Octavus Roy Cohen

“ Boys! Do you raise 'em thatway in Red Ore?"
The object of his remark was a young girl, scarcely more than eighteen years of age, in a voile dress—cool and fresh and beautiful as a morning flower. She rounded into the main road from one of the intersecting streets, nodded genially to the men on the veranda, and entered the commissary. Jimmy Dane stared admiringly and then slapped his knee with approval.
"Does she live in Red Ore?" he inquired.
"She does," answered one of the men.
"Then," asserted Jimmy positively. "Red Ore is where I camp. ”

“ And what surprised all of them was that from the ouset, Jimmy Dane proved himself one of the most skilful drill-men in Red Ore.
He seemed tireless and his muscles appeared to be made of chilled steel. He was always ahead with his own work and ever ready to help others. He even did part of the work of a mucker for two days, when one of his drift-crew was sick.
And above all, he paid positive and direct court to Eunice Delaney. ”

“ His alliance with Jerry Delaney was a successful one. He furnished the brains which Jerry lacked, the sly cunning necessary to their work. They crippled machines in the shops, they placed a blast which caused a rockfall in an important drift and held up work on that level for days. They even robbed the crusher of two important bolts and for five days it remained helpless, until new ones could be wrought.
More men were leaving Red Ore daily. Work was too uncertain. The gossip had gone that the camp was hoodooed. ”

“ Jerrold," said Jimmy quietly. "This pile of tinder was carefully placed at the base of a supporting pillar. It was saturated with kerosene. The entire base of the tipple was soaked with oil; the fire couldn't have spread as it did had that not been the case—
"It means," he finished, "that this fire is incendiary. It is the result of premeditated vandalism—just as all the other 'accidents' which have occurred in the last few weeks, have been caused by somebody who is seeking to injure the Red Ore mines. What do you say to it?"
Jerrold snorted: "You're a damned fool!" he snapped. ”

“ How old are ye?"
"Younger than my daddy, and not quite as young as that little boy yonder."
The deep, booming voice of the big man against the wall, broke in gruffly: "He ain't old enough to be anything but a fool!" ”

“ Jimmy Dane apparently took no notice of the episode, but the others, who had watched with abiding curiosity, shook their heads apprehensively. The big man was the camp bully, and no man relishes being made the butt of humor—least of all a man of the bully type. ”

“ Jimmy smiled. "No."
"But if they've got him—"
"You've got to beat it, Delaney."
"You're in it! Deep as I am."
"A little deeper in fact. You see, I swore out the warrant for Jerrold's arrest!"
"You—you swore out— What are you talkin' about?"
"I'm talking about this, Delaney. You've been a fool—a sucker. I came down here from company headquarters. I'm a mining engineer. I'm a stockholder in the company.
"When those accidents started we knew that there was something radically wrong. The company was facing ruin. They sent me down here incognito to investigate. ”

“ Dane chuckled, the miners roared with laughter and the big man rose to his feet and towered menacingly over the newcomer.
"You didn't happen to mean nothin' personal by that, did ye?"
Dane smiled. "Me? Personal? My goodness, no! I never get personal with grown men. It isn't respectful." ”

“ II. Jimmy Dane won straight into the hearts of the men. For two weeks he mixed with them and was one with them.They found him a different sort; always cheery and good-natured, always ready to help, always ready to loan a few dollars when money was needed; a close-lipped confidant and a sound adviser. ”

“ And when No. 1 slope was eventually opened again it was found that only enough labor remained in Red Ore to work it. Work on the rebuilding of the tipple at No. 2 went on slowly. There was little need for haste. The miners had gone.
After the opening of No. 1 slope. Superintendent Harris Jerrold left for Birmingham one morning on the Mineral accommodation. On the same train was Jimmy Dane, who had not been working for several days. The following night Jimmy returned, and one day later the superintendent again reached the camp, the chief engineer having been in charge during his absence. ”

“ It was a certainty that by the following morning No. 3 slope's lower levels would be unworkable.
Delaney crawled to the entrance, and there, standing quietly, whistling his eternal "The monkey married the baboon's sister," was Jimmy Dane. The big man started with surprise and then strode forward angrily. ”

“ Their job was completed that night, near midnight. It worked according to schedule. No one was hurt, but the tracking was ruined, the cable useless until expert repair work could be done, and No. 19 drift closed tight for several days.
Superintendent Jerrold was summoned and visited the scene of the accident immediately. ”