogether too great in its
+vicinity."</p>
+
+<p>"I expect I could find the locality, but I hate the idea of ever going
+near it again. I don't think you<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</a></span> can imagine what I suffered while
+down there. I am sure the place will haunt my worst dreams during the
+remainder of my life."</p>
+
+<p>"By going down again with plenty of light, company, and an assured
+means at leaving at any moment, the place will present a very
+different and much more cheerful aspect. Besides, the ancient tools
+that you mention as existing in such numbers down there are becoming
+so scarce as to be very valuable and well worth collecting. So, on the
+whole, I think we had better go and take a look at your prehistoric
+diggings this very day."</p>
+
+<p>"Very well, sir. Since you insist upon it, I will act as your guide;
+but I must confess that I shall be heartily glad to leave this part of
+the country and return to the civilization of Red Jacket."</p>
+
+<p>"Civilization of Red Jacket is good!" laughed the other. "How long
+since you considered it as civilized?"</p>
+
+<p>"Ever since I left there and found out how much worse other places
+could be."</p>
+
+<p>As a result of this conversation, four men left Laughing Fish soon
+after the tug again dropped anchor in its cove, and took to the trail
+that two of them had followed before. These two were Peveril and
+Connell. The others were the White Pine manager and Captain Spillins.
+Arrived at the point from which "Darrell's Folly" could be seen, they
+turned abruptly to the right and plunged into the woods.</p>
+
+<p>Only too well did Peveril remember the path over which he had been
+dragged a helpless captive only<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</a></span> three days before. But the way seemed
+shorter now than then, and he was surprised to discover the dreaded
+shaft within a few hundred feet of the trail they had just left.</p>
+
+<p>They had brought ropes with them, as well as an axe, and candles in
+abundance. Now, after cutting away the bushes from the shaft-mouth,
+and measuring its depth by letting down a lighted candle until it was
+extinguished in the water at the bottom, they prepared for the
+descent. The major was to go first, and Peveril, whose dread of the
+undertaking had been partially overcome, was to follow. The others
+were to remain on the surface to pull their companions up, when their
+explorations should be finished.</p>
+
+<p>So Major Arkell seated himself in a loop of the rope, swung over the
+edge of the old shaft, and was slowly lowered until the measured
+length had run out. Then the others, peering anxiously down from
+above, saw his twinkling light swing back and forth until it suddenly
+disappeared. A moment later the rope was relieved of its strain, and
+they knew that its burden had been safely deposited on the rocky
+platform described by Peveril. He went next, and was quickly landed in
+safety beside his companion.</p>
+
+<p>"It is an old working, sure as you live!" exclaimed the major, who was
+examining the walls of the gallery with a professional eye. "And here
+are the tools you spoke of. Beautiful specimens, by Jove! Finest I
+ever saw. We must have them all up&mdash;every one. But let us go back a
+piece and examine the drift. First time I ever knew of those old
+fellows drifting,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</a></span> though. They generally only worked in open pits
+until they struck water, and then quit. Didn't seem to have any idea
+of pumps."</p>
+
+<p>Still filled with his recent horror of the place, Peveril tried to
+dissuade the other from penetrating any farther into the workings, but
+in vain; and so, each bearing a lighted candle, they set forth. At the
+several piles of material, previously noted as barring the way, the
+major uttered exclamations of delight and astonishment.</p>
+
+<p>"It is copper!" he cried. "Mass copper, almost pure! The very richest
+specimens I have ever seen! Why, man, the old mine must have been a
+bonanza, if it all panned out stuff like this! These piles were
+evidently ready for removal when something interfered to prevent.
+Wonder what it could have been? Didn't find any bones, did you, or
+evidences of a catastrophe?"</p>
+
+<p>"No. Nothing but what you see. Good heavens, major! What's that?"</p>
+
+<p>With blanched faces the two stood and listened. Strong men as they
+were, their very limbs trembled, while their hearts almost ceased
+beating.</p>
+
+<p>Again it came from the black depths beyond them&mdash;a cry of agony,
+pitiful and pleading.</p>
+
+<p>"Let's get out of this," whispered the major, clutching at Peveril's
+arm and endeavoring to drag him back the way they had come. "I've had
+enough."</p>
+
+<p>"No," replied the other, resolutely; "we can't leave while some human
+being is calling for deliverance from this awful place."</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 471px;">
+<img src="images/illus010.jpg" width="471" height="664" alt="THE TWO MEN STOOD AND LISTENED" title="" />
+<span class="caption">THE TWO MEN STOOD AND LISTENED</span>
+</div>
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</a></span></p><p>"You don't think it a human voice?"</p>
+
+<p>"I do, and at any rate I am going to see. There! Hear it?"</p>
+
+<p>Again came the shrill cry, echoing from the rocky walls. "Help! For
+God's sake, don't leave us here to perish!"</p>
+
+<p>At the sound Peveril sprang forward, and the major tremblingly
+followed him.</p>
+
+<p>Back in the gloom, a hundred yards from where they had halted, they
+came upon a scene that neither will ever forget so long as he lives.</p>
+
+<p>A slender youth and a white-haired man stood clinging to each other,
+and gazing with wildly incredulous eyes at the advancing lights.</p>
+
+<p>"It is Richard Peveril, father! Oh, thank God! Thank God, sir, that
+you have come in time!" cried the younger of the two.</p>
+
+<p>"Richard Peveril?" repeated the old man, huskily. "No, no, Mary! It
+can't be! It must not be! Richard Peveril is dead, and the contract is
+void. He has no claim on the Copper Princess. It is all mine. Mine and
+yours. But don't let him know. Keep the secret for one week
+longer&mdash;only one little week&mdash;then you may tell it to the world."</p>
+
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</a></span></p><hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXVI" id="CHAPTER_XXVI"></a>CHAPTER XXVI</h2>
+
+<h3>FIRST NEWS OF THE COPPER PRINCESS</h3>
+
+
+<p>When Peveril made his miraculous escape from the old mine, he left his
+place of exit open. In his impatience to get away from the scene of
+his sufferings, he had not even given another thought to the great
+stone slab that he had raised with such difficulty and precariously
+propped into position by a few fragments of rock. So the narrow
+passage leading down from the cavern into the ancient workings that
+had been so carefully concealed for centuries was at length open to
+the inspection of any who should happen that way. Thus it remained
+during the day of exciting incidents in the cavern, and through the
+struggle that was ended by the smugglers bearing Peveril away captive
+to their schooner.</p>
+
+<p>Having thus disposed of the person whom of all in the world he most
+dreaded, and placed him where it was apparently impossible for him to
+make a claim on the Copper Princess before the expiration of the term
+of contract, Ralph Darrell rejoined his daughter.</p>
+
+<p>She, noting his excitement and fearing to increase it, made no mention
+of her own encounter with the other stranger, whose presence in the
+cavern seemed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</a></span> to have escaped her father's notice. So they only
+talked of Peveril; and the girl, picturing him as he had appeared on
+the several occasions of their meeting, wondered if he could really be
+trying to rob them of their slender possessions, as her father
+claimed.</p>
+
+<p>The latter talked so incoherently of a conspiracy, a contract, and of
+the great wealth that would be theirs in one week from that time, that
+she was completely bewildered, and for the first time in her life
+began to wonder if her papa knew exactly what he was saying.</p>
+
+<p>Thus thinking, she soothed him as best she could, and finally
+succeeded in getting him off to bed; but in the morning the subject
+was again uppermost in his mind, and he would talk of nothing else.
+Now he wondered how Peveril could have found his way into the cavern;
+and as Mary was also very curious on that point, she willingly
+accompanied him on a tour of investigation.</p>
+
+<p>In this search it was not long before they discovered the upraised
+stone slab at the rear end of the cavern, and peered curiously into
+the black passage beneath it, which from the very first Ralph Darrell
+was determined to explore.</p>
+
+<p>"It is a part of our own mine," he said, "and so I must find out all
+about it. There is no danger, for I can go very carefully, and return
+when I please. I must go, though, for it is clearly my duty to do so.
+Who knows but what I may strike another vein down there, as valuable
+as the one we are already working. So, dear, do you wait here, and I
+will come back to you very shortly."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>But brave Mary Darrell would not agree to any such proposition, and
+declared that if her father insisted on going into that horrid place
+she should follow him.</p>
+
+<p>So the old man and the girl&mdash;the former filled with eager curiosity
+and the latter with a premonition of danger&mdash;crept under the great
+slab and entered the sloping passage. They had but a single candle
+with them, and of this Mary was glad, for she knew it would limit
+their exploration and compel a speedy return.</p>
+
+<p>Both of them being of much slighter frame than Peveril, they found
+little difficulty in slipping through the passage and reaching the
+ancient workings to which it led. Here Darrell began to find copper,
+and went into ecstasies over its richness.</p>
+
+<p>Forgetful of everything else, he pushed eagerly forward from one pile
+of the valuable metal to another, and Mary, inspired by his
+enthusiasm, almost forgot her dread of the gloomy place in which so
+much wealth was stored. So absorbed were they that neither of them
+paid any attention to a dull sound, as of some heavy body falling,
+that came from a distance.</p>
+
+<p>Finally, their candle burning low warned them to hasten their return;
+but to their consternation, when they again reached the end of the
+passage, they found its entrance closed. The great slab, insecurely
+supported, had fallen into place, and the utmost exertion of their
+feeble strength was insufficient to move it.</p>
+
+<p>As they realized the full extent of the disaster that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</a></span> had thus
+befallen them, the girl was awed into a despairing silence; while the
+old man's impaired intellect gave way completely beneath the awful
+strain of the situation, and he broke into incoherent ravings. At
+length Mary Darrell knew that her beloved father had lost his mind,
+and that she must share her living tomb with a madman.</p>
+
+<p>In his ravings he declared that the situation was exactly as he wanted
+it; for now no one, not even Richard Peveril himself, could share
+their new-found wealth. With the next breath he expressed an intention
+of getting back to the piles of copper as quickly as possible, that he
+might defend them with his life against all claimants.</p>
+
+<p>Terrible as it was to the girl to hear her father talk in this way,
+his mention of Peveril brought a faint ray of hope. If the young man
+had indeed gained access to the cavern from this direction, then the
+old workings must possess some other exit. If they could only discover
+such a place, it was barely possible that they might still escape.
+Thus thinking, she humored her father's desire to return to the piles
+of copper, and even hastened his steps in that direction, for their
+candle was burning perilously low. So nearly had it expired that they
+had hardly regained the old workings before its feeble flame gave a
+final flicker, and they were plunged into blackness.</p>
+
+<p>Through this they still groped their way until the old man's strength
+was exhausted and he refused to go farther. Then, clinging to him in
+an agony of despair, the poor girl closed her eyes and prayed:<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>"Dear Christ, help me in this time of my bitter trouble, for I have no
+strength save in Thee!"</p>
+
+<p>Her cry was heard and her prayer was answered even as it was uttered;
+for with the opening of her eyes she caught a far-away gleam of light.
+A minute later, when Richard Peveril came to her, he seemed like one
+sent from heaven, and at that moment she could have worshipped him.</p>
+
+<p>Peveril's heart leaped at the sound of her voice, and he received two
+other distinct thrills of delight from her father's incoherent words.
+One was when he addressed the slight figure at his side as "Mary," and
+the other was caused by his mention of the Copper Princess. By the
+first Peveril's recently aroused suspicion concerning the sex of the
+wearer of that golf costume was reduced to a certainty, while by the
+other he gained his first clue to the mine of which he was in search.</p>
+
+<p>At the moment, however, these things merely flashed through his mind;
+for he realized that the present was neither the time nor the place to
+discuss them. The two helpless ones, so wonderfully intrusted to his
+care, must be removed at once from the place in which they had
+suffered so keenly. Both he and the major agreed that it would be best
+to take them out by way of the shaft, and though they were full of
+curiosity as to how the Darrells came into their distressing position,
+both manfully refrained from asking questions until they had escorted
+them to the entrance. For this forbearance the major deserved even
+greater credit than his young friend; for as yet he had no knowledge
+of who the strangers were, nor how it happened that they seemed to
+know Peveril.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 481px;">
+<img src="images/illus011.jpg" width="481" height="670" alt="RESCUED FROM THE SHAFT" title="" />
+<span class="caption">RESCUED FROM THE SHAFT</span>
+</div>
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</a></span></p>
+<p>Arrived at the shaft, it was decided that the major should ascend
+first, to prepare those at the top for what was coming, as well as to
+receive the old man, who would be sent up next. As he adjusted the
+rope about his body, he whispered to Peveril, who was assisting him:</p>
+
+<p>"Who are they?"</p>
+
+<p>"Darrells," was the laconic answer.</p>
+
+<p>"Not old man Darrell of the 'Folly'?"</p>
+
+<p>"Yes."</p>
+
+<p>"And his daughter?"</p>
+
+<p>"I believe so," replied the young man, at the same time wondering how
+the other had discovered so quickly the rightful sex of the apparent
+lad.</p>
+
+<p>"But how on earth do they happen to know you?"</p>
+
+<p>"They ought to, seeing that the old man has shot at me twice; while
+Miss Darrell and I have met several times, and on one occasion, at
+least, she saved my life."</p>
+
+<p>"Whew! No wonder you greet each other like old friends," rejoined the
+major, as he swung off over the black pool and began slowly to ascend
+the ancient shaft.</p>
+
+<p>When the rope was again lowered it brought some bits of stout cord for
+which Peveril had asked, and with these he fastened the old man so
+securely into the loop that there was no possibility of his falling
+out. Although Ralph Darrell was still highly excited and talked
+constantly, he readily agreed to every proposition<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</a></span> made by his
+daughter, and offered no objection to going up the shaft.</p>
+
+<p>As he swung out from the platform, and those above began to hoist on
+the rope, his daughter bent anxiously forward to note his progress.
+Apparently unconscious of her own danger, she leaned out farther and
+farther, until Peveril, fearful lest she should lose her balance and
+plunge into the pool, reached an arm about her waist and held her.</p>
+
+<p>The girl was so intent upon watching her father that for a moment she
+paid no attention to this. Then, suddenly becoming conscious of the
+strong support against which she was leaning, she stepped quickly back
+to a position of safety.</p>
+
+<p>"I didn't suppose you would think it necessary to take such care of a
+boy," she said, with an attempt at dignity.</p>
+
+<p>"I shouldn't," laughed Peveril; "but why didn't you tell me yesterday
+that you were a young lady, and that your name was Mary?"</p>
+
+<p>"I don't remember that you asked me."</p>
+
+<p>"That's so. It was you who asked all the questions and I who answered
+them. So now it is my turn."</p>
+
+<p>"I sha'n't promise to answer, though."</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, but you must; for there are some things that I am extremely
+anxious to know. For instance, why do you dress in boy's costume?"</p>
+
+<p>"Because my father wished me to."</p>
+
+<p>"An excellent reason. Now I want to know if 'Darrell's Folly' and the
+Copper Princess are one and the same mine?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>"I believe the Copper Princess has been called by that other name,
+which, however, I will thank you not to repeat in my presence."</p>
+
+<p>"All right, I won't; but tell me&mdash;"</p>
+
+<p>"Here is the rope, Mr. Peveril, and, thanking you over and over again
+for your very great kindness, I will bid you <i>au revoir</i>," said the
+girl, hurriedly adjusting the loop and preparing to ascend.</p>
+
+<p>There was never a more amazed or abashed man in this world than was
+Mike Connell when the "young lady" whom he, full of curiosity, was
+helping to hoist from the old shaft made her appearance, and he
+discovered her to be the "lad" whom he had treated with such freedom
+the evening before. He was so staggered that he could not utter a
+word, but simply stared at her with an expression in which
+mortification and admiration were equally blended.</p>
+
+<p>The moment the girl gained a footing on the surface she made a
+comprehensive little bow to the men assembled about the shaft-mouth,
+and said:</p>
+
+<p>"My father and I thank you, gentlemen, from overflowing hearts, for
+your great kindness to us, and shall hope to see you at our home for
+supper, after you have been rejoined by Mr. Peveril. Come, papa, let
+us go and make ready for company." With this she led the old man away
+in the direction of his "Folly."</p>
+
+<p>Half an hour later the four men from White Pine were received at the
+door of the Darrell house by a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</a></span> dignified young lady, simply but
+becomingly dressed in the usual costume of her sex. Looking directly
+at one of them, she said:</p>
+
+<p>"I bid you welcome, Mr. Peveril, to your own Copper Princess."</p>
+
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</a></span></p><hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXVII" id="CHAPTER_XXVII"></a>CHAPTER XXVII</h2>
+
+<h3>A NIGHT WITH A MADMAN</h3>
+
+
+<p>When left alone at the bottom of the ancient shaft, with the
+impenetrable gloom of the prehistoric workings crowding him close,
+Peveril had found a few minutes in which to reflect upon the strange
+happenings of the past half-hour. "Darrell's Folly" was the Copper
+Princess, the mine in which he owned a half-interest&mdash;the one for
+which he had searched so long and had almost given up hopes of
+finding. Was it of any value? Or did the name, applied in derision,
+rightly describe it? And the old man who had twice attempted to take
+his life, whom he had just rescued from a living tomb, was his
+partner! How could they ever work harmoniously together? He certainly
+should not agree to the carrying on of further smuggling operations,
+and so there was a barrier to their amicable relations at the very
+outset.</p>
+
+<p>But was that man the person with whom he would have to deal, after
+all? He was evidently crazy, and probably had been from the very
+first; for Peveril now remembered that Mr. Ketchum had hinted at
+something of the kind during their last interview. As a crazy man
+could not legally transact business,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</a></span> his dealings would then be with
+Ralph Darrell's heirs or legal representatives. Who were those heirs?
+Were there any other besides this daughter, Mary? He hoped not. What a
+brave, splendid girl she was, and how pleasant it would be to discuss
+business plans with her! How absurd of him not to have recognized her
+at once, even in her boyish costume, and how stupid she must think
+him!</p>
+
+<p>He wished those fellows up above had not been in such a hurry with
+that rope, for there were a lot more questions he wanted to ask her.
+So many that he would not have objected if he and she had been left
+down there together ever so much longer. How different the old mine
+seemed now to what it had when he first knew it! Hereafter it would
+always be associated in his mind with memories of a slight figure that
+he had been permitted to hold for a single minute, a flushed face, a
+pair of glorious eyes, and a voice that he should never forget. How
+shy she was, and at the same time how dignified; how sweet and womanly
+in her anxiety about her father! He hoped they could be friends, as
+all business partners should be. Of course they could never be
+anything more than that; for he was not forgetting his obligation to
+Rose&mdash;oh no, not for one minute.</p>
+
+<p>How infernally slow those chaps up above were now, and why didn't they
+let down the rope? Were they going to keep him waiting in that beastly
+hole forever? It really seemed so.</p>
+
+<p>By a simple process of reasoning, and the putting together of the
+various bits of information gained<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</a></span> from her father, Mary Darrell had
+reached the conclusion that the young man whose fortunes had been so
+strangely interwoven with hers during the past ten days was the
+rightful owner of the mine that her father had claimed for so many
+years. She was too loyal to the latter to believe for a moment that he
+had consciously attempted to defraud Peveril of his rights, but
+credited all his actions to the sad mental condition of which she had
+only now become aware.</p>
+
+<p>"Poor, dear papa!" she said to herself. "He has done splendidly to
+take care of me for so long as he has, and now I will take care of
+him. We will go away from this horrid place, where he gets so excited,
+and find some little home in the East, where he can rest until his
+mind is wholly restored.</p>
+
+<p>"In the meantime this Mr. Peveril can have the old mine, to do with as
+he pleases. I shall let him know that we consider it his property
+before he has a chance to even make a claim against it. I mustn't let
+him see for a moment how badly we feel about it, though, for he seems
+very nice, and has certainly placed us under a great obligation by
+coming to our rescue so splendidly. I wonder how he knew that papa and
+I were down in that awful place?"</p>
+
+<p>Having got her father to his room, told Aunty Nimmo to prepare for
+company, and hurriedly changed her dress, Mary Darrell greeted the
+expected guests according to her privately arranged programme, and
+invited them in to supper. After seeing them seated at the table and
+provided with a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</a></span> bountiful meal, she left them on the plea that her
+father needed her attention.</p>
+
+<p>The girl had not been gone many minutes, and Peveril's friends were
+still congratulating him upon having come into his fortune, at the
+same time speculating whether the "Folly" was worth anything or not,
+when she re-entered the room with a frightened expression on her face.
+Addressing herself to Major Arkell, she said:</p>
+
+<p>"Would you mind coming up to see my father, sir? I fear he is very
+ill."</p>
+
+<p>The major at once complied with this request, and, after he had gone,
+Captain Spillins said: "I shouldn't wonder if the old fellow played
+out and left you in sole possession of the Princess, after all, Mr.
+Peveril."</p>
+
+<p>"Which Princess are you meanin', captain?" asked Mike Connell. "Sure
+it seems to me there's two of them."</p>
+
+<p>"Have a care, Connell," said Peveril, warningly. "Remember the
+circumstances under which we are here."</p>
+
+<p>"I beg your pardon, Mister Peril," exclaimed the Irishman, contritely;
+"I'd near forgot that you was already bespoke."</p>
+
+<p>A hot flush sprang to the young man's cheek, but ere he could frame a
+reply Major Arkell reappeared, looking greatly worried.</p>
+
+<p>"Boys," he said, "we've a very serious case on our hands, and one that
+demands immediate action. The old man up-stairs is fairly out of his
+head, besides being in a high fever. He needs medical attendance<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</a></span> as
+quickly as it can be got to him, and careful nursing. I have given him
+an opiate, which I hope will keep him quiet for a while, and now I
+propose to go to Red Jacket in the tug for a doctor and a nurse.
+Captain Spillins will, of course, go with me, and we shall try to be
+back by morning. In the meantime the poor young lady must not be left
+alone, or with only that old aunty, who is nearly frightened out of
+her wits, and so I think you, Peveril, ought to stay here with Connell
+and do what you can. You are, in a sense, the proprietor here, you
+know, and as Connell has also been here before, maybe the old man will
+be more reasonable with you than he would be with entire strangers."</p>
+
+<p>"I quite agree with you that some of us ought to stay here and do what
+we can," said Peveril; "and, under the circumstances, I suppose
+Connell and I are the ones to do so. At the same time, I haven't had
+much experience in caring for madmen."</p>
+
+<p>"No more have I," said Connell, "but I'll do me best, for sake of the
+young lady, and maybe she'll forgive me for treating her the same as I
+would a lad."</p>
+
+<p>"And, major," added Peveril, "if you will kindly fetch my luggage from
+the Trefethen's I shall be greatly obliged."</p>
+
+<p>So the party separated; and, while two of them wended their way back
+to the tug at Laughing Fish, the others prepared for the long vigil of
+the night.</p>
+
+<p>After the effect of the opiate had passed, their patient was seized
+with paroxysms of raving and frantic<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</a></span> efforts to leave his bed for the
+purpose of protecting his property. At such times it required the
+united efforts of the two volunteer nurses to restrain him, and after
+each attack he was left weak and helpless as an infant. Then he would
+weep, and beg piteously not to be abandoned to the mercy of his
+enemies; or he would fancy himself still in the awful blackness of the
+ancient workings, and plead with his attendants not to be left thereto
+die.</p>
+
+<p>"For the sake of my daughter, gentlemen&mdash;my only child&mdash;who has no one
+else in the world to love her or care for her, I beg of you to save
+me. If you are human, take pity on her and let me go!" he would cry.</p>
+
+<p>At such times no voice, not even Mary's, seemed to soothe him as did
+that of Peveril, and his most violent struggles were controlled by the
+gentle firmness of the young athlete.</p>
+
+<p>All through that dreadful night Mary Darrell watched Peveril with
+tear-filled eyes, wondering at his strength and gentleness, and
+unconsciously loving him for them. Not that she would for an instant
+have admitted such a thing even to herself. She tried instead to
+believe that he was the cause of all this sorrow, and that she hated
+him for it. "In whatever he does," she said to herself, "he is
+actuated by remorse, and a desire to atone in some way for ruining my
+father's life."</p>
+
+<p>The anxiously awaited dawn found Ralph Darrell lying quietly with
+closed eyes and Peveril keeping wakeful watch beside him. Aunty Nimmo
+had been<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</a></span> sent to her bed long since, and Connell was fast asleep on
+the floor of the hall just outside the sick-room door. Mary Darrell
+sat in an easy-chair, overcome by exhaustion, also sleeping lightly.</p>
+
+<p>As the growing light fell on her tear-stained face, crowned by a
+wealth of close-clipped hair curling in tiny ringlets, Peveril looked
+at her curiously, and wondered why he had never thought her beautiful
+until that moment. Apparently conscious of the young man's gaze, the
+girl suddenly opened her eyes, and a faint flush suffused her pale
+cheeks. Ere either she or Peveril could speak, the muffled sound of a
+steam-whistle broke the morning stillness.</p>
+
+<p>"Our friends have come, Miss Darrell," whispered the watcher. "You
+have just time to go to your room and refresh yourself with a dash of
+cold water before they appear."</p>
+
+<p>Nodding assent, the girl accepted the suggestion and departed.</p>
+
+<p>Then Peveril sent Connell to meet the new-comers, who, as he knew,
+would steam directly into the land-locked basin, and remained to
+finish his vigil alone.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly, as he sat absorbed in meditation, the madman, who had been
+watching through half-closed eyes, sprang upon him without a sound of
+warning and clutched his throat with a vise-like grip.</p>
+
+<p>Not even the utmost exertion of Peveril's splendid strength served to
+loose that horrid hold. In silence he fought for his life, until he
+grew black in the face and his eyes started from their sockets. His
+head seemed on the point of bursting. He reeled, staggered,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</a></span> and then,
+together with his terrible assailant, fell heavily to the floor. As
+they did so, the old man's head struck on a sharp corner; he uttered a
+moan, and at last the deadly clutch on Peveril's throat was relaxed.</p>
+
+<p>With his next moment of consciousness Peveril was sitting on the floor
+gasping for breath, and Ralph Darrell lay motionless beside him in a
+pool of blood. Then came quick steps on the stair, and Mary Darrell,
+accompanied by Major Arkell and the doctor from Red Jacket, entered
+the room.</p>
+
+<p>For an instant the girl stared horror-stricken at the scene before
+her. Then she darted forward and clasped her father's body in her
+arms, crying out as she did so:</p>
+
+<p>"You have killed him, Richard Peveril!&mdash;killed an old man, sick and
+helpless; robbed him of his all, and then murdered him! Oh,
+papa!&mdash;dear, dear papa! Why did I leave you for a single minute?"</p>
+
+<p>"My! How she hates poor Mr. Peril!" whispered Nelly Trefethen, who had
+come to act as nurse, and who, guided by Mike Connell, reached the
+doorway in time to witness the tableau, as well as to hear Mary
+Darrell's cruel words.</p>
+
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</a></span></p><hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXVIII" id="CHAPTER_XXVIII"></a>CHAPTER XXVIII</h2>
+
+<h3>LEFT IN SOLE POSSESSION</h3>
+
+
+<p>Although Ralph Darrell was to all appearance dead, the doctor
+pronounced him to be still alive, and caused him to be lifted back to
+the bed, where he dressed his wound, at the same time administering
+restoratives. While this was being done, Major Arkell, taking charge
+of Peveril, led him to another room, in which his things, brought from
+the Trefethen house, had been placed. The young man was still
+trembling from his recent awful experience.</p>
+
+<p>"In another minute all would have been over with me," he said, in
+describing the incident to his friend. "For I could no more loosen his
+clutch than if it had been a band of steel."</p>
+
+<p>"That fall was a mighty lucky thing, then," commented the other.</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, I suppose it was, for apparently nothing else could have saved
+me. At the same time, think how unpleasant it would have been for me
+if it had killed him, and I had been charged with his murder!"</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, pshaw! no one would have imagined such a thing."</p>
+
+<p>"His daughter did," replied Peveril, in whose ears<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</a></span> Mary Darrell's
+terrible accusation was still ringing.</p>
+
+<p>"She didn't know what she was saying. You must remember the trying
+circumstances of her position, and forgive and forget everything else.
+If I am any judge of human character, she is just the girl to bitterly
+regret her hasty words, if she ever recalls having uttered them."</p>
+
+<p>"Of course I forgive her," said Peveril; "but I doubt if I can forget
+as long as I live."</p>
+
+<p>A bath in water as hot as he could bear it, followed by a cold douche
+and a brisk rubbing with the coarse towels procured from Aunty Nimmo,
+restored the young man to his normal condition. Then he exchanged the
+ragged garb of a miner, that he had worn ever since leaving Red
+Jacket, for a suit of his own proper clothing. With this the
+transformation in his appearance was so complete that when, a little
+later, Mary Darrell passed him in the hall, it was without
+recognition. She only regarded him as one of the many strangers who
+seemed suddenly to have taken unauthorized possession of her home.</p>
+
+<p>At breakfast-time the doctor reported that his patient was sleeping
+quietly and doing wonderfully well. "In fact," said the medical
+gentleman, "I believe the blood-letting that resulted from his fall
+was just what he needed; and, as he seems to have a vigorous
+constitution, unimpaired by intemperate living, I predict for him a
+speedy recovery."</p>
+
+<p>This prediction was so far fulfilled that, within two days, Ralph
+Darrell was sitting up, and, by the end<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</a></span> of a week, he had very nearly
+regained his strength. At the same time his excitability had wholly
+disappeared, leaving him very quiet and as docile as a child, but with
+little memory of past happenings. His daughter was the one person whom
+he recognized, and to her he clung with passionate fondness, readily
+accepting her every suggestion, but always begging her to take him
+back to his Eastern home.</p>
+
+<p>His rapid convalescence was largely due to her devoted care, and to
+the capital nursing of Nelly Trefethen, who proved most efficient in
+the sick-room. During that week the night-watches were taken by Mike
+Connell, whom Miss Darrell engaged expressly for the purpose, but
+Peveril was not asked to share them.</p>
+
+<p>On the few occasions when he and Mary chanced to meet she treated him
+with formal politeness, but rarely spoke, and never gave him the
+opportunity of exchanging with her more than a few commonplace
+remarks. At the same time she watched him furtively, and he seldom
+left the house or entered it without her knowledge. She had learned
+his history, so far as Nelly Trefethen knew it, and, by her readiness
+to listen, encouraged the girl to talk by the hour on this theme.</p>
+
+<p>She also learned one thing about him that was not told her, and that
+was that he was engaged to be married. One evening Nelly and Connell,
+coming back from a walk, encountered Peveril near the house, and close
+under a window at which Mary happened to be standing. As the young man
+was about to pass them the Irishman stopped him, saying:<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>"Oh, Mister Peril, would you mind telling Nelly here the thing you
+told me down the new shaft that time?"</p>
+
+<p>"I don't think I remember what it was."</p>
+
+<p>"About your being bespoke."</p>
+
+<p>"Oh! about my engagement? Yes, I remember now that you did want me to
+tell Miss Nelly of it, though I am sure I can't imagine why it should
+interest her."</p>
+
+<p>"Arrah, Mister Peril, don't every young woman be interested to know if
+she's to smile on a young man or give him the cold stare?"</p>
+
+<p>"If that is the case," laughed Peveril, "I am afraid all the girls
+must give me the cold stare, for I certainly am engaged; and, by the
+way, Miss Nelly, do you know if there is a letter awaiting me at your
+house? I received one from my sweetheart on the very day that I left
+Red Jacket, and, with most unpardonable carelessness, managed to lose
+it without having even opened it."</p>
+
+<p>"I don't know, Mr. Peril&mdash;I mean, I didn't hear mother, speak of it,"
+stammered the girl, so frightened that for a moment she had no idea of
+what she was saying. "I do mind, though, seeing one advertised in the
+post-office with a name something like yours," she added, more
+coherently.</p>
+
+<p>"Then I must have dropped it on the street, and whoever found it must
+have been honest enough to return it to the post-office. I will write
+at once for it, and am much obliged for your information."</p>
+
+<p>Some days later Peveril did write to the Red Jacket postmaster, and
+received prompt answer that the bit<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</a></span> of mail-matter in question had
+been sent to the dead-letter office. So he wrote to Washington
+concerning his missing letter, and in due time learned that it had
+been returned to sender. Then, as he had no idea of "sender's" present
+address, he decided to wait until hearing from her again before
+attempting to forward his explanation of how it all happened.</p>
+
+<p>In the meantime he was extremely interested in other affairs that
+engrossed more and more of his attention. On that very first morning
+he had shown to Major Arkell several papers that came to him with his
+baggage. Among these were Boise Carson's letter, lawyer Ketchum's note
+of identification, and the famous contract under which he claimed a
+half-ownership in the Copper Princess.</p>
+
+<p>At a later date he also attempted to show these papers to Mary
+Darrell, but she declined to look at them, saying that, as she did not
+doubt the validity of his claim, she had no desire to discuss it.</p>
+
+<p>Major Arkell, however, examined the papers carefully, and expressed
+himself as thoroughly satisfied that his young friend was a half-owner
+in the mine heretofore known as "Darrell's Folly."</p>
+
+<p>"And now," he said, "let us examine the property, and see whether it
+is worth anything or not."</p>
+
+<p>So these two set forth on a tour of inspection. They found the several
+buildings to be in fair order, and all machinery in an excellent state
+of preservation. Then they descended the shaft and examined the
+material through which the several galleries had been driven, and
+which the White Pine manager <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[Pg 218]</a></span>pronounced as barren even of promise as
+any rock he had ever seen.</p>
+
+<p>"The trouble seems to be," he said, "that they persistently drifted in
+exactly the wrong direction, and went away from the true vein&mdash;which I
+believe to be indicated by those ancient workings over yonder&mdash;instead
+of towards it. Thus the engineer who laid out this mine either
+displayed great ignorance, or else your property does not include that
+strip of territory. But I'll tell you what we'll do. You stay here and
+hold the fort for a few days while I go and look the thing up."</p>
+
+<p>"I don't like to have you take so much trouble," protested Peveril.</p>
+
+<p>"No trouble at all, my dear fellow&mdash;purely a matter of business. I
+want, if possible, to become associated with you in this proposition.
+As it now stands, your mine is worthless, unless it includes, or can
+be made to include, those old workings. I believe they will make it
+extremely valuable, for I am persuaded that the vein indicated by them
+can be reached at a lower level from this very shaft."</p>
+
+<p>So the major took his departure, and Peveril waited a whole week for
+his return. In the meantime he familiarized himself with his property,
+and, by means of a careful survey, established the relative positions
+of the prehistoric mine and the shaft of the Copper Princess.</p>
+
+<p>During this week, as has been said, he saw very little of Mary
+Darrell, and often wondered how she occupied her time.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[Pg 219]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Finally there came a day when Miss Darrell informed Mike Connell that,
+as her father was now so much better, it would no longer be necessary
+to watch with him at night. So the honest fellow, who had been working
+hard with Peveril on his measurements, and was rejoiced at the
+prospect of an unbroken night's rest, retired early to the quarters
+that he and the young proprietor occupied together at some distance
+from the Darrells' house.</p>
+
+<p>Very early on the following morning the two men were awakened by a
+loud knocking at their door, and the voice of Nelly Trefethen calling
+as though in distress.</p>
+
+<p>"Coming!" shouted Peveril, as they both sprang from bed and hurriedly
+dressed. As they emerged from the house the girl exclaimed:</p>
+
+<p>"They're gone, Mr. Peril! gone in the night, and I never heard a
+sound. How they went, no one can tell, for all the outer doors were
+left locked, with the keys on the inside. But they're gone, for I have
+hunted high and low without finding a sign of them."</p>
+
+<p>"Who have gone?" demanded Peveril.</p>
+
+<p>"Miss Mary and her father and the old colored woman."</p>
+
+<p>That these three had taken a mysterious departure was only too
+apparent when the two men returned with Nelly to the house and
+searched it from top to bottom.</p>
+
+<p>Then, under Connell's guidance, they went through the secret passage
+to the cavern. There they found a lighted lantern hung on the stunted
+cedar just outside the entrance, the canvas curtain drawn aside, the
+derrick swung out, and its tackle hanging down<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[Pg 220]</a></span> to within a foot of
+the black ledge, but that was all.</p>
+
+<p>Three months after that time Peveril received the following letter:</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>"<span class="smcap">Dear Mr. Peveril</span>:</p>
+
+<p>"I feel it a duty to tell you that my dear father has at length
+passed peacefully away, and so will never trouble you again. At
+the very last he spoke lovingly of Richard Peveril, and said he
+was a splendid fellow; but I am inclined to think he referred
+to your father rather than to yourself. He was also perfectly
+rational on all subjects except that of the Princess, which he
+persisted in declaring was one of the richest copper mines of
+the world. I, of course, know better, for I realized long ago
+how truly the name 'Darrell's Folly' described that unfortunate
+venture.</p>
+
+<p>"Whatever pleasure you may find in owning such an
+unremunerative piece of property you may enjoy without any fear
+of molestation, for I, as my father's sole heir, shall never
+lay claim to any share in it, and hereby authorize you to do
+with it as you think best.</p>
+
+<p>"We have been very happy since we left you so suddenly and
+unexpectedly. The opportunity for departure came, and we
+embraced it.</p>
+
+<p>"I have but one more thing to say before closing this one-sided
+correspondence forever&mdash;I humbly beg your pardon and crave your
+forgiveness for the cruel injustice that I once did you in a
+moment of agony.</p>
+
+<p>"Trusting that you are happy (I knew of your engagement) and
+prosperous,</p>
+
+<div style="margin-left: 5em;">"I remain, always under obligations, your friend,<br /></div>
+
+<div style="margin-left: 20em;">
+"<span class="smcap">Mary Darrell</span>."<br />
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>With this letter there was no date nor address, and its only post-mark
+was the stamp of the railway postal-service on a distant Eastern
+road.</p>
+
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[Pg 221]</a></span></p><hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXIX" id="CHAPTER_XXIX"></a>CHAPTER XXIX</h2>
+
+<h3>A ROYAL NAME FOR A ROYAL MINE</h3>
+
+
+<p>Peveril was greatly distressed at the unforeseen and mysterious
+disappearance of the Darrells; for it made him feel as though he had
+driven them from their home and usurped their rights. The place also
+seemed very empty and forlorn without Mary Darrell's winning face and
+all-pervading presence; for, though he had seen but little of her and
+had reason to believe that she did not feel kindly towards him, he now
+realized how much his happiness had depended on the knowledge that she
+was always close at hand.</p>
+
+<p>Then, too, the domestic establishment that ran on so smoothly under
+the supervision of Aunty Nimmo was completely broken up. Nelly
+Trefethen must, of course, return at once to Red Jacket, and this she
+did that very day on Mary Darrell's pony, under escort of Mike
+Connell, who was only too happy to make the journey on foot. The few
+men employed by Mr. Darrell having been paid off and discharged, the
+departure of his two remaining friends left the young proprietor
+entirely alone, in a place as desolate as though it were beyond the
+reach of human knowledge. The sky was overcast, making the day dark<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[Pg 222]</a></span>
+and cheerless, so that, as Peveril wandered disconsolately about his
+deserted property, the future looked to him as gloomy as the present.</p>
+
+<p>"There can't be anything in it," he said to himself, as he gazed
+moodily down the black mouth of the shaft. "Of course, the men who
+sank a fortune in that hole would have found it out long ago if there
+were. As for those prehistoric workings on which the major counts so
+largely, I don't believe but what the old fellows who opened them also
+made a pretty thorough clean-up of everything in them. Certainly the
+few small piles of copper that they left behind would not now pay for
+their removal.</p>
+
+<p>"It has all been very pleasant to dream of becoming a wealthy
+mine-owner, but the sooner I realize that it is only a dream, and wake
+from it to the necessity of earning a livelihood by hard work, the
+better off I shall be. At any rate, I know I won't spend another day
+alone in this place. If I did, I should go crazy. No wonder old man
+Darrell lost his mind under the conditions surrounding him. I don't
+believe Major Arkell will come back, anyway. Why should he, if, as is
+probable, he has discovered the utter worthlessness of the property?
+He knows that if he leaves me here alone I must turn up in Red Jacket
+sooner or later, and thinks the bad news he has to tell will keep
+until I do. Well, I shall throw the whole thing up to-morrow and go to
+him for a job. There isn't anything else for it that I can see.</p>
+
+<p>"I guess he will give me something to do, and after a while I shall
+rise to be a plat-man, or timber boss,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[Pg 223]</a></span> or even store-keeper, and
+then&mdash;Well, then I can settle down and marry some nice girl like Nelly
+Trefethen, perhaps achieve fame as a local politician, and so end my
+days in a blaze of glory. Oh, it's a lovely prospect! As for poor
+Rose, there's no use in thinking any longer of her, and the sooner she
+forgets me the better. Probably she has ere this, and, if so, I can't
+blame her."</p>
+
+<p>At length the long day dragged itself wearily away, and darkness found
+Peveril faint with hunger, for he had not had the heart to prepare a
+dinner, awkwardly attempting to provide himself with something to eat
+in Aunty Nimmo's kitchen. A single lamp threw a faint ray out from the
+window, and in all that forlorn little mining village it was the only
+gleam of light to be seen.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly there came a clatter of hoofs and a cheery "Hello, the
+house!"</p>
+
+<p>Instantly forgetful of his culinary operations, Peveril sprang to the
+door, just in time to fling it open and welcome Major Arkell, who was
+alighting from a weary-looking horse.</p>
+
+<p>"What will you take for your Copper Princess, my boy?" shouted the
+new-comer as he entered the room, rubbing his hands and sniffing
+expectantly at the pleasant odors of cooking with which it was
+pervaded.</p>
+
+<p>"About five cents," responded Peveril.</p>
+
+<p>"Done! It's a bargain," cried the other. "And we'll settle the details
+of the transfer after eating the elegant supper that I discover in
+process of preparation.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[Pg 224]</a></span> But you are not cooking half enough. I could
+eat twice as much as that and still be hungry. Let me show you how.
