suggested Reade. "But I wish to
see the drilling done."

"It is unnecessary, Senor Tomaso," smiled Don Luis, blandly.
"Come back with us."

"I must see the men work, Don Luis, if I am to understand the work
here," Tom rejoined, very quietly, though with a firmness that was
wholly apparent.

"Oh, very good then," smiled Montez, with a shrug of his shoulders.

Three of the inspecting party went back, but Tom remained close
behind the drillers. Twice he stopped them in their work, to
collect small samples of the pulverized stuff that the drills
turned back. These specimens he placed in sample envelopes and
stored in his pockets. From the ore that was being shoveled back
he chose other small specimens, labeling the envelopes in which
he stored them.

By the time that the ore had been shoveled well back the drillers
had completed their work. Now the "dope men" came forward, putting
the sticks of dynamite in place. Tom watched them closely.

"Do you call this last work well done?" Tom inquired of the foreman
of the tunnel.

"Yes, yes, senor, as well as I have been able to see," responded
the Mexican.

"Then come with me. Just look at the tamping. Hardly worthy
of the name of tamping, is it?" Tom asked, poking at the material
that had been forced in as tamping.

"Senor, my men must have been indolent, this time," admitted the
foreman.

"Very indolent, or else indifferent," Tom smiled, grimly. "Here,
you men, come here and let me show you how to set dynamite and
tamp it. Perhaps I do not understand the job very well, but we
shall see."

Ten minutes later Tom Reade abandoned his work, rather well satisfied.

"Now, when we fire the blasts, we shall move some rock, I believe,"
he smiled.

The wires were attached, and all hands went back, most of them
going considerably to the rear of the man at the magneto battery.

A rocking explosion followed. Tom was among the first to run forward.
At the heading were heaps of rock.

"Get in and pry it loose. Shovel it back," Tom ordered, in Spanish.

Shortly after, Don Luis, Dr. Tisco and Harry appeared on the scene.
They found Tom turning over the ore as it came back. More than a
dozen samples he dropped into envelopes, labeled them and put them
away in his pockets.

"What ails this lot of ore?" inquired Harry, after looking at
specimens.

"It is not running as well," said Tom briefly. "Go through the
stuff and see what you think of it."

"But we