Part 18 (1/2)

Jack's face was concealed with one hand, but Lyle could see that he had grown very pale, and beneath the heavy, black beard, his lips were moving under the influence of some deep emotion. She continued:

”My reason for wis.h.i.+ng to confide this to you was, that I heard Mr.

Van Dorn ask Mr. Houston if there was any one among the miners whom he could trust to help them, as he said without the a.s.sistance of some one, familiar with the mines and their different workings, the undertaking would be much more difficult and dangerous; and I thought at once of you, Jack. You have often told me of the dishonesty and fraud practiced by the company, and said that you would like to see some of their schemes exposed, and I thought you would be just the one to help Mr. Houston, and no one would be likely to suspect you either.”

She paused a moment, then added, ”He has enemies working against him, and he ought to have some one to help him.”

”Who are his enemies?” asked Jack.

”Haight, for one, and my father and all the men that he can influence; and you know, that if they once suspected what he is doing, they would not hesitate, for one moment, to kill him.”

”They would not,” said Jack, quietly but decidedly, ”and among the mines it is a very easy thing to put a man out of the way.”

”Then you will look out for him, and help him, will you not?” said Lyle, rising to go.

”Yes, child,” he answered with unusual tenderness, ”you do not know what you are asking, but since hearing what you have told me, no harm shall come to your friend that I can prevent, no matter what it costs me.”

”But Jack,” said Lyle anxiously, going to him and laying her hands in his, ”this will not put you in danger, will it? My idea was that you could give him information, and no one would ever suspect you; but you have been too true a friend to me, for me to put you in any danger.”

”You need have no fear,” he answered, ”I did not refer to any particular danger of that kind. I am only glad you have told me what you have. Had I learned it in any other way, I would have wished to help your friend. When he returns, say nothing to him of having asked me to help him; I will find him in my own way.” Lyle thanked Jack heartily, and as she looked up into his face, her beautiful eyes unusually bright, and her cheeks flushed with emotion, he seemed strangely touched, and bending over her, kissed her reverently on her forehead, for the first time in their acquaintance.

CHAPTER XX.

Nearly a week after the departure of Houston for Silver City, as Morgan was pa.s.sing the sorting rooms one morning, on his way from the mines to the mills, he heard Haight calling him.

”h.e.l.lo, there, Morgan, the Sunrise deal is off.”

”Off? who says so? Got a wire from the boss?”

”Yes, she just came, about fifteen minutes ago.”

”What's the matter? did the old man say?”

”Nothing very definite; 'party writes property not satisfactory,'

that's all he says.”

”Hang it! I should think it looked good enough for 'em. Well,” he growled, ”there's so much hard work gone for nothing,” and thrusting his hands deeper into his pockets in his disgust, Morgan started on his way, but Haight detained him.

”Hold on a minute; say, Morgan, you don't suppose that they caught on to our deal, do you? or that anybody put 'em onto it?”

”Who was there to put 'em onto anything?” asked Morgan.

”Oh, the confidential clerk, may be; he was on such good terms with Johnny Bull and the dude.”

Morgan shook his head. ”He's too much of a sucker for the company, and knows too well which side his bread is b.u.t.tered, for business of that kind.”

”I don't know about that,” said Haight, ”he's a dude and a tenderfoot himself, and likes to toady around with those eastern sn.o.bs; what else were they hob-n.o.bbing with him for, if they didn't think they could get some information out of him? I've got my own ideas on that subject and I'm going to make some investigations, and if I find I'm correct, he'll find pretty quick where he will be; I've no use for him any way.” ”I haven't any more use for him than you have,” answered Morgan, ”but he ain't a very safe fellow to fool with now, I can tell you, and I don't think you want to run up against him yourself.”

”I don't know as I've said anything about running up against anybody,”