“Looks like you’ve got quite a load today.”
Shen nodded. “Men bring much tools down to sharpen and repair. Must take back, make ready for new day.”
“And you’re dragging it clear up the hill by yourself?” Jem knew the answer. Shen always hauled things to the mine. It was his task. But Jem had never seen him with such a heavy load before, and the hill was steep.
Shen lifted the handles of his cart. “Good-bye, Jem.”
“Wait,” Jem said. “We’re headed up to Morrisons to deliver wood. There’s plenty of room for you and your tools in the back of the wagon. Hop in. We’ll give you a ride.”
Jem heard a muffled squeal from Ellie and hid a grin. It was no secret she was green with envy that Jem had been inside the Belle a few days ago. Nothing would please her more than to get a peek inside the old mine.
Shen hesitated then glanced up at the late afternoon sun.
“It’s a hot climb up the hill in this heat,” Jem remarked.
“Hotter than the inside of an oven,” Ellie agreed. She was bouncing up and down on the wagon seat in her eagerness. “C’mon, Shen!”
Shen finally nodded his agreement. He untangled himself from his harness and stepped away from the cart. “I would be glad for your help.”
CHAPTER 15
The Belle Mine
Nathan, Chad, and Ellie hopped down to help Shen load the mining tools in the back of the wagon. When the last hammer had been piled in, they stashed his cart in an out-ofthe-way corner off Main Street. Shen climbed into the wagon bed and settled himself between the firewood and the tools. He let out a long, weary sigh, which made Jem extra glad he’d offered his friend a lift. With all the tension in town, Shen probably dreaded walking down the street.
Copper and Quicksilver made quick work of the steep, winding road that rose just beyond Goldtown. When they passed the still-silent stamp mill, the horses veered to the right. They knew Jem’s firewood route as well as he did. They looked eager to finish the route and return home to a shady pasture.
Jem clucked his tongue and directed the horses away from the Morrison place. “We’ve got an errand first,” he told them. Copper snorted and tossed his head, but he and Silver turned and continued up the rest of the way to the Belle diggings.
The mine opening looked exactly as it had a few days before, but the same tingly thrill shot through Jem’s arms at the sight. There was just something about a mine. No matter how dark and empty it appeared, there were always possibilities. A gold vein might be hiding just a few feet away, behind the rocks. One never knew.
“Oh, my!” Ellie gasped and climbed down from the wagon.
“Stay away from—” Jem paused. For once, his sister was not rushing ahead to be first. She stood with one hand clutching Copper’s mane, staring at the mine entrance.
“It’s lots bigger than a coyote hole,” Jem said, coming up beside her. “I bet if you ask real nice, Wu Shen will let you and Nathan take a look.”
Shen was all smiles. “Yes, of course. I have plenty time now.”
Ellie didn’t jump at the offer, which was unlike her.
“We can help you haul the tools inside,” Chad offered. He looked in the wagon bed and scratched his head. “These things are heavy. We’ll have to take more than one trip, unless …” He looked around.
Jem spied the old ore cart at the same time Chad did. It sat just outside the entrance. “Can we load the tools up in the cart and save ourselves some work?” he asked Shen.
Shen nodded. “It is empty. Must take back inside to load more ore. We can use.” He waved the group to follow him and set off toward the dark hole. “But first, come.”
Ellie hung back.
Jem wanted to chuckle. Ellie was usually the first to plunge into an old mining hole. Of course, most of the coyote holes she and Jem explored were shallow. She’d never seen a mining hole so large—or dark-looking—before.
Shen disappeared inside the mine and hollered, “Come!”
“Maybe I’ll stay with the horses,” Ellie murmured.
Jem snatched her hand. “You wanted to see it, so come on.”
Nathan and Chad trooped behind Jem, who held Ellie’s hand as they crossed into the shadow of the Belle mine. Shen was on his knees, rummaging around inside a large wooden box. He stood up and held out a double handful of candles. “You take. Dark inside mine. Cannot see with no light.” He grinned and looked proud of showing off his family’s claim.
Four pairs of hands eagerly reached out. Some candles were nearly new, with plenty of use left in them. Others were stubs, good for only a few minutes of light. Jem stuffed his pockets full.
