g out that powder."

In a moment he had scrambled up the pile of shattered rock, and was
running across the open space like a deer. It was strewn with
half-burned branches, and here and there with little piles of glowing
fragments, but he went straight through them without a stumble; and it
must be admitted that his comrades stood still and watched him with
consternation before it dawned on them that it was scarcely fitting to
let him go alone. Then Saunders climbed up to the level ground
somewhat deliberately.

"I guess," he said, "we've got to go after the blame fool!"

They set out; but Saunders, who had been keeping store for some years,
was not remarkably agile; and one could hardly blame Devine for
proceeding with a certain caution. However, they reached the outside
of the shack soon after Weston had disappeared in it, and they stopped
gasping. The air which scorched their faces seemed to frizzle their
hair, and the smoke, which once more had descended, whirled about
them. They could hear nothing but the roar of the fire.

Then a half-seen figure reeled out of the shack, and Devine, who was
nearest it, laughed discordantly when his comrade thrust upon him a
bundle of clothes. The thing seemed altogether incongruous, but he
turned and set off toward the adit with his arms full of the garments,
which got loose and flopped about him, until he flung them to another
man who had ventured part of the distance.

"General Jackson!" exclaimed the miner. "He went back for his
clothes!"

Devine did not stop to sympathize with his astonishment, but ran back
to the shack, and Weston flung him a partly-filled flour-bag as he
approached it. It fell close beside a glowing fragment, and the
surveyor felt a little shiver run through him as he whipped it up, for
he had some knowledge of the vagaries of giant-powder. He flung the
bag over his shoulder as gently as possible, and once more started for
the adit, though he proceeded with caution. He was desperately anxious
to get rid of his burden, but he had no desire to shake it up unduly.
Giant-powder will now and then go off without any very apparent cause.

In the meanwhile Saunders clutched at Weston as he turned back toward
the hut. One had to enter it before gaining admission to the smaller
shed in which they kept the giant-powder.

"You're not going in again? We've got one bag," he said.

"The other one is still inside," was the hoarse reply.

Saunders did not waste h