appened until morning came.

Before Tom Reade turned in that night he shook hands with the
sullen cook.

"I think you and I are going to be good friends, after this, Leon,"
Tom smiled. "I hope so, anyway."

"And I'm glad you gave me back my gun," grunted Leon. "It gave
me a chance to do something for you. Yes; I reckon we'll be good
friends after this."

CHAPTER XVII

THE MINERS WHO "STUCK"

"Hey, Tom!" Harry called down, from the top of their shaft, now
one hundred and thirty feet down into the ground.

"Yes!" Reade answered from below, making a trumpet of his hands.

"Doing anything?" Harry bawled.

"Not much. Why?"

"If you want to come up I'll show you something."

"What?"

"The first snow of winter is falling." Harry tried to speak jovially,
but his tone was almost sepulchral.

"Yes, I'll come up, then," Tom Reade answered. "It's high time
for us to see to building a shelter that will keep out of the
shaft the big snows that are coming."

"The big snows are likely to be here, now, within a week," remarked
one of the miners who had paused to rest from digging for a moment.
"Men!" bawled Tom, stepping from the long into the short tunnel.
"All hands knock off and go up to the surface."

There was a tub hand-hoist for carrying up ore, but the men always
used the series of ladders that had been built in on the side
of the shaft. Two minutes later these ladders swarmed with men
going above.

As they stepped out into the world the first soft flakes of winter
floated into their faces.

"Reade, we'll have to start building the cover to the shaft," spoke
Jim Ferrers, who stood beside Hamilton.

"I know it," Tom nodded. "However, first of all, I want a few words
with you and Harry."

The three partners stepped aside, waiting in silence while a whispered
consultation went on around Tom.

At length Reade stepped back.

"Men" he began, and every eye was turned in his direction. "You
are waiting for orders to start on shedding over the shaft, and the
lumber is ready. However, we mean to be fair with you. You all
know that this claim has been going badly. When my partners and I
started we had some capital. Before we do any more work here it
is only fair to tell you something. We now have money enough left
so that we can pay you your wages up to Saturday. When we've paid
that we shall have a few dollars left. If you men want to quit
now we'll pay you up to Saturday, and you'll h