Shen brought out a small tin cylinder of matches and handed it to Jem. “Keep in pocket. Put back when we leave.”
Jem was more than happy to take charge of the matches. Shen’s loose-fitting tunic and pants held no pockets. If their candles went out, Jem wanted a quick way to relight them. “Can’t we use the lanterns?” He glanced around for the lamps he’d seen the miners carrying the other day.
Shen shook his head. “Cannot waste kerosene.”
Jem understood and nodded. “Let’s get the ore cart and load up the tools.”
It took three trips to unload the pickaxes, shovels, drills, and hammers from the wagon. They dropped the mining tools into the ore cart with a clang and began to push it.
The cart was heavier than Jem expected. They pushed and pulled it on creaking wheels into the mine. No smooth, iron tracks lined the scavenger diggings. Instead, the cart scraped and lurched its way over rusty rails on the rock-strewn tunnel floor.
They had gone no more than a stone’s throw when Ellie said, “Aren’t we going to light the candles?”
Jem hid a smile. Sunlight streamed in through the mine opening. They didn’t need the candles yet. But he welcomed the chance to stop and rest. “You and Nathan take the lead,” he told Ellie and thrust a lit candle into her hands. “Point out the holes and kick any rubble out of the way.”
Step by step, they made their way through the tunnel. It was slow going. The cart creaked along, occasionally jamming up against a loose stone Nathan had missed clearing from the tracks. When that happened, Chad and Jem groaned. Only Shen plodded along, uncomplaining.
Ellie glanced back every few seconds. She looked scared.
Maybe I should have let her stay with the horses, Jem thought. What if she trips over one of those holes Pa warned me about? He was opening his mouth to remind Ellie to watch where she was going, when a hand gripped his shoulder from behind.
Jem’s heart leaped to his throat. He whirled. And yelled. “Hang it all, Will! What do you mean by sneaking up on me like that?”
“I didn’t sneak up on you,” Will yelled back. “I called, but you didn’t turn around. So I followed you inside this hole.” Against the bright light of the mine entrance, Will looked like a dark, inky shadow. “I was riding by and saw your wagon. What are you doing?”
None of your business. Jem’s natural response to nosy Will’s question came easily to his mind. But his gratitude for Will’s help during the fight kept those thoughts inside where they belonged.
“We’re helping Wu Shen haul mining tools.” Jem kept his voice pleasant and didn’t add, What’s it to you? Instead, he said, “We could sure use another strong back to push this cart.”
Will paused and looked around at the group. Then he shrugged. “Sure. Why not? I’m here now, and”—he nodded at Jem—“I need to talk to you.”
Jem frowned but said nothing. He made room for Will at the back of the ore cart and called out, “All right, let’s get this thing rolling.”
Ellie and Nathan held their candles up, and Chad and Shen yanked on the cart’s front end. Slowly—as if it were making its final, gasping run—the ore cart began to move toward the back of the mine.
Jem didn’t ask what was on Will’s mind. Pushing the cart took all of his energy. But his heart beat a little faster, wondering why Will was suddenly ready
to get his hands dirty.
With deep sighs and a good deal of groaning, they brought the ore cart to a halt at the end of the scavenger diggings. Candlelight flickered against the rocky sides and overhead as the boys lifted the mining tools out and piled them where Shen pointed.
“Thank you. Thank you very much,” the Chinese boy said. He seemed in no hurry to shoo the boys and Ellie from his family’s mine. Instead, he squatted in a corner and began organizing the tools, his face wreathed in smiles. “A fine claim, yes?”
Ellie held her candle higher. “It’s … it’s—”
“A bit gloomy,” Nathan finished for her.
“More light would take care of that,” Jem said. “It was bright in here the other day.” He sat down on a pile of rubble to rest and looked up at Will. “What’s so important that you crawled into a mine to tell me?”
Will licked his lips and waited until the rest of the group lit more candles and found places to sit. He glanced warily in Shen’s direction then turned to Jem. “Father met with Judge Reece this morning.”
