Down the Slope

by James Otis

  CHAPTER XXIX

  A QUESTION OF TITLE

  It was as if each person who had doubted Sam's honesty felt it necessaryto call at Mrs. Byram's and congratulate him upon what now appeared tobe good proof of his innocence.

  Fred and the miners also came in for their share of attention, and evenBill, whose limb was paining him severely, joined his partners incelebrating their victory, which now seemed certain.

  Before returning home Mr. Hunter called to consult with his clientsrelative to making a stock company of the new mine, and, when he left,it was with full authority to do whatever he believed their interestsdemanded.

  Among the visitors in the evening was Donovan, and he had no hesitationin calling himself very severe names for having been so stupid as tothink it possible his old friends could have been engaged in anyquestionable transaction.

  "The cashier is about as sore a man as can be found in town," he said,"an' if I ain't way off in my reckonin' he'll be lookin' for another jobmighty soon."

  "Does he say anything against us?" Bill asked.

  "He's glum as a fish. Every feller who goes in wants to know where Gusis, an' he keeps out of sight all that's possible."

  "Have you seen Mr. Wright to-day?"

  "No; but I heard he an' that lawyer of yours had a long chin about thebusiness. Say, Bill, by the time you get out of this scrape you'll owea pretty penny for law, I reckon. Why don't you try to make the companypay it?"

  "We can stand the racket, an' won't ask a soul to help us."

  "Somebody must have died an' left you a pile, for men that work atFarley's don't often have enough to pay big lawyers for runnin' around."

  "It'll be all right, Donovan, so don't worry about that."

  But the mine boss did worry. He failed to understand how Bill and Joecould incur such expense with any prospect of paying it, and when heleft the house it was to discuss the matter in all it's bearings with aselect few of his particular friends.

  The superintendent did not consider it worth his while to call; but onthe following morning Joe received a note to the effect that if heintended to return to the mine, it would be to his advantage to resumehis work at once.

  "Tell Mr. Wright that I've got through with his company, an' he can puta man in my place whenever it suits him," the miner said to themessenger, and the latter had hardly reached the store before a workmanfrom Blacktown arrived with the startling intelligence that the four whohad been accused of the robbery had purchased a large tract of land onthe mountain, and were about to open a mine.

  This news was so wonderful that one of the loungers volunteered to walkto the town for the sole and only purpose of learning if it was reallytrue.

  An hour later it was rumored that Fred received the following telegramfrom Blacktown:

  "Have opened books for subscriptions, and already received pledges to the full amount necessary for beginning the work.

  ARTHUR HUNTER."

  The lounger returned in hot haste with information that the people therewere in the highest state of excitement regarding the new company whichwas being formed by some of the most influential men in the county, andrelated with many embellishments of his own, the story of how the veinhad been discovered by Sam and Fred.

  This was sufficient to cause another stream of callers to Mrs. Byram'shouse, and, learning that the secret had been made known, the fourowners had no hesitation in giving all the particulars.

  Now the cashier was more unpopular than ever. Even those who refrainedfrom censuring him on the day previous, had nothing but hard words forthe man who could make such an error as to charge with theft those whowere wealthy in the possession of such a rich vein as the new one wasreported to be.

  Fully one-third of all those in the company's works took a half holidayto see the new mine, and some of the most sanguine started out toprospect for other evidences of coal.

  In six hours land in the immediate vicinity of the mountain increased inprice, until it would hardly have paid to buy it, unless gold could befound in large quantities, and the entire county was in a ferment ofexcitement.

  It is needless to say that the four partners were very happy; but evenin the midst of the great joy they found time to wonder why Skip had notcalled to congratulate them.

  Nearly every other one of their friends and acquaintances visited thehouse at some time during the day and evening; but the ex-chief of theregulators was conspicuous by his absence.

  "I wonder what the matter is with him?" Fred asked, when, at a latehour, the partners were alone. "Do you suppose he thinks we don't wantto see him just because we have been fortunate?"

