ights the
brilliant hues of the dawn shone far and wide on rocky peak and
pinnacle and, above the wooden tower of the office building, on the
fluttering folds of an American flag.

That was a grewsome day on Lance Creek. Four of the mines, temporarily
bereft of hands, had fired up and gone to work with such force as they
had, and declined to take back the men who had quit. The managers,
superintendents, bosses, and owners held council together and started
out with what they termed a relief expedition to rescue the garrison of
Silver Shield. They were seen as they came solemnly marching uphill,
waving a white flag by way of assurance, and were met on the roadway
by Nolan and Geordie. Cawker was taking a much-needed nap.

"Are you all safe?" was the eager question from below.

"Safe from what?" asked Nolan, from above.

"Why, the mob, the rioters. Didn't they try to clean you out last
night?"

"Did they?" asked Nolan turning to his silent young friend the fireman.
"Was that what those fellows were thinking of that you chased off the
hill? Why, maybe it was! But here, what we came down to find out was
about Shiner's boy. How's he?"

Then the rescuers looked at one another in some bewilderment. The
leaders were friends of Cawker. They hardly knew Nolan. They did not
know his companion the fireman.

"D'you mean to tell us you've had no trouble up there?" was the eager
demand.

"Why, lots of it, four days ago--'t least _I_ had," answered Nolan,
grimly, "but nothin' worth mention last night."

"Why, man," cried the manager of the White Eagle, "there were a
thousand riotous Bohemians and Dagoes, and Lord knows what all, went up
there last night to burn those buildings over your heads and you with
'em."

"Why, cert'nly," said Nolan, with preternatural gravity and a wink at
his comrade, who was doing his utmost to keep a straight face. "It must
have been some of those fellows _you_ blew in about ten o'clock. But
say," he broke off, as though this matter bored him, "what we want to
know is about Shiner's boy. They didn't seem to have time to talk."

By which time it dawned upon the officials present that Nolan was
having fun with them, and though the spokesmen were nettled, many
others, with genuine American sense of humor, felt that he couldn't be
blamed.

"Your name is Nolan, I think," said a man from the Denver. "We've heard
of you. Shiner's boy is better, though still weak. You mustn't feel we
left you to shif