Jem’s stomach lurched. Will’s tone was enough to tell Jem that the meeting had not gone well. Shen clunked around with his tools, and water dripped from the ceiling, but nobody said a word.
Will took a deep breath and continued. “The judge found a loophole in the town’s mining laws.” He paused.
“What kind of loophole?” Chad asked. “Spill it, Will. Don’t stretch it out like you’re pullin’ taffy. Just get on with it.”
Jem couldn’t agree more. Usually, Will spread news fast and far—the unofficial town crier. Why was he holding back today? He seemed almost afraid to speak.
Will swallowed. “Foreigners can’t own property, even if their claim is registered under local mining laws. Only U.S. citizens can. So”—his voice dropped—“the Chinese don’t legally own this mine, no matter what the town books say.”
Jem flicked a glance at Shen. The Chinese boy had finished arranging the tools. He was listening to the conversation with his head bowed. “We pay foreign miner tax each month,” he whispered, looking up.
Jem nodded. “That’s gotta count for something.”
“I reckon it means they can mine,” Will agreed, “until a citizen re-registers the claim.”
“Does my pa know about this sneaky loophole?” Jem asked.
Will shook his head. “Not yet, but he’ll know soon enough. Father re-registered his claim this afternoon. Judge Reece is going to tell the sheriff that he has to evict the scavengers from the Belle by tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” Jem leaped to his feet. He wanted to light into Will with both fists. If the boy had acted stuck up and mean with his news, Jem would have. But Will sounded regretful, as if he knew what a hard position this court order put the sheriff in.
“Pa told Wu Hao the law is on his side,” Jem said. “But now? If Pa has to kick them out, he’ll look like just another backstabbing, Chinese-hating, white sheriff. Wu Hao will never understand.”
Jem knew Pa would be furious at this legal trickery. Most likely, he would refuse to follow the judge’s order. He’d lose his job as sheriff if that happened. But when it came to his principles, Pa never wavered. Jem could hear him now: “It might be legal, Judge, but it’s not right. Not by a long shot.”
Jem whirled on Chad, grasping for any straw of an idea. “Your pa’s part owner of the Midas. Can’t he do anything about this?”
“When Father finds out what Mr. Sterling has done, he’ll be just as upset as your pa,” Chad replied. “He’s a real stickler for honor and individuals’ rights—no matter what color people are.” He shrugged. “But Father only owns forty percent of the Midas mine.”
“What does that mean?” Ellie asked. She’d been quiet a long time.
“You should have learned your arithmetic better last term,” Jem said. “It means the Carters don’t own as much of the Midas as Will’s family, so—”
“So Father can’t overrule Mr. Sterling’s decision,” Chad said. “And he sure can’t stop him from re-registering his claim to this mine.” He picked up a rock and hurled it down the dark tunnel. “I wish we didn’t own any mines.” He glared at Will in the dim candlelight. “Mother wanted me to learn about the mining business, but all I’ve learned so far is that I’m glad I’m a rancher.”
“Jem,” Will said. He looked as glum as a cold fried egg. “I’m sorry too.”
“Why are you sorry?” Jem snapped. “So what if my pa loses his job by sticking to his principles. Somebody else will force Wu Shen’s family out … legally.” He turned and faced the rocky wall. “I’d rather the town just shriveled up and died.”
Jem was glad for the murky light and dark shadows. Tears pricked the inside of his eyelids, and he blinked hard. Pa lose his sheriff’s job? No! A month or two ago, Jem would have rejoiced. But not now. And certainly not in this way.
“I don’t know why I care,” Will said. “Maybe I’ve watched—and learned—a few things these past couple weeks. Ugly things. Listen, Jem. I didn’t come looking for you just to spread bad news. I came to tell you how to get your pa out of this fix.”
What? Jem brushed a shirt sleeve across his face and turned around. Will’s eyes glinted with sudden excitement. Jem snorted. Will was a sneaky weasel and not worthy of trust. “You’re going to figure out how to get my pa out of evicting Wu Hao without losing his job?”
Will’s head bobbed up and down. He didn’t seem to catch Jem’s mocking tone. “I’m not going to figure it out,” he said. “I’ve already figured it out.”