+What has become of Aunty Nimmo, that I find you presiding over her
+domain? Never mind; tell me later, after you've called Connell or some
+one to look after my horse."</p>
+
+<p>"I will gladly attend to the horse, major, if you will take charge of
+the cooking," said Peveril, laughing for the first time that day. "You
+see, I am not an expert at this sort of thing, and&mdash;"</p>
+
+<p>"No, I should judge not," interrupted the other, glancing comically at
+the various burned, lumpy, and muddy failures with which the stove was
+covered; "but I'll do the trick for you if you will look after the
+beast."</p>
+
+<p>Half an hour later the two sat down to a bountiful and fairly
+well-cooked meal that in the major's cheery company seemed to poor,
+hungry Peveril about as fine a one as he had ever eaten. While it was
+in progress he told of the happenings of the past week, including the
+mysterious disappearance of the Darrells; but, as the major did not
+seem to have any news to impart in return, he concluded that there was
+none to tell, and so forbore to ask questions.</p>
+
+<p>It was not until after they had finished supper and were sitting
+before a cheerful blaze in the cosey living-room of the Darrell house
+that the major said:</p>
+
+<p>"Now for our bargain. Though I could, of course, hold you to that
+five-cent deal, I won't do so, but will, instead, make an offer of ten
+thousand dollars for one-half of your half-interest in the Copper
+Princess."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[Pg 225]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>"What!" gasped Peveril.</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, I mean it; and, in addition, if you will devote that sum to the
+development of the mine, I will advance an equal amount, or ten
+thousand dollars more, for the same purpose. Now don't say a word
+until I have explained the situation. By a careful searching of old
+records and maps I have discovered that the Princess property not only
+embraces our prehistoric mine, but extends some distance beyond it. I
+think I have also found out why those who originally laid out this
+mine started their cuts on the wrong side of their shaft. They
+evidently knew that ancient workings existed somewhere in this
+neighborhood, but they were deceived as to their location, for on all
+the maps I find them marked, but the place thus indicated is always in
+the opposite direction from that in which we now know them to lie."</p>
+
+<p>"But&mdash;" began Peveril.</p>
+
+<p>"Wait a minute. Of course those old fellows may merely have struck a
+pocket and exhausted it, but I don't believe so, and am willing to
+risk twenty thousand dollars on the continuance of the vein. If it is
+there, that sum of money ought to enable us to reach it from your
+present shaft; and if we do strike it, why, in the slang of the day,
+the Copper Princess is simply a 'peach.' Are you game to accept my
+offer and go in for raising that kind of fruit?"</p>
+
+<p>"I certainly am."</p>
+
+<p>"Good! Shake. The bargain is made, and the sooner we get to work the
+better."</p>
+
+<p>Ten days from that time sees the legal formalities<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[Pg 226]</a></span> of that quickly
+concluded bargain settled, and the mining village of Copper Princess
+presenting a vastly different appearance from what it did on the
+melancholy day when Peveril was its sole occupant. All its houses are
+now occupied, and from every window cheery lights stream out with the
+coming of evening shadows.</p>
+
+<p>Peveril occupies the comfortable quarters so long ago provided for the
+manager, and until recently the home of the Darrells. With him lives a
+young engineer of about his own age, recommended by Major Arkell, and
+here, too, are the several offices. The nearest cottage to it is that
+of our old friends the Trefethens&mdash;for Mark Trefethen is captain of
+the mine, and Tom is shaft boss. Mrs. Trefethen and Nelly have their
+hands full in caring for both these houses and in providing meals for
+their occupants. Mike Connell is timber boss, and, in timbering the
+ancient mine, as well as the new workings, is one of the busiest men
+in the place.</p>
+
+<p>Although he has a cottage of his own, it is still a lonely one, and he
+is looking eagerly forward to the time when the anxiously expected
+vein shall be struck. Then, and not until then&mdash;and, in case it is not
+struck at all, perhaps never&mdash;will Nelly Trefethen become his wife. So
+it is no wonder that the impatient fellow descends the shaft each day
+to anxiously inspect the new work.</p>
+
+<p>With nearly one hundred sturdy miners engaged on it, and the other
+tasks necessary to its progress, it is driven by night as well as by
+day, and in reality<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[Pg 227]</a></span> advances with great rapidity, though to Connell
+it seems to creep by inches. The great chimney pours forth clouds of
+smoke, heavy skips hurry up and down the shaft, there is always a
+cheerful ring of anvils, rafts of logs lie in the land-locked basin,
+men and teams are to be seen in every direction, and everywhere is
+heard the inspiring hum of many industries, though as yet not one
+pound of copper has been brought up from the underground depths.</p>
+
+<p>For weeks and months the work goes on with unabated energy. Peveril,
+always willing to listen to advice and never ashamed to ask it from
+those more experienced than himself, is everywhere, seeing to
+everything and directing everything. Though he is thinner than when we
+first met him, and his face has taken on an anxious look, it wears at
+the same time an expression of greater manliness, self-confidence, and
+determination.</p>
+
+<p>Major Arkell has not yet appeared on the scene in person, and only the
+young proprietor is known as the responsible head of all this
+bewildering activity.</p>
+
+<p>It is bewildering to outsiders to see the long-abandoned "Darrell's
+Folly" suddenly transformed into one of the busiest mining-camps of
+the copper region, for as yet no one, except Connell and the
+Trefethens, knows the secret hopes of the proprietors. Even those who
+are driving the new side-cut far beneath the surface, straight as a
+die towards the prehistoric mine, though on a much lower level, know
+not what they are expected to find.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[Pg 228]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>At length three months have passed since the night on which Peveril
+sold for ten thousand dollars an undivided half of his interest in the
+Copper Princess. Since that time he has not once left the scene of his
+labors, his hopes, and his fears. He has not even visited Red Jacket
+since the morning, that now seems so long ago, when he left it in
+charge of a gang of log-wreckers. Now the money put into this new
+venture is very nearly exhausted. It will hold out for one more
+pay-day, but that is all. And as yet only barren rock has come up from
+that yawning shaft that seems to gulp down money with an appetite at
+once inordinate and insatiable.</p>
+
+<p>A huge pile of rock has accumulated about its mouth. If it were copper
+rock it would be worth a fortune; as it is, it is worse than
+worthless, for it contains only disappointed hopes. And yet a point
+directly beneath the ancient workings has been reached and passed. Is
+the quest a vain one, after all? Is Peveril's as great a folly as
+Darrell's ever was? It would seem so; and the young proprietor's heart
+is heavy within him.</p>
+
+<p>He has just received the letter in which Mary Darrell declares the
+Copper Princess to be a worthless property. With it in his pocket he
+visits the mouth of the shaft, intending to descend. As he approaches
+it, a skip containing several men comes to the surface. When they
+emerge into daylight they are yelling in delirious excitement. One of
+them leaps out and runs towards him, shouting incoherently. It is Mike
+Connell.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[Pg 229]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>What had gone wrong? Has there been some terrible accident
+underground?</p>
+
+<p>"We've struck it, Mister Peril! We've struck the vein, and it's the
+richest ever knowed!" yells the Irishman. "Here's a specimen. Did ever
+you see the like? It's gold&mdash;nothing less! Hooray for us! Hooray for
+the Princess! and hooray for Nell Trefethen, that'll be Mrs. Michael
+Connell this day week, plaze God!"</p>
+
+<p>A few minutes later every cottage in the settlement holds specimens of
+the wonderful rock glistening with glowing metal. Every man is
+cheering himself hoarse. The great steam-whistle is shrieking out the
+glorious news, and Richard Peveril, with heavy pockets, is riding like
+mad in the direction of Red Jacket. The Copper Princess&mdash;a royal name
+for a royal mine&mdash;has at last entered as a power the ranks of the
+world's wealth-yielding properties.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[Pg 230]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXX" id="CHAPTER_XXX"></a>CHAPTER XXX</h2>
+
+<h3>PEVERIL ACQUIRES AN UNSHARED INTEREST</h3>
+
+
+<p>An autumn evening two years later finds Richard Peveril seated in the
+smoking-room of the University, the most thoroughly home-like and
+comfortable of all New York clubs. He has dined alone, and now, with a
+tiny cup of black coffee on the stand beside him, is reflectively
+smoking his after-dinner cigar.</p>
+
+<p>This is his first visit to the East since he left it, more than two
+years before, almost penniless and wellnigh friendless, on a search
+for a mine that he was assured would prove worthless when found. Today
+that same mine is yielding an enormous revenue, of which he receives
+one-quarter, or a sum vastly in excess of his simple needs, for he is
+still a bachelor, acting as manager of the Copper Princess, and still
+makes his home in the little mining settlement on the shore of the
+great Western lake.</p>
+
+<p>A fortune twice as large as his own, and derived from the same source,
+lies idle in the vaults of a trust company awaiting a claimant who
+cannot be found. Her name is Mary Darrell, and though from the very
+first Peveril has guarded her interests more jealously<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[Pg 231]</a></span> than his own,
+and though he has made every effort to discover her, her fortune still
+awaits its owner.</p>
+
+<p>He has not only been disappointed at the non-success of his efforts in
+this direction, but is deeply hurt that the girl, who has been so
+constantly in his thoughts during his two years of loneliness, should
+so persistently ignore him. That she has occupied so great a share of
+his time for thinking is due largely to the fact that there is no one
+else to take a like place, for Rose Bonnifay long since released him
+from his engagement to her, and he has contracted no other.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as he believed his <i>fianc&eacute;e</i> to be in New York, he wrote her a
+long letter descriptive of his good-fortune and promising very soon to
+rejoin her for the fulfilling of his engagement. To his amazement it
+was promptly returned to him, endorsed on the outside in Miss
+Bonnifay's well-known handwriting.</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot">
+"As my last to you came back to me unopened, I now take
+pleasure in returning yours in the same condition."
+</div>
+
+<p>He immediately wrote again, only to have his second letter treated as
+the first had been, except that this time it came to him without a
+word. From that day he had heard nothing further from Rose Bonnifay.</p>
+
+<p>Now business had called him to New York, and he had reached the city
+but an hour before his appearance at the club. Here he gazed curiously
+about him, as one long strange to such scenes, but who hopes<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[Pg 232]</a></span> to
+discover the face of a friend in that of each new-comer. Thus far he
+had not been successful, nor had he been recognized by any of the men,
+many of them in evening-dress, who came and went through the spacious
+rooms. Peveril was also in evening-dress, for he had conceived a vague
+idea of going to some theatre, or possibly to the opera. And now he
+listlessly glanced over the advertised list of attractions in an
+afternoon paper.</p>
+
+<p>While he was thus engaged, a young man, faultlessly apparelled and
+pleasing to look upon, stood in front of him, regarded him steadily
+for a moment, and then grasped his hand, exclaiming:</p>
+
+<p>"If it isn't old Dick Peveril&mdash;come to life again after an age of
+burial! My dear fellow, I am awfully glad to see you. Where have you
+been, and what have you been doing all these years? Heard you had gone
+West to look up a mine, but never a word since. Hope you found it and
+that it turned out better than such properties generally do. Was it
+gold, silver, iron, or what?"</p>
+
+<p>"You may imagine its nature from its name," answered Peveril, who was
+genuinely glad to meet again his old college friend, Jack Langdon; "it
+is called the 'Copper Princess.'"</p>
+
+<p>"The 'Copper Princess'!" cried the other. "By Jove! you don't say so!
+Why, that mine is the talk of Wall Street, and if you own any part in
+it, you must be a millionaire!"</p>
+
+<p>"Not quite that," laughed Peveril, "though I am not exactly what you
+might call poor."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[Pg 233]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>"I should say not, and only wish I stood in your shoes; but, you
+see&mdash;" Here Langdon plunged into a long account of his own affairs, to
+which Peveril listened patiently. Finally the former said:</p>
+
+<p>"By the way, what have you on hand for to-night?"</p>
+
+<p>"Nothing in particular. Was thinking of going to some theatre."</p>
+
+<p>"Don't you do it! Beastly shows, all of them. Nothing but vaudeville
+nowadays. Come with me and I'll take you to a place where you will not
+only have a pleasant time, but will meet old friends as well. You
+remember old Owen?&mdash;'Dig' Owen, we used to call him."</p>
+
+<p>"Yes."</p>
+
+<p>"Well, he is here in New York, and has made a pot of money&mdash;no one
+knows how. Shady speculations of some kind, and, between ourselves, it
+is liable to slip through his fingers at any moment. But that's
+neither here nor there. He married, about a year ago, a nice enough
+girl, who has apparently lived abroad all her life. Rather a
+light-weight, but entertains in great shape. Always has something good
+on hand&mdash;generally music. They give a blow-out to-night, to which I am
+going to drop in for a while, and, of course, they will be delighted
+to see you. So don't utter a protest, but just come along."</p>
+
+<p>In accordance with the programme thus provided, Peveril found himself
+an hour later entering the drawing-room of a spacious mansion on upper
+Fifth Avenue. It was already so well filled that it was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[Pg 234]</a></span> some time
+before the new-comers could approach their hostess.</p>
+
+<p>When they finally reached the place where she was talking and laughing
+with a group of guests, her face was so averted that Peveril did not
+see it until after Langdon had said:</p>
+
+<p>"Good-evening, Mrs. Owen. You have gathered together an awfully jolly
+crowd, and I have taken the liberty of adding another to their number.
+He is an old college friend of your husband's, and quite a lion just
+now, for he is the owner of the famous Copper Princess that every one
+is talking about. May I present him? Mrs. Owen, my friend Mr. Richard
+Peveril." With this Langdon stepped aside, and Peveril found himself
+face to face with Rose Bonnifay.</p>
+
+<p>For an instant she was deadly pale. Then, with a supreme effort, she
+recovered her self-possession, the blood rushed back to her cheeks,
+and, extending her hand with an engaging smile, she said:</p>
+
+<p>"This is indeed an unexpected pleasure, Mr. Peveril, and I am ever so
+much obliged to Mr. Langdon for bringing you. Did he know, I wonder,
+that you were an old friend of mine, as well as of Mr. Owen's? No!
+Then the surprise is all the pleasanter. Oh! there is mamma, and she
+will be delighted to meet you again. Mamma, dear, here is our old
+friend, Mr. Peveril. So pleased, and hope we shall see you often this
+winter."</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 489px;">
+<img src="images/illus012.jpg" width="489" height="678" alt="PEVERIL FINDS MARY AGAIN" title="" />
+<span class="caption">PEVERIL FINDS MARY AGAIN</span>
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+</div><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[Pg 235]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Other newly arrived guests demanding Mrs. Owen's attention at this
+moment, Peveril found himself borne away by her mother, who had
+greeted him effusively, and now seemed determined to learn everything
+concerning his Western life to its minutest details. To accomplish
+this she led him to a corner of the conservatory for what she was
+pleased to term an uninterrupted talk of old times, but which really
+meant the propounding of a series of questions on her part and the
+giving of evasive answers on his.</p>
+
+<p>While Peveril was wondering how he should escape, a hush fell on the
+outer assembly, and some one began to sing. At first sound of the
+voice the young man started and listened attentively.</p>
+
+<p>"Who is she?" he asked.</p>
+
+<p>"Nobody in particular," responded Mrs. Bonnifay; "only a girl whom
+Rose met when she was studying music in Germany. I fancy she spent her
+last cent on her musical education, which, I fear, won't do her much
+good, after all; for, as you must notice, she is utterly lacking in
+style. She is dreadfully poor now, and earns a living by singing in
+private houses&mdash;all her voice is really fit for, you know. So Rose
+takes pity on her, and has her in once in a while. Why, really, they
+are giving her an encore! How kind of them; and yet they say the most
+wealthy are the most heartless. But you are not going, Mr. Peveril? I
+haven't asked you half&mdash;"</p>
+
+<p>Peveril was already out of the conservatory and making his way towards
+the piano, as though irresistibly fascinated. For her encore the
+singer was giving a simple ballad that had been very popular some
+years before. The last time Peveril heard it was when cruising along a
+shore of Lake Superior,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[Pg 236]</a></span> and it had come to him from somewhere up in
+the red-stained cliffs.</p>
+
+<p>At last he had found Mary Darrell&mdash;"his Mary," as he called her&mdash;in
+quick resentment of the smiling throng about him, who <i>paid</i> her to
+sing for them.</p>
+
+<p>He did not speak to her then, nor allow her to see him, but when, with
+her task finished, she left the room, his eyes followed her every
+movement and lingered lovingly on her beautiful face&mdash;for it was
+beautiful. He knew it now, as he also knew that he loved her, and
+always had done so from the moment that he first beheld her, a vision
+of the cliffs.</p>
+
+<p>When, accompanied by faithful Aunty Nimmo, she left the house, he was
+waiting outside. She tried to hurry away as he approached her, but at
+the sound of his voice she stood still, trembling violently.</p>
+
+<p>An hour later, in the modest apartment far downtown, which was the
+best her scanty earnings could afford, he had told his story. Mary
+Darrell knew that she was no longer a poor, struggling singer, but an
+heiress to wealth greater than she had ever coveted in her wildest
+dreams. But to this she gave hardly a thought, for something greater,
+finer, and more desirable than all the wealth of the world had come to
+her in that same brief space of time. She knew that she was loved by
+him whom she loved, for he had told her so. Even now he stood
+awaiting, with trembling eagerness, her answer to his plea.</p>
+
+<p>Could she not love him a little bit in return? Would she not go back
+with him, as his wife, to the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[Pg 237]</a></span> house that had been hers, and still
+awaited her, by the shore of the great lake?</p>
+
+<p>"But I thought, Mr. Peveril&mdash;I mean, I heard that you were engaged?"</p>
+
+<p>"So I was. I was engaged to Mrs. Owen, at whose house you sang this
+evening, and where I was so blessed as to find you. But she thought me
+unworthy and let me go. I know I am unworthy still; but, Mary dear,
+won't you give me one more chance? Won't you take me on trial?"</p>
+
+<p>"Well, then, on trial," she answered, though in so low a tone that he
+barely caught the words.</p>
+
+<p>In another instant he had folded her in his arms, for he knew that she
+was wholly his, and that in <i>this</i> Copper Princess his interest was
+unshared.</p>
+
+
+<div class="center"><br /><br />THE END</div>
+
+<hr style='width: 65%;' />
+
+<h3><span class="smcap">By</span> S. R. KEIGHTLEY</h3>
+
+<hr style='width: 25%;' />
+
+<p><span class="smcap">The Last Recruit of Clare's</span>. Being Passages from the Memoirs of
+Anthony Dillon, Chevalier of St. Louis, and Late Colonel of Clare's
+Regiment in the Service of France. Illustrated. Post 8vo, Cloth,
+Ornamental, $1.50.</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot">
+<p>This is a romance not of love, but of daring adventure, and so well
+worked as to be profoundly interesting.&mdash;<i>Chicago Inter-Ocean.</i></p>
+
+<p>Cleverly told, and enchains the reader's attention immediately,
+holding him captive to the last page.&mdash;<i>Brooklyn Standard-Union.</i></p>
+
+<p>A series of vivid pictures of the life of a soldier who was also a
+gentleman.&mdash;<i>N. Y. Press.</i></p>
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">The Crimson Sign.</span> A Narrative of the Adventures of Mr. Gervase Orme,
+sometime Lieutenant in Mountjoy's Regiment of Foot. Illustrated. Post
+8vo, Cloth, Ornamental, $1.50.</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot">
+<p>Recounts in an able manner the terrible scenes which culminated in the
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+the resulting pictures. Mr. Keightley, with a few deft touches of his
+pen, brings them home to the reader with a force that enables him to
+realize what such warfare really means. The French soldier is a
+strange character, strikingly conceived.&mdash;<i>Literary World</i>, London.</p>
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">The Cavaliers</span>. A Novel. Illustrated. Post 8vo, Cloth, Ornamental,
+$1.50.</p>
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+<p>Full of adventure, incident, and the wild spirit of the age, yet
+written withal in so true, simple, and vigorous a manner that it is
+the people of the narrative as much as their doings and escapades that
+interest the reader.&mdash;<i>Chicago Journal.</i></p>
+
+<p>Compels immediate and enduring interest on the part of the reader.
+From an artistic and literary point of view, indeed, the book is
+entirely noteworthy. It has swing, verve, and genuine force. The
+interest is cumulative, and the denouement of the story in no wise
+disappointing.&mdash;<i>Philadelphia Bulletin.</i></p>
+</div>
+
+<hr style='width: 25%;' />
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+<div class="center"><span class="smcap">Published</span> By HARPER &amp; BROTHERS, <span class="smcap">New York</span></div>
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+<h3><span class="smcap">By</span> CAPT. CHARLES KING</h3>
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+<p>CAMPAIGNING WITH CROOK, AND STORIES OF ARMY LIFE. Post 8vo, Cloth,
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+pp. iv., 312. Post 8vo, Cloth, $1.25.</p>
+
+<p>In all of Captain King's stories the author holds to lofty ideals of
+manhood and womanhood, and inculcates the lessons of honor,
+generosity, courage, and self-control&mdash;<i>Literary World</i>, Boston.</p>
+
+<p>The vivacity and charm which signally distinguish Captain King's
+pen.... He occupies a position in American literature entirely his
+own.... His is the literature of honest sentiment, pure and
+tender.&mdash;<i>N. Y. Press.</i></p>
+
+<p>A romance by Captain King is always a pleasure, because he has so
+complete a mastery of the subjects with which he deals.... Captain
+King has few rivals in his domain.... The general tone of Captain
+King's stories is highly commendable. The heroes are simple, frank,
+and soldierly; the heroines are dignified and maidenly in the most
+unconventional situations.&mdash;<i>Epoch</i>, N. Y.</p>
+
+<p>All Captain King's stories are full of spirit and with the true ring
+about them&mdash;<i>Philadelphia Item.</i></p>
+
+<p>Captain King's stories of army life are so brilliant and intense, they
+have such a ring of true experience, and his characters are so
+lifelike and vivid that the announcement of a new one is always
+received with pleasure.&mdash;<i>New Haven Palladium.</i></p>
+
+<p>Captain King is a delightful story-teller.&mdash;<i>Washington Post.</i></p>
+
+<p>In the delineation of war scenes Captain King's style is crisp and
+vigorous, inspiring in the breast of the reader a thrill of genuine
+patriotic fervor.&mdash;<i>Boston Commonwealth.</i></p>
+
+<p>Captain King is almost without a rival in the field he has chosen....
+His style is at once vigorous and sentimental in the best sense of
+that word, so that his novels are pleasing to young men as well as
+young women.&mdash;<i>Pittsburgh Bulletin.</i></p>
+
+<p>It is good to think that there is at least one man who believes that
+all the spirit of romance and chivalry has not yet died out of the
+world, and that there are as brave and honest hearts to-day as there
+were in the days of knights and paladins.&mdash;<i>Philadelphia Record.</i></p>
+
+<hr style='width: 25%;' />
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+<pre>
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+
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+
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+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Copper Princess, by Kirk Munroe
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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Copper Princess, by Kirk Munroe
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The Copper Princess
+       A Story of Lake Superior Mines
+
+Author: Kirk Munroe
+
+Illustrator: W.A. Rogers
+
+Release Date: October 22, 2008 [EBook #26993]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE COPPER PRINCESS ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Betsie Bush, Robin Monks, Karen Dalrymple, and
+the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
+http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+THE COPPER PRINCESS
+
+A Story of Lake Superior Mines
+
+_By_ KIRK MUNROE. _Author of "The Painted Desert" "Rick Dale" The
+"Mates" Series, etc._
+
+_Illustrated by_ W. A. ROGERS
+
+
+[Illustration: Logo]
+
+
+  NEW YORK AND LONDON
+  HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS
+  1898
+
+
+[Illustration:
+
+Page 105
+
+ON THE FACE OF THE CLIFF STOOD A GIRLISH FIGURE]
+
+
+BY KIRK MUNROE.
+
+  THE PAINTED DESERT. A Story of Northern Arizona.
+  RICK DALE. A Story of the Northwest Coast.
+  SNOW-SHOES AND SLEDGES. A Sequel to "The Fur-Seal's Tooth."
+  THE FUR-SEAL'S TOOTH. A Story of Alaskan Adventure.
+  RAFTMATES. A Story of the Great River.
+  CANOEMATES. A Story of the Florida Reef and Everglades.
+  CAMPMATES. A Story of the Plains.
+  DORYMATES. A Tale of the Fishing Banks.
+
+_Each one volume. Illustrated. Post 8vo, Cloth, $1 25._
+
+_The "Mates" Series, 4 vols., in a box, $5 00._
+
+
+  WAKULLA. A Story of Adventure in Florida.
+  THE FLAMINGO FEATHER.
+  DERRICK STERLING. A Story of the Mines.
+  CHRYSTAL, JACK & CO., and DELTA BIXBY. Two Stories.
+
+_Each one volume. Illustrated. Square 16mo, Cloth, $1 00._
+
+
+  NEW YORK AND LONDON:
+  HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS.
+
+
+Copyright, 1898, by HARPER & BROTHERS.
+
+_All rights reserved._
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS
+
+
+  CHAPTER                                                           PAGE
+
+  I. STARTLING INTRODUCTION OF TOM TREFETHEN                           1
+
+  II. PEVERIL TIES "BLACKY'S" RECORD                                   9
+
+  III. A 'VARSITY STROKE STRIKES ADVERSE FORTUNE                      17
+
+  IV. STARTING IN SEARCH OF THE COPPER PRINCESS                       25
+
+  V. THE TREFETHENS                                                   32
+
+  VI. A MILE BENEATH THE SURFACE                                      40
+
+  VII. CORNWALL TO THE RESCUE                                         48
+
+  VIII. IN THE NEW SHAFT                                              56
+
+  IX. WINNING A FRIEND BY SHEER PLUCK                                 65
+
+  X. HEROISM REWARDED                                                 73
+
+  XI. NELLY TREFETHEN FINDS A LETTER                                  81
+
+  XII. A VISION OF THE CLIFFS                                         89
+
+  XIII. LOG-WRECKERS AND SMUGGLERS                                    95
+
+  XIV. A VAIN EFFORT TO RECOVER STOLEN PROPERTY                      102
+
+  XV. PEVERIL IN THE HANDS OF HIS ENEMIES                            110
+
+  XVI. LOST IN A PREHISTORIC MINE                                    118
+
+  XVII. UNDERGROUND WANDERINGS                                       125
+
+  XVIII. FROM ONE TRAP INTO ANOTHER                                  133
+
+  XIX. "DARRELL'S FOLLY" AND ITS OWNER                               141
+
+  XX. PEVERIL IS TAKEN FOR A GHOST                                   148
+
+  XXI. MIKE CONNELL TO THE RESCUE                                    156
+
+  XXII. THE SIGNAL IS CHANGED                                        164
+
+  XXIII. A BATTLE WITH SMUGGLERS                                     172
+
+  XXIV. CONNELL MAKES GOOD HIS ESCAPE                                180
+
+  XXV. A SEA FIGHT ON LAKE SUPERIOR                                  188
+
+  XXVI. FIRST NEWS OF THE COPPER PRINCESS                            196
+
+  XXVII. A NIGHT WITH A MADMAN                                       205
+
+  XXVIII. LEFT IN SOLE POSSESSION                                    213
+
+  XXIX. A ROYAL NAME FOR A ROYAL MINE                                221
+
+  XXX. PEVERIL ACQUIRES AN UNSHARED INTEREST                         230
+
+
+ILLUSTRATIONS
+
+
+  ON THE FACE OF THE CLIFF STOOD A GIRLISH FIGURE         _Frontispiece_
+
+  "IN BREATHLESS SILENCE THE GROUP WATCHED PEVERIL'S
+    MOVEMENTS"                                            _Facing p._ 12
+
+  PEVERIL GOES TO WORK                                       "        36
+
+  THE CAR-PUSHERS MADE A FURIOUS ATTACK ON PEVERIL           "        46
+
+  PEVERIL LEAPED DOWN AMONG THE SPUTTERING FUSES             "        66
+
+  THE MEN HASTILY THREW PEVERIL HEAD-FIRST INTO
+    THE BUSHES                                               "       106
+
+  PEVERIL SAT BESIDE THE FIRE IN FORLORN MEDITATION          "       130
+
+  AT SEEING PEVERIL, THE MEN UTTERED A CRY OF TERROR         "       152
+
+  A WILD-LOOKING MAN LEVELLED A PISTOL AT PEVERIL            "       174
+
+  THE TWO MEN STOOD AND LISTENED                             "       194
+
+  RESCUED FROM THE SHAFT                                     "       200
+
+  PEVERIL FINDS MARY AGAIN                                   "       234
+
+
+
+
+THE COPPER PRINCESS
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+STARTLING INTRODUCTION OF TOM TREFETHEN
+
+
+"Look out, there!"
+
+"My God, he is under the wheels!"
+
+The narrow-gauge train for Red Jacket had just started from the
+Hancock station, and was gathering quick headway for its first steep
+grade, when a youth ran from the waiting-room and attempted to leap
+aboard the "smoker." Missing the step, he fell between two cars,
+though still clutching a hand-rail of the one he had attempted to
+board.
+
+With cries of horror, several of those who witnessed the incident from
+the station platform averted their faces, unwilling to view the
+ghastly tragedy that they believed must occur in another instant.
+
+At sound of their cries, a neatly dressed young fellow,
+broad-shouldered and of splendid physique, who was in the act of
+mounting the car-steps, turned, and instantly comprehended the
+situation. Without a moment of hesitation he dropped the bag he was
+carrying and flung his body over the guard-rail, catching at its
+supporting stanchions with his knees. In this position, with his arms
+stretched to their utmost, he managed to grasp the coat-collar of the
+unfortunate youth who was being dragged to his death. In another
+moment he had, by a supreme effort, lifted the latter bodily to the
+platform.
+
+Those who witnessed this superb exhibition of promptly applied
+strength from the station platform gave a cheer as the train swept by,
+but their voices were drowned in its clatter, and the two actors in
+their thrilling drama were unaware that it had been noticed. The
+rescued youth sat limp and motionless on the swaying platform where he
+had been placed, dazed by the suddenness and intensity of his recent
+terror; while the other leaned against the guard-rail, recovering from
+his tremendous effort. After a few minutes of quick breathing he
+pulled himself together and helped his companion into the car, where
+they found a vacant seat.
+
+A few of the passengers noted the entrance of two young men, one of
+whom seemed to be in need of the other's assistance, and glanced at
+them with meaning smiles. There had been races at Hancock that day,
+and they evidently believed that these two had attended them. No one
+spoke to them, however, and it quickly became apparent that the
+supremest moment in the life of one of the two, which would also have
+been his last on earth but for the other, had passed unnoticed by any
+of the scores of human beings in closest proximity to them at the
+time.
+
+It was hard to realize this, and for a few minutes the young men sat
+in silence, dreading but expecting to be overwhelmed with a clamor of
+questions. It was a relief to find that they were to be unmolested,
+and when the conductor had passed on after punching their tickets, the
+one who had rescued the other turned to him with a smile, saying:
+
+"No one knows anything about it, for which let us be grateful."
+
+"You can bet I'm grateful, Mister, in more ways than one," answered
+the other, his eyes filling with the tears of a deep emotion as he
+spoke. "I won't forget in a hurry that you've saved my life, and from
+this time on, if ever you can make any use of so poor a chap as me,
+I'm your man. My name's Tom Trefethen, and I live in Red Jacket, where
+I run a compressor for No. 3 shaft of the White Pine Mine. That's all
+there is to me, for I 'ain't never done anything else, don't know
+anything else, and expect I'm no good _for_ anything else. So, you
+see, I hain't got much to offer in exchange for what you've just give
+me; same time, I'm your friend all right, from this minute, and I
+wouldn't do a thing for you only just what you say; but that goes,
+every time."
+
+"That's all right, Tom, and don't you worry about trying to make any
+return for the service I have been able to render you. I won't call it
+a slight service, because to do so would be to undervalue the life I
+was permitted to save. Besides, you have already repaid me by giving
+me a friend, which was the thing of which I stood in greatest need,
+and had almost despaired of gaining."
+
+"Why, Mister--"
+
+"Peveril," interrupted the other. "Richard Peveril is my name, though
+the friends I used to have generally called me 'Dick Peril."'
+
+"Used to have, Mr. Peril? Do you mean by that that you hain't got any
+friends now?"
+
+"I mean that five minutes ago it did not seem as though I had a friend
+in the world; but now I have one, who, I hope, will prove a very
+valuable one as well, and his name is Tom Trefethen."
+
+"It's good of you to say so, Mr. Peril, though how a poor, ignorant
+chap like me can prove a valuable friend to a swell like you is more
+than I can make out."
+
+At this the other smiled. "I don't know just what you mean by a
+swell," he said. "But I suppose you mean a gentleman of wealth and
+leisure. If so, I certainly am no more of a swell than you, nor so
+much, for I have just expended my last dollar for this railroad
+ticket, and have no idea where I shall get another. In fact, I do not
+know where I shall obtain a supper or find a sleeping-place for
+to-night, and think it extremely probable that I shall go without
+either. I hope very much, though, to find a job of work to-morrow that
+will provide me with both food and shelter for the immediate future."
+
+"Work! Are you looking for work?" asked Tom, gazing at Peveril's natty
+travelling-suit, and speaking with a tone of incredulity.
+
+"That is what I have come to this country to look for," was the
+smiling answer. "I came here because I was told that this was the one
+section of the United States unaffected by hard times, and because I
+had a letter of introduction to a gentleman in Hancock whom I thought
+would assist me in getting a position. To my great disappointment, he
+had left town, to be gone for several months, and, as I could not
+afford to await his return, I applied for work at the Quincy and other
+mines, only to be refused."
+
+"Is it work in the mines you are looking for?" asked Tom Trefethen,
+evidently doubting if he had heard aright.
+
+"Yes, that or any other by which I can make an honest living."
+
+"Well, sir, I wouldn't have believed it if any one but yourself had
+told me."
+
+"But you must believe it, for it is true, and I am now on my way to
+Red Jacket because I have been told there is more work to be had there
+than at any other place in the whole copper region, or in the State,
+for that matter."
+
+"And more people to do it, too," muttered Tom Trefethen, as he sank
+into a brown-study.
+
+By this time the train had climbed from the muddy level of Portage
+Lake, which with its recently cut ship-canals bisects Keweenaw Point,
+making of its upper end an island, and was speeding northward over a
+rough upland. Its way led through a naked country of rocks and
+low-growing scrub, for the primitive growth of timber had been
+stripped for use in the mines. Every now and then it passed tall
+shaft-houses and chimneys, belching forth thick volumes of smoke,
+which, with their clustering villages, marked the sites of
+copper-mines. Finally, as darkness began to shroud the uninteresting
+landscape, the train entered the environs of a wide-spread and
+populous community, where huge mine buildings reared themselves from
+surrounding acres of the small but comfortable dwellings of
+North-country miners. Everywhere shone electric lights, and everywhere
+was a swarming population.
+
+Peveril gazed from his car window in astonishment. "What place is
+this?" he asked.
+
+"Red Jacket," answered his companion. "That is, it is Red Jacket, Blue
+Jacket, Yellow Jacket, Stone Pipe, Osceola, White Pine, and several
+other mining villages bunched together and holding in all about
+twenty-five thousand people."
+
+"Whew! and I expected to find a place of not over one thousand
+inhabitants."
+
+"You don't know much about the copper country, that's a fact," said
+Tom Trefethen, with the slight air of superiority that residents of a
+place are so apt to assume towards strangers. "Why, a single company
+here employs as many as three thousand men."
+
+"I am willing to admit my ignorance," rejoined Peveril, "but I am also
+very anxious to learn things, and hope in course of time to rank as a
+first-class miner. Therefore, any information you can give me will be
+gratefully received. To begin with, I wish you would tell me the name
+of some hotel where my grip will serve as security for a few days'
+board and lodging."
+
+"A hotel, Mr. Peril! You can't be feeling so very poor if you are
+thinking of going to a hotel. Or perhaps you don't know how expensive
+our Red Jacket hotels are. You see, there is always such a rush of
+business here that prices are way up. Why, they don't think anything
+of charging two dollars a day; and they get it, too--don't give you
+anything extra in the way of grub, either. I can do lots better than
+that for you, though. There's a-plenty of boarding-houses here that'll
+fix you up in great shape for five a week. You just wait here at the
+station a few minutes while I go and look up one that I know of."
+
+Without waiting for a reply Tom Trefethen hurried from the train,
+which was just coming to a stop at the bustling Red Jacket station,
+and disappeared in the crowd of spectators who had gathered to witness
+its arrival. Peveril followed more slowly, and, depositing the
+handsome dress-suit case that he had learned to call a "grip" in a
+vacant corner of the platform, prepared to await the return of his
+only acquaintance in all that community, "or in the whole State of
+Michigan, so far as I know," reflected the young man.
+
+"As for friends, I wonder if I have any anywhere. This Tom Trefethen
+claims to have a friendly feeling towards me, and, if he comes back, I
+will try to believe in him. It is more than likely though that his
+leaving me here is only a way of escaping an irksome obligation, and I
+shouldn't be one bit surprised never to see him again. It seems to be
+the way of the world, that if you place a fellow under an obligation
+he begins to dislike you from that moment. My! if all the fellows
+whom I have helped would only pay what they owe me, how well fixed I
+should be at this minute. I could even put up with a clear conscience
+at one of Tom Trefethen's two-dollar-a-day hotels. What an
+unsophisticated chap he is, anyway. Wonder what he would say to the
+Waldorf charges? And yet only a short time ago I thought them very
+moderate. It's a queer old world, and a fellow has to see all sides of
+it before he can form an idea of what it is really like. I must
+confess, however, that I am not particularly enjoying my present point
+of view. Must be because I am so infernally hungry. Odd sensation, and
+so decidedly unpleasant that if my friend with the Cornish name
+doesn't return inside of two minutes more I shall abandon our tryst
+and set forth in search of a supper."
+
+At this point in his dismal reflections Peveril became aware of a
+short, solidly built man, having a grizzled beard, and wearing a rough
+suit of ill-fitting clothing, who was standing squarely before him and
+regarding him intently. As their eyes met, the new-comer asked,
+abruptly:
+
+"Be thy name Richard, lad?"
+
+"Yes."
+
+"What's t'other part of it?"
+
+"Peveril. And may I inquire why you ask?"
+
+"Because, lad, in all t'world thee has not a truer friend, nor one
+more ready to serve thee, than old Mark Trefethen. So come along of
+me, and gi' me a chance to prove my words."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+PEVERIL TIES "BLACKY'S" RECORD
+
+
+"Are you the father of Tom Trefethen?" asked Peveril of the man who
+had so abruptly introduced himself.
+
+"Certain I be, lad, feyther to the young fool who, but for thee, would
+never have come home to us no more. His mother was that upset by
+thought of his danger that she couldn't let him leave her, and so bade
+me come to fetch you mysel'. Not that I needed a bidding, for I'm
+doubly proud of a chance to serve the man who's gied us back our Tom.
+So come along, lad, to where there's a hearty welcome waiting,
+togither with a bite and a bed."
+
+"But, Mr. Trefethen, I can't allow you to--"
+
+"Man, you must allow me, for I'm no in the habit o' being crossed.
+Besides, I'd never dare go back to mother without you. This thy grip?"
+
+With this the brawny miner swung Peveril's bag to his shoulder, and
+started briskly down the station platform, followed closely by the
+young man, who but a moment before had believed himself to be without
+a friend.
+
+They had not gone more than a block from the station, and Peveril was
+wondering at the crowds of comfortable-looking folk who thronged the
+wooden sidewalks, as well as at the rows of brilliantly lighted shops,
+when his guide turned abruptly into the door of a saloon.
+
+Following curiously, the young man also entered, and, passing behind a
+latticed screen, found himself in a long room having a sanded floor,
+and furnished with a glittering bar, tables, chairs, and several
+queer-looking machines, the nature of which he did not understand.
+Several men were leaning against the counter of the bar; but without
+noticing them other than by a general nod of recognition, Mark
+Trefethen walked to the far end of the room, where he deposited
+Peveril's bag on the floor beside one of the machines already
+mentioned.
+
+It was a narrow, upright frame, placed close to the wall, and holding
+a stout wooden panel. In the centre of this, at the height of a man's
+chest, was a stuffed leathern pad, on which was painted a grotesque
+face, evidently intended for that of a negro, and above it was a dial
+bearing numbers that ranged from 1 to 300. The single pointer on this
+dial indicated the number 173, a figure at which Mark Trefethen
+sniffed contemptuously.
+
+"Let's see thee take a lick at 'Blacky,' lad, just for luck," he said.
+
+Although he had never before seen or even heard of such a machine as
+now confronted him, Peveril was sufficiently quick-witted to realize
+that his companion desired him to strike a blow with his fist at the
+grinning face painted on the leathern pad, and he did so without
+hesitation. At the same time, as he had no idea of what resistance he
+should encounter, he struck out rather gingerly, and the dial-pointer
+sprang back to 156.
+
+Mark Trefethen looked at once incredulous and disappointed. "Surely
+that's not thy best lick, lad," he said, in an aggrieved tone; "why,
+old as I am, I could better it mysel'." Thus saying, the miner drew
+back a fist like a sledge-hammer, and let drive a blow at "Blacky"
+that sent the pointer up to 180.
+
+"Now, lad, try again," he remarked, with a self-satisfied air; "and
+remember, what I should have telled thee afore, that the man who lets
+pointer slip back owes beer to the crowd."
+
+Wondering how he should cancel the indebtedness thus innocently
+incurred, and also at the strangeness of such proceedings on the part
+of one who had just invited him to a much-longed-for supper, Peveril
+again stepped up and delivered a nervous blow against the unresisting
+leathern pad, driving the pointer to 184.
+
+The miner's shout of "Well done, lad! That's spunky," attracted the
+idlers at the bar and brought them to the scene of contest. They
+arrived just in time to see Trefethen deliver his second blow, the
+force of which drove the sensitive needle six points farther on, or
+until it registered 190.
+
+With a flush of pride on his strongly marked face, the old Cornishman
+exclaimed, "There's a mark for thee lad, but doan't 'ee strike 'less
+thee can better it, for I'd like it to stand for a while."
+
+Peveril only smiled in answer, and, taking a quick forward step,
+planted so vigorous a blow upon the painted leather that the pointer
+gained a single interval. So small were the spaces that at first it
+was thought not to have moved; but when a closer examination showed it
+to indicate 191, a murmur of approbation went up from the spectators.
+Mark Trefethen said not a word, but, throwing off his coat and baring
+his corded arm for a mighty effort, he again took place before the
+machine. Carefully measuring his distance, he drew back and delivered
+a blow into which he threw the whole weight of his body. As though
+galvanized into action, the needle leaped up four points and
+registered 195.
+
+"A record! A record!" shouted the spectators, while the miner turned a
+face beaming with triumph towards his athletic young antagonist. On
+many an occasion had he played at solitaire fisticuffs with that
+leathern dummy, but never before had he struck it such a mighty blow,
+and now he did not believe that another in all Red Jacket could equal
+the feat he had just performed.
+
+"Lat it stand, lad! Lat it stand!" he said, good-humoredly, but in a
+tone unmistakably patronizing. "You've done enough to take front rank,
+for not more than three men in all the Jackets have ever beat your
+figure. Besides, the beer is on the house now for a record, but 'twill
+be on any man who lowers yon--so best lat well enough alone."
+
+[Illustration: "IN BREATHLESS SILENCE THE GROUP WATCHED PEVERIL'S
+MOVEMENTS"]
+
+This advice was tendered in all sincerity, and was doubtless very
+good, but Peveril was now too deeply interested in the novel contest
+to accept defeat without a further effort. Besides, the stroke-oar of
+a winning crew in the great Oxford-Cambridge boat-race, which is what
+Dick Peveril had been only two months earlier, was not accustomed to
+be beaten in athletic games.
+
+So he, too, threw off his coat and bared the glorious right arm that
+had at once been the pride of his college and the envy of every other
+in the 'varsity. In breathless silence the little group of spectators
+watched his movements, and when, with sharply exhaled breath, he
+planted a crashing "facer" straight from the shoulder squarely upon
+the leathern disk they sprang eagerly forward to note the result. For
+an instant they gazed at each other blankly, for the needle, though
+trembling violently, remained fixedly pointing at the figure 195.
+
+Then they realized what had happened. Mark Trefethen's score had been
+neither raised nor lowered, but had been duplicated. A double record
+had been established, and that in a single contest. Such a thing had
+never before happened in Red Jacket, where trials of strength and
+skill similar to the one they had just witnessed were of frequent
+occurrence. As the amazing truth broke upon them, they raised a great
+shout of applause, and every man present pressed eagerly about the two
+champions with cordially extended hands.
+
+But Peveril and the old miner were already shaking hands with each
+other, for Mark Trefethen had been the first to appreciate the result
+of his opponent's blow, and had whirled around from his examination
+of the dial to seize the young man's hand in both of his.
+
+"Now I believe it, lad!" he cried. "Now I believe the story boy Tom
+telled this night. I couldn't make it seem possible that you had
+lifted him as he said, and so I wanted proof. Now I'm got it, and now
+I know you for best man that's come to mines for many a year. Pray
+God, lad, that you and me'll never have a quarrel to settle wi' bare
+fists, for I'm free to say I'd rayther meet any ither two men in the
+Jackets than the one behind the fist that struck yon blow."
+
+"You will never meet him in a quarrel if I can help it, Mr.
+Trefethen," replied Peveril, flushing with gratified pride, "for I
+can't imagine anything that would throw me into a greater funk than to
+face as an enemy the man who established the existing record on that
+machine. But, now, don't you think we might adjourn to the supper of
+which you spoke awhile since? I was never quite so famished in my
+life, and am nearly ready to drop with the exhaustion of hunger."
+
+"Oh, Jimmy!" groaned one of the listening spectators. "If 'e done wot
+'e did hon a hempty stummick, hit's 'eaven 'elp the man or the machine
+'e 'its when 'e's full."
+
+"Step up for your beers, gentlemen," cried the bartender at this
+moment. "The house owes two rounds for the double record, and is proud
+to pay a debt so handsomely thrust upon it."
+
+This invitation was promptly accepted by the spectators of the recent
+contest, all of whom immediately lined up at the bar. Mark Trefethen
+stood with them, and when he noticed that Peveril held back, he called
+out, heartily, "Step up, lad, and doan't be bashful. We're waiting to
+take a mug wi' thee."
+
+"I thank you all," rejoined Peveril, politely, "but I believe I don't
+care to drink anything just now."
+
+"What! Not teetotal?"
+
+"Not wholly," replied the other, with a laugh, "but I long ago made it
+a rule not to take liquor in any form on an empty stomach."
+
+"Oh, it won't hurt you. And this time needn't count, anyway," said one
+of the men, whose features proclaimed him to be of Irish birth.
+
+"I think it would hurt me," replied Peveril, "and if my rule could be
+broken at this time, of course it could at any other. So I believe I
+won't drink anything, thank you."
+
+"You mane you're a snob, and don't care to associate with
+working-men," retorted the other.
