  Jack’s first thought was that a rock slide had dammed up the mine entrance. Sober reflection, however, told him that such was not the case. Obviously, someone had quietly shoved a great boulder across the narrow opening. “Joe Hansart!” he exclaimed. “He must have seen us come in here.” “We’re trapped, all right,” Warner muttered. He and Jack applied their shoulders and heaved with all their strength. They could move the rock a trifle, but not enough to shift it from its position. “Other rocks have been piled on top,” Warner gasped. Once more the pair worked and heaved in unison, but without the slightest success. Exhausted, they sank back against the rock wall to consider their desperate plight. Soon they would be missed at the cabin. That was certain. But it was doubtful Ken or Mr. Livingston would pick up their trail to this remote ravine until many hours, perhaps days had passed. Meanwhile, they were without food or water. And Joe Hansart might lie in wait for any rescuers and attack them as he had attacked Jack. “Crazy coot!” Warner exclaimed. “He’s outwitted us. We became so intent on exploring the mine that we forgot everything else.” “Listen!” Jack directed suddenly. He was certain he had heard a scratching sound on the huge rock above their heads. “Maybe it’s Joe Hansart piling on more stones!” he muttered. Together, the trapped pair shouted. At once the scraping sound ceased. “Someone’s out there,” Warner decided. “It must be Joe. Maybe if we can convince him we don’t want any of his gold, he’ll relent and let us out.” They shouted, but only their own voices echoed weirdly back in the pit. Desperately, they shoved again at the rock barrier. This time they succeeded in dislodging enough of the loose debris to permit a little daylight to filter down. As they nursed their bruised hands, they heard harsh laughter. “Joe, listen to reason!” Warner bellowed at him. “We don’t want your stupid gold.” “No?” asked a mocking voice. Warner and Jack stiffened. “That’s Walz!” the latter identified him. “Not Hansart!” For a fleeting instant, the two prisoners took heart. They thought they would be able to reason with the motel owner. “Listen!” Warner shouted to him. “There must have been a rock slide. Help us get out of here!” “And why should I do that?” the motel owner asked in the same mocking tone. “You won’t make any trouble where you are now!” “Have you lost your senses?” Warner stormed. “Quite the contrary,” Walz rejoined, plainly enjoying his triumph. “You’ve both been a pain in my neck ever since I set eyes on you. Now you get what you deserve.” “What’s the idea blocking the exit?” Warner demanded. “What’s your game?” “My game? Only a little device to gain time. It was your bad luck that you stumbled onto the vein.” “The vein—” Warner started to explode, then held his tongue. “Oh, I saw you sneak into the mine after the old man went away,” Walz rattled on. “You’ve been down here yourself?” “I have,” the motel owner admitted. His voice carried plainly to the pair below, for he was close to the opening between the rocks. “I found the gold ore, and I have samples now in my pack.” “What are you aiming to do with ’em?” “I’ll have them assayed. But first I’m staking out a claim to this section of the valley.” “Sure someone hasn’t beaten you to it?” “This is unclaimed valley—the entire hollow. Ranier told me so. That dirty, low-down scamp deserted me. I’ll get even with him when I get back to Elks Creek.” “Listen,” Warner said in exasperation, “you’ve had your little joke. Now let us out of here. We can’t raise that rock from below, but you can roll it aside.” “Maybe I can, but I’m not going to do it,” Walz retorted coolly. “You trailed me to Headless Hollow, but you’re not going to beat me filing a claim.” “Who wants to file one, you stupid ox?” “You!” the motel owner accused. “I’ve risked everything to get this gold. Nothing is going to stop me now. Nothing!” “You’re welcome to the gold—whatever you can find,” Warner said wearily. “Just let us out.” “Never.” At first, the trapped pair had not believed that the motel owner seriously meant to keep them confined below, but his intention could no longer be doubted. “Walz, pay close attention,” Warner pleaded. “I came to this place largely to see the grave of my father. The gold—if there was any—didn’t mean too much to me.” “That’s a lie!” “It means everything to you, but you have the wrong slant. Unless I’m mistaken, this mine would never pay well enough to interest a company. Old Stony gathered some rich ore, it’s true. He died without knowing that the vein wasn’t extensive.” “You’re wasting your breath,” Walz retorted. “Talk till you’re blue in the face. It won’t move me. I have my samples of gold, and I’m hitting the trail!” “Walz—” There was no answer. The two prisoners realized that he had carried out his threat and left. They were indeed trapped in the mine. “Hap and Ken will start searching any minute now,” Jack said, trying to remain cheerful. “If they come this way, they may see that pile of rock.” “And again they may not,” Warner grunted. “We may never be found until it’s too late. Walz is a blackguard, if I ever met one! Like as not, even after he’s filed his claim he won’t send anyone.” “There’s always Joe Hansart. He’ll be coming back.” “Yeah,” Warner agreed, “our best hope probably lies with him. But the old coot may stay away for days. Meanwhile, we can get pretty fed up in this hole.” The two sat down, their backs to the rough wall. Jack’s clothing had only partially dried after his ducking in the lake, so he was damp and uncomfortable. “We’ve got to get out of here,” Warner said determinedly. “You’ll get pneumonia, if we don’t.” “No exit except this one?” “The tunnel ended against a blank wall. I checked that.” “If Walz could push that stone into place alone, the two of us ought to be able to shove it away.” “We’re pushing against gravity, Jack. He rolled it down the incline. Besides, once he got it into place, he piled on other rocks and debris. We’re caught like two animals in a cage.” Suddenly Jack straightened as a thought occurred to him. “That dynamite!” he suggested. “Any chance we could blast our way out of here?” “Maybe we could!” the rancher exclaimed. “It would be risky business, though. Old dynamite, especially, is dangerous to handle.” “A tiny charge would turn the trick.” “Sure,” Warner grinned, “providing we aren’t both blown to bits before we set it off. But I’m willing to try. Anything’s better than just waiting in this hole.” The rancher would not allow Jack to go near the stored boxes. He insisted, “You go and take refuge in the far end of the tunnel.” Using the utmost care, Warner placed the dynamite sticks without accident. Breathing hard, he joined Jack after the fuse had been set. For a full minute, they waited tensely. Nothing happened. “The stuff is dead,” Jack declared. “Maybe not,” Warner said. “It was a long fuse. Wait.” They waited. Suddenly the tunnel was rocked by a terrific explosion. As they hit the earth, covering their faces, small bits of rock showered down. When the dust had cleared, they groped their way back to the entrance. Climbing up through the debris, they saw daylight. Warner squeezed out through the tumbled rocks, and reached down to help Jack. “We’re free and still in one piece,” the rancher chuckled. Setting out from the ravine, they started for the cabin. However, they had covered less than a third of the distance when they saw Hap Livingston and Ken coming toward them at a run. “What happened?” Ken demanded, as he glimpsed the dirt-streaked faces and disheveled clothing of the two. “We heard an explosion!” Tersely, Jack and the rancher related their harrowing experience in the mine. “Now Walz is streaking for Elks Creek!” Warner ended the account. “He’s on a fool’s chase, in my opinion. I could be wrong.” “Shouldn’t we try to head him off?” Jack proposed eagerly. “He’s not had too big a start.” “It won’t take long to sling our equipment together,” Ken added. “Maybe we can overtake him. We have a score to settle, regardless of the gold!” “It may not be necessary,” Warner advised quietly. |
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