  "If he does it's the biggest mistake of his life. I like the littlerascal, although he did play us a bad trick, an' if he don't show upbefore noon to-morrow, I'll hunt him out," Joe said, laughingly.

  But Skip did not put in an appearance before the time set, and, true tohis word, Joe went in search of him.

  The information he brought back to his partners was mystifying.

  Skip had not been at home since the day on which Sam was liberated, andhis father fancied he was absent on some work for the firm.

  This singular disappearance troubled Fred greatly, and during theremainder of the day he spoke more often of the boy than regarding themine.

  "He'll turn up before long," Joe said, after all had tried in vain toconjecture where he might be; but Fred fancied that the miner did notspeak very confidently.

  Nothing was heard personally from Mr. Wright; but it was common gossipabout town that he had visited the newly-discovered vein several times,and spent one entire day at Blacktown.

  Another twenty-four hours passed, and Skip had not returned home. Hisparents were now beginning to feel alarmed; but the majority of thetownspeople, not trusting in the sincerity of his repentance, intimatedthat he had joined Gus, preferring to run away rather than lead anindustrious life.

  "I won't believe anything of the kind," Fred replied, hotly, whenDonovan reported the general feeling regarding the disappearance. "Henever would have done so much to help us, unless meaning exactly what hesaid."

  "I reckon hard work didn't agree with him," the breaker boss answered,with a laugh.

  "When Bill gets a little better Joe and I will go after him."

  "Where?"

  "I don't know; but it won't do any harm to look around, and I am----"

  Fred was interrupted by a knock at the door, and on answering it washanded a telegram.

  "Somebody is beggin' to be let in to the new company, I reckon," Donovansaid, laughingly; but his smile vanished very quickly as he saw the lookwhich came over the boy's face.

  "What's the matter, lad?" Joe cried, and instead of replying Fred handedhim the telegram, which read as follows:

  "MR. FRED BYRAM:--Superintendent Wright has served an injunction restraining our company from taking further steps, on the plea that the land purchased belongs to him. His case, so far as I can learn, is very strong. It is advisable that you and Brace come here at once."

  "ARTHUR HUNTER."

  "Wha--wha--what does it mean?" Joe stammered.

  "I should say things were gettin' serious," Donovan replied, as he readthe message over Joe's shoulder, "Mr. Wright is a hard man to fight, an'the chances are he'll get the best of you."

  Then he left the house as if in great haste to spread this additionalnews, and the partners looked at each other in dismay.

  "That is why we've heard nothin' from the superintendent since oursecret leaked out," Bill said, grimly. "You two had better tramp acrossto save time. You can get there three hours ahead of the next train."

  "Come on," Fred cried, as he aroused from the daze caused by thestartling intelligence. "Let's learn the worst quickly."

  "It's pretty tough to lose the thing after swellin' as we have for thelast couple of days," Joe added, gloomily, but without rising from hisseat.

  "Don't whine 'till we're sure
it's gone," and Bill tried very hard tospeak cheerily.

  At this point Mrs. Byram entered the invalid's room to say:

  "Mr. Wright has sent over to ask Fred and Mr. Brace to call at hisoffice."

  "Matters are beginning to look brighter already," Bill cried, and Joeasked gruffly:

  "How do you make that out?"

  "If he was so sure of provin' we had no claim to the land, he wouldn'thave a word to say. Now he's tryin' to make a trade."

  "He can't with me. Unless you, Fred an' Sam insist, it'll be the wholeor nothing."

  "Now that's the way to talk," Bill replied. "If we can raise the moneyto fight there won't be any bargain made."

  "Don't you intend to call upon the superintendent?" Mrs. Byram asked.

  "Not a bit of it, ma'am. Tell whoever he sends that Fred an' Joe are toobusy just now, but if he wants to make a 'pointment some time next week,they'll try to see him."

  "But it can't do any harm to talk with Mr. Wright."

  "It won't do any good, an' they'd better see the lawyer first."

  Mrs. Byram left the room to deliver the message, and Bill delayed hispartners that they might know exactly how he felt regarding the matterbefore starting on the journey.