+
+"I mean nothing of the kind, but exactly what I said, that I don't
+propose to injure my health to gratify you or any other man. As for
+associating with working-men, I am a working-man myself, and have come
+to this place with the hope of finding a job in one of the mines. If I
+hadn't wanted to associate with working-men I shouldn't be here at
+this minute."
+
+"Well, you can't associate with them in one thing if not in all, Mr.
+Workingman," rejoined the Irishman, sneeringly, "and so, if you won't
+drink with us, you can't become one of us."
+
+"That's right," murmured several voices.
+
+"Moreover," continued the speaker, "you don't look, talk, or act like
+a working-man, and I'm willing to bet the price of these beers that
+you never earned a dollar by honest labor in your life."
+
+"If I didn't, that's no reason why I shouldn't."
+
+"But did you?"
+
+"No, I never did."
+
+"I knew it from the first," exclaimed the other, triumphantly, "you're
+nothing but a d--d--"
+
+"Shut up, Mike Connell! don't ye dare say it!" shouted Mark Trefethen,
+shaking a knotted fist in close proximity to the Irishman's face. "How
+dare you insult the friend I've brought to this place? Lad's right
+about the liquor, too, and damned if I'll drink a drop of it mysel'.
+Same time, working-man or no, he's worth any two of you wi' his fists,
+and, I'll bate, has more brains than the rest of us put together. So
+keep a civil tongue in your head in the presence of your betters, Mike
+Connell. Come, lad, time we were getting home. Mother 'll be fretting
+for us."
+
+Thus saying, the sturdy miner laid his toil-hardened hand on Peveril's
+shoulder and led him from the place.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+A 'VARSITY STROKE STRIKES ADVERSE FORTUNE
+
+
+Richard Peveril, student at Christ Church, was not only one of the
+most popular men in his own college, but, as stroke of the 'varsity
+eight, was becoming one of the best known of Oxford undergraduates
+when the blow was struck that compelled him to leave England and
+return to the land of his birth without even waiting to try for his
+degree. He had been an orphan from early boyhood, and, under the
+nominal care of a guardian who saw as little of his charge as
+possible, had passed most of his time in American boarding-schools,
+until sent abroad to finish his education. While his guardian had
+never been unkind to him, he had not tried to understand the boy or to
+win his affection, but had placed him at the best schools, supplied
+him liberally with pocket-money, and then let him alone.
+
+Although the lad had thus been denied the softening influence of a
+home, the tender care of a mother, and a father's counsel, his
+school-life had trained him to self-reliance, prompt obedience to
+lawful authority, a strict sense of honor, and to a physical condition
+so perfect that in all his life he had never known a day's sickness.
+Having always had plenty of money, he had never learned its value,
+though in his school-days his allowance had been limited by the same
+wise rules that also checked undue extravagance. Thus, while brought
+up to live and spend money like a gentleman, he had not been permitted
+to acquire vicious habits.
+
+Even at college his allowance had always been in excess of his needs,
+and so, though ever ready to help a friend in trouble, he had never
+run into debt on his own account.
+
+Another influence for good was the lad's inherited love for all
+out-of-door sports, and he could not remember the time when he was not
+in training for a team, a crew, or an athletic event of some kind.
+Thus the keeping of regular hours, together with a studied temperance
+in both eating and drinking, had been grafted into his very nature.
+
+Life had thus been made very pleasant for our hero, and, believing
+himself to be heir to a fortune, he had never been disturbed by
+anxieties concerning the future. Of course, while he had hosts of
+acquaintances, most of whom called themselves his friends, he was well
+aware that some of them were envious of his position and would rejoice
+at his downfall, should such an event ever take place. It was partly
+this knowledge, partly his own sense of absolute security in life, and
+partly a habit acquired during a long career of leadership among his
+school companions that rendered him brusque with those for whom he did
+not particularly care and contemptuous to the verge of rudeness
+towards such persons as he disliked. Thus it will be seen that our
+young man possessed a facility for the making of enemies as well as
+friends.
+
+Of his secret enemies the most bitter was a fellow-student, also an
+American, named Owen, who, possessed of barely means enough to carry
+him through college, and with no prospects, had, by relinquishing
+everything else, taken much the same stand in scholarship that Peveril
+had in athletics. As a consequence, each was envious of the other, for
+the stroke of the 'varsity eight was so little of a student that he
+had never more than barely scraped through with an examination in his
+life, and was always overwhelmed with conditions. This jealousy would
+not, however, have led to enmity without a further cause, which had
+been furnished within a year.
+
+Owen had crossed on a steamer with Mrs. Maturin Bonnifay, of New York,
+and her only daughter, Rose. They did London together, and never had
+the young American found that smoke-begrimed city so delightful. At
+his solicitation the Bonnifays consented to visit Oxford, and
+permitted him to act as their escort. In contemplating the pleasure of
+such a visit, Owen had lost sight of its dangers; but, alas for his
+happiness! they became only too quickly apparent.
+
+The ladies must be taken to the river, of course, and there the one
+thing above all others to see was the 'varsity eight at practice. Of
+the entire crew none attracted such instant attention as the
+stroke-oar, and when they learned that he was an American their
+interest in him was doubled.
+
+Of course he and Mr. Owen, being compatriots in a strange land, and
+both having done so splendidly at the dear old university, must be
+friends.
+
+Oh, certainly.
+
+Then wouldn't Mr. Owen present his friend? It was always so pleasant
+to meet the right kind of Americans when abroad. "Why! There he comes
+now! I am sure that must be he; isn't it, Mr. Owen? Though one does
+look so different in a boat and out of it."
+
+It was indeed Peveril, who had purposely sauntered in that direction
+for a closer view of the pretty girl whom "Dig" Owen, of all men, had
+picked up; and, in another minute, Owen, with an extremely bad grace,
+had introduced him.
+
+From that moment, as is always the case when athletes and scholars
+compete for feminine favor, the scholar was almost ignored, while his
+muscular rival was petted to a degree that Owen declared simply
+scandalous. Although the latter was still allowed to act as
+second-best escort to the ladies, and form a fourth in their various
+excursions, it was always Peveril who walked, sat, strolled, and
+talked with Miss Rose, while Owen was monopolized by her mother.
+
+The Bonnifays had only intended to spend a day or two in Oxford, but
+the place proved so charmingly attractive that they remained a month,
+and when they finally took their departure for the Continent Miss Rose
+wore a superb diamond ring on the third finger of her left hand, that
+had very recently been placed there by Peveril.
+
+Before they separated it had been arranged that he and they should
+travel through Norway together during the following summer. Owen had
+also been invited to join the party, but had declined on the ground
+that immediately upon taking his degree he would be obliged to return
+to America.
+
+So that winter the scholar, filled with envy and bitterness, ground
+away gloomily but persistently at his books; while the athlete,
+radiant with happiness, steadily cheerful and good-natured, labored
+with his crew. Finally, he stroked them to a win on the Thames, and
+then, at the height of his glory, began to consider his chances for a
+degree. At this moment the blow was struck, and it came in the shape
+of a cablegram from a New York law firm.
+
+     "Return at earliest convenience. Carson dead. Affairs badly
+     involved."
+
+Boise Carson was the guardian whom Peveril had so seldom seen, but who
+had always controlled his affairs and provided so liberally for all
+his wants. Upon coming of age, a few months before, Peveril had sent
+over a power of attorney, and his ex-guardian had continued to act for
+him as before. They were to have had a settlement when the young man
+took his degree, for which purpose he had planned to run over to New
+York, spend a few days there, and return in time for his Norway trip
+with the Bonnifays. In the autumn he and they would sail for New York
+together, and the wedding would take place as soon thereafter as was
+practicable.
+
+Now this wretched cablegram promised to upset everything, and he must
+look forward to spending the summer in trying to disentangle an
+involved business, instead of spending it with the girl of his heart.
+Perhaps, though, "badly involved" did not mean so _very_ badly, and
+possibly he might get through with the hated business in time for the
+Norway trip after all, if he only set to work at once. Of course that
+would necessitate the giving up of his degree, but what difference did
+that make? Other things were of infinitely more importance.
+
+So Peveril bade farewell to Oxford, wrote a long letter, full of love
+and hopeful promises, to Rose Bonnifay, at Rome, sent her a reassuring
+telegram from Southampton, and sailed for New York. Having been so
+long absent, he found very few friends in that city, and it seemed to
+him that some even of those few greeted him with a constraint
+bordering on coldness.
+
+As Boise Carson, who had lived and died a bachelor, had roomed at the
+Waldorf, Peveril also established himself in that palatial
+caravansary, and was then ready to plunge into the business that had
+brought him to America.
+
+His first shock came from the lawyer who had summoned him, and who at
+once told him that he feared everything was lost.
+
+"I don't exactly understand what you mean," said Peveril.
+
+"In plain terms, then, I am afraid that your late guardian not only
+squandered his own fortune in unwise speculation, but yours as well.
+Perhaps this note, left for you, will explain the situation."
+
+Thus saying, the lawyer handed Peveril a sealed envelope addressed to
+him in the well-known handwriting of Boise Carson. Tearing it open,
+the young man read as follows:
+
+     "MY DEAR RICHARD:
+
+     "Having lost everything, including your fortune and my own
+     honor, I have no longer an object in living. I therefore
+     conclude that it will be best to efface myself as speedily as
+     possible. I have made a will, leaving you my sole heir and
+     executor. You are welcome to whatever you can save from the
+     wreck. All papers belonging to your father and left in my
+     charge will be handed you by Mr. Ketchum. Good-bye.
+
+     "Yours, for the last time,
+
+     "BOISE CARSON."
+
+
+"He didn't commit suicide?" exclaimed Peveril, incredulously.
+
+"It is to be feared that he did," replied the lawyer, "and the state
+of his affairs bears out the supposition."
+
+After this Peveril spent a month in New York, trying to recover
+something from the wreck of his fortune. At the end of that time he
+found himself with less than one hundred dollars over and above his
+obligations. Realizing at length that he must for the future depend
+entirely upon his own efforts, he made several applications for vacant
+positions in the city, only to find in every case that they were also
+sought by men more competent to fill them than he.
+
+One day, when, for want of something better to do, he was
+mechanically looking over a package of old papers that had belonged to
+his father, he came across a contract of partnership between his
+parent and a certain Ralph Darrell. It was for the opening and
+development of a mine, to be known as the "Copper Princess," and
+located in the upper peninsula of Michigan. By the terms of the
+contract the partnership was to exist for twenty years, and, if either
+party died during that time, his heir or heirs were to accept the
+liabilities and receive all benefits accruing to an original partner.
+It was, however, provided that the claims of such heirs must be made
+before expiration of the contract, otherwise the entire property would
+fall into possession of the longest-surviving partner or his heirs.
+The document bore a date nineteen years old.
+
+"Well," said Peveril, reflectively, as he finished reading this paper,
+"although everything else is lost, it would seem that as my father's
+sole heir I am still half-owner in a copper mine. I wonder if it is
+worth looking up?"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+STARTING IN SEARCH OF THE COPPER PRINCESS
+
+
+Viewed through the sanguine eyes of youth, the possession of a
+half-interest in a copper mine seemed to offer a ready solution of
+Peveril's recent difficulties. He vaguely recalled stories of great
+fortunes made in copper, and speculated concerning the market value of
+his newly discovered property. "There must be plenty of people ready
+to buy such things, if they are only offered cheaply enough," he said
+to himself; "and Heaven knows I wouldn't hold out for any fancy price.
+Ten thousand dollars, or even five, would be sufficient for the Norway
+trip, and after that something would be certain to turn up."
+
+Of all his trials none had seemed so hard to bear as the giving up of
+that journey to Norway, and now it might be accomplished, after all.
+He had written several letters to Rose since reaching New York, and at
+first they had been filled with hopes of a speedy reunion. Then, as he
+began to realize the condition of his fortunes, they became less
+frequent and less hopeful, until for some weeks, not knowing what to
+write, he had not written at all.
+
+Now filled with a new courage, he wrote a long and cheerful letter,
+in which he stated a belief that his business troubles were so nearly
+ended that he would speedily be able to join his friends in Norway.
+This letter, finished and mailed, the young mine-owner visited his
+lawyer, to inform him of his discovery and learn its probable value.
+
+Mr. Ketchum smiled grimly as he glanced at the contract on which
+Peveril was building such high hopes, and then, handing it back, said,
+pityingly:
+
+"My dear boy, I hate to dash your hopes, but I doubt if this thing is
+worth anything more than the paper on which it is written. Boise
+Carson brought it to us years ago, and we looked into it at that time.
+We discovered that a property located somewhere in Northern Michigan,
+and supposed to be rich in copper, had been purchased at a stiff price
+by your father and this Ralph Darrell, who was a banker in one of the
+New England cities--Boston, I believe. They christened it the 'Copper
+Princess,' invested nearly a million dollars in a complete
+mining-plant, and sank a shaft into barren rock. Not one cent did the
+mine ever yield, and the deeper they went the poorer became their
+prospects. Finally, Darrell, completely ruined financially, became
+crazed by his troubles and disappeared; nor has he ever been heard
+from since. Your father, having put half of his fortune into the
+venture, brooded over its loss until his death, which, I am convinced,
+was largely caused by the failure of the Copper Princess."
+
+"What became of the property after that?" asked Peveril, who had
+listened with a sinking heart to this recital.
+
+"I believe it stands to-day, as it was abandoned years ago, one of the
+many monuments of ruined hopes in that country of squandered
+fortunes."
+
+"But there is copper in that region, is there not?"
+
+"Certainly there is, and in fabulous quantity, but apparently not in
+the immediate vicinity of the Copper Princess."
+
+"Did you visit the place yourself?"
+
+"No. We conducted our inquiries through a mine-owner of Hancock, which
+was at that time the nearest town of importance to the property."
+
+"Does your correspondent still live there?"
+
+"I believe so. At any rate, he did within a year."
+
+"Will you give me a note of introduction to him, and also a paper of
+identification, by which I may substantiate my claim to a
+half-ownership in the Copper Princess?"
+
+"Certainly I will; but may I ask how you propose to use such
+documents? You surely do not intend to visit the property with the
+hope that anything can be realized from it?"
+
+"I don't think I have much hope of any kind just now," replied
+Peveril, bitterly. "But I suppose there is as much work to be done in
+the copper country as anywhere else, while my chances of obtaining
+employment there will at least be as good as they are here. Besides,
+it will be a sort of satisfaction to gaze upon the only existing
+evidence that there ever was a fortune in the family. You said that
+buildings of some sort had been erected on the property, did you not?"
+
+"Yes, according to my recollection there was quite a village of
+miners' houses, besides all the other necessary structures."
+
+"Then I may at least discover a roof under which I can dwell, rent
+free, while the sensation of finding myself lord of a manor will be
+decidedly novel."
+
+Having thus decided upon a course of action, our young mine-owner lost
+no time in carrying out his newly formed plans. That very afternoon he
+purchased a ticket for Buffalo, from which point he proposed to
+economize his slender resources by taking a lake steamer to his point
+of destination. His last duty before leaving New York, and the one
+from which he shrank most, was the writing of a second letter to Rose,
+telling her that the trip to Norway was no longer a possibility, so
+far as he was concerned. He wrote:
+
+     "I am suddenly confronted with the necessity of taking rather a
+     long Western journey, to investigate the condition of a mine in
+     which I own a half-interest. I hate to go, because every mile
+     will lengthen the distance between us, and am more bitterly
+     disappointed than I can express at being compelled to give up
+     our Norwegian trip. But my call to the West is imperative, and
+     must be obeyed. So, dear, let us bear our disappointment as
+     best we can, for I hope it is one to you as well as to me, and
+     look forward to a joyful reunion in this city next autumn."
+
+The epistle, of which the above is but a fragment, not only caused
+Miss Bonnifay to utter an impatient exclamation as she read it, but
+also led to complications.
+
+Feeling that, with Peveril safely across the Atlantic, there might be
+some hope for him, Owen had reconsidered his determination not to go
+to Norway, and had written from Oxford, offering to escort the ladies
+on that trip. His letter reached them in company with that from
+Peveril announcing that he too would shortly be with them. Thereupon
+Mrs. Bonnifay replied to Owen that, while they should be delighted to
+have him join their party, he must not inconvenience himself to do so,
+as Mr. Peveril's business was in such shape that he would be able to
+carry out his original intention of accompanying them.
+
+Then came Peveril's second letter, stating that he could not leave
+America, after all, and the elder lady hurriedly penned the following
+note:
+
+     "MY DEAR MR. OWEN:
+
+     "We are so glad that you can accompany us to Norway, the more
+     so that Mr. Peveril will, after all, be prevented from so
+     doing. He has just written that business of the utmost
+     importance, connected with an immensely valuable mine that he
+     owns somewhere in the West, will prevent his leaving America
+     this summer. Of course he is in despair, and all that, while we
+     are awfully sorry for him, but we shall not allow our grief to
+     interfere in the least with the pleasure we are anticipating
+     from a trip to Norway under your escort. Hoping, then, to see
+     you here very soon,
+
+     "I remain," etc., etc.
+
+Quickly as this letter followed its immediate predecessor, it arrived
+too late to accomplish its purpose; for, on the very day that he
+received it, Owen had cabled his acceptance of a position offered him
+in the United States and procured his ticket for New York.
+
+"Was ever a man so cursed by fate!" he cried, as he finished reading
+Mrs. Bonnifay's note; "or, rather, by the stupidity of a blundering
+idiot! I don't believe Dick Peveril cares a rap for the girl; if he
+did, he would not desert her on any such flimsy pretext. The idea of
+his having business with a mine! He never did have any business, and
+never will. How I hate the fellow!"
+
+With this, Mr. Owen composed a letter to Mrs. Bonnifay, in which his
+regrets at the miscarriage of their plans were skilfully interwoven
+with insinuations that possibly Peveril had found America to hold even
+greater attractions than Norway. He also promised to keep them
+informed concerning the latest New York news.
+
+This promise he redeemed two weeks later by forwarding whatever of
+gossip he could gather regarding Peveril. It included the information
+that the latter had not only lost his fortune, but had sought so
+unsuccessfully for employment in the city that he had finally been
+obliged to leave it, and no one knew whither he had gone. Having
+accomplished this piece of work, Mr. Owen also departed from New York,
+and turned his face westward.
+
+In the mean time, Peveril, happily unconscious of these several
+epistles, was finding his own path beset by trials such as he had
+never encountered on any previous journey, for they were those caused
+by a scarcity of funds with which to meet his every-day expenses.
+
+His determination to economize failed because of his ignorance of the
+first principles of economy. Besides that, his appearance, his manner,
+his dress, and his personal belongings were all so many protests
+against economy. Thus, when he inquired concerning a hotel in Buffalo,
+no one thought of naming any save the most expensive, and he drove to
+it in a carriage, because he did not know how else to reach it. Then
+it happened that the first boat leaving for the Superior country was
+the _Northland_, one of the most luxurious and extravagant of lake
+craft. To be sure, she was also the swiftest, and would carry him
+through without loss of time; but when he left her at the Sault, as he
+found he must in order to reach the copper country, his scanty stock
+of money was depleted beyond anything he had deemed possible on so
+short a trip. From the Sault he travelled by rail, and finally reached
+Hancock with but five dollars in his pocket.
+
+Then, failing to find the only person to whom he had a note of
+introduction, and also being unable to obtain work, he finally
+expended his last dollar for transportation to Red Jacket, where he
+knew he must either find employment or starve. And thus was our hero
+led to the point at which we first made his acquaintance.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+THE TREFETHENS
+
+
+As Peveril walked with his newly made acquaintance through the brisk
+mining-town, of whose very name he had been ignorant until that day,
+Mark Trefethen directed his attention to its various places and
+objects of interest. Of one small but handsome stone building,
+surrounded by grass and shade-trees, he said:
+
+"There's where the swells get's their beer."
+
+Peveril instantly knew it for a club-house, and, with a pang of regret
+for the lost comforts of such an establishment, glanced enviously at
+its cosey interior, disclosed through open windows.
+
+At length they reached the modest cottage, built on the plan of a
+hundred others, that Mark Trefethen rented from the company and called
+his home. The room into which Peveril was ushered was scrupulously
+clean and neat, but seemed to him painfully bare and cheerless. It was
+lighted by a single, unshaded lamp, that stood in the middle of an
+oilcloth-covered table laid for supper. Half a dozen cheap wooden
+chairs and a sewing-machine of inferior grade completed its
+furnishing. The new-comer had only time for a single glance at these
+things as he entered the door, before his recent acquaintance of the
+train, who now seemed almost like an old friend, sprang forward with
+outstretched hand, exclaiming:
+
+"I'm so glad you've come, for I was afraid father might not find you,
+or you might get tired of waiting, or that something might have
+happened to take you some other place. I would have gone back myself,
+only father wouldn't have it that way, and claimed 'twas his place to
+fetch you."
+
+"Surely, son; and why not? Could I do less than give the first welcome
+to one who has done for us what Mr. Peril has? Mother, take a step and
+shake hands wi' him who saved our boy to us this day. I couldn't
+believe it till I seen him hit 'Blacky' such a blow as but one other
+in all Red Jacket has ever struck. What do you think of one
+ninety-five for a record?"
+
+"Oh, father! you surely didn't take him--"
+
+But Tom's words were lost in the heartfelt though somewhat trying
+greeting that Peveril was at that moment receiving from Mrs.
+Trefethen. She was a large woman, whose ample form was unconfined by
+stay or lace, and with whom to "take a step" was evidently an
+exertion. That she was also of an emotional nature was shown by the
+tears that rolled in little well-defined channels down her cheeks as
+she made an elephantine courtesy before her guest.
+
+"Mister Peril, sir," she said, in a voice that seemed to bubble up
+through an overflow of tears, "may you never hexperience the feelinks
+of a mother, more especial the mother of a honly son, which 'arrowing
+is no name for them. As I were saying to Miss Penny this very day--a
+true lady, sir, if there is one in hall Red Jacket, and wife of No. 2,
+timber boss, my Mark being the same in No. 3--Miss Penny, sez I--but,
+laws! what's the use of telling sich things to a mere man? as I
+frequent sez to my Mark and my Tom, which he hain't no more'n a boy
+when all's said and done, if he does claim to vote, and halways on the
+side of 'is father, when, if wimmen had the privilege--as Miss Penny,
+who is a geniwine lady, and by no means a woman-sufferer, has frequent
+said to me, that it's a burning shame they shouldn't--things would be
+more naturally equalled up. Same time, young sir, seeing has 'ow
+you've come--"
+
+"And is also nearly starved," interrupted Mark Trefethen. "Let's have
+supper. You've done yourself proud, mother, and give Mr. Peril a
+master-welcome; but eating before talking, say I, and so let us fall
+to."
+
+Faint with hunger as he was, the guest needed no second invitation to
+seat himself at the homely but hospitable table, on which was placed a
+great dish of corned beef and cabbage, another of potatoes, a wheaten
+loaf, and a pot of tea. Cups, plates, and saucers were of thickest
+stone-ware, knives and forks were of iron, and spoons were of pewter,
+but Peveril managed to make successful use of them all, and though
+betraying a woful ignorance of the proper functions of a knife, ate
+his first working-man's meal with all of a working-man's appetite and
+hearty appreciation.
+
+Mrs. Trefethen occupied a great rocking-chair at one end of the
+table, surrounded by a group of clamorous little ones, into whose open
+mouths she dropped bits of food as though they were so many young
+birds in a nest, and kept up an unceasing flow of conversation
+regarding her friend Mrs. Penny, to which Peveril strove to pay polite
+attention.
+
+From the opposite end her husband expatiated between mouthfuls upon
+the fate that had overtaken 'Blacky' that evening, but Peveril was too
+hungry to talk, and so apparently was Tom. These four were waited on
+by a slim, rosy-cheeked lass, with demure expression but laughing
+eyes, to whom the guest had not been introduced, but who, from her
+likeness to Tom, he rightly concluded must be his sister. She was
+addressed as "Nelly."
+
+After supper the three men adjourned to a little front porch, where
+Mark Trefethen lighted a pipe and questioned Peveril concerning his
+plans for the future. After listening attentively to all that his
+guest chose to tell of himself, he said:
+
+"It's plain, lad, thee's not been brought up to work, and knows nought
+of mining; but thee's got head to learn and muscle to work with. So if
+'ee wants job thee shall have it, or Mark Trefethen 'll know why. Now
+I tell 'ee what. Bide along of us, and be certain of welcome. Take
+to-morrow to look about, and by night I'll have news for you."
+
+Gratefully accepting this invitation, the Oxford undergraduate slept
+that night in a tiny chamber of the Trefethen cottage, from which he
+shrewdly suspected Miss Nelly had been turned out to make room for
+him.
+
+The next day he went with his new-found friends to the mine, where, in
+the "Dry," he saw the underground laborers change into their
+red-stained working-suits. Then he watched them clamber, a dozen at a
+time, into the great ore-cages and disappear with startling suddenness
+down the black shaft into unknown depths of darkness. After all were
+gone he spent some time in the "compressor-room" of the engine-house
+with Tom, who was there on duty. The remainder of the day he passed in
+wandering among shaft-houses, rock-crushers, ore-cars, and shops,
+making close observations, asking questions, and gaining a deal of
+information concerning the mining of copper.
+
+That evening Mark Trefethen told him that he had made arrangements by
+which he could, if he chose, go to work in the mine the following
+morning. "Job's wi' timber gang, lad," he said, "in bottom level. It's
+hard work and little pay at first--only one twenty-five the day--but
+if 'ee's game for it, job's thine."
+
+"I am game to try it, at any rate," replied the young man, gratefully,
+"and will also try my best to prevent you from being ashamed of me."
+
+"No fear, lad. Only fear is I'll be proud of thee, and lat others see
+it, which would be very bad indeed. Now, I'll bate 'ee hasn't rag of
+clothing fit for mine work."
+
+"I have only what I am wearing," answered Peveril, who had left his
+trunks in Hancock, "but I guess they will do until I can earn the
+money to buy others more suitable."
+
+[Illustration: PEVERIL GOES TO WORK]
+
+"Do, lad! They'd be ruined forever in first five minutes. Besides,
+thee'd be laughing-stock of whole mine, if 'ee went down dressed like
+Jim Dandy. No, no; come along of me and I'll rig 'ee out proper."
+
+So Peveril was taken to the company store, where, with Mark Trefethen
+to vouch for him, he was allowed to purchase, on credit, two
+blue-flannel shirts, a suit of brown canvas, a pair of heavy hobnailed
+shoes, two pairs of woollen socks, a hard, round-topped hat, a
+dinner-pail, and a miner's lamp. As these things were, by order of the
+timber boss, charged to "Dick Peril," that was the name under which
+our young Oxonian began his new life and became known in the strange
+community to which erratic fortune had led him.
+
+On the following morning he sallied forth from the Trefethen cottage
+with a tin dinner-pail on one arm, his working-suit under the other,
+and uncomfortably conscious that he was curiously regarded by every
+person whom he met on his way to the mine. As the "Dry" was already
+overcrowded, he shared Tom's locker, and was grateful for the
+opportunity of changing his clothing in the comparative seclusion of
+the compressor-room rather than in company with the two hundred men
+who thronged the steam-heated building devoted especially to that
+purpose.
+
+Having assumed his new garments, and feeling very awkward in them,
+Peveril made his way to the shaft-mouth. There he was joined by Mark
+Trefethen, who regarded the change made in his protege's appearance
+with approving eyes. Together, and in company with a stream of men
+talking in a bewildering Babel of tongues, they climbed flight after
+flight of wooden stairs to the uppermost floor of the tall
+shaft-house.
+
+An empty cage that had just deposited its load of copper conglomerate
+was again ready to descend into the black depths, and, hurrying
+Peveril forward, Mark Trefethen, with half a dozen other miners,
+entered it. An iron gate closed behind them and a gong clanged in the
+engine-house.
+
+"Hold fast, lad, and remember there's no danger," was all that the
+timber boss had time to say. Then the bottom seemed to drop out of
+everything, and Peveril, experiencing the sickening sensation of
+having left his stomach at the top of the shaft, found himself rushing
+downward with horrible velocity through utter blackness. Instinctively
+reaching out for something by which to hold on, he clutched a
+rough-coated arm, but his grasp was rudely shaken off, and a gruff
+voice bade him keep his hands to himself.
+
+He could not frame an answer, for his brain was in a whirl, his ears
+were filled with a dull roaring, and a whistling rush of air caught
+away his breath. The motion of the cage was so smooth and noiseless
+that after a while he could not tell whether it were going up or down,
+though it seemed to be doing both, as though poised on a gigantic
+spring. At length faint glimmers of light began to flash past as it
+shot by the mouths of working levels, and finally it stopped with a
+jerk that threw its passengers into a confused huddle.
+
+A gate was flung open, and as Peveril stumbled out of the cage he was
+only conscious of dancing lights, a crashing rumble of iron against
+iron, and a medley of shouting voices. At the same time all these
+sounds seemed far away and unreal.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+A MILE BENEATH THE SURFACE
+
+
+"Swallow, lad!"
+
+Mark Trefethen uttered the words, and Peveril, dimly comprehending
+him, instinctively obeyed. The effect of that simple muscular action
+was marvellous. His brain was instantly cleared of its weight, the
+ringing in his ears ceased, and his hearing was restored to its normal
+keenness. At the same time he was happily conscious that his stomach
+had been restored to its proper position.
+
+"This is plat of bottom level, and we're a mile underground,"
+continued Mark. "They put us down in one-thirty this time, but often
+they do it ten seconds better."
+
+"I wonder how much longer it would take to drop from a balloon one
+mile above the earth?" reflected Peveril, at the same time gazing
+about him with a lively interest.
+
+The place in which he stood was a spacious room, hewn from solid rock.
+Lighted by several lanterns and little, flaring mine-lamps, it was
+also smoothly floored with iron plates, and from it a narrow-gauge
+railway led away into the blackness. Articles of clothing and
+dinner-pails were hung about the walls, and on the side opposite the
+shaft was a bench of rude workmanship.
+
+Every few minutes an iron car holding several tons of copper rock was
+run into the plat with a tremendous clatter from the little railway
+that penetrated to every "drift" and "stope" of the level. Each of
+these cars was pushed by a team of three wild-looking men, who were
+stripped naked to the waist. Their haggard faces and naked bodies were
+begrimed with powder-smoke, stained red with ore-dust, and gleamed in
+the fitful lamp-light with trickling rivulets of perspiration. The
+car-pushers were all foreigners--Italians, Bohemians, Hungarians, or
+Poles--and the uncouth jargon of their shouts intensified the wildness
+of their appearance. Theirs was the very lowest form of mine drudgery,
+and but few of them were possessed of intelligence or ambition
+sufficient to raise them above it.
+
+One, who was accounted somewhat brighter than his fellows, by whom he
+was regarded as a leader, had indeed been promoted on trial by the
+timber boss to a position in his own gang. He was a perfect brute for
+strength, but so densely ignorant and of such sullen disposition that
+when a better man was offered, in the person of Dick Peveril, the boss
+was only too glad to return him to his hated task of car-pushing and
+accept the new-comer in his place. His sentence of degradation,
+pronounced only the day before, had been received as a personal
+affront by every wild-eyed car-pusher of the mine. All knew that some
+one must fill the place from which their leader had been ousted, and
+all were prepared to hate him the moment his identity should be
+disclosed.
+
+Thus, as Peveril stumbled awkwardly out of the cage in which he had
+just made that breathless, mile-deep descent, he was instantly spotted
+as being a new man, and a team of car-pushers, slaking their thirst at
+a water-barrel in one corner of the plat, gazed at him with scowling
+intentness, that they might minutely describe his appearance to their
+fellows. As he knew nothing of the circumstances through which a place
+had been made for him, he paid no attention to these men, other than
+to note their savage appearance as a feature of his novel
+surroundings.
+
+In fact, he had barely time to take a single comprehensive glance
+around the plat before a man who had been one of his fellow-passengers
+in the cage remarked, sneeringly:
+
+"Pretty well scared, wasn't you, young feller?"
+
+"Yes, I was," replied Peveril, turning and facing his questioner. "But
+how did you know it?"
+
+"By the way you grabbed my arm. If you'd done it again I'd have
+punched your head; for I don't 'low no man to catch holt on me that
+way."
+
+Peveril had already recognized the speaker's face; but, without
+deigning a further reply, he turned to Mark Trefethen and said:
+
+"Will you kindly give me the name of this unpleasant person, as I wish
+to file it away in my memory for future reference?"
+
+"Person be blowed!" exclaimed the man, stepping forward with a
+menacing gesture. "What do you mean by calling me names, you damned--"
+
+"Shut up, Mike Connell, and go about your business," commanded the
+timber boss. "Come, lad, he's not worth noticing," and, thus saying,
+Mark Trefethen led Peveril away.
+
+Although the car-pushers had not caught the words of this brief
+conversation, they had readily understood Mike Connell's threatening
+gesture towards the new-comer, and several times during that day one
+or more of them might have been seen in low-voiced consultation with
+the scowling-faced Irishman.
+
+"Here, lad, fill lamp wi' sunlight," said the timber boss, as he and
+his protege were leaving the plat. "First rule of mine is always have
+lamp in trim, and carry candle, besides plenty of matches in pocket."
+
+With this Mark scooped up in his hand a small quantity of a stiff,
+whitish substance from an open box beside them, and stuffed it into
+his lamp. The box was indeed marked "Sunlight," but when Peveril
+followed his companion's example he found its contents to be merely
+solidified paraffine.
+
+With their lamps well filled and flaring brightly, the two walked for
+half a mile through a dry and well-ventilated gallery, which had been
+driven by drill and blast through solid rock, and from which thousands
+of tons of copper had been taken. Now Peveril learned for the first
+time what "timbering" a mine meant, and realized the necessity for the
+huge piles of great logs that he had seen above ground in close
+proximity to the shaft. Not only had it been incased on all four sides
+by logs mortised together and laid up like the walls of a house, but
+the drift through which he now walked was timbered from end to end.
+Its roof was upheld by huge tree-trunks standing from ten to twenty
+feet apart, and occasionally in groups of three or four together.
+Supported by them, and pressing against the roof or "hanging," were
+other great timbers known as "wall plates," and behind these was a
+compactly laid sheathing of split timber spoken of as "lagging."
+
+As the two men advanced deeper into the drift, an occasional ore-car,
+pushed by its panting human team, rumbled heavily past, while every
+now and then came dull, tremulous shocks like those of an earthquake.
+These were blasts on other levels, or in other parts of the one on
+which they were.
+
+At sound of a confused shouting from somewhere ahead of them, they
+stood still until, with a crashing roar that bellowed and echoed
+through the galleries like a peal of loudest thunder, one of these
+blasts was fired close at hand. A minute later they were enveloped in
+a pungent smoke, through which twinkled dimly a score of lights.
+Brawny, half-naked forms were already wielding pick and shovel amid
+the masses of rock just loosened, a powerful air-drill was being
+placed in position for another attack upon the wall of tough rock, and
+a small timber gang was struggling to hoist a huge log that they
+called a "stull" into position.
+
+"Here's the place, lad. Take hold and give a lift. Now, boys,
+altogether"! shouted Mark Trefethen, and in another moment Dick
+Peveril found himself hard at work.
+
+Within a few minutes the new hand was as begrimed and dripping with
+perspiration as any member of the gang, all of whom exchanged
+significant glances as they noted the willingness with which he
+exerted his great strength. Never had the heavy timbers been set in
+place so quickly, and never in their remembrance had a green hand
+"caught on" so readily.
+
+"He won't last long, though, at that pace," remarked one of the older
+men to Trefethen, as he paused to wipe the sweat-drops from his eyes,
+"he's too fresh."
+
+"Perhaps not," replied the timber boss. "We'll give him a bit of a
+try, though, before dropping him," and then he walked away to inspect
+the operations of another gang in a distant part of the mine.
+
+Late that day, as Peveril's first shift of work drew towards its
+close, he ached in every part of his body, but was learning his new
+trade so rapidly that his fellows were already beginning to regard him
+as one of the best men in their gang. He had made several trips to and
+from the foot of the timber-shaft in company with others, and so,
+when, shortly before quitting time, the foreman of his gang sang out:
+
+"Oh, Peril! Just run back to the stack and bring us one of them small
+sprags. Hurry, now!" the new man started without a moment's
+hesitation.
+
+He found his way without difficulty to the timber pile, and began a
+search for such a piece as he had been told to fetch. The better to
+see what he was doing, he removed the lamp from his hat and held it
+low in front of him, in which position his own face was clearly
+revealed by its light. While he was thus engaged, a miner, who, with
+his day's work finished, was walking towards the plat, paused to
+regard him. The man's face bore a malicious expression, and he seemed
+to meditate some mischief towards the unsuspecting youth, for he
+clinched his fists and took a step in Peveril's direction. Just then
+the rumble of an approaching car caused him to pause and wait until it
+should pass. As it came abreast of him he recognized one of its
+pushers, and drew him aside, while the car, still propelled by two
+members of its team, moved on out of sight.
+
+Without a word the miner directed his companion's attention to the
+figure still bending over the log pile, and made several significant
+gestures. The brutish face of the pusher lighted with an ugly leer,
+expressive of understanding, and he began to move cautiously towards
+the man who had that day displaced him from the timber gang. As he had
+left his light on the car, there was nothing to warn Peveril of his
+approach until he was close at hand and about to deliver a cowardly
+blow.
+
+At that instant the mysterious premonition that always gives warning
+of human presence caused the young man to turn his head. Although he
+was too late to avoid the impending blow, it was deflected by his
+movement, and instead of stunning him it merely caused him to stagger
+and drop his lamp. He also partially warded off a closely following
+second blow, and then his own terrible fist was planted with crashing
+force full on his assailant's jaw.
+
+[Illustration: THE CAR-PUSHERS MADE A FURIOUS ATTACK ON PEVERIL]
+
+The man uttered a scream of agony, covered his face with his hands,
+and started to run. At this moment the other two car-pushers appeared
+on the scene, and with fierce cries began a furious attack upon the
+young man whom they had sworn either to kill or drive from the mine.
+At this time the battleground was only dimly illumined by the
+flickering light of the miner who was thus far sole spectator of the
+contest. Peveril fought in dogged silence, but his assailants uttered
+shrill cries in an unknown tongue. Attracted by these, other lights
+began to appear from both directions, and all at once Mark Trefethen's
+gruff tones were heard demanding to know what was going on.
+
+At this sound Peveril uttered a joyful shout, while at the same moment
+the light in Mike Connell's hat was extinguished.
+
+Recognizing his protege's voice, the timber boss sprang to his side,
+and within another minute the two car-pushers would have been
+annihilated had not the coming of a second car given them a
+reinforcement of three more half-naked savages.
+
+Thus beset and outnumbered by more than two to one, Trefethen thought
+it no shame to call for aid, and, uplifting his mighty voice, he sent
+rolling and echoing through the rock-bound galleries the rallying cry
+of the Cornishmen:
+
+"One and all for Cornwall! One and all!"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+CORNWALL TO THE RESCUE
+
+
+"One and all!" The rallying-cry of the most clannish county in
+England. The one in which, from Land's End to Plymouth Sound, every
+family claims some degree of cousinship with every other, until, at
+home and abroad, "Cousin Richard" is the name proudly borne by all
+Cornishmen.
+
+"One and all!" As the startling cry rang through the black underground
+depths it was heard and answered, caught up and repeated, until it
+penetrated the remotest corners of the far-reaching level. At its
+sound the men of Cornwall, working in stope or drift, breast or
+cross-cut, dropped their tools and sprang to obey its summons. By twos
+and threes they ran, shouting the magic words that Cornish tongues
+have carried around the world. They met in eager groups, each
+demanding to know who had first given the alarm and its cause. As none
+could answer, and the shouts still came from far away, they swept on,
+in ever-increasing numbers and with growing anxiety, for the call of
+Cornwall is never given save in an emergency.
+
+In the meantime the fight between two and five rages with unabated
+fury; the two, with their backs to a wall, putting up the splendid
+defence of trained boxers against the fierce but untaught rush of mere
+brutes. Science, however, labored under the disadvantage of fighting
+in a gloom that was almost darkness, for Mark Trefethen's lamp had
+been extinguished at the outset, and the only one still burning was on
+a car standing at a distance from them.
+
+Of a sudden the timber boss heard a groan at his side, and found
+himself fighting alone. His comrade had sunk limply to the ground, and
+an exultant yell from the others proclaimed their knowledge that they
+had no longer to fear his telling blows. As they were about to rush in
+and complete their victory, the battle-cry of Cornwall, accompanied by
+the flash of many lights, came rolling down the gallery.
+
+Help was close at hand. If Mark Trefethen could hold out for another
+minute he would be surrounded by friends. With an answering shout of
+"One and all!" he sprang to meet his assailants, and, realizing their
+danger, they fled before him. At the same instant the lamp on their
+car disappeared, and in the utter darkness that followed Trefethen
+could only grope his way back to Peveril's side.
+
+A moment later the flaring lights of the Cornish miners disclosed the
+old man, with face battered and bleeding, standing grimly undaunted
+beside the motionless form of the newest comer to the mine. The latter
+lay unconscious, with an ugly wound on the side of his head, from
+which blood was flowing freely. It had been made by a fragment of
+copper rock, evidently taken from the loaded car close at hand, and
+flung from that direction. Several other similar pieces were picked up
+near where the two men had defended themselves, and, now that
+Trefethen had time for reflection, he recalled having heard these
+crash against the wall behind him.
+
+Who had flung them was a mystery, as was the cause of the attack on
+Peveril. Even the identity of his assailants seemed likely to remain
+unrevealed, for these had slipped away in the darkness, and though the
+rescuing party searched the level like a swarm of angry hornets, they
+could not discover a man bearing on his person any signs of the recent
+fray.
+
+In the gloom shrouding the scene of conflict, Mark Trefethen had not
+been able to recognize those with whom he fought, but only knew them
+to be foreigners and car-pushers. It afterwards transpired that a
+number of these had, on that evening, made their way to a shaft a mile
+distant, and so gained the surface. One of them was reported to have
+had his head tied up as the result of an accident, but no one had
+recognized him.
+
+While certain of the Cornishmen searched the mine, Trefethen and
+others bore the still unconscious form of Richard Peveril to the plat,
+and sounded the alarm signal of five bells. Nothing so startles a
+mining community as to have this signal come from underground. It may
+mean death and disaster. It surely means that there are injured men to
+be brought up to the surface, and the time elapsing before their
+arrival is always filled with deepest anxiety.
+
+It was so in the present case, and when the cage containing the two
+battered miners, one of whom had also every appearance of being dead,
+emerged from the shaft, a throng of spectators was waiting to greet
+it.
+
+These learned with a great sigh of relief that there had been no
+accident, but merely a fight, in which the men just brought up were
+supposed to be the only ones injured. Their revulsion of feeling led
+many of the spectators to treat the whole affair as a joke, especially
+as the only person seriously hurt was a stranger.
+
+"It's always new-comers as stirs up shindies," growled a miner who,
+having reached the surface a few minutes earlier, formed one of the
+expectant group. "They ought not to be let underground, I say."
+
+"How about Trefethen?" asked a voice. "He's no new-comer."
+
+"Oh, Mark's a quarrelsome old cuss, who's always meddling where he has
+no call."
+
+"You lie, Mike Connell, and you know it. My father never fights
+without good cause," cried Tom Trefethen, who had arrived just in time
+to resent the slurring remark.
+
+"I'll teach you, you young whelp!" shouted the miner, springing
+furiously forward; but Tom leaped aside, leaving the other to be
+confronted by several burly Cornishmen, in whose ears was still
+ringing the cry of "One and all!"
+
+"Lad's right, Maister Connell," said one of these. "If 'ee doan't
+believe it, come along and get proof."
+
+But the Irishman, muttering something about not caring to fight all
+Cornwall, turned abruptly and walked away.
+
+Tom Trefethen, not yet knowing that Peveril had been hurt, also
+hurried away to find his father, who, having left his young friend in
+the hands of the mine surgeon, had gone to change his clothing. At the
+same time poor Peveril lay in a small room of the shaft-house, having
+the gash in his head sewn up. Several spectators regarded the
+operation curiously, and among them was a gentleman, addressed by the
+doctor as Mr. Owen, whom none of the others remembered to have seen
+before, but who seemed to take a great interest in the still
+unconscious sufferer.
+
+"Do you consider it a serious case, doctor?" he asked.
+
+"No. Not at all serious. These miners are a tough lot, and not easily
+done for, as you'll find out before you have seen as much of them as I
+have. This one will probably be out and at work again in a day or two.
