us together he shook his head
doubtfully.

During one of these walks Peveril made the joyful discovery of a
public library, and thereafter much of his convalescence was passed
within its walls. There he read with avidity all that he could find
concerning the Lake Superior copper region, and mining in general.
Particularly was he interested in everything pertaining to the
prehistoric mining of copper by a people, presumably Aztecs or their
close kin, who possessed the art, long since lost, of tempering that
metal.

All this time he never for a moment forgot the object of his coming
to that country, nor neglected a possible opportunity for gaining news
of the mine in which he believed himself to be a half-owner. Thus, in
all his reading, as well as in his conversations with Mark Trefethen
and other miners, he always sought for information concerning the
Copper Princess, but could find none. His books had nothing to say on
the subject, and, while the men knew by report of many abandoned
mining properties, they had not heard of one bearing the name in
question.

Finally, chafing under this enforced idleness, as well as under the
poverty that compelled him to be a pensioner on those who could ill
afford to support him, Peveril announced his complete restoration to
health, and declared his intention of again going to work.

Mark Trefethen tried to persuade him to wait a while longer before
thus testing his strength, but without avail, and at length, finding
the young man set in his determination, used his influence to procure
for him a temporary situation in which the work would be much lighter
than with the timber gang. This job was in a shaft then being sunk by
the White Pine Company, and included a certain supervision of the
explosives used in blasting.

The new shaft was already down several hundred feet, and was being
driven through solid rock by drill and blast, at the rate of twenty
feet per week. Of course there was no regular running of cages up and
down as yet, but the loosened material was hoisted to the surface in a
big iron bucket, or "skip," and in this the miners engaged in the
work also travelled back and forth.

The great opening was a rectangle twenty-two by six and a half feet,
and to sink it a series of holes was drilled around its sides. Then
all the men but one were sent to the surface, while Peveril descended
with a load of dynamite and a fuse. The man left at the bottom was
always an experienc