Jem paused. For once, Will did not look like a sneak. He looked like a boy eager to share an idea to help somebody else. Did Will really have an idea? I reckon it can’t hurt to hear him out.
“All right.” Jem sat down and crossed his arms. “I’m all ears.”
CHAPTER 16
Will’s Big Plan
Will plopped down next to Jem. Before he could speak, however, Nathan, Chad, and Ellie crowded around. Only Shen remained outside the group. He arranged the last of the mining tools and began to examine the rocks in one of the piles.
“Don’t you want to hear this, Shen?” Ellie asked.
Wu Shen’s answer was an indifferent shrug.
Jem hid a smile. His friend’s ears would miss nothing, even from where he squatted next to a heaping mound of ore. Jem lit another candle, dripped wax on the ground, and jammed the lighted candle into the melted wax.
“Any way you look at it,” Will began, “these scavenger diggings will go back to my father. Right or wrong, the only thing Judge Reece cares about is the law. In fact, it’s already Father’s claim again.”
“That’s just downright—”
“Oh, hush, Ellie!” Jem cut her off and scowled at Will. “You told us that already.”
Will scratched his chin. He looked pleased to be the center of attention, even if it meant sitting on the ground in a dark, gloomy mine. “The Chinese miners will be driven out. Nobody—not even your pa—can prevent it any more than he can keep the sun from rising.”
Jem nodded glumly and flicked a glance at Shen. I wonder what he thinks of this.
“But …” Will lowered his voice; four heads drew closer. “If the mine were to collapse, it would be useless to the Chinese. They mine by hand. They couldn’t clear the rubble enough to make these diggings ever pay again. They would move on.”
“But—”
Will waved Jem quiet and kept talking. “The Midas crew has plenty of equipment, blasting powder, mules, and men to clear out this little mine in a jiffy. It could be used for the air shaft, like Father and Mr. Carter have wanted all along.” Will smiled and sat back on his heels. “The mine collapses, the Chinese move on, and your father doesn’t have to evict anybody.”
For a full minute, nobody spoke. The air felt thick with questions, but Jem asked only one. “And just how does the Belle collapse? It’s stood for years and years.” He pointed up. “It’s solid rock, not shored up with beams.” He re
membered pieces of the ceiling had broken loose the other day, but only after weeks of hammering at it. Right now, it appeared mighty sturdy.
Will rose and jammed his hands into both pockets. “With these.” Slowly, he withdrew two skinny, tube-like pouches. A string hung from one end of each cloth wrapping.
Jem and the others stood and surrounded Will. Nathan brought his candle closer to give more light, but Will jerked his hands away. “Keep that candle away from this stuff!”
“What is it?” Jem asked.
“Black powder.” He shrugged. “Gunpowder. It’s wrapped up tight so it can be stuffed into drill holes when the miners need to blast.”
“Gunpowder?” Jem often helped Pa load his pistols with tiny amounts of the black granules. But he’d never seen anybody carry the stuff around in their pockets!
Will took a few steps toward the entrance and found an opening between the rocks. Then he jammed the cloth-wrapped tube into a deep crack near the ceiling and stepped back. “I’ve watched the Midas miners use black powder to blast new tunnels.” He reached across the tunnel and found another crack. “Even a small explosion would drop enough debris in the mine to make it useless to scavengers.”
“You’re crazy,” Chad whispered. In the smoldering candlelight, his tanned face looked like chalk. “Father uses black powder to get rid of stumps. There’s no such thing as a small explosion.”
“The little tubes control the size of the blast,” Will insisted. “This can work, Jem. The Chinese will be evicted. The judge said so. This keeps your pa from having to be the one who does it.”
Jem looked from Will to Chad then back at Will. His heart skipped a beat when he realized what Will was doing. He was reaching out to Jem, trying to make peace between them and be a friend. Will looked proud of his idea to help Jem’s father.
“There’s plenty of time to get out once I light the fuses,” Will said. He walked back to where Jem had left his candle burning on the ground and picked it up.
Just then, Shen joined the group. He had not spoken the entire time. Now he did, but his words were few. “Very bad idea.” Holding his stubby candle high, he turned his back on the others and hurried through the tunnel toward the entrance.
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