+I'm always having such little jobs on my hands, the results of
+accident, mostly, though this, I believe, is a case of fighting,
+something very uncommon in our mine, I can assure you. Splendid
+physique, hasn't he? Savage-looking face, though. Hate to trust myself
+alone with him. I understand old Mark Trefethen had a hard tussle
+before he brought him to terms."
+
+"What was the trouble?"
+
+"I don't know, exactly. Insubordination, I suppose; but old Mark
+don't put up with any nonsense."
+
+"Do you know this fellow's name, or anything about him?"
+
+"Um--yes. I have learned something, but not much. His name is
+Peril--Richard Peril. Odd name, isn't it? He's a new-comer, and, like
+yourself, has just entered the company's employ. Rather a contrast in
+your positions, though. Illustrates the difference between one brought
+up and educated as a gentleman, and one destined from the first for
+the other thing, eh? It is all poppycock to say that education can
+make a gentleman; don't you think so? In the present case, for
+instance, I doubt if even Oxford could make a gentleman of this
+fellow. His whole expression is a protest against such a supposition.
+But now he's coming to all right, and I'm glad of it, for I have an
+engagement at the club, and don't want to spend much more time with
+him."
+
+Poor Peveril, whose begrimed and blood-streaked face was not
+calculated to prepossess one in his favor, began just then to have a
+realizing sense that he was still alive, and the doctor, bending over
+him, said:
+
+"There now, my man, you are doing nicely, and by taking care of
+yourself you will be about again in a day or two. You had a close
+call, though, and it's a warning to behave yourself in the future; for
+I can assure you that one given to fighting or disobedience of orders
+is not allowed to linger in these parts. I must leave you now, but
+will call again this evening to see how you are getting along. What
+is your address?"
+
+"He lives along of us, sir," answered Tom Trefethen, who had just
+entered the room; "and if you think it's safe to move him, we'll take
+him right home."
+
+"Certainly you can move him; in fact, he could walk if there was no
+other way; but it will be as well to take him in a carriage. Let me
+see, your name is Trefethen, is it not?"
+
+"Yes, sir."
+
+"Very well; put your boarder to bed as soon as you get him home, keep
+him quiet, give him only cooling drinks, and I'll call round after a
+while. Now I must hurry along."
+
+The stranger, who walked away with the self-important young doctor,
+was none other than Peveril's Oxford classmate--"Dig" Owen--who,
+having obtained a position in the Eastern office of the White Pine
+Mining Company, had been advised to visit the mine and learn something
+of its practical working before assuming his new duties. He had just
+arrived when the rumor of an accident caused him to hurry to the
+shaft-mouth. There he was thunderstruck at recognizing in one of the
+two men brought up from the depths his recent college-mate and rival.
+In the excitement of the moment he had very nearly betrayed the fact
+of their acquaintance, but managed to restrain himself, and was
+afterwards careful to keep out of Peveril's sight, foreseeing a great
+advantage to himself by so doing.
+
+That same evening he sat in the comfortable writing-room of the
+club-house--at which poor Peveril had gazed with envious eyes--and
+composed a long epistle to Rose Bonnifay, in which he mentioned that
+he had just run across their mutual friend, Dick Peveril, working as a
+day-laborer in a copper-mine.
+
+     "This" [he continued] "is doubtless the mine in which he
+     claimed to be _interested_, and under the circumstances one can
+     hardly blame the poor fellow for putting it in that way. At the
+     same time, I consider it only fair that _you_ should know the
+     real facts in the case.
+
+     "His misfortunes seem also to have affected his disposition,
+     for on the very day of my arrival he was engaged in a most
+     disgraceful fight with some of his low associates, by whom he
+     was severely and justly punished. Of course I could not afford
+     to recognize him, and so took pains to have him kept in
+     ignorance of my presence. Is it not sad that a fellow of such
+     promise should in so short a time have fallen so low?
+
+     "Within a few days I shall return to the East, where my own
+     prospects are of the brightest," etc.
+
+"There," said Mr. Owen to himself, as he sealed and addressed this
+letter. "If that don't effectually squelch Mr. Richard Peveril's
+aspirations in a certain direction, then I'm no judge of human
+nature."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+IN THE NEW SHAFT
+
+
+When the mine-surgeon visited his patient that evening he found only
+Mrs. Trefethen, sitting on the porch and awaiting him, "her men-folk,"
+as she informed him, "being on the trail of they murderers."
+
+"Which, if they ain't so many Cainses this night, hit bain't their
+fault, as I sez to Miss Penny the moment I sees that pore lamb brought
+into the 'ouse just like 'e was struck down the same as a flower of
+the field that bloweth where hit listeth; and she sez to me--for me
+and Miss Penny was wishing at that blessed minute, like hit were
+providential--she sez--"
+
+"It is certainly very kind of you to take such an interest in a
+stranger," ruthlessly interrupted the doctor; "but may I inquire how
+my patient is getting along?"
+
+"You may indeed, sir, and may the good Lord preserve you from a like
+harm, which hit make my blood boil to think of my pore Mark's hescape,
+him being what you might call owdacious to that degree. He were
+telling me has'ow 'One and hall' was everythink that saved 'im, and
+they rocks pattering same has 'ailstones hall the time. Law, sir!"
+
+"Doubtless, madam, the episode must have been most exciting; but now,
+if you will allow me to interview the cause of all this trouble, I
+shall be much obliged."
+
+"Trouble, doctor, dear! Don't mention the word when hit's 'im 'eld the
+life of my Tom in 'is two 'ands, and but for they cruel rocks that
+battered 'is fore'ead would ha' throttled them rascal pushers same as
+rattan in tarrier's grip; for my man 'olds there was ne'er a
+fisticuffer like 'im in hall the Jackets. But, doctor! doctor! Oh,
+drat the man! now 'e'll go hand wake Maister Peril, which I were
+a-settin' 'ere a pu'pos' to tell 'im lad's asleep."
+
+Impatient of longer delay, and despairing of obtaining a direct answer
+to his questions, the doctor had indeed slipped into the house and
+instinctively made his way up-stairs towards the only room in which a
+light was burning. He was met outside the door by a warning "Sh!" from
+Nelly Trefethen, who had been left on guard by her mother, and
+together they entered the room where the wounded man lay tossing in
+restless slumber.
+
+The doctor started at close sight of him, and for a moment refused to
+believe that the handsome, high-bred face, from which every trace of
+grime and blood had been carefully removed, was that of the young
+fellow who, he had declared, could never become a gentleman. Only the
+evidence of his own handiwork, in shape of the bandages still swathing
+Peveril's head, served to convince him that this was indeed his
+patient of the shaft-house.
+
+After a few minutes of observation he left the room, without awakening
+the sleeper, and gave his directions for the night down-stairs. He
+also questioned Nelly closely concerning the young man who had so
+aroused his curiosity, but she could only tell him that the stranger's
+name was "Peril," that he had come to Red Jacket in search of work,
+had saved her brother's Tom's life, and had in consequence been given
+a job in the mine.
+
+"But he is evidently a gentleman?" said the doctor.
+
+"Claims to be working-man," put in Mrs. Trefethen.
+
+"He can be both, can't he, mother?" asked Nelly, somewhat sharply.
+"Surely you think father is a gentleman."
+
+"Not same as him yonder," replied the older woman, stoutly.
+
+"Well, I don't care what he is or isn't," answered the girl, with a
+toss of her pretty head, "he hasn't shown any sign yet of holding
+himself above us, and Tom thinks he is just splendid. If he was here
+he wouldn't hear a word said against him, I know that much."
+
+"Save us, lass! Who's said aught 'gainst thy young man?"
+
+"He's not my young man, mother, and you know it. Can't a girl stand up
+for a stranger who saved her brother's life, and who has just been
+knocked senseless while fighting beside her own father, without being
+twitted about him?"
+
+"Certainly she can," replied the doctor, with an admiring glance at
+the girl's spirited pose and flushed face. "But have a care, Miss
+Nelly. There's nothing so dangerous to a girl's peace of mind as an
+interesting invalid of the opposite sex."
+
+"Thank you, for nothing, doctor, and you needn't fret one little bit
+about me. We Red Jacket girls can take care of ourselves without going
+to any man for advice."
+
+"Save us, lass, but thee's getting a pert hussy!" cried Mrs.
+Trefethen; but the doctor only laughed, and took his departure,
+promising to call again the next day.
+
+He had hardly gone before Mark Trefethen returned, filled with
+excitement over certain discoveries he had just made. One was that the
+car-pushers of the mine had sworn either to force Peveril from it or
+to kill him. He had also learned that Rothsky, the Bohemian, who had
+been found wanting when tried in the timber gang, had led the attack
+of that evening, and had received a broken jaw in consequence. The
+identity of the two car-pushers who were with him at the time having
+also been discovered, the captain of the mine had promptly discharged
+all three. Moreover, the Cornish miners had sworn that if either their
+own leader or his protege were again molested while underground they
+would drive every foreign car-pusher from the workings.
+
+When Tom came home he confided to his father a belief that Mike
+Connell had been at the bottom of all the recent deviltry, but, as he
+confessed that he could not verify his suspicions, Mark Trefethen
+bade him keep them to himself.
+
+"We'll not take away any man's character, lad," he said, "without
+proof that he deserves to lose it. But if ever I know for certain that
+Mike Connell had hand in this, lat him have a care o' me. As for yon
+Dick Peril, there's no fear but what he can look out for hissel', now
+that we can warn him of his enemies."
+
+For two days Peveril kept his bed, assiduously waited on by Mrs.
+Trefethen and her daughter, watched over at night by Tom, and an
+object of anxious solicitude to the entire family. Then he was allowed
+to venture down-stairs, while the children were driven from the house,
+that they might not disturb him. Before the week ended he was taking
+short walks, escorted by Miss Nelly, who was only too proud to show
+off this new cavalier before the other girls of her acquaintance.
+Several times as the doctor saw them thus together he shook his head
+doubtfully.
+
+During one of these walks Peveril made the joyful discovery of a
+public library, and thereafter much of his convalescence was passed
+within its walls. There he read with avidity all that he could find
+concerning the Lake Superior copper region, and mining in general.
+Particularly was he interested in everything pertaining to the
+prehistoric mining of copper by a people, presumably Aztecs or their
+close kin, who possessed the art, long since lost, of tempering that
+metal.
+
+All this time he never for a moment forgot the object of his coming
+to that country, nor neglected a possible opportunity for gaining news
+of the mine in which he believed himself to be a half-owner. Thus, in
+all his reading, as well as in his conversations with Mark Trefethen
+and other miners, he always sought for information concerning the
+Copper Princess, but could find none. His books had nothing to say on
+the subject, and, while the men knew by report of many abandoned
+mining properties, they had not heard of one bearing the name in
+question.
+
+Finally, chafing under this enforced idleness, as well as under the
+poverty that compelled him to be a pensioner on those who could ill
+afford to support him, Peveril announced his complete restoration to
+health, and declared his intention of again going to work.
+
+Mark Trefethen tried to persuade him to wait a while longer before
+thus testing his strength, but without avail, and at length, finding
+the young man set in his determination, used his influence to procure
+for him a temporary situation in which the work would be much lighter
+than with the timber gang. This job was in a shaft then being sunk by
+the White Pine Company, and included a certain supervision of the
+explosives used in blasting.
+
+The new shaft was already down several hundred feet, and was being
+driven through solid rock by drill and blast, at the rate of twenty
+feet per week. Of course there was no regular running of cages up and
+down as yet, but the loosened material was hoisted to the surface in a
+big iron bucket, or "skip," and in this the miners engaged in the
+work also travelled back and forth.
+
+The great opening was a rectangle twenty-two by six and a half feet,
+and to sink it a series of holes was drilled around its sides. Then
+all the men but one were sent to the surface, while Peveril descended
+with a load of dynamite and a fuse. The man left at the bottom was
+always an experienced miner, and it was his duty to charge the holes,
+place and light the fuses, which were timed to burn for several
+minutes, jump into the skip and give the signal for hoisting. In all
+of this work he was of course assisted by Peveril, and when their task
+was completed the two men were lifted to the surface as quickly as
+possible.
+
+After our young friend had been engaged in this delicate business some
+two weeks, and had become thoroughly familiar with its details, he was
+disagreeably surprised one day, upon descending with his freight of
+explosives, to find Mike Connell awaiting him at the bottom of the
+shaft. The Irishman seemed equally annoyed at seeing him, but the
+purpose for which they were there must be accomplished, and so, glad
+as each would have been for a more congenial companion, they set
+doggedly to work.
+
+When Connell, in a spirit of bravado, handled the sticks of dynamite
+with criminal recklessness, and finally managed to drop one of them
+close beside Peveril, the latter sharply commanded him to be more
+careful.
+
+"Afraid, are you?" sneered the other.
+
+"Yes, I am afraid to work with a man who knows so little of his
+business as you appear to," answered Peveril.
+
+"Go to the top then, and lave me to finish the job alone. Lord knows,
+I don't want no dealings with a coward."
+
+"It makes no difference what you want or do not want," answered the
+younger man steadily, though with a hot flush mounting to his cheeks.
+"I was sent here for a certain duty, and intend to stay until I have
+performed it."
+
+"And I've a great mind to do what I ought to have done the first day
+you struck Red Jacket, and that is to punch your head."
+
+"You shall have a chance to try it when we get to the surface."
+
+"Where you think you'll find friends to protect you. No, by ----, I'll
+do it now!"
+
+With this the Irishman sprang forward with clinched fists, but the
+other, being on guard, caught him so deft a blow under the chin that
+he dropped like a log. Then, with the full exercise of his strength,
+the young Oxonian picked his enemy up and dropped him into the skip.
+After doing which he proceeded to complete arrangements for the blast.
+
+He worked with nervous haste, and did not see that his enemy had so
+far recovered as to be watching him with an expression of deadly hate
+over the side of the great iron bucket. But it was so, and, just as
+Peveril had lighted the several fuses, Connell gave the signal to
+hoist.
+
+The movement of the skip disclosed his devilish purpose in time for
+Peveril to spring and catch with outstretched arms one of its
+supporting bars. With a mighty effort he drew himself up, and, in
+spite of Connell's furious attempts to prevent him, gained its
+interior.
+
+At that moment something went wrong with the hoisting machinery, the
+upward movement was arrested, and the bucket hung motionless not more
+than ten feet above the deadly mine. In the awfulness of their common
+danger, the men forgot their enmity and gazed at each other with
+horror-stricken eyes. Then, with a groan of despair, Mike Connell sank
+limply to the bottom of the skip.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX
+
+WINNING A FRIEND BY SHEER PLUCK
+
+
+Peveril's lamp had been extinguished during his struggle to force an
+entrance into the skip, while that in Mike Connell's hat went out as
+he sank helpless from terror and crouched at the other's feet. So the
+blackness that shrouded them as with a pall was only faintly illumined
+by the fitful flashing of the fuses that hissed like so many fiery
+serpents beneath them. Their red eyes gleamed spitefully through the
+gloom, and for an instant Peveril, leaning over the side of the skip,
+gazed at them in fascinated helplessness.
+
+Then he leaped down among them and began to tear them from their
+connection with the devilish forces that only awaited a signal to
+burst forth and destroy him. The fiery serpents bit at him as he flung
+them, to writhe in impotent rage, where they could do no harm; but he
+heeded not the pain, and after a little they expired, one by one,
+hissing spitefully to the last.
+
+Some of them had already burned so low that he could not pluck them
+forth, and was forced to stamp out their venomous lives with the
+constant knowledge that, should a single spark escape this imperfect
+method of extinguishment, he would still be lost. So fiercely did he
+labor that in less than one minute the last visible spark from a score
+of fuses had glimmered out, and he stood in absolute darkness. But he
+must wait for a full minute more before he could be certain that none
+had escaped him, to creep viciously down through the loose tamping and
+still reach the hidden dynamite. It was a period of the same helpless
+anxiety that immediately precedes the hearing of a sentence that may
+be either one of death or acquittal. While it lasted Peveril was
+bathed in a cold perspiration, his brain reeled, and his limbs
+trembled until he was obliged to lean against the side of the shaft
+for support.
+
+As second after second dragged itself away, until it was finally
+certain that sixty of them had passed, and that sentence had been
+pronounced in his favor, the young miner sank to his knees and framed,
+as best he could, a prayer of gratitude. How long he thus remained in
+grateful contemplation of his narrow escape from death he never knew,
+but he was at length aroused by a shout from above, and, looking up,
+saw an approaching light twinkling like a star of good promise through
+the blackness. The call that came to him was one of anxious
+uncertainty; but, as his answering shout sped upward, it was changed
+to an exultant cry of joy. Then came cheer after cheer as the skip
+slowly descended until it finally reached the bottom, and a solitary
+figure sprang from it.
+
+[Illustration: PEVERIL LEAPED DOWN AMONG THE SPUTTERING FUSES]
+
+This person acted like a crazy man, first flinging his arms about
+Peveril, and then falling on his knees at the young man's feet, with
+a torrent of words in which praise and gratitude were mingled with
+pleas for forgiveness. He was Peveril's recent companion and avowed
+enemy, who, after the former had leaped from the skip, had leaned
+weakly over its side and watched with fascinated gaze the struggle for
+life going on below him. Ere it was ended, the hoisting-machinery
+began again to work, and the skip was suddenly impelled upward with
+breathless speed.
+
+Those who witnessed its safe arrival at the surface had their
+congratulations changed to exclamations of dismay by the discovery
+that it contained but a single occupant. Though the time-limit for the
+explosion was already passed, and though Mike Connell begged them to
+send him down again at once, they refused to do so until another full
+minute should elapse. During its slow passage they crowded about the
+shaft-mouth in breathless silence, listening with strained ears for
+the awful sound they so dreaded to hear.
+
+Even with the minute of safety passed, it was not certain that the
+explosion might not yet occur; but the young Irishman demanded so
+fiercely to be instantly lowered to the very bottom that they finally
+consented to do as he desired. Several were even willing to accompany
+him, but he waved these back and insisted upon going alone.
+
+He had to meet the man to whom he owed his life, as well as a shameful
+confession of cowardly acts, and he preferred to meet him alone. Two
+minutes later he was at the bottom of the shaft, kneeling in
+semi-darkness on its rocky floor, acknowledging his obligation,
+confessing his guilt, and imploring forgiveness.
+
+"You are the bravest man I've ever known, Mister Peril, though I've
+met them as was counted brave before; but none of them would dare do
+what you have this day. You have given me my life, and yet I tried
+twice to take yours, for 'twas me flung that rock in the mine.
+And--I'm choked with the shame of the black deed--but I gave the
+signal to hoist the skip a few minutes since, and tried to leave you
+here to die. I'm a coward and a murderer at heart, Mister Peril, and
+the dirtiest blackguard that ever was let live. I'm not worthy of your
+contempt, and yet, sir, I'm going to dare ask a favor of you."
+
+"My dear fellow," interrupted Peveril, who was greatly moved by the
+man's attitude and words of self-condemnation. "Believe me--"
+
+"Wait, Mister Peril. Please wait, sir, till you've heard me through.
+You have the right to hate me, to despise me, or even to kill me, and
+I'd not lift a finger to prevent you; but I'm going to ask you to
+forgive me. If you don't, I can never hold up my head or look an
+honest man in the face again. If you can't forgive me I shall never
+dare ask the forgiveness of God in heaven."
+
+"I do forgive you, with all my heart," exclaimed Peveril, "and there
+is my hand on it." With this he grasped the young Irishman's hand and
+almost lifted him to his feet. "You have done a brave deed in coming
+down here after me," he added, "while there was still danger of an
+explosion, and one much braver even than that, in confessing your
+faults. These two things prove that you are not a coward, and from
+this time on I shall claim you as a friend."
+
+"Thank you, Mister Peril, and may God bless you for them words," cried
+Connell, in a voice choked with feeling. "As for being your friend,
+sir, I'd be proud to be counted your slave."
+
+"I would much rather have a friend than a slave," returned the other,
+smiling. "And so, if you don't mind, we'll stick to the first
+proposition. But, Connell, I want to ask you a question. What made you
+hate me, as you seemed to do from the very first?"
+
+"Jealousy, Mister Peril. Just black, bitter jealousy, and nothing at
+all else."
+
+"How could that be, when you didn't even know me?"
+
+"Because, sir, I'm near crazy with love for a girl who only laughs at
+me, and whose folks treat me with contempt. When I first saw you, so
+strong and handsome and gentleman-like, with her father, and knew he
+was going to take you to live in the very house along of her, I
+couldn't help but hate you."
+
+"You surely can't mean Miss Trefethen?"
+
+"Yes, sir, no other; and when I seen you and her walking together, and
+she looking up so smiling into your face, I swore I'd kill you if ever
+I had the chance, and this day the devil gave it to me. But now,
+Mister Peril, you've proved yourself the best man of us two, and if
+you want her I'll never again stand in your way."
+
+"But I don't want her!" cried Peveril. "Nothing was ever farther from
+my thoughts; and even if I did, I couldn't have her, because I am
+engaged to another young lady."
+
+"You are, sir? Bless you for them words! And may I tell her that you
+are already bespoke?"
+
+"Certainly; or, better still, I will tell her myself at the very first
+opportunity I have for speaking with her on such a subject. But, now
+that everything is settled between us, don't you think we'd better
+prepare the blast again before we go up? There is fuse enough left in
+the skip."
+
+"Well, you are a game one!" exclaimed Connell, admiringly. "Of course,
+if you are willing to do it after what you've just gone through, I'm
+the man to stand by you. Only I do hope as there won't be no hitch in
+the hoisting this time."
+
+The signal, "All's well," having already been sent to the surface,
+Connell now notified the engineer to be ready to hoist for a blast,
+and the two set to work. In a few minutes the charge, that had so
+nearly proved fatal to both of them, was again ready for firing, and
+the hissing fuses were lighted. Then both men sprang into the skip,
+the signal to hoist was hurriedly sounded, and away they sped up the
+black shaft towards the distant sunlight.
+
+As they reached the surface and clambered from the skip, aided by a
+dozen eager hands, there came from the depths below a dull roar and
+the tremor of a heavy explosion. At this a throng of persons which, to
+Peveril's surprise, was gathered at the shaft-mouth raised a mighty
+cheer. Then they crowded tumultuously forward to shake hands with, or
+even to gaze on, the hero of the hour; for, on his previous visit to
+surface, Mike Connell had told of Peveril's brave deed, and news of it
+had already spread far and wide. So the night-shift had paused to see
+him before entering the mine, and the day-shift had waited to greet
+him before going to their homes, while others had come from all
+directions.
+
+Waving them all back, and grasping Peveril's hand, Mike Connell
+shouted:
+
+"Wait a minute, mates! Only one minute, and then you shall have a
+chance at him. First, though, I want you all to know that Mister Peril
+here has just stepped from the very jaws of hell, where he went of his
+own free will to save my life. It's proud I am to call him my friend,
+and for the deed he has done this day I name him the bravest lad in
+all Red Jacket. If any man denies that, he'll have to settle with Mike
+Connell, that's all. And now, boys, you may treat him as a brave man
+deserves to be treated."
+
+Poor Peveril, covered with confusion, tried to explain that whatever
+he had done was for his own salvation as well as for that of his
+friend, Mr. Connell; but no one would listen. All were too busy with
+cheering and in crowding forward for a look at him.
+
+In another minute he was hoisted on the shoulders of half a dozen
+sturdy miners, the foremost of whom was proud old Mark Trefethen, and
+was being borne in triumphal procession through the principal streets
+of the town.
+
+It was a spontaneous tribute of working-men to a fellow-workman; and,
+gladly as Peveril would have modified the form of the ovation, he was
+more proud of it than of any ever tendered him for having stroked the
+Oxford 'varsity eight to a win.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X
+
+HEROISM REWARDED
+
+
+As the story of Peveril's brave act preceded him, it gained so
+remarkably in passing from mouth to mouth that, by the time it reached
+Mrs. Trefethen, she received a confused impression that by some
+unheard-of bravery the young man had saved all in the mine, including
+her Mark and her Tom, from instant destruction. Her information having
+come direct from her dearest friend, Mrs. Penny, she could not doubt
+its truth, nor had she time to do so before the triumphal procession
+of miners appeared and halted at her very door.
+
+Calling upon Nelly to support her, the worthy woman started forth to
+greet her heroes, and welcome them with all the warmth of her
+overflowing heart. As she gained the roadway, she was so blinded by
+thankful tears that she could not distinguish one person from another,
+but impulsively flung her arms about the neck of the first man she
+encountered, who happened to be Mike Connell, and treated him to a
+hearty embrace.
+
+"Gie mun a kiss, lass!" she called to Nelly, as she loosed her arms
+and made towards another victim. "Nought's too good for they brave
+lads this day. Oh, Mark, man! but I be proud o' being thy earthly
+wife, 'stead o' seeing thee in 'eaven this blessed minute."
+
+This last was addressed to a bewildered stranger whom Mrs. Trefethen
+had mistaken for her husband, and who was vainly striving to escape
+from her encircling arms.
+
+"Art crazy, mother, to be hustling men in public street thiccy way? I
+be 'shamed of 'ee!" cried Mark Trefethen, catching hold of his wife at
+this moment. "Come along in house, or if 'ee must have man to hug take
+me or Tom here, or Maister Peril, who deserves it best of all for this
+day's work."
+
+Nothing loath to do as she was bid, Mrs. Trefethen made a third effort
+to express her feelings towards Peveril, in her own peculiar fashion;
+but he laughingly evaded her, and she fell instead upon the neck of
+another astonished stranger who happened in her way, and upon whose
+head she tearfully called down the choicest blessings of Heaven.
+
+"Thee's saved me from widow's grave, lad, which the same, I frequent
+saz to Miss Penny, I did 'ope never to live to see; but our 'Eveanly
+Feyther knows best, and if hits 'Is will--But there, I'm that
+over-set--Nelly, gie Maister Peril a kiss, lass, in token of thy
+forgiveness for what 'e's done this day."
+
+So saying, the well-meaning blunderer released her victim, with the
+view of allowing Nelly a chance to express her gratitude, and, for the
+first time, caught sight of his face.
+
+"Thee's not Dick Peril!" she cried. "W'at's thee mean by scandalizing
+honest woman thiccy way? Isn't thee 'shamed on thysel', thou great
+lump?"
+
+The poor man tried in vain to explain his innocence of act or
+intention, but his voice was drowned in the boisterous laughter of his
+mates, amid which the crowd gradually dispersed, while Mrs. Trefethen,
+still exclaiming against the duplicity of men in general, was led into
+the house by her husband and son.
+
+In the meantime Miss Nelly had demurely shaken hands with Mike
+Connell, who was still gasping in astonishment at the warmth of Mrs.
+Trefethen's reception. Then she kissed her father and Tom, stole one
+look at Peveril's face, and, murmuring something about seeing after
+supper, ran into the house.
+
+Although Peveril had not forgotten the promise to his newly made
+friend to inform Nelly of his own engagement as soon as possible, he
+had no chance to do so that evening; for supper had hardly been eaten
+when he began to receive visitors eager to congratulate him upon his
+recent act of heroism. Among these was Major Arkell, general manager
+of the mine, whom the young man had never before met.
+
+The Trefethens were thrown into a flutter of hospitable pride by the
+coming to their cottage of so distinguished a visitor, but, after a
+courteous greeting to them, he devoted his entire attention to him
+whom he had come purposely to see. After the latter had been
+introduced to him as "Mr. Peril," he asked so many questions
+concerning the recent incident as to finally draw out the whole story
+of that day's experience. He was a good listener, though a man of few
+words, and during Peveril's narrative gained a very fair idea of our
+young miner's education and capabilities. When the latter had
+finished, the major asked him if he proposed to continue his career as
+a miner.
+
+"I expect I shall have to," answered Peveril, "seeing that I am
+entirely dependent upon my own exertions for a livelihood, and have no
+knowledge of any other business."
+
+"Do you mind telling me what led you to choose this line of work from
+all others?"
+
+"Because," replied Peveril, flushing, "finding myself in Red Jacket
+without a dollar, I was glad to accept the first job that offered."
+
+"And we was only too glad to have him for one of us, major," broke in
+Mark Trefethen, "seeing as how he introduced himself by saving our
+Tom's life."
+
+"Indeed! I hadn't heard of that. How did it happen?"
+
+Glad of an opportunity for singing his young friend's praises, the
+timber boss eagerly related the incident; and when it was told the
+manager said, with a smile:
+
+"Well, sir, you seem to have such a happy faculty for life-saving that
+I don't know but what we ought to appoint you inspector of accidents.
+Seriously, though, I am very glad to have a man of your evident
+ability and steady nerve with us, and if you are inclined to remain in
+our employ I shall make it my business to see that your interests do
+not suffer. So, if you will call at my office about eight o'clock
+to-morrow morning I shall be pleased to have a further talk with
+you."
+
+"Thank you, sir," rejoined Peveril; "I will not fail to be there."
+
+After the great man had departed, the Trefethens indulged in many
+speculations as to what he intended to do for their guest; nor was
+Peveril himself devoid of a hopeful curiosity in the same direction.
+
+"Mayhap he'll make 'ee store-keeper," suggested Mrs. Trefethen; "hand
+if 'e only will, Maister Peril, me and Miss Penny 'll take all our
+trade to thy shop, though they do say has 'ow company ginghams woan't
+wash, while has for white goods, they've poorest stock in hall Red
+Jacket. Same time, there's many other little things can be 'ad
+reasonable, and Miss Penny's a lady as isn't above buying 'er own
+groceries, which hit's a treat to see 'er taking, a taste of this or a
+nibble at that, and always giving shopkeeper the benefit of 'er
+hexperience."
+
+"Store-keeper be danged!" growled Mark Trefethen. "'Tisn't likely
+they'll try to make a counter-jumper outen a lad of Maister Peril's
+size and weight o' fist, to say nothing of his l'arnin'. No, no. More
+like he'll get a good berth underground--foreman of gang, or plat
+boss, or summut like that."
+
+Tom thought it might be a job connected with the railroad, which was
+his own ambition; while Nelly, usually so ready with her tongue, for a
+wonder kept silent and made no suggestions.
+
+On the following morning, when, promptly at eight o'clock, Peveril
+presented himself at the manager's office, his patience was tried by
+being compelled to wait in an anteroom for more than an hour while the
+great man despatched an immense amount of business with many
+subordinates. Richard could not help overhearing many of the
+conversations carried on in the private office, and, as he listened,
+was filled with admiration at the decisive readiness with which the
+manager disposed of one difficult problem after another.
+
+Finally, when all the others had been dismissed, Peveril was summoned
+to the inner room, where, after a word of regret at having kept him so
+long in waiting, the manager bade him be seated, and said:
+
+"Mr. Peril, it is so evident that you have been accustomed to a
+position far removed from that of a common laborer, that I am desirous
+of knowing something more of your life before intrusting you with a
+responsibility. Do you mind telling me what brought you to this
+section of country?"
+
+"No, sir; I don't know that I do. I came out here ruined in fortune,
+through no fault of my own, to seek information concerning an old,
+and, I believe, a long-ago-abandoned mine, known as the Copper
+Princess."
+
+"Um! I remember hearing the name; and, if I am not mistaken, it
+applied to a worthless property on which a large sum of money was
+squandered many years since."
+
+"Yes, sir."
+
+"How are you interested in it?"
+
+"My father was an owner, and I am his heir."
+
+"I am glad you have told me this, and relieved to find that no worse
+folly has caused a gentleman to seek employment as a common miner,
+though I cannot hold out the slightest hope that you will ever recover
+a dollar from your property. Still, I will make inquiries, and let you
+know anything I may learn."
+
+"Thank you, sir."
+
+"Do you know anything about boats?" asked the manager, abruptly
+changing the subject.
+
+"Yes, sir; I have handled boats more or less all my life."
+
+"Good! Then I want you to take charge of a gang of men whom you will
+find awaiting you on the company's tug down at the landing. They are
+going some distance up the coast, to recover whatever may be found of
+a valuable timber raft belonging to us, and wrecked near Laughing Fish
+Cove during the gale of two days ago. All our logs are marked 'W. P.'
+If you find any such in possession of other parties, you will lay
+claim to them, and even take them by force if necessary. The tug will
+leave you at the cove, where you will establish a camp, and to which
+you will raft the recovered logs, holding them against her return,
+which will be in about a week. Here is a note of introduction to her
+captain. Do you understand?"
+
+"Yes, sir; I think I do."
+
+"Then you may start at once."
+
+"Very well, sir;" and the young man, realizing his employer's love of
+promptness, rose to leave.
+
+"By the way," said the other, as he reached the door, "is your name
+Peril?"
+
+"No, sir; it is Peveril."
+
+"Richard?"
+
+"Yes, sir."
+
+"Then this letter is probably for you. It has lain here several days,
+awaiting a claimant."
+
+With this Major Arkell handed the young man a dainty-looking missive
+that he acknowledged to be for him, and which, as he thrust it into
+his pocket, he saw with a thrill of joy was addressed in the
+handwriting of Rose Bonnifay.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI
+
+NELLY TREFETHEN FINDS A LETTER
+
+
+Having donned his best suit for the interview with Major Arkell, and
+realizing that his mine clothing would be more in keeping with the job
+now on hand, Peveril first hastened home to make the change. He found
+only Mrs. Trefethen in the house, and at sight of him she expressed an
+eager curiosity to learn the result of his recent interview.
+
+"It's all right," he laughed, as he bounded up the narrow stairway
+leading to his room. "I'm to turn sailor, and be captain of a craft
+somewhere up the coast."
+
+"Whativer can lad mean?" exclaimed the perplexed woman. "'Im a sailor!
+Did iver any one 'ear the like o' that? Oh, Maister Peril! be iver
+coming back?"
+
+"Of course I am!" shouted Peveril from the little upper room, in which
+he was hastily changing his clothing. "I shall be back whenever my
+ship comes in, which will probably be in a week, or it may take a few
+days longer. There's a wreck, you know, and I am going to save the
+pieces. But I'll be down directly."
+
+"A wrack!" gasped Mrs. Trefethen, "and 'im in hit! Save us! but 'twill
+be worse than down shaft. Shaft be dry land, anyway, but they awful
+sea that rageth like a lion seeking whom it may devour. Oh, Maister
+Peril!"
+
+"Yes, coming!"
+
+The young man was just then making a hasty transfer of the contents of
+his pockets, besides cramming into those of his working-suit several
+articles that he imagined might prove useful. At that moment an
+impatient whistle from the timber train that would take him to the
+landing warned him that he had no more time to spare, and, snatching
+his hat, he sprang down the stairway.
+
+"Good-bye, Mrs. Trefethen!" he cried. "Tell Miss Nelly she sha'n't be
+turned out of her own room any longer, and tell her--But never mind;
+only tell her that I will have something important to say to her when
+I come back. Give her my love, and--" Here his words were cut short by
+another shrill whistle from the waiting train; and Peveril ran from
+the house, shouting back "Good-bye!" as he went, and leaving the good
+woman gasping with the breathless flurry of his departure.
+
+When Nelly Trefethen reached home a half-hour later she received such
+a confused account of what had just happened as caused her rosy cheeks
+to take on a deeper color and filled her with a strange agitation. Mr.
+Peril had gone to be a sailor, and would come back very shortly as
+captain of a ship. Perhaps it would be a splendid, great steamer, such
+as she had seen lying at the Marquette ore docks. He had left his
+love for her; he would have something of the greatest importance to
+say the next time he saw her; and she was not to be turned out of her
+room again. What could he mean by that, and what a very strange thing
+it was for a young man to say? Since he had said it to her mother,
+though, it must have meant--Oh dear! how she wished she had not gone
+out that morning, and what an endless time a whole week seemed!
+
+At length, anxious to escape from her mother's torrent of words, and
+to be alone with her own thoughts, the blushing girl fled up-stairs on
+the pretence of putting Mr. Peril's room in order.
+
+The very first thing she spied on entering the room, about which his
+belongings were scattered in every direction, was a letter lying on
+the floor, and almost hidden beneath the bed. Picking it up, she was
+surprised to find it sealed, and still more so to note that it was
+addressed to Mr. Richard _Peveril_. How could that be? Was their guest
+living among them under an assumed name? No, of course he wouldn't do
+such a thing; and this letter must have been handed to him by mistake.
+That was the reason why he had not opened it. The names were very much
+alike in sound, though so differently spelled. Besides, this letter
+was addressed in a lady's handwriting, and evidently came from some
+foreign country. She knew Mr. Peril was an American, because he had
+said so. He had also told them that he was, so far as he knew, without
+a relative in the world, so there were no sisters or young lady
+cousins to write to him.
+
+She did not think he could be engaged, because he had never mentioned
+the fact, while all the other young men of her acquaintance were in
+the habit of talking very freely about their "best girls," if they
+were so fortunate as to have such. Besides, had not Mr. Peril just
+left his love for _her_, and a message to the effect that he had
+something very important to tell _her_? She would keep this hateful
+letter, though, and confront him with it the moment she saw him again.
+Then his manner would convey the information she wanted. How she did
+long to open it and just glance at its contents! The impulse to do
+this was so strong that only by thrusting the letter into her pocket
+could she resist it.
+
+Now the innocent cause of her perplexity seemed to burn like a coal of
+fire until she again drew it forth. A dozen times that day did she do
+this, with the temptation to set her doubts at rest by tearing open
+the sealed envelope always assailing her with increased force.
+Finally, to her great relief, an honorable way of escaping this
+temptation presented itself. She would return the horrid letter to the
+post-office. From there, if it were indeed for Mr. Peril, he would in
+due course of time receive it, as he had before; while, if it were
+intended for some one else, it would be delivered to its rightful
+owner. This plan was no sooner conceived than executed; and, as the
+troublesome missive disappeared through the narrow slit of the
+post-office letter-box, the girl heaved a sigh of relief.
+
+When, the very next day, that identical letter was advertised on the
+post-office bulletin, and Nelly Trefethen saw the notice, she was
+assured that she had done the right thing. For ten days that
+advertisement stared her in the face whenever she visited the office,
+and then, to her great satisfaction, it disappeared. Rose Bonnifay's
+message from across the sea had gone to the place of "dead" letters,
+but Nelly believed that it had at last found its rightful owner.
+
+On the very evening of Peveril's departure Miss Nelly's old
+sweetheart, Mike Connell, joined her for a walk, and, after much
+preliminary conversation, finally plucked up courage to ask if Mr.
+Peril had told her anything of importance before going away.
+
+"What should he have to tell me?" asked the girl, evasively.
+
+"He might have tould you that he liked you better than any other girl
+in the world," was the diplomatic answer.
+
+"You know he'd never say a thing like that, Mr. Connell," cried Nelly,
+blushing furiously.
+
+"Well, then, he might have said he was already bespoke."
+
+"I don't believe it."
+
+"It's true, all the same."
+
+"What right have you to say so?" asked Nelly, whose face was now quite
+pale.
+
+"The right of his own words, for he telled me so himself."
+
+"Who is she?"
+
+"He didn't say."
+
+"Where does she live, then?"
+
+"Divil a bit do I know."
+
+"I don't believe you know anything at all about it. You are just
+making up a story to tease me."
+
+"T'asing you is the last thing I'd be thinking of, Nelly darlin',
+except it was t'asing ye to marry me. No, alanna, it's the truth I'm
+telling you, and if you can't believe me just ax him. At the same
+time, I'm sore hurted that ye should be caring whether he's bespoke or
+no."
+
+"I will ask him," answered the girl, "and until I do I'll thank you,
+Mr. Connell, never to mention Mr. Peril's name again."
+
+"Not even to tell you what a brave, bowld lad he is, and how
+handsome?"
+
+"You'd not be telling me anything I don't know."
+
+"But, darlin', when he tells you with his own mouth that he's already
+bespoke and not to be had at all, you'll not refuse a bit of hope to
+one who loves the very ground trod by your two little feet."
+
+"Good-night, Mr. Connell. Here's the door, and I'm going in."
+
+In the meantime Peveril, after bidding good-bye to Mrs. Trefethen, had
+been whirled away by the little timber train to a landing on the lake
+shore, where he found the tug _Broncho_ awaiting him. Towing behind it
+was a light double-ended skiff, and on its narrow deck he saw three
+men, dressed very much as he was himself, whom he knew must be those
+chosen to assist him in his forthcoming labors. One of them was a
+bright-looking French Canadian, while the others were evidently
+foreigners of the same class as the car-pushers in the mine. The
+captain of the tug was a Yankee named Spillins.
+
+The latter glanced over the note from Major Arkell that the new-comer
+handed him, and said, "All right, Mr. Peril; if you're ready for a
+start, I am."
+
+"Yes," replied Peveril, "I'm ready," and in another minute they were
+off. As they got under way the young leader of the expedition walked
+aft to make the acquaintance of his men. He was annoyed to find that,
+while two of them were brawny fellows who looked well fit for work,
+they could not muster a dozen words of English between them. Noting
+his efforts to converse with them, the third man, who introduced
+himself as Joe Pintaud, came to his assistance.
+
+"No goot you talk to dem Dago feller, Mist Pearl," he said; "zey can
+spik ze Anglais no more as woodchuck. You tell 'em, 'dam lazy
+scoundrel,' zey onstan pret goot; but, by gar, you talk lak white man
+you got kick it in hees head."
+
+Realizing the truth of Joe Pintaud's words, Peveril left the others to
+a stolid smoking of their long-stemmed pipes, and sought whatever
+information their more intelligent companion had to give concerning
+their present undertaking. He quickly discovered that, while Joe was
+as ignorant as himself of that coast, he was an expert raftsman and
+logger. He also found that the tug carried a good supply of rope,
+axes, pike-poles, and other things necessary for the work in hand.
+
+After having satisfied himself on these points, Peveril gazed for a
+while at the bleak, rock-bound coast along which they were running,
+and then, suddenly bethinking himself of a pleasure that he had
+reserved for a leisure moment, he entered the pilot-house, and,
+sitting down on a cushioned locker behind Captain Spillins, who stood
+at the wheel, began to feel in his pockets.
+
+As he did this his movements grew more and more impatient, until
+finally, with a muttered exclamation, he turned the entire contents of
+his pockets out on the cushion.
+
+"Lost something?" asked the captain, looking around.
+
+"Yes."
+
+"Not your money, I hope."
+
+"No, but a letter that was worth more to me than all the money in the
+world."
+
+"Whew!" whistled the captain. "Must have been important."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII
+
+A VISION OF THE CLIFFS
+
+
+Rose Bonnifay had acted more from impulse than from real feeling when
+she consented to become engaged to Richard Peveril. As a popular
+Oxford man and stroke of the 'varsity eight he was a hero to attract
+almost any girl. His wealth was by no means to be despised, and it
+would certainly be a fine thing to have him in devoted attendance
+during her proposed trip to Norway. She was greatly disappointed at
+his failure to rejoin them, and wondered what he could mean by
+announcing the loss of his fortune when he was still the owner of a
+gold-mine.
+
+Miss Rose said "gold"-mine to herself, because, while Peveril had not
+specified the character of his property, she imagined all Western
+mines to be gold-bearing. Of course, too, their owners must be
+wealthy. So she hoped for the best; and, while realizing that she was
+not at all in love, determined to let her engagement hold good for the
+present.
+
+Under the circumstances she felt that this decision was very
+creditable to her loyalty, which, however, was sadly shaken by Owen's
+first gossipy letter from New York. With its disquieting news still
+fresh in her mind, she received a second that completely dispelled
+her illusions, and caused her to wonder how she could ever have been
+so foolish as to engage herself to a man of whom she knew so little.
+
+This second letter, which contained the cruel distortion of facts
+penned by Mr. Owen in Red Jacket, followed the Bonnifays to Norway,
+where it was received. Acting on the impulse acquired by reading it,
+Rose immediately sat down and wrote to Peveril the letter that reached
+him in due course of time, but which he lost without even having
+broken its seal.
+
+He had joyfully recognized the handwriting of its address, but was at
+the same time puzzled to know how Rose could have learned his present
+abiding-place. Now he was filled with consternation at his
+carelessness. Of course, though, he must have dropped the letter while
+transferring the contents of his pockets, and he would surely find it
+again upon his return to the Trefethen cottage.
+
+At Laughing Fish Cove the log-wrecking party was landed, shortly after
+noon, near a fishing settlement of half a dozen forlorn-appearing huts
+that stood in an irregular row on the beach. A few slatternly women,
+and twice their number of wild-eyed children, were the sole occupants
+of the place, for its men were away on the lake tending their nets.
+
+Again was Peveril disappointed to learn, from the appearance and
+conversation of these people, that they also were foreigners, speaking
+a language unintelligible to him, though evidently comprehended by two
+of his men.
+
+Captain Spillins explained that, uninviting as the place looked, it
+was one of the very few harbors on that rugged coast in which the logs
+of which Peveril was in search could be rafted and held in safety
+until called for. So the stores and supplies were landed, and, after
+the tug had steamed away, Peveril set his men at work building a camp
+and collecting firewood, while he took the skiff for an exploration of
+the adjacent coast.
+
+On the south side of Laughing Fish Cove he found logs bearing the
+letters "W. P." strewn for miles along the shore, and piled in every
+conceivable position among the rocks, on which they had been hurled by
+furious seas. As he studied the situation, our young wreck-master
+foresaw an immense amount of labor in dislodging these and getting
+them once more afloat. Besides those on the rocks he discovered a
+number on the beach of the cove that could easily be got into the
+water. But all that he thus saw formed only about one-half of what had
+been contained in the great raft.
+
+The remainder must, then, be found somewhere to the northward of
+Laughing Fish, and, accordingly, late in the afternoon he headed his
+skiff in that direction. The coast that he now skirted was very wild
+but grandly beautiful, with precipitous cliffs brilliant in the reds
+and greens of mineral stains, and surmounted by a dense growth of
+sharp-pointed firs, among which were set groups of white birches. At
+the base of the cliffs, and amid the detached masses fallen from them,
+the crystal-blue waters plashed softly, and an occasional wood-duck
+in iridescent plumage swam hurriedly from his course with anxious
+backward glances. In the upper air, nesting gulls in spotless white
+darted to and fro, noting his movements with keen, red eyes.
+
+He found some logs near the cove; but the farther he went from it the
+scarcer they became, until finally he passed a mile or more of coast
+without seeing one.
+
+"Strange!" muttered the young man. "What can have become of them?
+There are hundreds still missing, and they should be somewhere in this
+vicinity."
+
+He was paddling almost without a sound, and skirting a ledge of black
+rocks that jutted well out into the lake, as he spoke. At that same
+moment something impelled him to glance upward and encounter a vision
+startling in its unexpectedness.
+
+On the very face of the cliff, some twenty feet above the water, and
+leaning slightly forward, stood a girlish figure gazing directly at
+him with great, wondering eyes. For an instant she seemed to read his
+very soul. Then a vivid flush sprang to her cheeks, and with a quick
+movement she disappeared as though the solid rock had opened to
+receive her.
+
+Peveril rubbed his eyes and looked again. She certainly was not there,
+nor could he discover the slightest indication of an opening through
+which she could have vanished. Yet, even as he looked, a pebble
+leaped, apparently from the unbroken face of the cliff, and dropped
+with a clatter to the ledge close beside him.
+
+He paddled farther out into the lake, but still failed to discover
+any aperture. He moved for short distances both up and down the coast
+without any better success. To be sure, a stunted cedar growing out
+from the rocky face near where the girl had disappeared showed the
+existence of either a crevice or ledge, and she might have concealed
+herself behind it, though Peveril did not believe she had. Even if she
+were thus hidden, how had she gained that perilous position?--how
+would she escape from it?--who was she?--and where had she come from?
+
+She was not one of the fisher-women from the cove; of that he was
+certain. Neither was she an Indian girl, for the face, indelibly
+pictured in his memory, was fair and refined. It had not struck him as
+being beautiful, except for the glorious eyes that had looked so fully
+into his.
+
+He called several times: "Are you in trouble? Can I help you?" But
+only mocking echoes, and the harsh screams of a flock of gulls
+circling about the very place where he had seen her, came to him in
+answer. He sought for some means of scaling the cliff, but found none.
+Everywhere it was smooth and sheer. Never in his life had the young
+man been so baffled and never so loath to own himself beaten; but he
+was at length warned by the setting of the sun to give over his quest
+and row vigorously back the way he had come.
+
+Twilight was merging into darkness when he again entered Laughing Fish
+Cove, but a bright fire on the beach served at once as a beacon and a
+promise of good cheer.
+
+A comfortable cabin of poles and bark had been built by the men during
+his absence. In it were all the stores, as well as a quantity of
+spruce boughs and hemlock tips for bedding. The chill evening air was
+filled with a delicious fragrance of burning cedar, mingled with the
+pleasant odor of boiling coffee. Several white-fish nailed to oak
+planks were browning before a bed of glowing coals, while slices of a
+lake-trout were sizzling together with bits of bacon in the
+frying-pan.
+
+Supper was ready, as Joe, who superintended the culinary operations,
+announced with a shout the moment Peveril's skiff grated on the beach.
+Several of the fisher-huts were lighted, others had bright fires
+blazing outside their doors. The boats had returned, and there was a
+pleasant bustle about the little settlement.
+
+Peveril did not mention the perplexing vision he had seen that
+afternoon, though it continually haunted him, and a decided zest was
+given to his work of the coming week by the thought of this mystery.
+As he lay on his couch of fragrant boughs that evening planning how to
+solve it, he almost forgot his unhappiness of the morning, and a
+little later a new face had found its way into his dreams.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII
+
+LOG-WRECKERS AND SMUGGLERS
+
+
+There were no laggards in the camp on the following morning, for, with
+the stars still shining, Peveril routed out his men from their
+fragrant couches. Leaving Joe Pintaud to prepare breakfast, he and the
+two Bohemians began to form their raft by rolling to the water's edge,
+setting afloat, and securing such logs as lay nearest at hand.
+
+While the wreckers were thus engaged, the fishermen appeared from
+their huts and made ready for another day on the lake. They were an
+ill-favored set, and Peveril was not pleased to note that they seemed
+to make sneering remarks concerning the task on which he was engaged.
+Beneath their jeers his own men grew so surly and restless that he was
+relieved when Joe called them to breakfast.
+
+After that all hands set forth in the skiff to work at the logs
+stranded along the coast to the southward. As they pulled out of the
+cove Peveril noticed that a small schooner, which he had believed
+belonged to the fishermen, was still at anchor, and that the crew
+lounging about her deck were of a different class from those who had
+already gone out. He was about to call Joe's attention to this, when
+that individual hailed the schooner, and began to carry on a lively
+conversation with her men.
+
+When they had passed beyond hearing, Peveril questioned the Canadian
+concerning the strange craft, and was told that she was not a
+fishing-boat, but a trader.
+
+"What does she trade in?"
+
+"Plenty t'ing. Cognac, seelk, dope, everyt'ing. Plenty trade, plenty
+mun. Much better as mining. Mais, parbleu! I am a fool, me."
+
+"Why?"
+
+"Zat I, too, vill not trade and make ze mun."
+
+"Why don't you, if you prefer that business?"
+
+"Ah! It is because I am what you call too mooch a cow--a hard cow. I
+like not ze jail, me."
+
+"You mean a coward?"
+
+"Oui, oui. Cowhard. I am one cowhard for ze jail."
+
+"Oh!" cried Peveril, suddenly enlightened. "Your friends of the
+schooner are smugglers."
+
+"Oui, zat it. Smoogler, an' bimeby, some time, maybe, soldat catch it.
+Take all ze mun, put it in jail. Bim! No good!"
+
+"That is the first time I ever heard of any smugglers on this coast,"
+remarked Peveril, reflectively. "I wonder if they can have taken our
+logs?"
+
+"Log, no," replied Joe, contemptuously. "Canada, he gat plenty
+log--too plenty. Tradair tak' ze drapeau, ze viskey, ze tick-tick, but
+not ze log."
+
+Here the conversation was ended by the arrival at the scene of labor,
+and the work of dislodging stranded logs was begun. All day long they
+toiled at the difficult task, straining, lifting, stumbling, rolling,
+and slipping on the wet rocks, receiving many a bump and bruise,
+pausing only for a bite of lunch and a whiff of pipe-smoke at noon,
+and finally returning to Laughing Fish at dusk, slowly towing into the
+cove a small raft of the recovered wreckage.
+
+For several days longer, sometimes in clear weather, but often in
+cheerless rain and fog, was the task of collecting such logs as had
+stranded on the south side of the cove continued. At length the last
+one was gathered from that direction, and our wreckers were ready to
+explore the coast lying to the northward.
+
+Not since the day of his coming had Peveril found leisure to revisit
+the place where he had seen the mysterious figure of the cliffs. He
+had thought often of her, and had so longed to return to that part of
+the coast that only a strict sense of duty had prevented him. Now that
+he was free to unravel the mystery if he could, he was as excited as a
+boy off for a holiday.
+
+He purposed gathering the few logs already seen on that side of the
+cove, and then to continue his exploration indefinitely in search of
+others; but, to his amazement, as they skirted the rugged coast, not a
+log was to be found. In vain did the young leader stand up in his
+boat, the better to scan every inch of the shore. In vain did he land
+on the rocks and scramble over their broken surface. There were no
+logs, and yet he knew they had been there five days earlier. Nor had
+there been any storm during that time to dislodge them.
+
+"Joe, your smuggling friends must have taken them."
+
+"Non. He gat plenty log in Canada, him."
+
+"What, then, has become of them?"
+
+"Dunno. Maybe dev catch him."
+
+"It is a human devil of some kind, then, and he must have carried them
+still farther up the coast, for we should have seen them if they had
+been carried the other way."
+
+"Oui, m'sieu."
+
+"Give way, men! I'm going to find those logs if they are anywhere on
+Keweenaw Point."
+
+So the light skiff shot ahead, with the two Bohemians rowing, and the
+others in bow and stern, watching the coast sharply as they slipped
+past its rocky front. They were already beyond any point at which
+Peveril had previously discovered logs, and were rapidly approaching
+the place of his mystery. He could see the jutting ledge, and was
+eagerly scanning the cliffs above it, when suddenly Joe held up his
+hand with a warning "Hist!"
+
+Without a word Peveril gave the signal to stop rowing, which was
+instantly obeyed. In the silence that followed they heard a sound of
+singing. It was a plaintive melody, sung in a girlish voice,
+untrained, but full and sweet. To his amazement Peveril recognized it
+as one of the very latest songs of a popular composer, whose music he
+had supposed almost unknown in America. The voice also seemed to be
+close at hand.
+
+At first the men gazed about them with an idle curiosity, but, not
+seeing anyone, they began to grow uneasy, and to cast frightened
+glances on every side.
+
+"By gar!" exclaimed Joe Pintaud, and on the instant the singing
+ceased.
+
+The sudden silence was almost as disquieting as the voice of an
+invisible singer, and again Joe uttered his favorite exclamation.
+
+"Where did that voice come from?"
+
+"Dunno, Mist Pearl. One tam I t'ink from rock, one tam from water.
+Fust he come from ze hair, zen he gat under ze bateau. Bimeby he come
+every somewhere. One tam I t'ink angele, me; one tam dev. Mostly I
+t'ink dev."
+
+"It seemed to me to come from the cliff," said Peveril.
+
+"Oui; so I t'ink."
+
+"Though I could also have sworn that it rose from the water."
+
+"Oui, m'sieu. You say dev, I say dev."
+
+By this time Peveril had again got his craft under way, and they were
+skirting a wooded islet that lay off the coast just beyond the black
+ledge. This island appeared to be nearly cut in two by a narrow bay;
+but as those in the boat seemed to see every part of this, and were
+convinced that it contained no logs, they did not enter it.
+
+The young leader was not giving much thought to either logs or his
+immediate surroundings just then, for his ears were still filled with
+the music that had come to him as mysteriously as had the vision of a
+few days earlier.
+
+So lost was he in reflection that he started abruptly when the rowing
+again ceased, and one of the men whispered, hoarsely:
+
+"Mist Pearl, look!"
+
+He was pointing back from where they had come; and, turning, Peveril
+saw, apparently gliding from the very shore of the island they had
+just passed, a small schooner. She must have sailed from the bay into
+which they had gazed, and yet they believed they had scrutinized every
+inch of its surface.
+
+"By gar!" cried Joe Pintaud. "Some more dev, hein?"
+
+"It looks to me like the boat of your friends the smugglers,"
+suggested Peveril, studying the vessel closely.
+
+"Oui, certainment! It ees ze sheep of ze tradair."
+
+"Then we will go and see where she came from, for so snug a
+hiding-place is worth discovering."
+
+So the skiff was put about and rowed back to the little bay bisecting
+the island. Then it was found that there were two small islands, and
+that the supposed bay was really an inlet from the lake, which made a
+sharp angle at a point invisible from outside. This channel led to a
+narrow sound, from which another inlet cut directly into the
+rock-bound coast. It was quite short, and quickly widened into an
+exquisite basin, completely land-locked and very nearly circular.
+
+Peveril had followed this devious course with all the eagerness of an
+explorer; but his men had cast many nervous glances over their
+shoulders, and even Joe Pintaud had expressed a muttered hope that
+they were not being led into some trap.
+
+As the skiff emerged from the high-walled inlet and shot into the
+smiling basin, an exclamation burst from all four men at once.
+
+"Ze log!" cried Joe.
+
+"Our logs!" echoed Peveril.
+
+The others probably used words meaning the same thing. At any rate,
+they talked excitedly, and pointed to the opposite side of the basin,
+where was moored a raft of logs.
+
+Two men with a yoke of oxen were in the act of hauling one of these
+from the water, and a deeply marked trail, leading up the bank to a
+point of disappearance, showed where a number of its predecessors had
+gone.
+
+"Give way!" cried Peveril, and the skiff sped across the basin.
+
+As it ranged alongside the moored raft, the young leader recognized
+the deep-cut mark of the White Pine Mine on one floating stick after
+another.
+
+"Hold on!" he shouted. "Where are you going with that log?"
+
+"None of your business!" answered one of the two men, who was old and
+white-headed. "What are you doing here, anyway?"
+
+"I've come after these logs."
+
+"Well, you can't have them, and you want to get out of here quicker
+than you came in!" With this the man spoke a few words to his
+assistant, who immediately ran up the trail and disappeared, while
+Peveril, with a hot flush mounting to his forehead, ordered his crew
+to pull for the shore.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV
+
+A VAIN EFFORT TO RECOVER STOLEN PROPERTY
+
+
+Leaping ashore the moment his skiff grated on the beach, Peveril
+stepped directly up to the old man and said:
+
+"I do not know who you are, sir, nor what claim you make to ownership
+in those logs. I do know, however, that they bear the private mark of
+the White Pine Mining Company, and formed part of a raft recently
+wrecked on this coast. Having been sent here expressly to secure this
+property, I am determined to use every endeavor to carry out my
+instructions. Such being the case, I trust that you will not interfere
+with the performance of my duty."
+
+"I shall, though," answered the old man, gruffly. "I have need of this
+timber, and consider that I have a just claim to it, seeing that it
+was cast up by the sea on my land. I have also expended a great amount
+of labor in bringing it to this place; so that if I had no other claim
+I have one for salvage."
+
+"Which will doubtless be allowed when presented in proper form,"
+replied Peveril. "In the meantime I am ordered to take possession of
+all logs that I may find bearing the W. P. mark."
+
+"Supposing I forbid you to do so?"
+
+"I am also authorized to use force, if necessary, to carry out my
+instructions."
+
+"That sounds very much like a threat, my young friend; but I decline
+to be frightened by it, and still forbid you to touch those logs."
+
+Joe Pintaud had followed his young leader ashore, and stood close
+beside him during the foregoing interview, while the Bohemians still
+remained in the skiff. Now, without deigning any further reply to the
+old man, Peveril, in a low tone, ordered the Canadian to provide
+himself and the others with poles, and, if possible, shove the raft
+off from shore, adding that he would join in their efforts the moment
+he had cast loose its moorings.
+
+As Joe started to obey these instructions, Peveril ran to the farther
+of two ropes holding the raft and unfastened it. While he did this the
+old man stood without remonstrance, but with a cynical smile on his
+thin lips.
+
+Finding himself uninterrupted, Peveril fancied that no resistance was
+to be offered, after all, and, with the carelessness of confidence,
+stooped to cast off the remaining line. The next instant a nervous
+shove from behind sent him headforemost into the lake. Just then there
+came a rush of feet, and as Peveril, half-choked by his sudden bath in
+the icy water, rose to the surface and attempted to regain the bank he
+was seized by half a dozen pair of brawny hands belonging to as many
+wild-looking men who had been summoned from beyond the ridge.
+
+In another minute the young wrecker was lying in the bottom of his own
+skiff, and it was being towed out to sea by a second boat manned by
+two lusty foreigners. In its stern-sheets sat the old man holding a
+cocked revolver, from which he threatened to put a bullet through
+Peveril's head if he lifted it above the gunwale.
+
+Under the circumstances the latter, though raging at his sudden
+discomfiture, deemed it best to lie still and await, with what
+patience he might, the result of his misadventure.
+
+So he was towed for a long distance, and when his skiff finally seemed
+to have lost motion and be drifting, he ventured to lift his head.
+Before he could see over the side there came the sharp report of a
+pistol, a bullet whistled close above him, and he was ordered to
+remain quiet until he received permission to sit up.
+
+Peveril obeyed, and for nearly half an hour longer lay motionless.
+Then his craft struck bottom, and he sprang up in alarm. He was alone,
+and his skiff was bumping against a black ledge that he recognized as
+the one lying at the foot of the mysterious cliff. Not a boat was to
+be seen, but on the rocks close at hand lay the oars that had been
+taken from his skiff when he was thrown into it. They were not lying
+together, but at some distance apart, as though flung there, but
+whether from a boat or from some other direction he could not tell. At
+any rate, he was thankful to have them, and at once began to plan how
+he should use them in connection with his regained liberty.
+
+At first his indignation at his recent treatment suggested that he row
+back and attempt, at least, to recover his men; but a moment's
+reflection showed the folly of such a scheme. Not only would he again
+be confronted by an overpowering number of opponents, but it was
+probable that his men were even then on their way overland to Laughing
+Fish, for he did not believe the old man would dare hold them
+prisoners. At any rate, it would be best to rejoin them before
+planning to gain possession of the logs in the basin, upon which he
+was still determined.
+
+Although the young man did not know it, he was keenly watched during
+these moments of indecision by a pair of bright eyes that peered down
+from the cliff above him. When he shiveringly re-entered his skiff the
+eyes were hastily withdrawn lest he should look up. A little later a
+young girl of slight figure, clad in a dark gown, stepped out from the
+cliff, as from behind a curtain, and, half concealed by the stunted
+cedar, watched him curiously until he was lost to view.
+
+"He is ever so different from an ordinary miner," she soliloquized,
+"and looks as though he might be interesting. I wonder if I shall ever
+see him again? I am glad I thought of getting these oars and throwing
+them down, even if he has used them to go away with. What will papa
+think when he finds them gone? Anyhow, the monotony of this stupid
+place has been broken at last, and now, perhaps, something else will
+happen. I believe something must be going to happen very soon, anyhow,
+from the way papa talks. Dear papa! how queerly he acts, and how I
+wish I could see him happy just once! Now I must go and tell him that
+the schooner is coming."
+
+With this the girl apparently performed a miracle, for she seemed to
+push aside a portion of the red-stained cliff and disappear behind it
+without leaving a trace of an opening.
+
+As Peveril rowed steadily down the coast he saw in the distance a
+schooner that he believed to be the one belonging to Joe Pintaud's
+friends beating up from the southward. For a moment he thought of
+trying to board her, but, quickly dismissing the idea, doggedly
+pursued his way.
+
+Arrived at the cove, he was disappointed to find his camp vacant and
+without a sign that his coming companions had returned to it. Building
+a fire, he made a pot of coffee, and prepared to await their coming
+with what patience he could command. Some of the fisher-children came
+and watched him shyly, but when he attempted to draw them into
+conversation they only laughed and ran away.
+
+Feeling very lonely, and undecided as to what he should do, he had
+just begun to eat a lunch of cold food prepared by Joe that morning
+when a plan occurred to him. It was to set forth on foot to meet his
+men, failing to do which he could at least spy out the enemy's
+strength. "I can discover, too, what lies behind that ridge, and where
+they are carrying those logs," he said, half aloud.
+
+[Illustration: THE MEN HASTILY THREW PEVERIL HEAD-FIRST INTO THE
+BUSHES]
+
+So impatient was he to put this plan into execution that he would not
+wait to finish his lunch, but, swallowing a mug of coffee and stuffing
+a few hard biscuit into the ample pockets of his now nearly dry coat,
+he set forth. Coming across a well-trodden though narrow trail,
+leading in what he believed to be the right direction, he turned into
+it, and followed it briskly for several miles.
+
+It was by this time late afternoon, and long shadows were creeping
+over the rugged upland country that he traversed. No house was to be
+seen, nor evidence of human occupation. All the large timber having
+been long since cut off, the region was now covered with a ragged
+second growth and thick underbrush. Extensive tracts had been burned
+over, and thousands of small trees, standing in the melancholy
+attitudes of death, added to the desolation of the scene. Every now
+and then he passed yawning prospect-holes, offering mute evidence of
+disappointed hopes.
+
+At length he caught a whiff of smoke, a dull clang of machinery came
+to his ears; and, with curiosity keenly aroused, he pursued his way
+more cautiously. A few minutes later he reached a point where he
+caught glimpses of buildings, evidently belonging to a mine. A tall
+shaft-house was surrounded by various shops and a cluster of
+dwellings, most of them very humble in appearance, though one was
+large and pretentious.
+
+Although smoke was curling lazily from a lofty stack, that he imagined
+belonged to an engine-house, and though there was a certain amount of
+noise, as of machinery in motion, there were no other signs of
+activity about the place. In fact, it was pervaded by an aspect of
+desolation and desertion. There were no hurrying men nor teams. Most
+of the buildings appeared to be permanently closed; doors were boarded
+up, windows were broken, and the smaller dwellings were almost hidden
+by the rank growth of weeds and bushes that closely surrounded them.
+
+As Peveril stared in perplexity at this melancholy picture his
+attention was attracted by a sound of voices near at hand. He gazed
+eagerly, and even took a few steps forward, hoping to meet his own
+party, but was grievously disappointed to see instead a group of three
+burly strangers clad in mining costume. As they drew near he
+recognized them to be Bohemians, and was particularly struck by the
+hideous expression of him who seemed to act as leader of the party.
+
+Although the new-comers started at sight of the young man, and
+regarded him with scowling faces as they drew near, they did not speak
+nor offer to molest him, but passed by in silence.
+
+Disappointed that they were not his own men, but relieved to be so
+easily rid of them, Peveril again turned his attention to the
+semi-deserted mining village that had so aroused his curiosity. So
+deeply interested did he at once become in watching a team of oxen
+that had just appeared, hauling a log over a rise of ground, that he
+did not hear the approach of stealthy footsteps nor note the crouching
+forms creeping up behind him. Closer and closer they came, until they
+were within reach of their unconscious victim. Then they sprang upon
+him all at once, and he was hurled to the ground.
+
+In another moment his arms were bound, and he recognized in one
+distorted face, leering close above his own, that of the man who had
+led the attack on him in the mine, and whom he had sent reeling away
+with a broken jaw.
+
+Now the cruel face was rendered doubly hideous by a grin of triumph,
+and Peveril's heart sank within him as he gazed into the pitiless eyes
+that lighted its brutish features.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV
+
+PEVERIL IN THE HANDS OF HIS ENEMIES
+
+
+Having been driven from Red Jacket by the Cornishmen under Mark
+Trefethen, the Bohemian, Rothsky, and his fellow car-pushers of the
+White Pine Mine who had assaulted Peveril on his first day of work,
+had taken to the woods like wild beasts. Although restrained of their
+evil intentions for the time being, they were more bitter than ever
+against the innocent cause of their trouble, and swore, with strange,
+foreign oaths, to kill him if the chance should ever offer.
+
+In the meantime they must find some way of gaining a livelihood, and
+this finally came to them at a queer, semi-abandoned mine across which
+they stumbled in the course of their wanderings. Its proprietor was an
+old man who seemed half crazed; and the mine that he was working in a
+small way, with a pitifully inadequate force, was absolutely barren of
+copper; but, as he paid their wages promptly, the car-pushers were
+willing to do his bidding without asking questions.
+
+One of the scarcest things about this mine was timber with which to
+support the roof of the only drift that was being opened. The
+proprietor tried to force his men to continue their work, and open the
+drift far beyond a point of safety without the protection of this most
+necessary adjunct, and when they refused he became furiously angry.
+Their job seemed to have come to an end, and all hands were about to
+leave, when, by an opportune gale, a supply of the desired material
+was cast up on the adjacent coast.
+
+Every able-bodied man was immediately set to work collecting this, and
+in towing raft after raft of the Heaven-sent logs to a land-locked
+basin that lay but a short distance from the mine. In this way, even
+before the arrival of Peveril and his wreckers, a large amount of the
+needed timber had been secured.
+
+Although the miners were well aware that their employer carried on
+some other business besides the development of his barren property,
+they neither knew nor cared to know what it was. They discovered that
+it was in some way connected with the coming and going of certain
+vessels, but beyond this they were kept in ignorance.
+
+When one of these vessels reported a party at Laughing Fish also
+engaged in a search for wrecked logs, the exertions of the
+white-haired mine-owner were so redoubled that before Peveril found
+time to work the coast to the northward of his camp, it had been
+stripped of every log. Having obtained possession of his coveted
+timber, the old man was now making every effort to have it transported
+to the mouth of his shaft, believing that, if he could once get it
+underground, his right to the logs would remain unquestioned. He had,
+however, only partially succeeded in effecting this removal, when, to
+his chagrin, Peveril appeared on the scene of activity.
+
+After the defeat of the young man's attempt to capture the raft, his
+two Bohemians were easily induced to join the enemy by promises of
+better pay than they were getting. As for Joe Pintaud, he was indeed
+taken prisoner, but was purposely so loosely guarded that he found no
+difficulty in escaping to the schooner of his friends, which came into
+port that afternoon, and on which he was carried off to Canada.
+
+Thus was the White Pine wrecking expedition completely broken up, and
+only its leader was left to carry out, if he could, its objects. Even
+he had been set adrift in an oarless skiff, with the hope that he
+would be so long delayed in reporting to his employers as to allow
+time for the captured logs to be put underground before another demand
+for them could be made.
+
+This disposition of the captive was only known to the old man, who
+had, unobserved, removed the oars from Peveril's skiff; and so it was
+generally supposed that he would return directly to his camp at
+Laughing Fish.
+
+Rothsky, the Bohemian, who was one of those working near the log raft,
+had instantly recognized Peveril, and at sight of him his hatred
+blazed up with redoubled fury. To be sure, his broken jaw had healed,
+but so awry as to disfigure his face and render it more hideous than
+ever. Now to find the man who had done him this injury again
+interfering with his plans filled him with rage.
+
+Although he had no opportunity for venting it at the moment, he easily
+learned from Peveril's late followers the location of their camp, and,
+believing that the young man would be found there, he planned an
+attack upon it for that very night. He had no difficulty in inducing
+the two other car-pushers who had been driven from the White Pine to
+join him, and as soon as they quit work that evening they set forth on
+foot.
+
+They had not settled on any plan of action, and, though Rothsky was
+determined to kill the man he hated, his associates imagined that the
+young fellow was only to be punished in such a way as would cause him
+a considerable degree of suffering and at the same time afford them
+great amusement. They did not anticipate any interference with their
+plans, even should they be discovered, for the fishermen of the cove
+were their fellow-countrymen, bound to them by the ties of a common
+hatred against all native-born Americans.
+
+Now it so happened that the only daughter of the erratic old
+mine-owner had set forth that afternoon, accompanied only by her
+ever-present body-guard, a great, lean stag-hound, on a long gallop
+over the wild uplands surrounding her home. For that desolate little
+mining village was the only home Mary Darrell had known since the
+death of her mother, five years before, or when she was but twelve
+years of age.
+
+Until then she had lived in New England, and had only seen her father
+upon the rare occasions of his visits from the mysterious West in
+which his life was spent. To others he was a man of morose silence,
+suspicious of his fellows, secretive and unapproachable, but to his
+only child, the one light of his darkened life, and the sole hope of
+his old age, he was ever the loving father, tender and indulgent.
+
+Bringing her to the only home he had to offer, he had made all
+possible provision for her comfort and happiness. The most recent
+books were sent to her, and the latest music found its way into the
+wilderness for her amusement. Himself a well-educated man, Ralph
+Darrell devoted his abundant leisure to her instruction, and to the
+study of her tastes. Only two of the girl's expressed wishes were left
+ungratified, and both of these he had promised to grant when she
+should be eighteen years of age.
+
+One of them was that they might return to the home of her childhood.
+To this her father's unvarying answer was that business and a regard
+for her future welfare compelled him to remain where they were until
+the expiration of a certain time. When it should be elapsed, he
+promised that she should lead him to any part of the world she chose.
+Cheered by this promise, she planned many an imaginary journey to
+foreign lands, and many a long hour did Mary and her father beguile in
+arranging the details of these delightful wanderings.
+
+Her other wish was for a companion of her own age; but this was so
+decidedly denied that she knew it would be useless to express it again
+after the first time.
+
+"It would mean ruin, absolute ruin and beggary for us both," said Mr.
+Darrell, "if I were to allow a single stranger, young or old, of even
+ordinary intelligence, to visit this place. From the time you are
+eighteen years of age you shall have plenty of friends of your own
+choosing; but until that date, dear, you must be content with only the
+society of your old dad."
+
+So Mary Darrell studied, sang, read, rode, and thought the fanciful
+thoughts of girlhood alone, but always with impatient longings for the
+coming of the magic hour that should set her free. And yet she was not
+wholly alone, for her father would at any time neglect everything else
+to give her pleasure, while she also had both "Sandy," her stag-hound,
+and "Fuzz," her pony, for devoted companions.
+
+She was allowed to ride when and where she pleased, with only these
+attendants, on two conditions. One was that she should never visit,
+nor even go near, a human residence; and the other that, when on such
+excursions, she should, for greater safety, dress as a boy. When she
+was thus costumed her father was very apt to call her by her middle
+name, which was Heaton; and so it was generally supposed by the few
+miners who caught glimpses of her that the old man had two children--a
+girl, and a boy who was not only younger than she, but devoted to
+horseback riding.
+
+Only one duty devolved upon the girl thus strangely reared, and that
+was the keeping watch for certain vessels that came in from the great
+lake and sailed away again at regular intervals.
+
+So Mary Darrell was out riding on the evening that witnessed the
+capture of Richard Peveril by his bitterest enemies, and as twilight
+deepened into dusk she was urging her way homeward with all speed.
+
+In the meantime the three rascal car-pushers, who had come so
+unexpectedly upon him whom they sought, and had so easily effected his
+capture, led Peveril directly away from the trail he had been
+following to a place in the woods known only to Rothsky. Close to
+where they finally halted and began preparations for the punishment of
+the prisoner, who was also expected to afford them infinite amusement
+by his sufferings, yawned a great black hole. It was of unknown depth,
+and was nearly concealed by a tangle of vines and bushes. Rothsky had
+stumbled upon it by accident only a few days before, and now conceived
+that it would be a good place in which to dispose of a body, in case
+they should happen to have one on their hands.
+
+Trusting to the wildness of their surroundings and the absence of
+human beings from that region to shield them from observation, they
+ventured to build a fire, by the light of which they proposed to carry
+out their devilish plans.
+
+Besides binding Peveril's arms, they had, on reaching this place,
+taken the further precaution of tying his ankles, so that he now lay
+on the ground utterly helpless, a prey to bitter thoughts, but nerving
+himself to bear bravely whatever torture might await him.
+
+All at once the deep baying of a hound and a crash of galloping
+hoofs, coming directly towards the fire-light, sounded through the
+wood.
+
+With a fierce imprecation Rothsky gave a hasty order, at which all
+three men sprang to where Peveril was lying in deepest shadow.
+Hurriedly picking him up, they carried him a short distance, gave a
+mighty swing, and flung him from them. There was a crash of parted
+bushes and rending vines, a stifled cry, and all was still.
+
+A minute later, when a boyish figure on horseback swept past the fire,
+the three men seated by it only aroused a fleeting curiosity in Mary
+Darrell's mind as to what they could be doing in such a place at such
+a time.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI
+
+LOST IN A PREHISTORIC MINE
+
+
+After the disappearance of the young rider, whose coming had so
+materially changed the plan of Rothsky and his associate scoundrels,
+they gazed at each other for a full minute in sullen silence. In the
+minds of two of them the anger of their disappointment was mingled
+with a cowardly terror at the awful deed they had committed, and they
+began fiercely to denounce their leader for having implicated them in
+it.
+
+Rothsky answered with equal bitterness that he was no more to blame
+than they, and the quarrel grew so furious that for a time it seemed
+as though only the shedding of blood could settle it. At length they
+were quieted by a realizing sense of the common danger that might only
+be averted by mutual support. So they finally swore with strange oaths
+never to betray each other, or breathe a word to a living soul of what
+had just taken place.
+
+Of course they did not for a moment anticipate that their crime would
+ever come to light, though each was secretly determined that if it did
+he would promptly secure his own safety by denouncing his comrades.
+
+With the patching up of this truce and the forming of their worthless
+compact the three wretches prepared to depart from the scene of their
+villany. First, however, they advanced cautiously as close as they
+dared to the edge of the pit into which they had flung their victim,
+and, peering into its blackness, listened fearfully. No sound broke
+the awful silence, and of a sudden the three men, moved by a common
+impulse, turned and fled through the darkness, stumbling and falling,
+clutched at by invisible fingers as they ran, and uttering
+inarticulate cries of terror.
+
+At that same moment their victim was lying on a ledge of rock deep
+down in the ground beneath them, still alive, but numbed almost into
+unconsciousness by the hopeless horror of his situation. In the first
+agony of falling he had instinctively exerted a strength of which he
+would have been incapable under other circumstances, and burst asunder
+the bonds confining his arms.
+
+He believed that in a moment he would be dashed into eternity, and yet
+a medley of incongruous and commonplace thoughts darted through his
+mind with inconceivable rapidity. Innumerable scenes of his past life
+glanced before him, but more distinct than any, sharp and clear as
+though revealed by a flash of lightning, shone the wonderful eyes that
+had appeared to him from the red-stained cliffs overlooking the great
+lake. And, strangest of all, the face seemed to smile at him with a
+promise of hope.
+
+In another instant all the pictures were blotted out, and his whole
+world was gulfed by a rush of water in which he sank to fathomless
+depths.
+
+After an endless space of time he began slowly to rise, until at
+length, to his infinite amazement, he found himself still alive and
+gasping for a breath of the blessed air into which he had once more
+emerged.
+
+Although his ankles were still bound, his arms were free, and, with
+the instinct of self-preservation strong within him, he began,
+awkwardly and feebly, to swim. Dazed, fettered, and weighted by
+clothing as he was, his utmost efforts would not have carried him more
+than a few feet, and then he must have sunk forever in that black
+flood. But the strength given him was sufficient, and ere it was
+exhausted his hands struck a shelf of rock upon which he finally
+managed to drag himself.
+
+On the flinty platform that he thus gained he lay weakly motionless,
+chilled to the bone, dimly conscious that he had for a time been
+granted a respite from death, but without a hope that it would be much
+longer extended.
+
+After a while the sense that he still lived became stronger, and with
+it grew the desire for life. Animated by it he sat up and made an
+effort to loosen the cord that still bound his ankles. It was tightly
+knotted, and the knot was so hardened with the water that for a long
+time his trembling fingers could make no impression on it. Still he
+persevered, and his exertions infused him with a slight warmth.
+Finally the knot yielded and his limbs were free, though so numbed
+that it was several minutes before he could stand up.
+
+Knowing nothing of his surroundings he dared not move more than a step
+or two in any direction for fear of again plunging into that deadly
+water. Nor could he with outstretched arms touch a wall on any side.
+
+"Oh, for a light!" he groaned, "that I might at least see what my tomb
+looks like!"
+
+Then he remembered that he actually did possess both matches and a
+candle, it having been impressed upon him by old Mark Trefethen that a
+miner should never be without those necessities. So he had always
+carried them in a pocket of his canvas mining-suit. But were they not
+rendered useless by the double wetting he had received that day?
+
+With trembling eagerness he drew forth the silver match-safe that Tom
+Trefethen had insisted on presenting to him in token of his gratitude.
+It had been called water-tight. Would it prove so in this time of his
+greatest need? A match was withdrawn, and he struck it against a
+roughened side of the safe. There was a splutter of sparks, but no
+flame. That, however, was more than he had dared hope for, and,
+sitting down, that he might not run the chance of dropping his
+precious box, he rubbed it briskly in his hands until it was
+thoroughly dry before making another attempt.
+
+This time there was no result, the head of the match having evidently
+flown off. With breathless anxiety he tried a third, and was thrilled
+with joy by having it burst into flame. Tom Trefethen's gift had
+redeemed its promise.
+
+By the fitful flare of that match, whose cheery gleam filled him with
+a new hope, Peveril saw that he was sitting on the rocky floor of a
+cave or chamber that extended back beyond his narrow circle of light.
+On the other side, and but a few inches below him, was outspread a
+gleaming surface of water, smooth as a mirror and black as ink. These
+things he saw, and then his match burned out.
+
+The darkness that followed was so absolute as to be suffocating; but
+before striking another of the priceless "fire-sticks" he drew forth
+the candle that had lain quietly in his pocket for several weeks
+awaiting just such an emergency as the present. After many reluctant
+sputterings, it, too, yielded to his efforts, and finally burned with
+a steady flame. With it he was enabled to make a much more careful and
+extended survey of his surroundings. To his great delight he
+discovered, lodged here and there on the rocks about him, a
+considerable quantity of dry wood in small pieces.
+
+Whittling some shavings from one of these, he soon had a brisk blaze
+that not only drove the black shadows to a respectful distance, but
+imparted a delicious warmth to his chilled body.
+
+"I'll live to get out of this place yet and confront the wretches who
+tried to murder me--see if I don't!" he cried, filled with a new
+courage inspired by the magic of light and warmth. "They probably
+think me safely dead long ere this; but they'll find out that I am
+very much alive, and I'll know them when I see them again, too. What
+could have been their object, and what can they have against me? I
+wonder if the old fellow who claimed the logs could have set them on
+to me? I hate to believe it; but the whole business looks awfully
+suspicious.
+
+"There's a deep game going on somewhere, but I may live to fathom it
+yet. What made them start up in such a hurry and fling me down this
+hole? I remember: they were scared by the barking of a dog and the
+approach of some one on horseback. Whoever that chap was, I'll owe him
+a debt of gratitude if ever I get out of here; and if I don't--Well,
+perhaps he did me a good turn anyhow, for they would probably have
+killed me in the end. Hello! I had forgotten these hardtack."
+
+Mechanically thrusting his hands into the pockets of his coat during
+this soliloquy, Peveril found the hard biscuit that he had slipped
+into them on leaving camp. Now, though these were soggy with water,
+they were still in a condition to be handled, and, carefully
+withdrawing them, he ate one hungrily, but laid the other near the
+fire to dry. Then he removed his clothing, wrung what water he could
+from each article, rubbed his body into a glow, re-dressed, and again
+sat beside his fire for a further consideration of his strange
+situation.
+
+As he could arrive at no conclusion regarding an attempt to escape
+until the coming of daylight, which he hoped would reach him with
+sufficient clearness to disclose the nature of his prison, his
+thoughts finally drifted to other matters. He recalled his lost
+letter, and wondered if Rose would grow very impatient at his long
+delay in answering it.
+
+"If she does, she must," he remarked, philosophically, "for I am not
+in a position to hurry the mails just now. How distressed the dear
+girl would be, though, if she could see me at this minute! That is, if
+she didn't find it a situation for laughter, and, by Jove! I believe
+she would, for she laughs at most everything. I only hope we will have
+the chance to laugh over it together some time."
+
+In some way thoughts of Rose led to a recollection of that other girl,
+whom he had only seen for an instant; and when, a little later, in
+spite of his desperate situation, he actually fell asleep on his bed
+of cold flint, it was the face of the unknown that again haunted his
+dreams.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII
+
+UNDERGROUND WANDERINGS
+
+
+When Peveril next awoke he was racked with pain, and so stiff in every
+joint that an attempt to move caused him to groan aloud. A faint light
+dimly revealed his surroundings; but these were so strange and weird
+that for several minutes he could not imagine where he was nor what
+had happened. Slowly the truth dawned upon him, and one by one the
+awful incidents of the past night began to shape themselves in his
+mind.
+
+"I have been murdered and drowned," he said to himself. "Now I am
+entombed alive, beyond reach of hope or human knowledge. Never again
+shall I see the sunlight, never revisit the surface of the earth,
+never look upon my fellows nor hear the voice of man. I may live for
+several days, but I must live them alone--alone must I bear my
+sufferings, and finally I must die alone. What have I done to deserve
+such a fate? Is there no escape from it? I shall go mad, and I hope I
+may. Better oblivion than a knowledge of such agony as is in store for
+me.
+
+"And yet why should I lose faith in the Power that has thus far
+miraculously preserved me? I am alive, and in possession of all my
+faculties. I shall not suffer from thirst. I even have a certain
+amount of food, together with the means for procuring fire. I am not
+left in utter darkness, and, above all, I have not yet proved by a
+single trial that escape is impossible. How much better off I am in
+every respect than thousands of others, who, finding themselves in
+desperate straits, have yet had the strength and courage to work out
+their own salvation! What an ingrate I have been! What a coward! But,
+with God's help, I will no longer be either!"
+
+Having thus brought himself to a happier and more courageous frame of
+mind, Peveril stiffly gained his feet, moved his limbs, and rubbed
+them until a certain degree of suppleness was restored. He was about
+to build a fire, but refrained from so doing upon reflection that his
+stock of fuel must be limited, and that a fire might be of infinitely
+greater value at some other time.
+
+Now the prisoner began a careful survey of his surroundings by the
+feeble light finding its way down the shaft into which he had been
+flung. As it did not materially increase, he concluded that full day
+had already reached the upper world. It was also brightest in the
+middle of the black pool, which showed that the opening through which
+it came must be directly above that point, and that the shaft must be
+perpendicular.
+
+Peveril called the hole a shaft, because, while he could neither see
+to the top nor clearly make out the outlines of the portions nearest
+at hand, it still impressed him as being of artificial construction,
+while the opening at one side, in which he stood, also seemed very
+much like a drift or gallery hewn from the solid rock by human hands.
+
+The impossibility of scaling the sheer, smooth walls of the shaft was
+evident at a single glance, and Peveril turned from it with a heavy
+heart. At the same moment his attention was attracted by a sharp
+squeaking, and, to his dismay, he made out a confused mass of
+something in active motion about the precious biscuit that he had left
+beside his fireplace. With a loud cry he sprang in that direction,
+only to stumble and fall over a small pile of what he took to be rocks
+that lay in his path.
+
+Without waiting to regain his feet, he flung several of these at the
+animals that had discovered and were devouring his hardtack. A louder
+squeak than before showed that at least one of his missiles had taken
+effect, and then there was a scampering away of tiny feet. When he
+reached the scene of destruction his only biscuit was half eaten,
+while beside it lay a huge rat that had been killed by one of his
+shots.
+
+"With plenty of rats and plenty of rocks I need not starve, at any
+rate," he remarked, grimly. "The idea of eating rats is horrid, of
+course, but I don't know why it should be. Certainly many persons have
+eaten them, and in an emergency I don't know why I should be any more
+squeamish than others.
+
+"What heavy rocks those were, though, and what sharp edges they had! I
+expect it will be a good idea to collect a few, and have them ready
+for my next rat-hunt."
+
+With this Peveril returned to the pile over which he had stumbled, and
+to his amazement found it to be composed of hammers and hatchets,
+chisels, knives, and other tools that he was unable to name, all of
+quaint shape, and all made of tempered copper. In an instant the
+nature of his prison became clear. He was in a prehistoric
+copper-mine, opened and worked thousands of years ago by a people so
+ancient that even tradition has nought to say concerning them.
+
+The knowledge thus thrust upon him filled the young man with awe, and
+he glanced nervously about him, as though expecting to see the ghosts
+of long-ago delvers advancing from the inner gloom. The thought that
+he was probably the first human being to set foot on that rocky
+platform since the prehistoric workmen had flung down their tools on
+it for the last time was overpowering.
+
+At the same time, if this were indeed a mine, it must also be a tomb,
+for it was not likely to have any exit save the unscalable shaft
+glimmering hopelessly above him. Here, then, was the end of all his
+hopes, for of what use were strength and courage in a place where
+neither could be made available?
+
+But hold! Where had the rats come from? Certainly not from the water,
+nor was it probable that they had come down the shaft, for its rocky
+sides appeared as straight and smooth as those of a well. Why should
+they have come at all to a place that could not contain a crumb of
+food, except the scanty supply that he had brought? If that alone had
+attracted them, why had they not found it hours before, while he was
+asleep? Might it not be possible that they had come from a distance in
+search of water after a night of feasting elsewhere? They had, at any
+rate, run back into the gallery; and by following the lead thus
+presented he might find some place of exit from that terrible
+subterranean prison. Even if it were only a rat-hole, he might be able
+to enlarge it, now that he had tools with which to work.
+
+At this moment how he blessed the dear old friend at whose insistence
+he had provided himself with the matches and candle that now rendered
+it possible for him to explore the dark depths of that prehistoric
+drift! Before starting on the trip that he was now determined to make,
+he ate the portion of biscuit left by the rats. He also so far
+overcame his repugnance as to skin and clean the dead rat, which he
+placed on a ledge of rock for future use in case he should be driven
+to it. Then he lighted his candle and set forth.
+
+For a considerable distance the gallery was open and fairly spacious,
+while everywhere the young explorer found scattered on its floor the
+ancient and quaintly shaped tools that told of the great number of
+workmen employed in its excavation. After a while his way began to be
+encumbered by piles of loose rock that seemed to have been collected
+for the purpose of removal.
+
+Now his way grew narrower and rougher, until in several places it was
+nearly blocked by masses of material that had fallen from the roof or
+caved in from the sides. Over some of these he was forced to creep on
+hands and knees, flattening himself into the smallest possible
+compass.
+
+At length the gallery came to an end, though from it a small "winze,"
+or passage, barely wide enough to crawl through, led upward at a sharp
+angle. At the bottom of this Peveril hesitated. His precious candle
+was half burned out, and would not much more than serve to carry him
+back to the place from which he had started. Besides this, the passage
+before him was so small that a person entering it could by no
+possibility turn around if he should desire to retrace his course. It
+was even doubtful if he could back out after having penetrated a short
+distance into the winze.
+
+"I don't know why I should care, though," said Peveril, bitterly,
+"for, even if I should get stuck in there, it would only be exchanging
+a tomb for a grave. At the same time, one does like to have room even
+to die in, and I don't believe the risk is worth taking. There isn't
+the slightest chance of a hole like that leading anywhere, and, so
+long as I can draw a breath at all, I am going to draw it in the
+open."
+
+So, with the last spark of hope extinguished, and with a heart like
+lead, the poor fellow turned to retrace his steps to the place in
+which he proposed to spend his few remaining hours of life, and then
+to yield it up as bravely as might be. As he did so a little gusty
+draught of air blew the flame from his candle and plunged him into
+absolute darkness.
+
+[Illustration: PEVERIL SAT BESIDE THE FIRE IN FORLORN MEDITATION]
+
+Peveril was so startled by this occurrence that for some time he
+plunged blindly with outstretched hands back over the way he had come,
+forgetting in his bewilderment that he still had matches with which to
+relight his candle. Ere this was suggested to him he had retraced
+about half the distance, guided solely by the sense of feeling, though
+not without innumerable bruises and abrasions.
+
+When he at length reached the end of the gallery and stood once more
+beside the black pool into which he had been flung, what little of
+daylight found its way into those dim depths was rapidly fading. It
+only served while he gathered every stick of drift that some former
+high stage of water had deposited on the rocky platform, and then
+another night of almost arctic length was begun.
+
+To escape the awful gloom, Peveril lighted a fire and sat beside it in
+forlorn meditation, carefully feeding it one stick at a time, and
+longing for some sound to break the oppressive silence. Finally, faint
+with hunger, he recalled the bit of game that he had stored away ready
+for cooking. Fetching this, he quickly had it spitted on a sliver of
+wood and broiling with appetizing odor over a tiny bed of coals. It
+smelled so good as it sizzled and browned that all his repugnance
+vanished, and he was only impatient for it to be cooked. The moment it
+was so he began to devour it ravenously, regretting at the same time
+that he had not half a dozen rats to eat instead of one.
+
+He felt better after his meal, and a new courage crept into his heavy
+heart as he again sat in meditation beside his flickering blaze. Why
+he should feel more hopeful he could not imagine, for no glimmer of a
+plan for escape had presented itself.
+
+It was not until he had once more stretched himself on his flinty bed,
+with a block of wood for a pillow, and was trying to forget his
+wretchedness in sleep, that he knew. Then he sprang up with a shout.
+
+"What an idiot I am! What an absolute idiot! Where did the draught
+that blew out my light come from? From up that sloping passage, of
+course, and a draught can only be caused by an opening of some kind to
+the outer air. If I can only find it, I believe I shall also find a
+way out of here. So, old man, cheer up and never say die! You'll live
+to stand on top of the world again, yet--see if you don't!"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII
+
+FROM ONE TRAP INTO ANOTHER
+
+
+The light of another day was dimly penetrating those underground
+depths before our prisoner was prepared to make his last effort for
+liberty. For all the aid he would receive from the pitiful amount
+allotted to him he might as well have started hours earlier; but while
+he longed to make the trial he also dreaded it. The thought of that
+box-like passage, through which he would be obliged to force his way
+without a chance of retreat, was so terrible that he shrank from it as
+we all shrink from anything dangerous or painful. Then, too, if he
+should escape, he would want daylight by which to guide his future
+movements. So, after tossing for hours on his hard bed and considering
+every aspect of his situation, he finally fell into a troubled sleep
+that lasted until morning.
+
+For breakfast he had only water, but of this he drank as much as he
+could, for he knew not when he would find another supply. Then he
+selected such of the copper tools as he thought might prove useful.
+Into one of them, which was a sort of a pick, he fitted a rude wooden
+handle, while the others, which had cutting edges and were in the
+nature of knives, he thrust into his pockets. Having thus completed
+his simple preparations, he took a long look, that he well knew might
+be his last, on the daylight that was now so doubly precious, and then
+resolutely faced the inner gloom of the ancient mine.
+
+Determined to save his candle for use in the unknown winze, he slowly
+groped his way through utter darkness, and finally reached what he
+believed to be the end of the drift. Now he lighted his candle, and
+for a moment his unaccustomed eyes ached from the glare of its flame.
+He was, as he had thought, at the lower opening of the narrow passage,
+and, as he noted its steep upward slope, he was agitated by
+conflicting hopes and fears. It might lead to liberty, but there was
+an equal chance that in it he should miserably perish.
+
+At the very outset he was confronted by a condition that was not only
+disappointing, but exerted a most depressing influence. There was no
+draught, such as he had believed would issue from the winze. In vain
+did he hold up a wetted finger, in vain watch for the slightest
+flicker in the flame of his candle. The air was as stagnant as that of
+a dungeon. And yet there certainly had been a decided current at that
+very place only a few hours before. Puzzled and disheartened, he was
+still determined to press forward, and, stooping low, he entered the
+passage.
+
+It almost immediately became so contracted that he was compelled to
+creep on hands and knees, by which method he slowly and painfully
+overcame foot after foot of the ascent. A little later he was forcing
+his way with infinite labor, an inch at a time, through a space so
+narrow that he was squeezed almost to breathlessness. He was also
+bathed in perspiration, and was obliged to recruit his strength by
+frequent halts.
+
+At length his candle, which had burned low, was about to expire. With
+despairing eyes he watched its last flickering flame, feeling only the
+terror of impending darkness, and heedless of the fact that it was
+burning his hand. With the quenching of its final spark he resigned
+himself to his fate. He had fought his best, but the odds against him
+were too heavy, and now his strength was exhausted. Closing his eyes,
+and resting his head wearily on his folded arms, he prepared for the
+oblivion that he prayed might come speedily.
+
+Lying thus, and careless of the passage of time, he was visited by
+pleasant dreams, in which were mingled happy voices, laughter, and
+singing. He rested on a couch of roses, and cool breezes fanned his
+fevered brow. He was free as air itself and surrounded by illimitable
+space.
+
+All at once he became conscious that he was not dreaming, but was wide
+awake and staring with incredulous eyes at a glimmer of light, so
+wellnigh imperceptible that only by passing a hand before his face and
+so shutting it out for an instant could he be certain of its
+existence. At the same time an unmistakable draught of air was finding
+its way to him, and a voice as of an angel came to his ears faintly
+but distinctly with the snatch of a gay song.
+
+With hot blood surging to his brain, the poor fellow tried to call
+out, but the words died in his parched throat, and he could only emit
+a husky whisper. Then he struggled forward, and found himself in a
+larger space that widened rapidly until he was able to sit up and move
+his arms with freedom.
+
+He had reached the end of the passage; for, above his head, he could
+feel only a smooth surface of rock. The singing had ceased, the ray of
+light had faded into darkness, and the draught of air was no longer
+felt. But Peveril had noted the aperture by which it had come, and
+could now thrust his hand through this into a vacant space beyond.
+
+It seemed to him that the rock above his head was but a slab of no
+great thickness, and he tried to lift it. For some minutes he could
+not succeed, but finally he secured a purchase, got his shoulders
+directly beneath it, and, with a mighty upward heave, moved it
+slightly from the bed in which it had lain for centuries.
+
+With another powerful effort it was lifted the fraction of an inch,
+and, though it immediately settled back in place, the prisoner knew
+that the time of his deliverance had come. He could not raise the
+great slab bodily, but with wedges he could hold the gain of each
+upward lift. His first aids of this kind were the copper knives that
+he had brought with him. Then, by a dim light that came through the
+crevice thus opened, he used his pick to break off fragments of rock,
+which were slipped under the slab.
+
+It was thus raised and supported an inch at a time, until at length
+an opening nearly two feet in width was presented. The moment this was
+effected Peveril drew himself through it, and, with a great sigh of
+thankfulness for his marvellous escape, lay for some minutes
+recovering breath after his tremendous exertions and studying his new
+surroundings.
+
+Although the small amount of light greeting his eyes as he lifted the
+rock had shown him that he was not to emerge into the open air, he
+could not help a feeling of disappointment at finding himself still
+underground. To be sure, he was in a spacious chamber or cavern, he
+could not yet tell which, illumined by a faintly diffused light that
+gave promise of some connection with the outer world; but he feared
+this might prove to be another unscalable shaft, in which case he
+would be no better off than before--in fact, he might find himself
+worse off, for he was desperately thirsty and could see no sign of
+water.
+
+"It would be pretty hard lines if I should be compelled to return to
+my old well for a drink," he said to himself.
+
+As soon as he had recovered breath, Peveril rose to his feet and began
+to walk slowly towards that part of the cavern where the light seemed
+brightest. As he went he looked eagerly on all sides for some trace of
+the singer whose voice had inspired him with a new hope at the moment
+of his blackest despair, but no person was to be seen or heard.
+
+At the same time he found abundant proof that human beings had
+recently visited that place, and would doubtless soon do so again.
+This was in the shape of boxes, bales, and casks piled against the
+walls on both sides of the passage. For a moment Peveril was greatly
+puzzled by these; then, as he recalled Joe Pintaud's conversation
+regarding smugglers, he concluded that he had stumbled across a depot
+of goods belonging to those free-traders of the great lake.
+
+"In which case," he said to himself, "I shall surely be out of here
+within a few minutes; for an entrance for smugglers must mean an exit
+for prisoners."
+
+This was a sound theory, but, like a great many other theories, one
+that proved faulty upon practical application, as our young friend
+discovered a few minutes later.
+
+Directly beyond the packages of goods he came upon a small derrick,
+set firmly into the solid rock at both top and bottom. It had a
+substantial block-and-fall attachment, and was swung inward. At this
+point also a heavy tarpaulin, reaching from floor to ceiling, was hung
+completely across the cavern.
+
+Cautiously raising one corner of this, Peveril was blinded by such a
+flood of light that for a moment he was completely dazzled. As his
+vision was gradually restored he found himself on the brink of a
+precipice and gazing out over a boundless expanse of water--in fact,
+over the great lake itself. A narrow ledge projected a little beyond
+the curtain that he had lifted, and as he hesitatingly stepped out
+upon it he also instinctively grasped a small cedar that grew from it
+to steady himself while he looked down.
+
+The descent was sheer for twenty feet, and so smooth as not to afford
+a single foothold along its entire face. From the rippling water at
+its base rose a jagged ledge of black rocks, which Peveril recognized
+the moment his eyes fell upon them.
+
+"Of all mysteries this is the most inexplicable!" he cried; "and yet
+it surely is the very place."
+
+As he spoke he turned to look at the curtain which he had let fall
+behind him, and very nearly tumbled from the ledge in amazement at
+what he saw. Instead of the sheet of dingy canvas that he expected, he
+was confronted by a sheer wall of cliff, stained the same rusty red as
+that extending for miles on either side, and apparently not differing
+from it in any particular. He was compelled to reach out his hand and
+touch it before he could dispel the illusion and convince himself that
+only a sheet of painted canvas separated him from the cavern he had
+just left.
+
+"It is one of the very cleverest things in the way of a hiding-place I
+ever heard of," he said, half aloud; "and now I understand the
+disappearance of that girl. But where on earth did she come from? How
+did she get here? and where did she go to? Could it have been she whom
+I heard singing a little while ago? If so, where is she now? Not in
+the cavern. That I'll swear to."
+
+Peveril might have speculated at much greater length concerning this
+mystery had not the sight of water that he could not reach so
+aggravated his thirst that for the moment he could think of little
+else. All at once he hit upon a plan, and two minutes later had drawn
+aside the curtain, swung out the little derrick, and was letting
+himself down towards the ledge by means of its tackle.
+
+Lying flat on the rough rocks, he drank and drank of the delicious
+water, lifting his head for breath or to gaze ecstatically about him,
+and then thrusting it again into the cool flood for the pleasure of
+feeling the water on his hot cheeks.
+
+At length a slight sound caused him to turn quickly and look upward.
+To his dismay and astonishment the tackle by which he had lowered
+himself had disappeared. Unless he could make up his mind to swim for
+miles through water of icy coldness, he was as truly a prisoner on
+that ledge of rock as ever he had been in the underground depths from
+which he had so recently escaped.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX
+
+"DARRELL'S FOLLY" AND ITS OWNER
+
+
+Ralph Darrell was possessed by a passion for accumulating wealth, and,
+not satisfied with the certain but slow gains of his legitimate
+business of banking, was always on the lookout for extraordinary
+investments, in which he was willing to take great risks on the chance
+of receiving proportionate returns. During an excitement caused by
+marvellous finds of copper in the upper peninsula of Michigan, he,
+too, caught the fever, and became convinced that here was his
+opportunity for acquiring a fortune.
+
+From experts in whom he placed confidence he received such good
+accounts of a certain mineral tract located on Keweenaw Point, where
+mines of fabulous richness were already opened, that he purchased it,
+and persuaded Richard Peveril's father to become associated with him
+in a scheme for its development.
+
+When the crash came, and their golden dreams were dispelled by a rude
+awakening, he had sunk his own modest fortune, together with half of
+Peveril's, in a barren mine, and the blow was so heavy as to partially
+deprive him of his reason. He imagined himself to be the object of a
+conspiracy, headed by his partner, to obtain entire control of the
+mine, which he also imagined to be immensely valuable.
+
+For the purpose of protecting the interests that he fancied to be
+thus endangered, Ralph Darrell disappeared from his home, made his
+way to the scene of his wrecked hopes, and took up a solitary abode
+in the deserted mining village. Although he was now a desperate man,
+and also one so crazed by misfortune that he believed every rock
+taken from the Copper Princess to be rich in metal, he retained much
+of the business shrewdness gained by years of experience. At the same
+time, he had become sly, suspicious of his fellows, and absolutely
+non-communicative. He had conceived the idea of holding on to the
+mine, and at the same time spreading reports of its worthlessness
+until the term of contract had expired, when he hoped that, in default
+of other claims, the entire property would fall into his hands. Then
+he would proclaim its true value and reap his long-delayed reward.
+
+So he lived alone in the comfortable house that had been built for the
+manager of the mine, held no intercourse with his widely scattered
+neighbors, discouraged all attempts on the part of outsiders to learn
+anything concerning him, rejoiced when he heard his mine spoken of as
+"Darrell's Folly," and devoted himself to keeping its valuable plant
+in repair, against the time when he should be free to use it for his
+own sole benefit.
+
+In looking about for some method of acquiring means with which to
+reopen and work the mine when it should be wholly his, he ran across
+a crew of Canadian fishermen, who were also smugglers in a small way,
+and, joining them, soon developed their unlawful trade into a
+flourishing business.
+
+Having discovered a deep cavern opening on the lake and extending
+close to the cellar of the very house in which he dwelt, he decided to
+use it as a receptacle and hiding-place for smuggled goods. To enhance
+its value for this purpose, he connected it with his own residence by
+an underground passage. On this he expended a vast amount of labor,
+digging it with his own hands, and holding it a secret from every
+human being. Even the smugglers, who implicitly obeyed his orders,
+since he had made it so profitable for them to do so, knew nothing of
+it, nor what became of their goods after they were delivered at night
+on a certain rocky ledge, and hoisted up the face of the cliff to some
+place that they never saw. Nor were the peddlers, by whom these same
+goods were carried far and wide, any wiser, for they always transacted
+their business with "old man" Darrell, and received their merchandise
+after dark, in a certain room of his house, the only one they were
+ever allowed to enter.
+
+Not only had Darrell retained to himself the secret of the cavern, but
+he had also conceived the idea of hiding it from the observation of
+passing vessels by means of a canvas screen drawn over its entrance,
+and cleverly painted to resemble the adjacent cliffs.
+
+Surrounded by these safeguards, and further protected by its locality
+in that desolate region, the unlawful business flourished amazingly.
+It not only yielded its chief promoter a sufficient income to support
+his family comfortably in their distant Eastern home and enable him to
+keep his mining-plant in good repair, but each year saw a very tidy
+surplus stored away for the future development of the Copper Princess.
+
+Darrell had learned of his partner's death, and waited anxiously for
+years to hear from the Peveril heirs. As they remained silent, and
+made no claim against the property in which his own life was so
+completely bound up, he cherished the belief that they considered it
+too worthless even to investigate, and that he would be left in
+undisturbed possession to the end. He became so emboldened by this
+belief that, when the term of contract had so nearly expired that it
+had but a few months more to run, he even began in a small way to
+resume work in the mine. Thus he had it pumped out and partially
+retimbered. He also started work on a new level, and in every way
+possible, without attracting too much attention, got his property
+ready for the great scheme of development upon which he was determined
+the moment he should be freed from his contract.
+
+In the meantime his wife had died, and his only child, who had been
+born since he entered upon this strange existence, had come to share
+his lonely home. As she was but twelve years old when this great
+change in her life took place, she of course knew nothing of business,
+and had never heard of such a thing as smuggled goods. In her eyes
+everything that her dear papa did was right, and she was too happy at
+being permitted to become in any degree his assistant to think of
+questioning his methods.
+
+So the secret of the cavern and its underground connection was finally
+confided to her. She was also intrusted with the duty of watching for
+the little vessels that brought the goods in which her father dealt,
+and of hanging out the signal-lights by which their movements were
+guided. As these lights were always displayed from the stunted cedar
+at the mouth of the cavern, and as this place also served her for a
+post of observation, she passed much of her time within the limits of
+the great cave.
+
+Her father had won her promise never to mention the existence of the
+cavern, and had also warned her not to allow herself to be seen in it.
+There was, however, no necessity of such a warning, for Mary Darrell
+was too proud of her great secret to share it. Even Aunty Nimmo, the
+old black nurse who had come West with her, and had remained to care
+for her ever since, was not told of the cavern, though she shrewdly
+suspected its existence.
+
+If to the foregoing explanation it is added that the little
+trading-vessels, which were also to all appearance fisher-boats, never
+took on their return cargoes from the cavern, but always at either
+Laughing Fish Cove or the land-locked basin, the situation as it
+existed at the time of Peveril's appearance on the scene will be
+understood.
+
+As the sister schooner of the one that had carried off Joe Pintaud was
+due to arrive at about this date, Mary Darrell was keeping a sharp
+watch for it, and paying frequent visits to her post of observation at
+the mouth of the cavern for that purpose. On each of these she of
+course drew aside the painted curtain, thereby letting in a rush of
+air that penetrated to the innermost recesses of the great cavity
+behind her.
+
+It was a little breath from one of these that, finding its way through
+the aperture beside the slab of rock, and so on down the narrow
+passage that led to the prehistoric mine, had blown out Peveril's
+candle. Of course the girl, who was the innocent cause of that bit of
+mischief, had no idea of what the breeze was doing, for neither she
+nor her father, or any one else for that matter, knew of the existence
+of the old workings so close at hand.
+
+On the following morning Mary again entered the cavern, singing
+light-heartedly as she did so. This time she remained but a few
+minutes, for she had something to attend to in the house; but she held
+aside the canvas curtain long enough to look out, assure herself that
+no vessel was in sight, and to allow another inrush of air. From it a
+second little breeze found its way beneath the great slab and into the
+darkness of the underground passage, where it restored poor,
+despairing Peveril to life and hope by cooling his fevered brow and
+carrying the sound of singing to his ears.
+
+The very next time the girl entered the cavern she was at first
+bewildered to find the canvas screen drawn aside from its opening and
+the place flooded with light. Next she was frightened to note that the
+derrick was swung outward, and that its attached tackle was hanging
+down out of sight.
+
+Her first impulse was to run and call her father. Then she remembered
+that, as he was down in the mine, it would be a long time before he
+could come. Also, being a brave young woman and not easily frightened,
+she determined to find out for herself if there was any real cause for
+alarm. So she crept softly to the mouth of the cavern and peered
+cautiously out.
+
+At sight of a man lying on the rocks at the foot of the cliff, with
+his head in the water, her heart almost stopped its beating and she
+almost screamed. He lay so still that for a moment she imagined him to
+be dead, though the next instant she knew he was not, for he lifted
+his head to catch a breath. Then he again plunged it into the water,
+and quick as thought the girl drew up the tackle by which he had
+lowered himself.
+
+"There," she said to herself; "I guess you will stay where you are,
+Mister Man, until I can bring papa; and he'll know what to do with
+you!"
+
+She had drawn in the tackle very cautiously, without noticing the
+little scraping noise that its lower block made in crossing the rocky
+ledge, and she turned to go as she spoke.
+
+But she must take one more look, just to see if that horrid man was
+still there, and what he was doing.
+
+So she very carefully leaned forward and gazed straight down into the
+upturned face of Richard Peveril.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XX
+
+PEVERIL IS TAKEN FOR A GHOST
+
+
+The situation in which the two principal characters of this story were
+left at the close of the preceding chapter was so embarrassing to both
+that for several seconds they continued to stare at each other in
+silent amazement. Mary Darrell, her face alternately flushing and
+paling with confusion, seemed fascinated and incapable of motion. In
+spite of Peveril's astonishingly disreputable appearance, she at once
+recognized him as being the young stranger whom she had seen twice
+before, and had even helped out of an awkward predicament. She also
+knew that he had in some way aroused her father's enmity. But he had
+taken his departure from that vicinity several days earlier, and,
+though she had wondered if he would ever come back, she had not really
+expected to see him again.
+
+Now to come upon him so suddenly, looking so dreadful, and to realize
+that, incredible as it seemed, he must have learned the secret of the
+cavern, was all so bewildering and startling as to very nearly take
+away her breath. So she simply stared.
+
+It must be confessed that Peveril's present appearance was not so
+prepossessing as it had been at other times, and might be again. He
+had lost his hat, his hair was uncombed, his hands were bruised and
+soiled, while his clothing was torn and covered with dirt from the
+underground passages through which he had so recently struggled. But
+his face was quite clean, for he had just given it a thorough
+scrubbing, and to it the girl's gaze was principally directed.
+
+It was Peveril who first broke the embarrassing silence.
+
+"I am very glad to see you again," he said, "and to find that you are
+a real flesh-and-blood girl, instead of only a vision, or a sort of a
+rock-nymph, as I imagined you might be from the way you disappeared
+that other time."
+
+"What makes you think I am a girl?" asked Mary Darrell, whose face was
+the only part of her that Peveril could see.
+
+"Why, because," he began, hesitatingly--"because you are too
+good-looking to be anything but a girl, and because--Oh, well, because
+I am certain that you are. What else could you be, anyway?"
+
+Mary Darrell's face was crimson, but still she answered, stoutly, "I
+might be a boy, you know."
+
+"No, indeed. No boy could blush as you are doing at this moment."
+
+In reply, the girl rose to her feet and stepped out on the ledge in
+full view of the young man. She was clad in a golf suit, neat-fitting
+and becoming, but masculine in every detail. She had become so
+accustomed to dressing in that way that she was perfectly at her ease
+in the costume, and even preferred it to her own proper garments.
+
+"I beg your pardon," stammered poor Peveril, as he gazed in
+bewilderment at the apparition thus presented. "I'm awfully ashamed to
+have made such a stupid mistake, but really, you know--"
+
+"Oh, it's all right," replied the other, "and you needn't apologize. I
+have so often been taken for a girl that I am quite used to it. And
+now may I ask who you are? why you are here? what you are doing down
+there? how you propose to get away? and--"
+
+"Hold on, my dear fellow!" interrupted Peveril. "Don't you think your
+list of questions is already long enough without adding any more?"
+
+"I suppose it is," laughed the other, assuming a seat in an expectant
+attitude at the base of the stunted cedar.
+
+The novelty of the situation, combined with its absolute safety, so
+far as she was concerned, was fascinating to the lonely girl. "Now you
+may begin," she added, "and tell me everything you know about
+yourself."
+
+"That would be altogether too long a story," replied Peveril, a little
+nettled at what he mentally termed the cheek of the youth. "Besides,"
+he continued, "I am too nearly starved to do much talking, seeing
+that, for more days than I can remember, I have had nothing to eat but
+a rat, and--"
+
+"A rat!" cried the other, in a tone of horror. "You didn't really eat
+a rat?"
+
+"Indeed I did, and I would gladly eat another at this very minute, I
+am so hungry. Don't you think you could get me one? Or if you had any
+cold victuals that you could spare--"
+
+At that moment Mary Darrell, without waiting to hear another word,
+jumped up and disappeared, leaving Peveril to wonder what had struck
+the young fellow, and hoping that he had gone for something in the
+shape of food.
+
+"I wish I'd got him to let down that rope again first," he said to
+himself, as he paced back and forth across the ledge; "then I could
+have pulled myself up and gone with him, thereby saving both time and
+trouble. I would have sworn, though, that he was a girl. Never was so
+deceived in my life. He must have a sister, and perhaps they are
+twins, for it surely was a girl that I saw here the other time. All
+the same, I'm rather glad she isn't on hand just now, for I should
+hate to have any girl see me in my present disguise. My appearance
+must be decidedly tough and tramp-like. Wonder if I can't do something
+to improve it? That chap might be just idiot enough to bring his
+sister back with him."
+
+Thus thinking, the young man attempted to get a look at himself in the
+water-mirror of the lake, and was trying to comb his hair with his
+fingers, when a merry laugh from above put an end to his toilet and
+caused him to start up in confusion.
+
+His young friend of the golf suit had returned, and was letting down a
+small basket attached to a stout cord.
+
+"Why don't you drop the tackle and let me come up there to you?"
+suggested Peveril, who was not only very tired of the ledge, but
+curious to make a closer acquaintance with his new friend.
+
+"Oh no," said the other, hurriedly, "I can't do that. But look out!
+catch the basket. I am sorry not to have brought you a better lunch,
+but you seemed in such a hurry that I thought you might not be
+particular."
+
+"It's fine," rejoined Peveril, who was already making a ravenous
+attack on the bread and cold meat contained in the basket. "You
+couldn't have brought me anything that I should have liked better, or
+that would have done me more good, and I am a thousand times obliged."
+
+A few minutes of silence ensued after this, while the one in the golf
+suit eagerly watched the other satisfy his hunger.
+
+When the last crumb of food had disappeared, Peveril heaved a sigh of
+content. "I feel like a new man now," he said, "and if you will only
+be so kind as to throw down that tackle--"
+
+"But you haven't answered a single one of my questions," interrupted
+the other.
+
+"Can't I do that up there as well as here?"
+
+"No, I want them answered right off, now."
+
+"Well, you are a queer sort of a chap," retorted Peveril; "but, seeing
+that you were so kind about the lunch, I don't mind humoring you a
+bit. Let me see: What were they? Oh! First--who am I? Well, I am
+Richard Peveril; but beyond that I hardly know how to answer.
+Second--why am I here? Because I can't get away. Third--what am I
+doing? Answering questions. Fourth--how do I propose to get away? By
+climbing the rope that you will let down to me, of course, and then
+have you show me the same way out of the cavern that you take."
+
+[Illustration: AT SEEING PEVERIL, THE MEN UTTERED A CRY OF TERROR]
+
+"Oh, but I can't do that!"
+
+"Why not?"
+
+"Because I have promised never to show it to any one. But, if you
+don't know the way, how did you get into the cavern?"
+
+"If you'll show me your way out, I'll show you mine," replied Peveril,
+who was growing impatient.
+
+"I tell you I can't. It is simply impossible."
+
+"Oh, well! I won't urge you, then. Only let down the rope, so that I
+can get up to where you are, and I'll manage to find my own way out."
+
+"But I don't dare even to do that," answered the other, in genuine
+distress.
+
+"You don't mean to leave me down here forever, do you?"
+
+"No, of course not; but--Oh, I know! I'll send a boat for you. So,
+just wait patiently a little while longer and you shall be taken off."
+
+"I say! hold on!" cried Richard; but his words were unheeded, for,
+acting on the impulse of the moment, the other had disappeared, and he
+was talking to empty space.
+
+"Confound the boy!" he exclaimed, impatiently. "I never heard of
+anything so utterly absurd. Why, in the name of common-sense, should
+he object to showing me the way out of his old cave? One would think
+that ordinary humanity--But boys are such heartless young beggars that
+there's no such thing as appealing to their sympathies. If it had only
+been his sister now!"
+
+In the meantime Mary Darrell had hastened from the cavern full of her
+new plan for rescuing the prisoner without betraying the secret of the
+underground passage.
+
+She at first thought of appealing to her father for aid, but,
+remembering his bitterness against the young man, decided to act
+without him. So she called two miners who were at work about the mouth
+of the shaft and bade them follow her. As they did so she led the way
+to the basin, and, entering a boat, ordered the men to row her out
+into the lake.
+
+They obeyed without hesitation, and, as Mary steered, she soon had the
+satisfaction of seeing her prisoner just where she had left him.
+
+He was at the same time relieved of a growing anxiety by the approach
+of the boat, in which he finally recognized the young fellow who,
+although acting so curiously, had, on the whole, proved himself a
+friend.
+
+The boat approached so close to the ledge that Mary had given the
+order to cease rowing before the oarsmen turned their heads to see
+where they were. As they did so, they uttered a simultaneous cry of
+terror, again seized their oars, whirled their light craft around,
+and, in spite of Mary Darrell's angry protestations, began to row with
+frantic haste back in the direction from which they had come.
+
+Although Peveril was not so much surprised at this proceeding as he
+might have been had he not recognized the villain Rothsky in the
+bow-oarsman, he was bitterly disappointed, and paced up and down his
+narrow prison with restless impatience.
+
+"Oh! If I ever get out of this scrape!" he cried.
+
+Less than an hour afterwards, when Mary Darrell again entered the
+cavern, but this time in company with her father, to whom she had
+confided the whole story, Peveril had disappeared. There was no boat
+to be seen, and they were confident that none had been on the coast
+that day. The derrick, with its tackle, was just as Mary had left it,
+yet neither in the cavern nor on the ledge was a trace of the young
+man to be seen.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXI
+
+MIKE CONNELL TO THE RESCUE
+
+
+On the very day that the White Pine logging expedition had been so
+completely disbanded, the tug _Broncho_ had been sent up the coast in
+a hurry after a supply of timber. She reached Laughing Fish Cove in
+the evening after Peveril's departure from his camp, and spent the
+night there awaiting him. Her captain was greatly perplexed by the
+failure of any of the party to put in an appearance, and the more so
+when he learned from the fishermen that Peveril had returned alone
+only to depart again on foot soon afterwards.
+
+By morning he dared not wait longer, for his instructions were to
+start back immediately with such logs as had been collected. He also
+imagined that, having picked up all the timber they could find, and
+becoming tired of waiting for him, the wreckers might have set out for
+Red Jacket on foot. So, taking in tow the raft that he found in the
+cove, he started down the coast, arriving at his destination that same
+evening.
+
+Mike Connell, who had been anxiously awaiting Peveril's coming, was at
+the landing to meet his friend, and was much disappointed at his
+non-appearance. After gaining all the news concerning the missing
+party that Captain Spillins could give him, he hastened back to Red
+Jacket, and went at once to the Trefethen cottage with a faint hope
+that Peveril might be there.
+
+The inmates of the little house had also pleasantly anticipated the
+return of the young man in whom they were so interested, and had made
+such simple preparations as came within their means for welcoming him.
+Now their disappointment at Connell's report was mingled with a
+certain anxiety that increased as they discussed the situation.
+
+"I'm feared lad's got into some trouble along of they furriners,"
+reflected Mark Trefethen, as he puffed thoughtfully at his short pipe.
+"Not but he'll find way outen it, though, for he's finely strong and
+handy wi' his fists. Still, there's always the knives and deviltry of
+they furriners to be reckoned with."
+
+"They do tell as hit's a cruel country up yon, full o' thieves and
+murderers, to say naught o' smuggling pirates," put in his wife;
+"which, as I were saying to Miss Penny no longer ago than yesterday,
+when me and 'er was looking in at company store, the same as Maister
+Peril should be running this blessed minute if 'e 'ad 'is rights,
+'Miss Penny,' sez I, 'that pore young man'll never get it in this
+world, now 'e's gone for a sailor, mark my words,' little thinking
+they'd so soon come true."
+
+"If I was a man," said Nelly Trefethen, at the same time casting a
+meaning glance at her sweetheart, "I'd not be sitting here wondering
+how he's to be got out of trouble, especially if he'd done for me what
+he has for some."
+
+"No more will I," spoke up Mike Connell, "for I'm going to find him,
+which is what I came to say along with telling the news."
+
+"And I'll go with you!" exclaimed Tom Trefethen, springing to his
+feet, as though for an immediate start.
+
+"No, Tom; glad as I'd be of your company, it's best I should go alone,
+seeing as I know that country well, and one man can get along in it
+when two couldn't. Besides, you are needed here, while I'm not."
+
+In spite of young Trefethen's protests, the Irishman remained firm in
+his decision to set forth alone in search of his friend; and as he
+left the house Nelly, who with the others accompanied him to the door,
+managed to give his hand an approving squeeze.
+
+Although Major Arkell gave orders for the tug to return to Laughing
+Fish in search of the missing loggers the moment her services could be
+spared, it was not until twenty-four hours after bringing in the raft
+that it was possible for her to do so.
+
+In the meantime Mike Connell, starting at the break of day, and
+walking briskly northward, reached the cove that still held Peveril's
+deserted camp that same afternoon.
+
+Through an intimacy with several of his countrymen who were successful
+peddlers of Ralph Darrell's smuggled goods, Connell had learned much
+concerning that section of country, and the various operations
+conducted within its limits. He had at one time seriously contemplated
+going into the peddling business himself, and had made so many
+inquiries in regard to its details that he was even familiar with
+"Darrell's Folly," though it was a place he had never visited.
+
+Knowing it to be a headquarters for smugglers, and believing that, if
+Peveril had really got himself into trouble, it would be in connection
+with some of those people, he felt that it was a likely locality in
+which to search for information. Accordingly he headed directly for
+it, only going a short distance out of his way to visit Laughing Fish
+Cove. Having heard that the fisher-folk were in league with the
+smugglers, he did not care to betray his presence to them, and so did
+not show himself in the little settlement, but only skirted it, until
+certain that his friends were not there. Then he proceeded towards his
+destination by the same trail that Peveril had followed only two
+nights before.
+
+As he walked slowly along the narrow pathway, trying to invent some
+plausible excuse for presenting himself before the irascible old man
+who, he had heard, excluded all strangers from "Darrell's Folly," his
+steps were arrested by the sound of voices approaching from the
+opposite direction. In another moment he saw three men hurrying
+towards him, gesticulating wildly and talking loudly in an unknown
+tongue.
+
+As they drew near he recognized in them the three car-pushers recently
+driven from the White Pine Mine. It also flashed into his mind that
+these were the men whom he had urged to make a cowardly attack on the
+young fellow he had then considered an enemy, but for whom he was now
+searching as for a dear friend.
+
+The new-comers also recognized him, and, regarding him as of one
+purpose with themselves in all that concerned Peveril, did not
+hesitate to advance and speak to him. After an exchange of greetings,
+Connell broached the business in hand by asking if they had seen
+anything in those parts of the chap who had driven them from White
+Pine.
+
+The men glanced at each other hesitatingly for a moment, and then
+Rothsky answered:
+
+"Yes, my friend, indeed we have seen him, and to our sorrow, since it
+is but now that he has driven us from another job, better even than
+that."
+
+"How so?" inquired Connell, pricking up his ears.
+
+"It is this way: We are working, at good wages, for the old fool over
+yonder, when that devil of a Per'l comes and tries to steal our
+timbers. Then the boss compels us to seize him and put him in his
+boat, which we tow far out in the lake. Then, as he makes a try to
+escape, the boss, who is like a man crazy, shoots him with a pistol
+through the head, and we all see him fall without life in the bottom
+of his boat. He is so very dead that he does not even move, and so is
+let go to drift, him and his boat, while we return to shore."
+
+"A fine way of treating trespassers, bedad!" exclaimed Connell; "but
+all the same, there is folks who would call it murder."
+
+"Yes, was it not? But wait. All that was three days ago; and yet, but
+one hour since, two of us have seen the ghost of this beast Per'l
+standing on the black rocks, with the white face of death, the wet
+hair of the drowned, and his clothing torn by the teeth of fishes. He
+said not one word, but waited for us, and would have dragged us to the
+bottom if we had not fled in time. Now, with such things allowed, we
+can no longer work in this place, and so, for the second time, has he
+driven us from our good job."
+
+"It's a cruel shame and an outrage on dacency, nothing less!" cried
+Connell, in pretended indignation. "At the same time, Rothsky, man,
+I'd like to have been with you, for do you know I've never laid eyes
+on a ghost at all, but would like mightily to have the exparience.
+Would ye mind tellin' me now where could I find this one, just for the
+pleasure of the sensation?"
+
+"No, no, Mist Connell! Don't go near it, for you'll be going to your
+death if you do."
+
+"But, if I'm willing to risk it why not?"
+
+So the Irishman insisted that they should permit him to share with
+them the glory of having seen a ghost, and finally won from them full
+directions how to discover the place from which they had fled in
+terror. The sly fellow even made pretence of wishing them to go back
+with him, and, when they declined to consider his invitation, declared
+them to be a set of cowards, and set forth alone.
+
+"It's my belief," he said to himself, as he made his way towards the
+place where they had told him he would find a boat, "that them divils
+of Dagos have played some dirty trick on Mister Peril. If there'd been
+but two of them I'd found some way of extorting a confession from
+their lying mouths, but odds of three to one is too big to risk. So I
+had to blarney them; but maybe I'll be able to help the lad some way;
+and, anyhow, here's for the trying."
+
+It was dusk when Connell, having found the boat, pulled unobserved out
+of the land-locked basin, and by the time he reached the ledge, where
+he had been told he would find Peveril's ghost, darkness had so closed
+in that he could not tell whether it was occupied or not until he had
+left his craft and explored its limited area.
+
+"Mister Peril!" he called, softly; "come out, if you're hiding, for
+it's only me, Mike Connell, come to take you away from this--Oh, bad
+cess to it, he's not here at all, and it's a great song-and-dance them
+Dagos give me! Now I'll have to go and beg a night's lodging of the
+old man, and maybe he'll give me a job in place of them as has just
+left him. In that case I'll find out something, or me name's not--Holy
+smoke! where's me boat? Bad luck to the slippery craft! It's gone
+entirely, and here I am left to spend the cruel night alone on a bit
+of a rock in the sea. If I was in jail I'd be better off."
+
+It was only too true. The light skiff, carelessly left to its own
+devices, had been caught by a gentle breeze and borne without a sound
+beyond sight or hearing.
+
+As the second prisoner claimed by the black ledge that day stood
+dismally bemoaning his hard fate, a light flashed out above him, and,
+glancing upward, he saw what he took to be a man in the act of hanging
+two lanterns to a bit of a tree. It was a danger-signal warning the
+smugglers to keep away, and Mary Darrell was placing it by order of
+her father, who feared Peveril might still be lingering in that
+vicinity.
+
+"Hey, lad," cried Connell, noting her slight figure, "will you help a
+fellow-creature in distress by tossing down the end of a rope?"
+
+"Are you really still there?" exclaimed the girl, in a tone of dismay,
+and striving to peer down through the darkness.
+
+"I am that, but most anxious to get away."
+
+"And if I do let down the rope, will you promise to depart at once the
+same way you came?"
+
+"I'll promise anything if you'll only let me up."
+
+"Well, then, there it is. I know I am doing wrong, but I can't leave
+you down there all night, for you would be dead by morning."
+
+"True for ye," answered Connell, as he began briskly to climb the
+rope, hand over hand.
+
+As his face appeared within the circle of lantern-light, the poor
+girl, who was waiting with trembling anxiety, uttered a cry of terror
+and fled into the gloom of the cavern.
+
+"Well, if that don't bate my time!" exclaimed the new-comer, as he
+gained a foothold on the ledge. "Whatever could the lad be frightened
+of?"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXII
+
+THE SIGNAL IS CHANGED
+
+
+Peveril had been amazed and disgusted at the sudden turning about and
+departure of the boat that had so nearly effected his rescue. Of
+course, on recognizing the oarsmen, he understood why they declined to
+help him, though it did not enter his mind that they regarded him as a
+supernatural being.
+
+"What cowards they are!" he reflected, bitterly. "They are determined
+to kill me though, that is evident, and I don't believe they will be
+content with simply leaving me here to die of exposure. It's more than
+likely they will roll rocks down on me from the cliffs during the
+night. There's a cheerful prospect to contemplate, with darkness
+already coming on, too!
+
+"That young fellow seemed willing enough to help me, only he was bound
+to do it in his own way; but now I suppose those wretches will prevent
+him from making any more efforts in my behalf. What is he doing with
+that gang of murderers, I wonder? Apparently he is about as far
+removed from that class as a person can be. Well, that's neither here
+nor there. The one thing to be considered just now is, how am I to
+get out of this fix? I wonder if there is any possibility of that cord
+bearing my weight."
+
+The cord thus referred to was the one by which the basket of food had
+been lowered. As it still hung close at hand, Peveril gave it a sharp
+pull. Although it yielded slightly, it did not break, and, encouraged
+by this, he threw his whole weight on it as a conclusive test of its
+strength. The result was sudden, surprising, and wellnigh disastrous.
+The cord gave way so readily that Peveril sprawled at full length on
+the rocks, while, at the same time, something heavy fell with a rush
+down the face of the cliff and struck with great force close beside
+his head.
+
+Springing to his feet in alarm at this most unexpected happening, the
+prisoner found to his amazement and also to his delight that he had
+pulled down the derrick-tackle by which he had descended. To be sure,
+the block at its lower end had very nearly dashed out his brains, but
+what did he care for that so long as he had been given the benefit of
+the miss? For a moment he was puzzled to know how his pull on the cord
+could have effected so desirable a result, but, upon an examination of
+the tackle, he laughed aloud at the simplicity of the proposition. For
+want of something better to hold her end of the cord, Mary Darrell had
+tied it to the block of the derrick-tackle, intending, of course, to
+draw up the basket again as soon as her starving guest had emptied it.
+Then, absorbed in a suddenly evolved plan for releasing him from his
+predicament and at the same time preserving her father's secret, she
+had gone away and neglected to do so.
+
+Peveril was not slow to avail himself of the means of escape thus
+provided, and a few minutes later stood once more within the portal of
+the great cavern. His first care was to haul up the tackle and dispose
+it as he imagined it to have been left, with the attached cord hanging
+down the face of the cliff.
+
+"There!" he said, when this was done to his satisfaction. "The young
+fellow is almost certain to come back for another look at me, and,
+though I fancy he'll be somewhat surprised to find me gone, it will
+never enter his head that I am up here. Then when he leaves I will
+simply follow his lead, and so find the way out of this mysterious
+place. Perhaps, though, I can discover it for myself."
+
+Thus thinking, Peveril made as careful an examination of the cavern
+walls as the fading light would permit, but could find no sign of an
+opening. Finally, deciding to carry out his original plan, he selected
+a hiding-place, and, settling himself in it as comfortably as
+possible, began to await with what patience he might the return of his
+young friend.
+
+By this time the cavern was quite dark, save for a dim twilight at its
+opening; and, having nothing to distract his attention, he began to
+realize how very weary he was after the exertions and nervous strain
+of the past three days. He had also just eaten a hearty meal. It is
+little wonder then that, within five minutes, and in spite of his
+strenuous exertions to keep awake, he fell fast asleep. Fortunately
+he did not snore, nor make any sound to betray his presence, but
+unfortunately, also, his slumber was so profound that when, a little
+later, Mary Darrell and her father softly entered the gallery and
+cautiously proceeded to its mouth for a look at the prisoner, whom
+they supposed still to be on the black ledge, he did not waken.
+
+Puzzled as they were at his disappearance, they were also greatly
+relieved to have him gone. They never for a moment imagined that he
+could have regained the cavern, and so, after drawing up the basket,
+they retired as they had come, leaving Peveril undisturbed to his nap.
+
+While it was not certain that the expected smuggling schooner would
+reach the coast that evening, she might do so, and, with the
+cautiousness marking all of his operations, Ralph Darrell decided that
+it would not do for her cargo to be landed while there was a chance of
+a stranger, who was at the same time an enemy, being in the
+neighborhood. He felt assured that the young man who had so
+mysteriously appeared and disappeared that day must be an enemy; for,
+though Mary had not mentioned his name, she had described him as being
+the one who had recently attempted to steal his logs from the
+land-locked basin. Now he had no doubt that the chap was a
+revenue-officer who had come to spy out his smuggling operations, and
+only pretended to be in search of wrecked timber as a cloak for his
+real designs. Else why should he still hang around, and especially in
+the vicinity of the cavern, where there were no logs?
+
+Mary even declared a belief that he had been in their carefully
+concealed hiding-place, but, of course, she must be mistaken. Still,
+no more cargo must be landed until the spy was located and driven from
+that region.
+
+"I sha'n't need to carry on the business much longer," said the old
+man to himself; "but so long as I choose to remain in it I don't
+propose to be interfered with."
+
+So Mary was directed to go and display two lanterns at the mouth of
+the cavern as a signal that no goods were to be landed that night,
+while her father went out for the final look at his precious mining
+property that he took every evening just after the men had quit work.
+
+Ralph Darrell's heart was bound up in the new work he had recently
+began, and so anxious was he to push it that he was engaging all
+laborers who came that way. As yet his force was very small, but he
+was in hopes of speedily increasing it. Thus, to discover that three
+of his strongest men had suddenly thrown up their jobs and left him
+without warning filled him with anger. So furious was he, even after
+he entered the house, that poor Mary, who had just returned badly
+frightened from the cavern, dared not confess to him that, through her
+own carelessness, another stranger had been admitted to the hidden
+storehouse of the cliffs.
+
+Perhaps by morning this unwelcome visitor would have disappeared, as
+the other had done; and, at any rate, he could never find the secret
+passage, for it was too carefully concealed. By morning, too, her
+father would be restored to his ordinary frame of mind, and it would
+be easier to tell him what she had done, if, indeed, it should prove
+necessary to tell him at all.
+
+In the meantime Mike Connell was much puzzled by the nature of the
+place in which he found himself after his climb, as well as by the
+abrupt disappearance of the lad upon whom he had counted for guidance.
+The darkness, with its accompanying profound silence, so affected him
+that, while he called several times, "Whist now! Where are you? Come
+out o' that, young feller, and have done with your foolin'!" he did so
+in an awed tone but little above a whisper.
+
+"All right; stay where you are then!" he added, after listening vainly
+for a reply. "If it's a game of hide-and-seek ye want, I can soon
+accommodate you, seeing as how you've been so kind as to leave me a
+couple of glims, though it's only one of them I'll need."
+
+Thus saying, the new-comer removed one of the two lanterns that had
+been hung out as a warning to the smugglers, and unwittingly changed
+the danger-signal into one of safety and invitation by so doing. With
+the lantern thus acquired to light his footsteps, he began a careful
+survey of the cavern, hoping to discover either an exit from it or his
+vanished guide.
+
+With his previous knowledge of the principal industry of that region,
+it did not take him long to conjecture the meaning of the bales and
+boxes upon which he soon stumbled.
+
+"Holy smoke!" he cried; "it's a cave of smugglers you've broke into,
+Mike Connell, no less, and a sorrowful time ye'll have of it if the
+folks comes home and catches you at the trespassing! Where the divil
+is the back door, I wonder, for the one in front is no good at all?
+Saints preserve us! What's that?"
+
+With this last exclamation the frightened Irishman began to retreat
+slowly backward, holding his lantern so that, while it revealed his
+own terror-stricken face, its light also fell full on the form of
+Richard Peveril standing before him and staring in blankest amazement.
+
+"Plaze, good Mister Spook--I mean yer Honor--Oh, Holy Fathers! what
+will I say?" stammered the poor fellow, in such faltering accents that
+Peveril broke into a roar of laughter.
+
+"Mike Connell!" he cried; "wherever did you come from? and what has
+happened? You look as though you had seen a ghost!"
+
+"And haven't I?" retorted the other, still staring dubiously. "Is it
+yourself, lad? But sure it must be, seeing you have a voice of your
+own, which is a thing never yet given to a spook. Glory be to
+goodness, Mister Peril, that I've found you just as I'd lost you
+entirely, and meself as well!"
+
+"But how do you happen to be here?" asked the still bewildered
+Peveril.
+
+"Sure I just came, thinking you might want me."
+
+"Which way did you come?"
+
+"Through the front door, the same as yourself."
+
+"But I came in by a back entrance."
+
+"Then we'd best be getting out that way, for I'm afeard there'll soon
+be others here as won't be pleased to see us."
+
+"We can't, for that way is barred," answered Peveril; "but let us sit
+down and try to arrive at some understanding of this mysterious
+affair."
+
+So, for nearly an hour, the two talked over the situation; and, though
+each frequently interrupted the other with questions or exclamations,
+they finally gained a pretty clear comprehension of their position. At
+the end of the conference Peveril exclaimed:
+
+"Then, so far as I can see, we are shut up here like two rats in a
+trap."
+
+"Yes," cried Connell, "and here comes the rat-catchers after us now!"
+
+As he spoke he pointed to the outer entrance, where the head and
+shoulders of a man had just appeared above the rocky ledge.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIII
+
+A BATTLE WITH SMUGGLERS
+
+
+After supper that same evening the violence of Ralph Darrell's rage
+had so subsided that his daughter ventured to inquire concerning its
+cause. When he had informed her, she said:
+
+"Why should you let a little thing like that worry you, papa? Surely
+you can engage plenty more miners if you want them. I don't see why
+you should bother with the old mine, though. It don't seem to be worth
+anything."
+
+"Not worth anything!" cried the old man, standing up in his
+excitement. "Why, child, it is worth millions! It is one of the
+richest copper properties in the world, and in one week's time it will
+be all my own. Rather, it will be yours, since it is for you alone
+that I have lived in this wilderness all these years, thereby saving
+it from destruction, and warding off the conspiracy that would reduce
+you to beggary. For your sake only have I so guarded the secret of its
+wealth that no living soul suspects it. Even the men who delve in its
+depths know not the value of the material in which they toil, for I
+have not told them. Nor have I allowed an assay to be made of its
+smallest fragment; but I know its worth, its fabulous value, that will
+make the owner of the Copper Princess one of the richest heiresses in
+the world."
+
+"Who is the Copper Princess, papa?" asked the girl, who, though
+bewildered by the old man's extravagant statements, could not help but
+be interested in them.
+
+"You are, my darling, you are a copper princess; but the name also
+applies to your mine, and was given to it before you were born.
+'Darrell's Folly' is what men, in their ignorance, call it now, but in
+one week's time it may assume its rightful title, and thereafter the
+fame of the Copper Princess will spread far and wide."
+
+"But why not let people call the mine by its real name now, papa? What
+difference will one week make?"
+
+"Because," replied Ralph Darrell, bending towards his daughter, and
+lowering his voice almost to a whisper, as though fearful of being
+overheard, "in one week's time--only one week from this very day--the
+contract will expire, and the heirs of Richard Peveril can make no
+claim."
+
+"Richard Peveril!" cried the girl, with a sudden recollection; "why,
+papa, that is the name of the young man who was in the cavern to-day,
+for he told me so himself. He is the same, you know, who came for your
+logs."
+
+For an instant the old man glared at his daughter with an expression
+so terrible that she shrank from him frightened. Then it cleared, and
+in his ordinary tone he said, gently:
+
+"I wish, dear, you would go and change your dress. I don't like to
+have you wear this boy's costume in the evening."
+
+With only a moment of hesitation the girl obeyed him and left the
+room.
+
+She had no sooner disappeared than the strange expression that he had
+so successfully banished for a minute returned to the man's face, and,
+possessing himself of a revolver, he proceeded to load it. As he did
+so he muttered:
+
+"I must do it for her sake, though she must never know. Richard
+Peveril shall not be given an opportunity for making his claim. If he
+is really in the cavern he must not be allowed to escape from it
+alive."
+
+So saying, the old man left the room, while Mary Darrell, who had been
+anxiously watching his movements through a crack of the opposite
+doorway, followed swiftly after him.
+
+In the cavern, at that moment, two groups of men were confronting each
+other suspiciously, but hesitating as to what attitude they should
+assume. The expected schooner had reached the coast that evening, and,
+assured of safety by the single light displayed from the cliffs, had
+run boldly in to her accustomed anchorage. As the operations of the
+smugglers were necessarily conducted with great promptness, a portion
+of her valuable cargo was immediately transferred to a small boat, and
+four men accompanied it to the usual landing-place on the black
+ledge. Here the goods were taken out, and two of the men returned to
+the schooner with the boat while the others remained on shore. These
+became so impatient at not receiving the usual intimation from above
+that all was in readiness for hoisting, nor any answer to their
+repeated signals, that they finally decided to avail themselves of the
+tackle hanging ready beside them to go up and investigate. The captain
+of the schooner, who was an Englishman, went first, and the other, who
+was a French Canadian, followed closely after him.
+
+[Illustration: A WILD-LOOKING MAN LEVELLED A PISTOL AT PEVERIL]
+
+To their amazement they found the cavern, which they had been told was
+never entered except by old man Darrell or his son, in possession of
+two strangers, who appeared equally surprised at seeing them.
+
+"What are you chaps doing 'ere?" demanded the Englishman.
+
+"Oui. By gar! vat you do in zis place?" added his follower.
+
+"I was about to ask that same question," said Peveril. "What are _you_
+doing here?"
+
+"Yes, be jabers! That's what _we_ want to know. What be _yous_ doing
+here?" chimed in Mike Connell.
+
+At that moment a wild-looking, white-headed figure suddenly appeared
+on the scene, and, with one searching glance at Peveril, who stood
+fully revealed in the light of Mike Connell's lantern, levelled a
+pistol full at him. As he did so, a cry of terror rang through the
+rock-hewn chamber, and a pair of soft arms were flung about the old
+man from behind. By this his aim was so disconcerted that, though the
+shot still rang out with startling effect in that confined space, its
+bullet flew wide of the intended mark, and Peveril stood unharmed.
+
+In another second the schooner's captain had sprung upon the madman
+and wrenched the pistol from his hand, crying out:
+
+"No, no, Mr. Darrell! There must be no murder connected with this
+business. It is bad enough, God knows, without having that added!"
+
+"C'est vrai! Certainment! By gar!" shouted the Canadian.
+
+"You bet your sweet life, old man! That sort of thing don't go down in
+the copper country, and it's mighty lucky for you that the young
+feller was on hand to kape you from carrying out your murderous
+intentions," said Mike Connell, sternly.
+
+Peveril, seeing that the man, whom he had already recognized, was
+rendered harmless by the loss of his pistol, remained coolly silent,
+waiting for some cue by which his own course of action might be
+determined.
+
+"I see I have made a mistake, gentlemen," said Ralph Darrell, changing
+his tactics with all a madman's cunning and readiness. "And I beg
+Mister--a--"
+
+"Peveril," said the young man--"Richard Peveril is my name, sir."
+
+"Yes, of course; and, as I was saying, I beg Mr. Richard Peveril's
+pardon for being so hasty; but my daughter here, having informed me of
+his suspicious presence in the vicinity of this warehouse, I came to
+protect my property from possible depredation. Finding him in the very
+place that I was most anxious to guard, I very naturally took him for
+a burglar, and acted accordingly. I am sorry, of course, if I have
+made a mistake; but, if I remember rightly, I have already had
+occasion to accuse Mr. Peveril of trespassing, and to order him from
+my premises."
+
+"You did, sir, and I refused to go until I had recovered certain
+property to which I have a claim."
+
+"Do you refuse to go now, when I tell you that the property in
+question has been removed beyond your reach?"
+
+"I do not."
+
+"Will you promise never to return?"
+
+"I will not."
+
+"Will you go with these men on their schooner?"
+
+"Certainly not, unless compelled by force, for I have no inclination
+to trust myself with a gang of smugglers."
+
+By this time two more of the schooner's crew, who had reached the
+ledge with a second boat-load of goods in time to be attracted by the
+pistol-shot in the cavern, had made their appearance on the scene, and
+stood wonderingly behind their captain.
+
+To this individual the old man whispered: "I will give you one
+thousand dollars to capture this spy, who threatens to break up our
+business. Carry him on board your schooner, and keep him there for one
+week--one whole week, remember. Five hundred down, and the remainder
+at the end of the week, if you have him still on board."
+
+"Done!" said the captain, eagerly; and, turning to his men, he
+muttered a few words to them in a low tone.
+
+Peveril and Connell watched this by-play with considerable anxiety,
+for they had no idea what action would be best to take. It would be
+folly to make an attack on so strong a force, especially as they had
+no direct provocation for so doing. Even should they succeed in
+driving them from the cavern, they had no clear idea of what would be
+gained. At the same time they did not relish the idea of waiting
+quietly while the others carried on their secret consultation.
+
+"The divils mean mischief, Mister Peril," whispered Connell. "Kape
+your eye on them; and mind, if we get separated in the shindy, I'm not
+the lad to desert a friend. Look out! Here they come! Take that, you
+imps of Satan!"
+
+With this final exclamation, the Irishman hurled his lighted lantern
+full into the faces of the group at that moment rushing towards them.
+It struck with a crash of glass, and then everything was enveloped in
+darkness.
+
+The fight was fierce, but short-lived. Peveril found himself striking
+out wildly, was conscious of delivering several telling blows, and of
+receiving twice as many in return. Then he was overwhelmed by numbers,
+and, still fighting stoutly, was borne to the rocky floor.
+
+When all was over and a lantern was brought, it revealed several
+bloody faces and blackened eyes. Peveril was lying flat on his back,
+with three men holding him down. Connell had disappeared, and so had
+Mary Darrell, who was still looked upon by all present, except her
+father, as being a boy. The old man held the lighted lantern, and the
+captain of the schooner, swearing savagely, was holding his hands to
+his face, which had been badly cut by the Irishman's missile.
+
+A cord was brought, the very one that had lowered the lunch-basket,
+and with it Peveril was trussed like a fowl for roasting. Then he was
+swung down to the ledge at the base of the cliffs, tossed into a boat,
+and rowed away. A few minutes later he was handed aboard the schooner,
+taken below, and chucked into a small, evil-smelling state-room, the
+door of which was locked behind him.
+
+It was a very unpleasant position to occupy, and yet his thoughts were
+not dwelling half so much upon it as they were upon the fact that the
+young person in golf costume who had saved his life that evening had
+been spoken of as a _daughter_.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIV
+
+CONNELL MAKES GOOD HIS ESCAPE
+
+
+From the very first Mike Connell had determined not to be captured, if
+he could possibly help it, wisely concluding that he would stand a
+better chance of serving his friend in freedom than as a prisoner. He
+realized that Ralph Darrell's enmity was especially directed towards
+Peveril, and believed that he, therefore, would be the principal
+object of attack. At the same time he knew that, no matter how
+desperately two might fight against six, there was little hope of
+success in face of such overwhelming odds. So, while he was prepared
+to throw himself heart and soul into the fray, he was also on the
+watch for a chance of escape.
+
+The entrance of the Darrell's into the cavern had been so precipitate,
+and both of them had been so intent upon the object of their coming,
+that they had forgotten their usual precaution and neglected to close
+the door giving them admittance.
+
+It was a slab of stone, carefully fitted to its place, swinging easily
+on iron pivots, and usually fastened by a stout spring. Being left
+open, it disclosed a patch of blackness a shade darker than the wall
+on either side, and this caught Connell's eye just as the rush was
+made.
+
+Believing that here was offered a chance of escape that could be
+utilized better in darkness than in light, and knowing also that a
+battle against odds could be more successfully waged under the same
+conditions, he used his lantern as a weapon of offence, and thereby
+dashed out its flame at the very beginning of the fracas.
+
+For a moment he entertained a vague hope that he would be able to draw
+Peveril with him into the place that he had discovered, and that thus
+they might effect an escape together. Quickly finding this impossible,
+he sprang to one side, after knocking down one of his enemies, groped
+along the wall until he found the desired opening, and entered it.
+
+As he did so he came in contact with the slight figure of Mary
+Darrell, who had here taken refuge at the outbreak of the struggle,
+and was awaiting its termination in trembling anxiety. Now, thinking
+the new-comer to be her father, and desirous of saving him from harm,
+she gave the stone door a push that closed it. Then she said:
+
+"I am so glad to have you safely away from those dreadful men, dear
+papa! Now you will go back with me to the house, won't you, for I am
+afraid to go alone?"
+
+"Yes, only hurry!" whispered the Irishman, readily accepting the
+situation, but not daring to speak aloud for fear of betraying his
+identity. At the same time the thought, "What a coward the young
+fellow is, to be sneaking away from an elegant shindy like the one
+behind us! I've a mind to give him a taste of me fist for luck when we
+get out of this black hole! No, I will not, though. I'll lave him be,
+for wasn't it him saved Mr. Peril's life, after all?"
+
+Resting one hand lightly on his guide's shoulder, he followed her
+closely, and had barely reached the foregoing conclusion when the girl
+flung open a door, and the two stepped into a lighted room. For a
+moment their eyes were completely dazzled by its brightness.
+
+Mary was the first to become accustomed to the glare of light, and
+turned to speak to her supposed father. Upon seeing the face of a
+perfect stranger she uttered a cry of dismay, and started as though to
+fly, but the other clutched her arm.
+
+"None of that, young feller!" he said, sternly. "Now that you've
+brought me so far you'll see me farther and show me the way out of
+here. You're a fine, bold chap, ain't you?" he added, in a tone of
+scorn. "Look like you was fitter to be a girl than a lad, any day,
+and, if it wasn't for the good turn you done me friend back yonder,
+I'd be tempted to give you a kindergarten lesson in the manly art of
+self-defence. As it is, I'll let you off this time, provided you'll
+show me the way out. But you want to get a move on."
+
+Terribly frightened as she was, the girl still found strength to open
+a door on the opposite side of the room and motion for the man to pass
+through. As he did so she slammed it behind him and locked it. Then
+her overwrought feelings gave way, and she sank into a chair, sobbing
+hysterically.
+
+Furious at finding himself thus tricked, the Irishman's first impulse
+was to turn and batter down the door, but a couple of heavy kicks
+delivered against it for this purpose brought forth a loud cry from
+some lower region.
+
+"Hi! up dar. What you all a-doin'?"
+
+At the same time it flashed into Connell's mind that his recent
+enemies of the cavern might appear at any moment and open the door in
+such a way as to cause him to regret that it had not remained closed.
+Besides, was he not capable of finding his own way out of a house?
+
+"Of course I am," he muttered, "and I'd best be doing it in a hurry,
+too. So good-bye, young feller, and here's hoping we'll meet again."
+
+Then he made his way down-stairs, opened a door, and found himself in
+a kitchen, confronted by a resolute old colored woman, who, after one
+glance at his strange face, let fly at it a ladle of hot water. This
+assault was immediately followed by such a well-directed shower of
+plates, pans, and culinary utensils as caused the intruder to utter
+howls of pain and make a blind dash for an outer door.
+
+Even outside the house his troubles were far from ended, for shouting
+men were running towards him through the darkness, while at the same
+time a dog leaped at him.
+
+Throttling the animal and flinging him off after a vigorous struggle,
+Connell had next to knock down a man who was attacking him on the
+opposite side, receive a blow from a broom-handle wielded by Aunty
+Nimmo, dodge several other assailants, and finally to run for his
+life.
+
+When the poor fellow at length found himself alone and safe from
+present pursuit, he sat breathlessly on a log, over which he had just
+pitched headlong, and began to consider his situation.
+
+"You may talk about your dynamite and gunpowder," he said, "but being
+blown up with aither of them isn't a patch to what I've gone through
+this night. What with being wracked on a rock in the sea, fighting
+smugglers, nagurs, and Polanders--to say nothing of dogs and other
+wild animals--beat and battered, torn and scalded, tripped up and lost
+in the wilderness, and all in the middle of a cruel blackness, is an
+experience that any man might be grateful to be done with. If I have a
+whole bone left inside of me skin, or a rag to me back, it's more than
+I'm hoping. Now what'll I do next?
+
+"Will I go back to the house? Indade I will not. Will I make another
+try for the cave? Not so long as I have me right mind. Will I go back
+to Red Jacket?--and meet them as would ax me what had I done with
+Mister Peril? Not on your life. Where is Mister Peril at this blessed
+minute, anyhow? At sea on board the smuggler, or I miss me guess. How
+will I get to him? By taking a boat, of course. Where will I find one?
+At Laughing Fish Cove, to be sure. That's the very place, bedad! and
+the sooner I'm getting there the better."
+
+The tug _Broncho_ had reached Laughing Fish about an hour before Mike
+Connell arrived at this decision. She had come in search of the party
+of log-wreckers that she had brought to that place more than a week
+earlier, and now those on board were greatly troubled at not finding a
+trace of the missing men save their deserted camp. Nor could they
+obtain any information concerning them from the fisher folk of the
+cove.
+
+On board the tug was Major Arkell, who had been led by curiosity to
+take the trip. He was curious to know what had become of the young man
+whom he had sent into that region to pick up wrecked logs, and he was
+also curious to ascertain what had become of a large number of those
+same logs that still remained unaccounted for. At the same time he
+would like to investigate certain reports that had reached him of the
+reopening of some old mine-workings in that neighborhood. He had hoped
+that his researches might not take him beyond Laughing Fish, where he
+anticipated finding Richard Peveril prepared to answer all his
+questions. Failing to discover the young man, or any trace of him, the
+problems that he had set out to solve became more interesting than
+before, and he ordered Captain Spillins to start at daybreak on a
+cruise still farther up the coast.
+
+Early on the following morning, therefore, everything was in readiness
+on board the tug, and its crew were getting up the anchor when their
+attention was arrested by the shouts and gesticulations of a man on
+the beach.
+
+"Send a boat in and see what he wants," said the manager; and ten
+minutes later Mike Connell was on board, telling his story to a highly
+interested group of listeners.
+
+Within an hour after receiving her new passenger, the _Broncho_, under
+full head of steam, was several miles to the northward of Laughing
+Fish, and well out to sea, in hot pursuit of a small schooner. The
+latter was slipping easily along before the fresh morning breeze that
+had recently set in after a night of calm. The water rippled merrily
+past her flashing sides, and she was making some six miles an hour. At
+the same time the _Broncho_, pouring forth great clouds of soft-coal
+smoke and heaping the smooth water into double white-crested billows
+as she rushed through it, was doing two miles to her one, and would
+soon overtake her.
+
+"Whatever can that bloomin' teakettle want of us?" growled the captain
+of the schooner as he blinked with half-closed eyes at his pursuer.
+"She ain't no revenue boat, as I can see. Tom, h'ist our ensign as a
+hint for 'em to keep away."
+
+The sailor obeyed, and a minute later ran the crimson flag of Great
+Britain to the main peak, where it streamed out bravely in the
+freshening breeze.
+
+"Got a flag aboard this boat, Captain Spillins?" asked Major Arkell as
+he watched the schooner from the _Broncho's_ pilot-house.
+
+"Yes, sir, two of 'em."
+
+"Good. We'll see that fellow and go him one better. Set 'em both."
+
+In consequence of this order the Stars and Stripes were quickly
+snapping defiantly from both the forward and after jack-staffs of the
+on-rushing tug.
+
+"Sheer off, blast you, or you'll run us down!" bellowed the captain of
+the schooner as the tug ranged close abreast.
+
+"Is that your man?" asked the manager, of Mike Connell.
+
+"He is. Sure I'd know him from a thousand by me own frescos on his
+purty face."
+
+"Have you a man named Richard Peveril aboard your craft?" demanded
+Captain Spillins.
+
+"None of your d----d business."
+
+"Run him down!" ordered Major Arkell, sternly, and the words had
+hardly left his mouth before the two vessels came together with a
+crash.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXV
+
+A SEA-FIGHT ON LAKE SUPERIOR
+
+
+As no other schooner was in sight, and as this one was standing off
+the coast when discovered, the _Broncho_ people had from the very
+first believed her to be the one they wanted. Her hoisting of British
+colors strengthened this belief, and it was finally confirmed by
+Connell's recognition of her captain. Until that moment, however, they
+had entertained serious doubts as to whether they should find Peveril
+on board; for it did not seem credible that even a smuggler,
+accustomed to running great risks, would dare abduct and forcibly
+carry off an American citizen. They did not know of the tempting
+reward promised to the schooner's captain for doing that very thing,
+nor of his determination to make this his last voyage on the great
+lake. So they anxiously awaited his answer to the question:
+
+"Have you a man named Richard Peveril aboard your craft?"
+
+When it came, although it was neither yes nor no, it so thoroughly
+confirmed their suspicions that they had no hesitation in attempting
+to rescue their friend by force, and the _Broncho's_ men gave a yell
+of delight as the two vessels crashed together.
+
+On board the tug this moment had been foreseen and prepared for. Two
+small anchors had been got ready to serve as grappling-irons, and each
+man had been told off for special duty. The regular crew of four men
+had been materially strengthened by the addition of the two
+passengers; but, as the engineer must be left on board under all
+circumstances, the available fighting force was reduced to five. As it
+happened, this was the exact number on board the schooner. So, as the
+_Bronchos_ scrambled to her deck, each singled out an individual and
+went for him.
+
+The vessel had been thrown into the wind by the collision, her sails
+were thrashing to and fro with a tremendous clatter, which, combined
+with a roar of escaping steam from the tug, created such dire
+confusion among the smugglers as rendered them almost incapable of
+resistance. In fact, their captain was the only one who made a show of
+fighting; and, springing at him with a howl of delight, Mike Connell
+sent him sprawling to the deck with a single blow. Then the Irishman
+dove down the companionway, cast a hasty glance about the little
+cabin, and made for the only door in sight. A couple of vigorous kicks
+burst it open, and in another minute Richard Peveril was again a free
+man.
+
+As the two friends reached the deck, Connell uttered a wild Irish yell
+of triumph, while the released captive, who now gained his first
+inkling of what had taken place, stared about him in bewilderment.
+
+Then he burst into a shout of laughter at the spectacle of four men,
+one of whom was the dignified manager of the great White Pine Mining
+Company, calmly sitting on the prostrate bodies of four others, while
+a fifth, who had just struggled to his feet with a very rueful
+countenance, suddenly dropped to the deck again as he caught sight of
+Connell.
+
+Greeting Peveril with a hearty cheer, and carrying him with them, the
+_Bronchos_ regained their ship and cast off the lines that held her to
+the schooner. As these were loosed her jingle-bell rang merrily, her
+screw churned the dimpled waters into a yeasty foam, and, with a
+derisive farewell yell from her exultant crew, she dashed away,
+leaving her recent antagonist enveloped in a cloud of sulphurous
+smoke. The whole affair had occupied just five minutes.
+
+There was no lack of entertainment on board the good tug _Broncho_ as
+she again headed southward and ploughed her way briskly towards
+Laughing Fish, for every one had thrilling stories to tell or to hear.
+
+"It seems to me," remarked Major Arkell to Peveril, after listening
+attentively to the young man's narration, "that you have managed to
+compress a greater number of desperate adventures and hair-breadth
+escapes into a short space of time than any other man in the Copper
+Country. I, for instance, have been here for ten years, and haven't
+yet had an adventure worth the telling."
+
+"Not even the one of this morning?"
+
+"Oh, that was only an incident compared with what has happened to you.
+How do you manage it? Do you always find such stirring times wherever
+you go?"
+
+"No, indeed," laughed Peveril; "until very recently I have led a most
+quiet and uneventful life. Even now I would gladly exchange all my
+adventures, as you are pleased to call them, for the smallest scrap of
+information regarding the mine that I came out here to find."
+
+"Haven't you learned anything concerning your Copper Princess yet?"
+
+"Not one word."
+
+"That's strange! I wonder if it can be located in the Ontonagon
+region?"
+
+"I had just about made up my mind to visit that section and find out,"
+replied Peveril. "That is, if I have earned enough money while working
+for you to pay my travelling expenses."
+
+"I guess you have," laughed the major; "but I can't let you go yet a
+while, for I shall want you to help me settle accounts with that old
+fellow who stole our logs. Besides, you have so aroused my curiosity
+regarding those prehistoric workings of yours that I should like very
+much to visit them. Do you think you could find the entrance again?"
+
+"Which entrance--the hole down which I was thrown, or the one through
+which I crawled out?"
+
+"The one by which you were introduced to them, of course. From your
+own account, the other is altogether too small for comfort, and the
+chances of being shot for trespass are altogether too great in its
+vicinity."
+
+"I expect I could find the locality, but I hate the idea of ever going
+near it again. I don't think you can imagine what I suffered while
+down there. I am sure the place will haunt my worst dreams during the
+remainder of my life."
+
+"By going down again with plenty of light, company, and an assured
+means at leaving at any moment, the place will present a very
+different and much more cheerful aspect. Besides, the ancient tools
+that you mention as existing in such numbers down there are becoming
+so scarce as to be very valuable and well worth collecting. So, on the
+whole, I think we had better go and take a look at your prehistoric
+diggings this very day."
+
+"Very well, sir. Since you insist upon it, I will act as your guide;
+but I must confess that I shall be heartily glad to leave this part of
+the country and return to the civilization of Red Jacket."
+
+"Civilization of Red Jacket is good!" laughed the other. "How long
+since you considered it as civilized?"
+
+"Ever since I left there and found out how much worse other places
+could be."
+
+As a result of this conversation, four men left Laughing Fish soon
+after the tug again dropped anchor in its cove, and took to the trail
+that two of them had followed before. These two were Peveril and
+Connell. The others were the White Pine manager and Captain Spillins.
+Arrived at the point from which "Darrell's Folly" could be seen, they
+turned abruptly to the right and plunged into the woods.
+
+Only too well did Peveril remember the path over which he had been
+dragged a helpless captive only three days before. But the way seemed
+shorter now than then, and he was surprised to discover the dreaded
+shaft within a few hundred feet of the trail they had just left.
+
+They had brought ropes with them, as well as an axe, and candles in
+abundance. Now, after cutting away the bushes from the shaft-mouth,
+and measuring its depth by letting down a lighted candle until it was
+extinguished in the water at the bottom, they prepared for the
+descent. The major was to go first, and Peveril, whose dread of the
+undertaking had been partially overcome, was to follow. The others
+were to remain on the surface to pull their companions up, when their
+explorations should be finished.
+
+So Major Arkell seated himself in a loop of the rope, swung over the
+edge of the old shaft, and was slowly lowered until the measured
+length had run out. Then the others, peering anxiously down from
+above, saw his twinkling light swing back and forth until it suddenly
+disappeared. A moment later the rope was relieved of its strain, and
+they knew that its burden had been safely deposited on the rocky
+platform described by Peveril. He went next, and was quickly landed in
+safety beside his companion.
+
+"It is an old working, sure as you live!" exclaimed the major, who was
+examining the walls of the gallery with a professional eye. "And here
+are the tools you spoke of. Beautiful specimens, by Jove! Finest I
+ever saw. We must have them all up--every one. But let us go back a
+piece and examine the drift. First time I ever knew of those old
+fellows drifting, though. They generally only worked in open pits
+until they struck water, and then quit. Didn't seem to have any idea
+of pumps."
+
+Still filled with his recent horror of the place, Peveril tried to
+dissuade the other from penetrating any farther into the workings, but
+in vain; and so, each bearing a lighted candle, they set forth. At the
+several piles of material, previously noted as barring the way, the
+major uttered exclamations of delight and astonishment.
+
+"It is copper!" he cried. "Mass copper, almost pure! The very richest
+specimens I have ever seen! Why, man, the old mine must have been a
+bonanza, if it all panned out stuff like this! These piles were
+evidently ready for removal when something interfered to prevent.
+Wonder what it could have been? Didn't find any bones, did you, or
+evidences of a catastrophe?"
+
+"No. Nothing but what you see. Good heavens, major! What's that?"
+
+With blanched faces the two stood and listened. Strong men as they
+were, their very limbs trembled, while their hearts almost ceased
+beating.
+
+Again it came from the black depths beyond them--a cry of agony,
+pitiful and pleading.
+
+"Let's get out of this," whispered the major, clutching at Peveril's
+arm and endeavoring to drag him back the way they had come. "I've had
+enough."
+
+"No," replied the other, resolutely; "we can't leave while some human
+being is calling for deliverance from this awful place."
+
+[Illustration: THE TWO MEN STOOD AND LISTENED]
+
+"You don't think it a human voice?"
+
+"I do, and at any rate I am going to see. There! Hear it?"
+
+Again came the shrill cry, echoing from the rocky walls. "Help! For
+God's sake, don't leave us here to perish!"
+
+At the sound Peveril sprang forward, and the major tremblingly
+followed him.
+
+Back in the gloom, a hundred yards from where they had halted, they
+came upon a scene that neither will ever forget so long as he lives.
+
+A slender youth and a white-haired man stood clinging to each other,
+and gazing with wildly incredulous eyes at the advancing lights.
+
+"It is Richard Peveril, father! Oh, thank God! Thank God, sir, that
+you have come in time!" cried the younger of the two.
+
+"Richard Peveril?" repeated the old man, huskily. "No, no, Mary! It
+can't be! It must not be! Richard Peveril is dead, and the contract is
+void. He has no claim on the Copper Princess. It is all mine. Mine and
+yours. But don't let him know. Keep the secret for one week
+longer--only one little week--then you may tell it to the world."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVI
+
+FIRST NEWS OF THE COPPER PRINCESS
+
+
+When Peveril made his miraculous escape from the old mine, he left his
+place of exit open. In his impatience to get away from the scene of
+his sufferings, he had not even given another thought to the great
+stone slab that he had raised with such difficulty and precariously
+propped into position by a few fragments of rock. So the narrow
+passage leading down from the cavern into the ancient workings that
+had been so carefully concealed for centuries was at length open to
+the inspection of any who should happen that way. Thus it remained
+during the day of exciting incidents in the cavern, and through the
+struggle that was ended by the smugglers bearing Peveril away captive
+to their schooner.
+
+Having thus disposed of the person whom of all in the world he most
+dreaded, and placed him where it was apparently impossible for him to
+make a claim on the Copper Princess before the expiration of the term
+of contract, Ralph Darrell rejoined his daughter.
+
+She, noting his excitement and fearing to increase it, made no mention
+of her own encounter with the other stranger, whose presence in the
+cavern seemed to have escaped her father's notice. So they only
+talked of Peveril; and the girl, picturing him as he had appeared on
+the several occasions of their meeting, wondered if he could really be
+trying to rob them of their slender possessions, as her father
+claimed.
+
+The latter talked so incoherently of a conspiracy, a contract, and of
+the great wealth that would be theirs in one week from that time, that
+she was completely bewildered, and for the first time in her life
+began to wonder if her papa knew exactly what he was saying.
+
+Thus thinking, she soothed him as best she could, and finally
+succeeded in getting him off to bed; but in the morning the subject
+was again uppermost in his mind, and he would talk of nothing else.
+Now he wondered how Peveril could have found his way into the cavern;
+and as Mary was also very curious on that point, she willingly
+accompanied him on a tour of investigation.
+
+In this search it was not long before they discovered the upraised
+stone slab at the rear end of the cavern, and peered curiously into
+the black passage beneath it, which from the very first Ralph Darrell
+was determined to explore.
+
+"It is a part of our own mine," he said, "and so I must find out all
+about it. There is no danger, for I can go very carefully, and return
+when I please. I must go, though, for it is clearly my duty to do so.
+Who knows but what I may strike another vein down there, as valuable
+as the one we are already working. So, dear, do you wait here, and I
+will come back to you very shortly."
+
+But brave Mary Darrell would not agree to any such proposition, and
+declared that if her father insisted on going into that horrid place
+she should follow him.
+
+So the old man and the girl--the former filled with eager curiosity
+and the latter with a premonition of danger--crept under the great
+slab and entered the sloping passage. They had but a single candle
+with them, and of this Mary was glad, for she knew it would limit
+their exploration and compel a speedy return.
+
+Both of them being of much slighter frame than Peveril, they found
+little difficulty in slipping through the passage and reaching the
+ancient workings to which it led. Here Darrell began to find copper,
+and went into ecstasies over its richness.
+
+Forgetful of everything else, he pushed eagerly forward from one pile
+of the valuable metal to another, and Mary, inspired by his
+enthusiasm, almost forgot her dread of the gloomy place in which so
+much wealth was stored. So absorbed were they that neither of them
+paid any attention to a dull sound, as of some heavy body falling,
+that came from a distance.
+
+Finally, their candle burning low warned them to hasten their return;
+but to their consternation, when they again reached the end of the
+passage, they found its entrance closed. The great slab, insecurely
+supported, had fallen into place, and the utmost exertion of their
+feeble strength was insufficient to move it.
+
+As they realized the full extent of the disaster that had thus
+befallen them, the girl was awed into a despairing silence; while the
+old man's impaired intellect gave way completely beneath the awful
+strain of the situation, and he broke into incoherent ravings. At
+length Mary Darrell knew that her beloved father had lost his mind,
+and that she must share her living tomb with a madman.
+
+In his ravings he declared that the situation was exactly as he wanted
+it; for now no one, not even Richard Peveril himself, could share
+their new-found wealth. With the next breath he expressed an intention
+of getting back to the piles of copper as quickly as possible, that he
+might defend them with his life against all claimants.
+
+Terrible as it was to the girl to hear her father talk in this way,
+his mention of Peveril brought a faint ray of hope. If the young man
+had indeed gained access to the cavern from this direction, then the
+old workings must possess some other exit. If they could only discover
+such a place, it was barely possible that they might still escape.
+Thus thinking, she humored her father's desire to return to the piles
+of copper, and even hastened his steps in that direction, for their
+candle was burning perilously low. So nearly had it expired that they
+had hardly regained the old workings before its feeble flame gave a
+final flicker, and they were plunged into blackness.
+
+Through this they still groped their way until the old man's strength
+was exhausted and he refused to go farther. Then, clinging to him in
+an agony of despair, the poor girl closed her eyes and prayed:
+
+"Dear Christ, help me in this time of my bitter trouble, for I have no
+strength save in Thee!"
+
+Her cry was heard and her prayer was answered even as it was uttered;
+for with the opening of her eyes she caught a far-away gleam of light.
+A minute later, when Richard Peveril came to her, he seemed like one
+sent from heaven, and at that moment she could have worshipped him.
+
+Peveril's heart leaped at the sound of her voice, and he received two
+other distinct thrills of delight from her father's incoherent words.
+One was when he addressed the slight figure at his side as "Mary," and
+the other was caused by his mention of the Copper Princess. By the
+first Peveril's recently aroused suspicion concerning the sex of the
+wearer of that golf costume was reduced to a certainty, while by the
+other he gained his first clue to the mine of which he was in search.
+
+At the moment, however, these things merely flashed through his mind;
+for he realized that the present was neither the time nor the place to
+discuss them. The two helpless ones, so wonderfully intrusted to his
+care, must be removed at once from the place in which they had
+suffered so keenly. Both he and the major agreed that it would be best
+to take them out by way of the shaft, and though they were full of
+curiosity as to how the Darrells came into their distressing position,
+both manfully refrained from asking questions until they had escorted
+them to the entrance. For this forbearance the major deserved even
+greater credit than his young friend; for as yet he had no knowledge
+of who the strangers were, nor how it happened that they seemed to
+know Peveril.
+
+[Illustration: RESCUED FROM THE SHAFT]
+
+Arrived at the shaft, it was decided that the major should ascend
+first, to prepare those at the top for what was coming, as well as to
+receive the old man, who would be sent up next. As he adjusted the
+rope about his body, he whispered to Peveril, who was assisting him:
+
+"Who are they?"
+
+"Darrells," was the laconic answer.
+
+"Not old man Darrell of the 'Folly'?"
+
+"Yes."
+
+"And his daughter?"
+
+"I believe so," replied the young man, at the same time wondering how
+the other had discovered so quickly the rightful sex of the apparent
+lad.
+
+"But how on earth do they happen to know you?"
+
+"They ought to, seeing that the old man has shot at me twice; while
+Miss Darrell and I have met several times, and on one occasion, at
+least, she saved my life."
+
+"Whew! No wonder you greet each other like old friends," rejoined the
+major, as he swung off over the black pool and began slowly to ascend
+the ancient shaft.
+
+When the rope was again lowered it brought some bits of stout cord for
+which Peveril had asked, and with these he fastened the old man so
+securely into the loop that there was no possibility of his falling
+out. Although Ralph Darrell was still highly excited and talked
+constantly, he readily agreed to every proposition made by his
+daughter, and offered no objection to going up the shaft.
+
+As he swung out from the platform, and those above began to hoist on
+the rope, his daughter bent anxiously forward to note his progress.
+Apparently unconscious of her own danger, she leaned out farther and
+farther, until Peveril, fearful lest she should lose her balance and
+plunge into the pool, reached an arm about her waist and held her.
+
+The girl was so intent upon watching her father that for a moment she
+paid no attention to this. Then, suddenly becoming conscious of the
+strong support against which she was leaning, she stepped quickly back
+to a position of safety.
+
+"I didn't suppose you would think it necessary to take such care of a
+boy," she said, with an attempt at dignity.
+
+"I shouldn't," laughed Peveril; "but why didn't you tell me yesterday
+that you were a young lady, and that your name was Mary?"
+
+"I don't remember that you asked me."
+
+"That's so. It was you who asked all the questions and I who answered
+them. So now it is my turn."
+
+"I sha'n't promise to answer, though."
+
+"Oh, but you must; for there are some things that I am extremely
+anxious to know. For instance, why do you dress in boy's costume?"
+
+"Because my father wished me to."
+
+"An excellent reason. Now I want to know if 'Darrell's Folly' and the
+Copper Princess are one and the same mine?"
+
+"I believe the Copper Princess has been called by that other name,
+which, however, I will thank you not to repeat in my presence."
+
+"All right, I won't; but tell me--"
+
+"Here is the rope, Mr. Peveril, and, thanking you over and over again
+for your very great kindness, I will bid you _au revoir_," said the
+girl, hurriedly adjusting the loop and preparing to ascend.
+
+There was never a more amazed or abashed man in this world than was
+Mike Connell when the "young lady" whom he, full of curiosity, was
+helping to hoist from the old shaft made her appearance, and he
+discovered her to be the "lad" whom he had treated with such freedom
+the evening before. He was so staggered that he could not utter a
+word, but simply stared at her with an expression in which
+mortification and admiration were equally blended.
+
+The moment the girl gained a footing on the surface she made a
+comprehensive little bow to the men assembled about the shaft-mouth,
+and said:
+
+"My father and I thank you, gentlemen, from overflowing hearts, for
+your great kindness to us, and shall hope to see you at our home for
+supper, after you have been rejoined by Mr. Peveril. Come, papa, let
+us go and make ready for company." With this she led the old man away
+in the direction of his "Folly."
+
+Half an hour later the four men from White Pine were received at the
+door of the Darrell house by a dignified young lady, simply but
+becomingly dressed in the usual costume of her sex. Looking directly
+at one of them, she said:
+
+"I bid you welcome, Mr. Peveril, to your own Copper Princess."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVII
+
+A NIGHT WITH A MADMAN
+
+
+When left alone at the bottom of the ancient shaft, with the
+impenetrable gloom of the prehistoric workings crowding him close,
+Peveril had found a few minutes in which to reflect upon the strange
+happenings of the past half-hour. "Darrell's Folly" was the Copper
+Princess, the mine in which he owned a half-interest--the one for
+which he had searched so long and had almost given up hopes of
+finding. Was it of any value? Or did the name, applied in derision,
+rightly describe it? And the old man who had twice attempted to take
+his life, whom he had just rescued from a living tomb, was his
+partner! How could they ever work harmoniously together? He certainly
+should not agree to the carrying on of further smuggling operations,
+and so there was a barrier to their amicable relations at the very
+outset.
+
+But was that man the person with whom he would have to deal, after
+all? He was evidently crazy, and probably had been from the very
+first; for Peveril now remembered that Mr. Ketchum had hinted at
+something of the kind during their last interview. As a crazy man
+could not legally transact business, his dealings would then be with
+Ralph Darrell's heirs or legal representatives. Who were those heirs?
+Were there any other besides this daughter, Mary? He hoped not. What a
+brave, splendid girl she was, and how pleasant it would be to discuss
+business plans with her! How absurd of him not to have recognized her
+at once, even in her boyish costume, and how stupid she must think
+him!
+
+He wished those fellows up above had not been in such a hurry with
+that rope, for there were a lot more questions he wanted to ask her.
+So many that he would not have objected if he and she had been left
+down there together ever so much longer. How different the old mine
+seemed now to what it had when he first knew it! Hereafter it would
+always be associated in his mind with memories of a slight figure that
+he had been permitted to hold for a single minute, a flushed face, a
+pair of glorious eyes, and a voice that he should never forget. How
+shy she was, and at the same time how dignified; how sweet and womanly
+in her anxiety about her father! He hoped they could be friends, as
+all business partners should be. Of course they could never be
+anything more than that; for he was not forgetting his obligation to
+Rose--oh no, not for one minute.
+
+How infernally slow those chaps up above were now, and why didn't they
+let down the rope? Were they going to keep him waiting in that beastly
+hole forever? It really seemed so.
+
+By a simple process of reasoning, and the putting together of the
+various bits of information gained from her father, Mary Darrell had
+reached the conclusion that the young man whose fortunes had been so
+strangely interwoven with hers during the past ten days was the
+rightful owner of the mine that her father had claimed for so many
+years. She was too loyal to the latter to believe for a moment that he
+had consciously attempted to defraud Peveril of his rights, but
+credited all his actions to the sad mental condition of which she had
+only now become aware.
+
+"Poor, dear papa!" she said to herself. "He has done splendidly to
+take care of me for so long as he has, and now I will take care of
+him. We will go away from this horrid place, where he gets so excited,
+and find some little home in the East, where he can rest until his
+mind is wholly restored.
+
+"In the meantime this Mr. Peveril can have the old mine, to do with as
+he pleases. I shall let him know that we consider it his property
+before he has a chance to even make a claim against it. I mustn't let
+him see for a moment how badly we feel about it, though, for he seems
+very nice, and has certainly placed us under a great obligation by
+coming to our rescue so splendidly. I wonder how he knew that papa and
+I were down in that awful place?"
+
+Having got her father to his room, told Aunty Nimmo to prepare for
+company, and hurriedly changed her dress, Mary Darrell greeted the
+expected guests according to her privately arranged programme, and
+invited them in to supper. After seeing them seated at the table and
+provided with a bountiful meal, she left them on the plea that her
+father needed her attention.
+
+The girl had not been gone many minutes, and Peveril's friends were
+still congratulating him upon having come into his fortune, at the
+same time speculating whether the "Folly" was worth anything or not,
+when she re-entered the room with a frightened expression on her face.
+Addressing herself to Major Arkell, she said:
+
+"Would you mind coming up to see my father, sir? I fear he is very
+ill."
+
+The major at once complied with this request, and, after he had gone,
+Captain Spillins said: "I shouldn't wonder if the old fellow played
+out and left you in sole possession of the Princess, after all, Mr.
+Peveril."
+
+"Which Princess are you meanin', captain?" asked Mike Connell. "Sure
+it seems to me there's two of them."
+
+"Have a care, Connell," said Peveril, warningly. "Remember the
+circumstances under which we are here."
+
+"I beg your pardon, Mister Peril," exclaimed the Irishman, contritely;
+"I'd near forgot that you was already bespoke."
+
+A hot flush sprang to the young man's cheek, but ere he could frame a
+reply Major Arkell reappeared, looking greatly worried.
+
+"Boys," he said, "we've a very serious case on our hands, and one that
+demands immediate action. The old man up-stairs is fairly out of his
+head, besides being in a high fever. He needs medical attendance as
+quickly as it can be got to him, and careful nursing. I have given him
+an opiate, which I hope will keep him quiet for a while, and now I
+propose to go to Red Jacket in the tug for a doctor and a nurse.
+Captain Spillins will, of course, go with me, and we shall try to be
+back by morning. In the meantime the poor young lady must not be left
+alone, or with only that old aunty, who is nearly frightened out of
+her wits, and so I think you, Peveril, ought to stay here with Connell
+and do what you can. You are, in a sense, the proprietor here, you
+know, and as Connell has also been here before, maybe the old man will
+be more reasonable with you than he would be with entire strangers."
+
+"I quite agree with you that some of us ought to stay here and do what
+we can," said Peveril; "and, under the circumstances, I suppose
+Connell and I are the ones to do so. At the same time, I haven't had
+much experience in caring for madmen."
+
+"No more have I," said Connell, "but I'll do me best, for sake of the
+young lady, and maybe she'll forgive me for treating her the same as I
+would a lad."
+
+"And, major," added Peveril, "if you will kindly fetch my luggage from
+the Trefethen's I shall be greatly obliged."
+
+So the party separated; and, while two of them wended their way back
+to the tug at Laughing Fish, the others prepared for the long vigil of
+the night.
+
+After the effect of the opiate had passed, their patient was seized
+with paroxysms of raving and frantic efforts to leave his bed for the
+purpose of protecting his property. At such times it required the
+united efforts of the two volunteer nurses to restrain him, and after
+each attack he was left weak and helpless as an infant. Then he would
+weep, and beg piteously not to be abandoned to the mercy of his
+enemies; or he would fancy himself still in the awful blackness of the
+ancient workings, and plead with his attendants not to be left thereto
+die.
+
+"For the sake of my daughter, gentlemen--my only child--who has no one
+else in the world to love her or care for her, I beg of you to save
+me. If you are human, take pity on her and let me go!" he would cry.
+
+At such times no voice, not even Mary's, seemed to soothe him as did
+that of Peveril, and his most violent struggles were controlled by the
+gentle firmness of the young athlete.
+
+All through that dreadful night Mary Darrell watched Peveril with
+tear-filled eyes, wondering at his strength and gentleness, and
+unconsciously loving him for them. Not that she would for an instant
+have admitted such a thing even to herself. She tried instead to
+believe that he was the cause of all this sorrow, and that she hated
+him for it. "In whatever he does," she said to herself, "he is
+actuated by remorse, and a desire to atone in some way for ruining my
+father's life."
+
+The anxiously awaited dawn found Ralph Darrell lying quietly with
+closed eyes and Peveril keeping wakeful watch beside him. Aunty Nimmo
+had been sent to her bed long since, and Connell was fast asleep on
+the floor of the hall just outside the sick-room door. Mary Darrell
+sat in an easy-chair, overcome by exhaustion, also sleeping lightly.
+
+As the growing light fell on her tear-stained face, crowned by a
+wealth of close-clipped hair curling in tiny ringlets, Peveril looked
+at her curiously, and wondered why he had never thought her beautiful
+until that moment. Apparently conscious of the young man's gaze, the
+girl suddenly opened her eyes, and a faint flush suffused her pale
+cheeks. Ere either she or Peveril could speak, the muffled sound of a
+steam-whistle broke the morning stillness.
+
+"Our friends have come, Miss Darrell," whispered the watcher. "You
+have just time to go to your room and refresh yourself with a dash of
+cold water before they appear."
+
+Nodding assent, the girl accepted the suggestion and departed.
+
+Then Peveril sent Connell to meet the new-comers, who, as he knew,
+would steam directly into the land-locked basin, and remained to
+finish his vigil alone.
+
+Suddenly, as he sat absorbed in meditation, the madman, who had been
+watching through half-closed eyes, sprang upon him without a sound of
+warning and clutched his throat with a vise-like grip.
+
+Not even the utmost exertion of Peveril's splendid strength served to
+loose that horrid hold. In silence he fought for his life, until he
+grew black in the face and his eyes started from their sockets. His
+head seemed on the point of bursting. He reeled, staggered, and then,
+together with his terrible assailant, fell heavily to the floor. As
+they did so, the old man's head struck on a sharp corner; he uttered a
+moan, and at last the deadly clutch on Peveril's throat was relaxed.
+
+With his next moment of consciousness Peveril was sitting on the floor
+gasping for breath, and Ralph Darrell lay motionless beside him in a
+pool of blood. Then came quick steps on the stair, and Mary Darrell,
+accompanied by Major Arkell and the doctor from Red Jacket, entered
+the room.
+
+For an instant the girl stared horror-stricken at the scene before
+her. Then she darted forward and clasped her father's body in her
+arms, crying out as she did so:
+
+"You have killed him, Richard Peveril!--killed an old man, sick and
+helpless; robbed him of his all, and then murdered him! Oh,
+papa!--dear, dear papa! Why did I leave you for a single minute?"
+
+"My! How she hates poor Mr. Peril!" whispered Nelly Trefethen, who had
+come to act as nurse, and who, guided by Mike Connell, reached the
+doorway in time to witness the tableau, as well as to hear Mary
+Darrell's cruel words.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVIII
+
+LEFT IN SOLE POSSESSION
+
+
+Although Ralph Darrell was to all appearance dead, the doctor
+pronounced him to be still alive, and caused him to be lifted back to
+the bed, where he dressed his wound, at the same time administering
+restoratives. While this was being done, Major Arkell, taking charge
+of Peveril, led him to another room, in which his things, brought from
+the Trefethen house, had been placed. The young man was still
+trembling from his recent awful experience.
+
+"In another minute all would have been over with me," he said, in
+describing the incident to his friend. "For I could no more loosen his
+clutch than if it had been a band of steel."
+
+"That fall was a mighty lucky thing, then," commented the other.
+
+"Yes, I suppose it was, for apparently nothing else could have saved
+me. At the same time, think how unpleasant it would have been for me
+if it had killed him, and I had been charged with his murder!"
+
+"Oh, pshaw! no one would have imagined such a thing."
+
+"His daughter did," replied Peveril, in whose ears Mary Darrell's
+terrible accusation was still ringing.
+
+"She didn't know what she was saying. You must remember the trying
+circumstances of her position, and forgive and forget everything else.
+If I am any judge of human character, she is just the girl to bitterly
+regret her hasty words, if she ever recalls having uttered them."
+
+"Of course I forgive her," said Peveril; "but I doubt if I can forget
+as long as I live."
+
+A bath in water as hot as he could bear it, followed by a cold douche
+and a brisk rubbing with the coarse towels procured from Aunty Nimmo,
+restored the young man to his normal condition. Then he exchanged the
+ragged garb of a miner, that he had worn ever since leaving Red
+Jacket, for a suit of his own proper clothing. With this the
+transformation in his appearance was so complete that when, a little
+later, Mary Darrell passed him in the hall, it was without
+recognition. She only regarded him as one of the many strangers who
+seemed suddenly to have taken unauthorized possession of her home.
+
+At breakfast-time the doctor reported that his patient was sleeping
+quietly and doing wonderfully well. "In fact," said the medical
+gentleman, "I believe the blood-letting that resulted from his fall
+was just what he needed; and, as he seems to have a vigorous
+constitution, unimpaired by intemperate living, I predict for him a
+speedy recovery."
+
+This prediction was so far fulfilled that, within two days, Ralph
+Darrell was sitting up, and, by the end of a week, he had very nearly
+regained his strength. At the same time his excitability had wholly
+disappeared, leaving him very quiet and as docile as a child, but with
+little memory of past happenings. His daughter was the one person whom
+he recognized, and to her he clung with passionate fondness, readily
+accepting her every suggestion, but always begging her to take him
+back to his Eastern home.
+
+His rapid convalescence was largely due to her devoted care, and to
+the capital nursing of Nelly Trefethen, who proved most efficient in
+the sick-room. During that week the night-watches were taken by Mike
+Connell, whom Miss Darrell engaged expressly for the purpose, but
+Peveril was not asked to share them.
+
+On the few occasions when he and Mary chanced to meet she treated him
+with formal politeness, but rarely spoke, and never gave him the
+opportunity of exchanging with her more than a few commonplace
+remarks. At the same time she watched him furtively, and he seldom
+left the house or entered it without her knowledge. She had learned
+his history, so far as Nelly Trefethen knew it, and, by her readiness
+to listen, encouraged the girl to talk by the hour on this theme.
+
+She also learned one thing about him that was not told her, and that
+was that he was engaged to be married. One evening Nelly and Connell,
+coming back from a walk, encountered Peveril near the house, and close
+under a window at which Mary happened to be standing. As the young man
+was about to pass them the Irishman stopped him, saying:
+
+"Oh, Mister Peril, would you mind telling Nelly here the thing you
+told me down the new shaft that time?"
+
+"I don't think I remember what it was."
+
+"About your being bespoke."
+
+"Oh! about my engagement? Yes, I remember now that you did want me to
+tell Miss Nelly of it, though I am sure I can't imagine why it should
+interest her."
+
+"Arrah, Mister Peril, don't every young woman be interested to know if
+she's to smile on a young man or give him the cold stare?"
+
+"If that is the case," laughed Peveril, "I am afraid all the girls
+must give me the cold stare, for I certainly am engaged; and, by the
+way, Miss Nelly, do you know if there is a letter awaiting me at your
+house? I received one from my sweetheart on the very day that I left
+Red Jacket, and, with most unpardonable carelessness, managed to lose
+it without having even opened it."
+
+"I don't know, Mr. Peril--I mean, I didn't hear mother, speak of it,"
+stammered the girl, so frightened that for a moment she had no idea of
+what she was saying. "I do mind, though, seeing one advertised in the
+post-office with a name something like yours," she added, more
+coherently.
+
+"Then I must have dropped it on the street, and whoever found it must
+have been honest enough to return it to the post-office. I will write
+at once for it, and am much obliged for your information."
+
+Some days later Peveril did write to the Red Jacket postmaster, and
+received prompt answer that the bit of mail-matter in question had
+been sent to the dead-letter office. So he wrote to Washington
+concerning his missing letter, and in due time learned that it had
+been returned to sender. Then, as he had no idea of "sender's" present
+address, he decided to wait until hearing from her again before
+attempting to forward his explanation of how it all happened.
+
+In the meantime he was extremely interested in other affairs that
+engrossed more and more of his attention. On that very first morning
+he had shown to Major Arkell several papers that came to him with his
+baggage. Among these were Boise Carson's letter, lawyer Ketchum's note
+of identification, and the famous contract under which he claimed a
+half-ownership in the Copper Princess.
+
+At a later date he also attempted to show these papers to Mary
+Darrell, but she declined to look at them, saying that, as she did not
+doubt the validity of his claim, she had no desire to discuss it.
+
+Major Arkell, however, examined the papers carefully, and expressed
+himself as thoroughly satisfied that his young friend was a half-owner
+in the mine heretofore known as "Darrell's Folly."
+
+"And now," he said, "let us examine the property, and see whether it
+is worth anything or not."
+
+So these two set forth on a tour of inspection. They found the several
+buildings to be in fair order, and all machinery in an excellent state
+of preservation. Then they descended the shaft and examined the
+material through which the several galleries had been driven, and
+which the White Pine manager pronounced as barren even of promise as
+any rock he had ever seen.
+
+"The trouble seems to be," he said, "that they persistently drifted in
+exactly the wrong direction, and went away from the true vein--which I
+believe to be indicated by those ancient workings over yonder--instead
+of towards it. Thus the engineer who laid out this mine either
+displayed great ignorance, or else your property does not include that
+strip of territory. But I'll tell you what we'll do. You stay here and
+hold the fort for a few days while I go and look the thing up."
+
+"I don't like to have you take so much trouble," protested Peveril.
+
+"No trouble at all, my dear fellow--purely a matter of business. I
+want, if possible, to become associated with you in this proposition.
+As it now stands, your mine is worthless, unless it includes, or can
+be made to include, those old workings. I believe they will make it
+extremely valuable, for I am persuaded that the vein indicated by them
+can be reached at a lower level from this very shaft."
+
+So the major took his departure, and Peveril waited a whole week for
+his return. In the meantime he familiarized himself with his property,
+and, by means of a careful survey, established the relative positions
+of the prehistoric mine and the shaft of the Copper Princess.
+
+During this week, as has been said, he saw very little of Mary
+Darrell, and often wondered how she occupied her time.
+
+Finally there came a day when Miss Darrell informed Mike Connell that,
+as her father was now so much better, it would no longer be necessary
+to watch with him at night. So the honest fellow, who had been working
+hard with Peveril on his measurements, and was rejoiced at the
+prospect of an unbroken night's rest, retired early to the quarters
+that he and the young proprietor occupied together at some distance
+from the Darrells' house.
+
+Very early on the following morning the two men were awakened by a
+loud knocking at their door, and the voice of Nelly Trefethen calling
+as though in distress.
+
+"Coming!" shouted Peveril, as they both sprang from bed and hurriedly
+dressed. As they emerged from the house the girl exclaimed:
+
+"They're gone, Mr. Peril! gone in the night, and I never heard a
+sound. How they went, no one can tell, for all the outer doors were
+left locked, with the keys on the inside. But they're gone, for I have
+hunted high and low without finding a sign of them."
+
+"Who have gone?" demanded Peveril.
+
+"Miss Mary and her father and the old colored woman."
+
+That these three had taken a mysterious departure was only too
+apparent when the two men returned with Nelly to the house and
+searched it from top to bottom.
+
+Then, under Connell's guidance, they went through the secret passage
+to the cavern. There they found a lighted lantern hung on the stunted
+cedar just outside the entrance, the canvas curtain drawn aside, the
+derrick swung out, and its tackle hanging down to within a foot of
+the black ledge, but that was all.
+
+Three months after that time Peveril received the following letter:
+
+     "DEAR MR. PEVERIL:
+
+     "I feel it a duty to tell you that my dear father has at length
+     passed peacefully away, and so will never trouble you again. At
+     the very last he spoke lovingly of Richard Peveril, and said he
+     was a splendid fellow; but I am inclined to think he referred
+     to your father rather than to yourself. He was also perfectly
+     rational on all subjects except that of the Princess, which he
+     persisted in declaring was one of the richest copper mines of
+     the world. I, of course, know better, for I realized long ago
+     how truly the name 'Darrell's Folly' described that unfortunate
+     venture.
+
+     "Whatever pleasure you may find in owning such an
+     unremunerative piece of property you may enjoy without any fear
+     of molestation, for I, as my father's sole heir, shall never
+     lay claim to any share in it, and hereby authorize you to do
+     with it as you think best.
+
+     "We have been very happy since we left you so suddenly and
+     unexpectedly. The opportunity for departure came, and we
+     embraced it.
+
+     "I have but one more thing to say before closing this one-sided
+     correspondence forever--I humbly beg your pardon and crave your
+     forgiveness for the cruel injustice that I once did you in a
+     moment of agony.
+
+     "Trusting that you are happy (I knew of your engagement) and
+     prosperous,
+
+     "I remain, always under obligations, your friend,
+
+     "MARY DARRELL."
+
+With this letter there was no date nor address, and its only post-mark
+was the stamp of the railway postal-service on a distant Eastern
+road.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIX
+
+A ROYAL NAME FOR A ROYAL MINE
+
+
+Peveril was greatly distressed at the unforeseen and mysterious
+disappearance of the Darrells; for it made him feel as though he had
+driven them from their home and usurped their rights. The place also
+seemed very empty and forlorn without Mary Darrell's winning face and
+all-pervading presence; for, though he had seen but little of her and
+had reason to believe that she did not feel kindly towards him, he now
+realized how much his happiness had depended on the knowledge that she
+was always close at hand.
+
+Then, too, the domestic establishment that ran on so smoothly under
+the supervision of Aunty Nimmo was completely broken up. Nelly
+Trefethen must, of course, return at once to Red Jacket, and this she
+did that very day on Mary Darrell's pony, under escort of Mike
+Connell, who was only too happy to make the journey on foot. The few
+men employed by Mr. Darrell having been paid off and discharged, the
+departure of his two remaining friends left the young proprietor
+entirely alone, in a place as desolate as though it were beyond the
+reach of human knowledge. The sky was overcast, making the day dark
+and cheerless, so that, as Peveril wandered disconsolately about his
+deserted property, the future looked to him as gloomy as the present.
+
+"There can't be anything in it," he said to himself, as he gazed
+moodily down the black mouth of the shaft. "Of course, the men who
+sank a fortune in that hole would have found it out long ago if there
+were. As for those prehistoric workings on which the major counts so
+largely, I don't believe but what the old fellows who opened them also
+made a pretty thorough clean-up of everything in them. Certainly the
+few small piles of copper that they left behind would not now pay for
+their removal.
+
+"It has all been very pleasant to dream of becoming a wealthy
+mine-owner, but the sooner I realize that it is only a dream, and wake
+from it to the necessity of earning a livelihood by hard work, the
+better off I shall be. At any rate, I know I won't spend another day
+alone in this place. If I did, I should go crazy. No wonder old man
+Darrell lost his mind under the conditions surrounding him. I don't
+believe Major Arkell will come back, anyway. Why should he, if, as is
+probable, he has discovered the utter worthlessness of the property?
+He knows that if he leaves me here alone I must turn up in Red Jacket
+sooner or later, and thinks the bad news he has to tell will keep
+until I do. Well, I shall throw the whole thing up to-morrow and go to
+him for a job. There isn't anything else for it that I can see.
+
+"I guess he will give me something to do, and after a while I shall
+rise to be a plat-man, or timber boss, or even store-keeper, and
+then--Well, then I can settle down and marry some nice girl like Nelly
+Trefethen, perhaps achieve fame as a local politician, and so end my
+days in a blaze of glory. Oh, it's a lovely prospect! As for poor
+Rose, there's no use in thinking any longer of her, and the sooner she
+forgets me the better. Probably she has ere this, and, if so, I can't
+blame her."
+
+At length the long day dragged itself wearily away, and darkness found
+Peveril faint with hunger, for he had not had the heart to prepare a
+dinner, awkwardly attempting to provide himself with something to eat
+in Aunty Nimmo's kitchen. A single lamp threw a faint ray out from the
+window, and in all that forlorn little mining village it was the only
+gleam of light to be seen.
+
+Suddenly there came a clatter of hoofs and a cheery "Hello, the
+house!"
+
+Instantly forgetful of his culinary operations, Peveril sprang to the
+door, just in time to fling it open and welcome Major Arkell, who was
+alighting from a weary-looking horse.
+
+"What will you take for your Copper Princess, my boy?" shouted the
+new-comer as he entered the room, rubbing his hands and sniffing
+expectantly at the pleasant odors of cooking with which it was
+pervaded.
+
+"About five cents," responded Peveril.
+
+"Done! It's a bargain," cried the other. "And we'll settle the details
+of the transfer after eating the elegant supper that I discover in
+process of preparation. But you are not cooking half enough. I could
+eat twice as much as that and still be hungry. Let me show you how.
+What has become of Aunty Nimmo, that I find you presiding over her
+domain? Never mind; tell me later, after you've called Connell or some
+one to look after my horse."
+
+"I will gladly attend to the horse, major, if you will take charge of
+the cooking," said Peveril, laughing for the first time that day. "You
+see, I am not an expert at this sort of thing, and--"
+
+"No, I should judge not," interrupted the other, glancing comically at
+the various burned, lumpy, and muddy failures with which the stove was
+covered; "but I'll do the trick for you if you will look after the
+beast."
+
+Half an hour later the two sat down to a bountiful and fairly
+well-cooked meal that in the major's cheery company seemed to poor,
+hungry Peveril about as fine a one as he had ever eaten. While it was
+in progress he told of the happenings of the past week, including the
+mysterious disappearance of the Darrells; but, as the major did not
+seem to have any news to impart in return, he concluded that there was
+none to tell, and so forbore to ask questions.
+
+It was not until after they had finished supper and were sitting
+before a cheerful blaze in the cosey living-room of the Darrell house
+that the major said:
+
+"Now for our bargain. Though I could, of course, hold you to that
+five-cent deal, I won't do so, but will, instead, make an offer of ten
+thousand dollars for one-half of your half-interest in the Copper
+Princess."
+
+"What!" gasped Peveril.
+
+"Yes, I mean it; and, in addition, if you will devote that sum to the
+development of the mine, I will advance an equal amount, or ten
+thousand dollars more, for the same purpose. Now don't say a word
+until I have explained the situation. By a careful searching of old
+records and maps I have discovered that the Princess property not only
+embraces our prehistoric mine, but extends some distance beyond it. I
+think I have also found out why those who originally laid out this
+mine started their cuts on the wrong side of their shaft. They
+evidently knew that ancient workings existed somewhere in this
+neighborhood, but they were deceived as to their location, for on all
+the maps I find them marked, but the place thus indicated is always in
+the opposite direction from that in which we now know them to lie."
+
+"But--" began Peveril.
+
+"Wait a minute. Of course those old fellows may merely have struck a
+pocket and exhausted it, but I don't believe so, and am willing to
+risk twenty thousand dollars on the continuance of the vein. If it is
+there, that sum of money ought to enable us to reach it from your
+present shaft; and if we do strike it, why, in the slang of the day,
+the Copper Princess is simply a 'peach.' Are you game to accept my
+offer and go in for raising that kind of fruit?"
+
+"I certainly am."
+
+"Good! Shake. The bargain is made, and the sooner we get to work the
+better."
+
+Ten days from that time sees the legal formalities of that quickly
+concluded bargain settled, and the mining village of Copper Princess
+presenting a vastly different appearance from what it did on the
+melancholy day when Peveril was its sole occupant. All its houses are
+now occupied, and from every window cheery lights stream out with the
+coming of evening shadows.
+
+Peveril occupies the comfortable quarters so long ago provided for the
+manager, and until recently the home of the Darrells. With him lives a
+young engineer of about his own age, recommended by Major Arkell, and
+here, too, are the several offices. The nearest cottage to it is that
+of our old friends the Trefethens--for Mark Trefethen is captain of
+the mine, and Tom is shaft boss. Mrs. Trefethen and Nelly have their
+hands full in caring for both these houses and in providing meals for
+their occupants. Mike Connell is timber boss, and, in timbering the
+ancient mine, as well as the new workings, is one of the busiest men
+in the place.
+
+Although he has a cottage of his own, it is still a lonely one, and he
+is looking eagerly forward to the time when the anxiously expected
+vein shall be struck. Then, and not until then--and, in case it is not
+struck at all, perhaps never--will Nelly Trefethen become his wife. So
+it is no wonder that the impatient fellow descends the shaft each day
+to anxiously inspect the new work.
+
+With nearly one hundred sturdy miners engaged on it, and the other
+tasks necessary to its progress, it is driven by night as well as by
+day, and in reality advances with great rapidity, though to Connell
+it seems to creep by inches. The great chimney pours forth clouds of
+smoke, heavy skips hurry up and down the shaft, there is always a
+cheerful ring of anvils, rafts of logs lie in the land-locked basin,
+men and teams are to be seen in every direction, and everywhere is
+heard the inspiring hum of many industries, though as yet not one
+pound of copper has been brought up from the underground depths.
+
+For weeks and months the work goes on with unabated energy. Peveril,
+always willing to listen to advice and never ashamed to ask it from
+those more experienced than himself, is everywhere, seeing to
+everything and directing everything. Though he is thinner than when we
+first met him, and his face has taken on an anxious look, it wears at
+the same time an expression of greater manliness, self-confidence, and
+determination.
+
+Major Arkell has not yet appeared on the scene in person, and only the
+young proprietor is known as the responsible head of all this
+bewildering activity.
+
+It is bewildering to outsiders to see the long-abandoned "Darrell's
+Folly" suddenly transformed into one of the busiest mining-camps of
+the copper region, for as yet no one, except Connell and the
+Trefethens, knows the secret hopes of the proprietors. Even those who
+are driving the new side-cut far beneath the surface, straight as a
+die towards the prehistoric mine, though on a much lower level, know
+not what they are expected to find.
+
+At length three months have passed since the night on which Peveril
+sold for ten thousand dollars an undivided half of his interest in the
+Copper Princess. Since that time he has not once left the scene of his
+labors, his hopes, and his fears. He has not even visited Red Jacket
+since the morning, that now seems so long ago, when he left it in
+charge of a gang of log-wreckers. Now the money put into this new
+venture is very nearly exhausted. It will hold out for one more
+pay-day, but that is all. And as yet only barren rock has come up from
+that yawning shaft that seems to gulp down money with an appetite at
+once inordinate and insatiable.
+
+A huge pile of rock has accumulated about its mouth. If it were copper
+rock it would be worth a fortune; as it is, it is worse than
+worthless, for it contains only disappointed hopes. And yet a point
+directly beneath the ancient workings has been reached and passed. Is
+the quest a vain one, after all? Is Peveril's as great a folly as
+Darrell's ever was? It would seem so; and the young proprietor's heart
+is heavy within him.
+
+He has just received the letter in which Mary Darrell declares the
+Copper Princess to be a worthless property. With it in his pocket he
+visits the mouth of the shaft, intending to descend. As he approaches
+it, a skip containing several men comes to the surface. When they
+emerge into daylight they are yelling in delirious excitement. One of
+them leaps out and runs towards him, shouting incoherently. It is Mike
+Connell.
+
+What had gone wrong? Has there been some terrible accident
+underground?
+
+"We've struck it, Mister Peril! We've struck the vein, and it's the
+richest ever knowed!" yells the Irishman. "Here's a specimen. Did ever
+you see the like? It's gold--nothing less! Hooray for us! Hooray for
+the Princess! and hooray for Nell Trefethen, that'll be Mrs. Michael
+Connell this day week, plaze God!"
+
+A few minutes later every cottage in the settlement holds specimens of
+the wonderful rock glistening with glowing metal. Every man is
+cheering himself hoarse. The great steam-whistle is shrieking out the
+glorious news, and Richard Peveril, with heavy pockets, is riding like
+mad in the direction of Red Jacket. The Copper Princess--a royal name
+for a royal mine--has at last entered as a power the ranks of the
+world's wealth-yielding properties.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXX
+
+PEVERIL ACQUIRES AN UNSHARED INTEREST
+
+
+An autumn evening two years later finds Richard Peveril seated in the
+smoking-room of the University, the most thoroughly home-like and
+comfortable of all New York clubs. He has dined alone, and now, with a
+tiny cup of black coffee on the stand beside him, is reflectively
+smoking his after-dinner cigar.
+
+This is his first visit to the East since he left it, more than two
+years before, almost penniless and wellnigh friendless, on a search
+for a mine that he was assured would prove worthless when found. Today
+that same mine is yielding an enormous revenue, of which he receives
+one-quarter, or a sum vastly in excess of his simple needs, for he is
+still a bachelor, acting as manager of the Copper Princess, and still
+makes his home in the little mining settlement on the shore of the
+great Western lake.
+
+A fortune twice as large as his own, and derived from the same source,
+lies idle in the vaults of a trust company awaiting a claimant who
+cannot be found. Her name is Mary Darrell, and though from the very
+first Peveril has guarded her interests more jealously than his own,
+and though he has made every effort to discover her, her fortune still
+awaits its owner.
+
+He has not only been disappointed at the non-success of his efforts in
+this direction, but is deeply hurt that the girl, who has been so
+constantly in his thoughts during his two years of loneliness, should
+so persistently ignore him. That she has occupied so great a share of
+his time for thinking is due largely to the fact that there is no one
+else to take a like place, for Rose Bonnifay long since released him
+from his engagement to her, and he has contracted no other.
+
+As soon as he believed his _fiancee_ to be in New York, he wrote her a
+long letter descriptive of his good-fortune and promising very soon to
+rejoin her for the fulfilling of his engagement. To his amazement it
+was promptly returned to him, endorsed on the outside in Miss
+Bonnifay's well-known handwriting.
+
+  "As my last to you came back to me unopened, I now take
+  pleasure in returning yours in the same condition."
+
+He immediately wrote again, only to have his second letter treated as
+the first had been, except that this time it came to him without a
+word. From that day he had heard nothing further from Rose Bonnifay.
+
+Now business had called him to New York, and he had reached the city
+but an hour before his appearance at the club. Here he gazed curiously
+about him, as one long strange to such scenes, but who hopes to
+discover the face of a friend in that of each new-comer. Thus far he
+had not been successful, nor had he been recognized by any of the men,
+many of them in evening-dress, who came and went through the spacious
+rooms. Peveril was also in evening-dress, for he had conceived a vague
+idea of going to some theatre, or possibly to the opera. And now he
+listlessly glanced over the advertised list of attractions in an
+afternoon paper.
+
+While he was thus engaged, a young man, faultlessly apparelled and
+pleasing to look upon, stood in front of him, regarded him steadily
+for a moment, and then grasped his hand, exclaiming:
+
+"If it isn't old Dick Peveril--come to life again after an age of
+burial! My dear fellow, I am awfully glad to see you. Where have you
+been, and what have you been doing all these years? Heard you had gone
+West to look up a mine, but never a word since. Hope you found it and
+that it turned out better than such properties generally do. Was it
+gold, silver, iron, or what?"
+
+"You may imagine its nature from its name," answered Peveril, who was
+genuinely glad to meet again his old college friend, Jack Langdon; "it
+is called the 'Copper Princess.'"
+
+"The 'Copper Princess'!" cried the other. "By Jove! you don't say so!
+Why, that mine is the talk of Wall Street, and if you own any part in
+it, you must be a millionaire!"
+
+"Not quite that," laughed Peveril, "though I am not exactly what you
+might call poor."
+
+"I should say not, and only wish I stood in your shoes; but, you
+see--" Here Langdon plunged into a long account of his own affairs, to
+which Peveril listened patiently. Finally the former said:
+
+"By the way, what have you on hand for to-night?"
+
+"Nothing in particular. Was thinking of going to some theatre."
+
+"Don't you do it! Beastly shows, all of them. Nothing but vaudeville
+nowadays. Come with me and I'll take you to a place where you will not
+only have a pleasant time, but will meet old friends as well. You
+remember old Owen?--'Dig' Owen, we used to call him."
+
+"Yes."
+
+"Well, he is here in New York, and has made a pot of money--no one
+knows how. Shady speculations of some kind, and, between ourselves, it
+is liable to slip through his fingers at any moment. But that's
+neither here nor there. He married, about a year ago, a nice enough
+girl, who has apparently lived abroad all her life. Rather a
+light-weight, but entertains in great shape. Always has something good
+on hand--generally music. They give a blow-out to-night, to which I am
+going to drop in for a while, and, of course, they will be delighted
+to see you. So don't utter a protest, but just come along."
+
+In accordance with the programme thus provided, Peveril found himself
+an hour later entering the drawing-room of a spacious mansion on upper
+Fifth Avenue. It was already so well filled that it was some time
+before the new-comers could approach their hostess.
+
+When they finally reached the place where she was talking and laughing
+with a group of guests, her face was so averted that Peveril did not
+see it until after Langdon had said:
+
+"Good-evening, Mrs. Owen. You have gathered together an awfully jolly
+crowd, and I have taken the liberty of adding another to their number.
+He is an old college friend of your husband's, and quite a lion just
+now, for he is the owner of the famous Copper Princess that every one
+is talking about. May I present him? Mrs. Owen, my friend Mr. Richard
+Peveril." With this Langdon stepped aside, and Peveril found himself
+face to face with Rose Bonnifay.
+
+For an instant she was deadly pale. Then, with a supreme effort, she
+recovered her self-possession, the blood rushed back to her cheeks,
+and, extending her hand with an engaging smile, she said:
+
+"This is indeed an unexpected pleasure, Mr. Peveril, and I am ever so
+much obliged to Mr. Langdon for bringing you. Did he know, I wonder,
+that you were an old friend of mine, as well as of Mr. Owen's? No!
+Then the surprise is all the pleasanter. Oh! there is mamma, and she
+will be delighted to meet you again. Mamma, dear, here is our old
+friend, Mr. Peveril. So pleased, and hope we shall see you often this
+winter."
+
+[Illustration: PEVERIL FINDS MARY AGAIN]
+
+Other newly arrived guests demanding Mrs. Owen's attention at this
+moment, Peveril found himself borne away by her mother, who had
+greeted him effusively, and now seemed determined to learn everything
+concerning his Western life to its minutest details. To accomplish
+this she led him to a corner of the conservatory for what she was
+pleased to term an uninterrupted talk of old times, but which really
+meant the propounding of a series of questions on her part and the
+giving of evasive answers on his.
+
+While Peveril was wondering how he should escape, a hush fell on the
+outer assembly, and some one began to sing. At first sound of the
+voice the young man started and listened attentively.
+
+"Who is she?" he asked.
+
+"Nobody in particular," responded Mrs. Bonnifay; "only a girl whom
+Rose met when she was studying music in Germany. I fancy she spent her
+last cent on her musical education, which, I fear, won't do her much
+good, after all; for, as you must notice, she is utterly lacking in
+style. She is dreadfully poor now, and earns a living by singing in
+private houses--all her voice is really fit for, you know. So Rose
+takes pity on her, and has her in once in a while. Why, really, they
+are giving her an encore! How kind of them; and yet they say the most
+wealthy are the most heartless. But you are not going, Mr. Peveril? I
+haven't asked you half--"
+
+Peveril was already out of the conservatory and making his way towards
+the piano, as though irresistibly fascinated. For her encore the
+singer was giving a simple ballad that had been very popular some
+years before. The last time Peveril heard it was when cruising along a
+shore of Lake Superior, and it had come to him from somewhere up in
+the red-stained cliffs.
+
+At last he had found Mary Darrell--"his Mary," as he called her--in
+quick resentment of the smiling throng about him, who _paid_ her to
+sing for them.
+
+He did not speak to her then, nor allow her to see him, but when, with
+her task finished, she left the room, his eyes followed her every
+movement and lingered lovingly on her beautiful face--for it was
+beautiful. He knew it now, as he also knew that he loved her, and
+always had done so from the moment that he first beheld her, a vision
+of the cliffs.
+
+When, accompanied by faithful Aunty Nimmo, she left the house, he was
+waiting outside. She tried to hurry away as he approached her, but at
+the sound of his voice she stood still, trembling violently.
+
+An hour later, in the modest apartment far downtown, which was the
+best her scanty earnings could afford, he had told his story. Mary
+Darrell knew that she was no longer a poor, struggling singer, but an
+heiress to wealth greater than she had ever coveted in her wildest
+dreams. But to this she gave hardly a thought, for something greater,
+finer, and more desirable than all the wealth of the world had come to
+her in that same brief space of time. She knew that she was loved by
+him whom she loved, for he had told her so. Even now he stood
+awaiting, with trembling eagerness, her answer to his plea.
+
+Could she not love him a little bit in return? Would she not go back
+with him, as his wife, to the house that had been hers, and still
+awaited her, by the shore of the great lake?
+
+"But I thought, Mr. Peveril--I mean, I heard that you were engaged?"
+
+"So I was. I was engaged to Mrs. Owen, at whose house you sang this
+evening, and where I was so blessed as to find you. But she thought me
+unworthy and let me go. I know I am unworthy still; but, Mary dear,
+won't you give me one more chance? Won't you take me on trial?"
+
+"Well, then, on trial," she answered, though in so low a tone that he
+barely caught the words.
+
+In another instant he had folded her in his arms, for he knew that she
+was wholly his, and that in _this_ Copper Princess his interest was
+unshared.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+THE END
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+By S. R. KEIGHTLEY
+
+
+THE LAST RECRUIT OF CLARE'S. Being Passages from the Memoirs of
+Anthony Dillon, Chevalier of St. Louis, and Late Colonel of Clare's
+Regiment in the Service of France. Illustrated. Post 8vo, Cloth,
+Ornamental, $1.50.
+
+This is a romance not of love, but of daring adventure, and so well
+worked as to be profoundly interesting.--_Chicago Inter-Ocean._
+
+Cleverly told, and enchains the reader's attention immediately,
+holding him captive to the last page.--_Brooklyn Standard-Union._
+
+A series of vivid pictures of the life of a soldier who was also a
+gentleman.--_N. Y. Press._
+
+
+THE CRIMSON SIGN. A Narrative of the Adventures of Mr. Gervase Orme,
+sometime Lieutenant in Mountjoy's Regiment of Foot. Illustrated. Post
+8vo, Cloth, Ornamental, $1.50.
+
+Recounts in an able manner the terrible scenes which culminated in the
+siege and relief of Londonderry, giving his readers a personal
+interest in the characters he has created, and many and pathetic are
+the resulting pictures. Mr. Keightley, with a few deft touches of his
+pen, brings them home to the reader with a force that enables him to
+realize what such warfare really means. The French soldier is a
+strange character, strikingly conceived.--_Literary World_, London.
+
+
+THE CAVALIERS. A Novel. Illustrated. Post 8vo, Cloth, Ornamental,
+$1.50.
+
+Full of adventure, incident, and the wild spirit of the age, yet
+written withal in so true, simple, and vigorous a manner that it is
+the people of the narrative as much as their doings and escapades that
+interest the reader.--_Chicago Journal._
+
+Compels immediate and enduring interest on the part of the reader.
+From an artistic and literary point of view, indeed, the book is
+entirely noteworthy. It has swing, verve, and genuine force. The
+interest is cumulative, and the denouement of the story in no wise
+disappointing.--_Philadelphia Bulletin._
+
+
+PUBLISHED By HARPER & BROTHERS, NEW YORK
+
+_The above works are for sale by all booksellers, or will be sent by
+the publishers, postage prepaid, on receipt of the price._
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+BY CAPT. CHARLES KING
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+CAMPAIGNING WITH CROOK, AND STORIES OF ARMY LIFE. Post 8vo, Cloth,
+$1.25.
+
+A WAR-TIME WOOING. Illustrated by R. F. ZOGBAUM. pp. iv., 196. Post
+8vo, Cloth, $1.00.
+
+BETWEEN THE LINES. A Story of the War. Illustrated by GILBERT GAUL.
+pp. iv., 312. Post 8vo, Cloth, $1.25.
+
+In all of Captain King's stories the author holds to lofty ideals of
+manhood and womanhood, and inculcates the lessons of honor,
+generosity, courage, and self-control--_Literary World_, Boston.
+
+The vivacity and charm which signally distinguish Captain King's
+pen.... He occupies a position in American literature entirely his
+own.... His is the literature of honest sentiment, pure and
+tender.--_N. Y. Press._
+
+A romance by Captain King is always a pleasure, because he has so
+complete a mastery of the subjects with which he deals.... Captain
+King has few rivals in his domain.... The general tone of Captain
+King's stories is highly commendable. The heroes are simple, frank,
+and soldierly; the heroines are dignified and maidenly in the most
+unconventional situations.--_Epoch_, N. Y.
+
+All Captain King's stories are full of spirit and with the true ring
+about them--_Philadelphia Item._
+
+Captain King's stories of army life are so brilliant and intense, they
+have such a ring of true experience, and his characters are so
+lifelike and vivid that the announcement of a new one is always
+received with pleasure.--_New Haven Palladium._
+
+Captain King is a delightful story-teller.--_Washington Post._
+
+In the delineation of war scenes Captain King's style is crisp and
+vigorous, inspiring in the breast of the reader a thrill of genuine
+patriotic fervor.--_Boston Commonwealth._
+
+Captain King is almost without a rival in the field he has chosen....
+His style is at once vigorous and sentimental in the best sense of
+that word, so that his novels are pleasing to young men as well as
+young women.--_Pittsburgh Bulletin._
+
+It is good to think that there is at least one man who believes that
+all the spirit of romance and chivalry has not yet died out of the
+world, and that there are as brave and honest hearts to-day as there
+were in the days of knights and paladins.--_Philadelphia Record._
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+PUBLISHED By HARPER & BROTHERS, NEW YORK.
+
+_Any of the above works sent by mail, postage prepaid, to any part of
+the United States, Canada, or Mexico, on receipt of the price._
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Copper Princess, by Kirk Munroe
+
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