Chapter 7
Michael was up early the next morning and down in the shaft with the first shift at the mine.
After his talk with Andrew the day before, he was more determined than ever to lift some of the burden from his friend’s shoulders.
Andrew was being buried under the weight of it all.
He was trying to do too much, and Michael wanted to help.
Going down in the first shift killed three birds with one stone.
Lizzy and Troy had done a wonderful job getting the elevator running again.
After the disaster that had seen the original entrance to the mine closed for weeks, they had finally managed to get it open, and the elevator rebuilt.
They said it was a better design, and Michael trusted his brother and his sister-in-law, though it looked the same to him.
The elevator went smoothly and safely up and down, and that was all he really cared about.
As he rode down into the stygian darkness of the mine, Michael prepared himself for the conditions.
It would be hot, even though the day was chilly, and it would feel claustrophobic and as though there was no air.
But there was air. They had spent a lot of time making sure of that after the disaster a few months ago when miners had become trapped and were only saved through Troy and Lizzy’s ingenuity.
Michael was really proud of his younger brother, even if he didn’t always agree with the way Troy did things.
There had been the whole Emily debacle, and Michael still thought Troy hadn’t handled the situation as well as he could have, but it seemed no one else was worried about it, and so he was working to let it go.
He realized that his hangup might be because he’d been drawn to Emily from the moment she set foot in the camp. There had been something about her, and he hadn’t been able to stay away. That had initially been problematic when she seemed to be Troy’s girl.
The elevator jerked and made a rumbling noise as it settled at the bottom of the shaft. It was its usual noise, and yet it still set Michael’s teeth on edge.
“Nothing gets you used to that, does it,” Jeff said with a smile.
“No, nothing does,” Michael agreed. Jeff was Andrew’s younger brother and a good miner. He had the same smile as his brother, quirky and warm.
“It’s good to have you down here again,” Jeff said. “You pulling a shift with us grunts?”
Michael shook his head. “Taking some samples again. I’m running more tests.”
“Why?” Jeff asked as they stepped off the elevator platform and made their way down the tunnels. “Is something wrong?”
Michael shrugged. “We’re not getting the yield we should be. I want to make sure that you boys are digging in the right spots.” He chuckled to show he didn’t mean anything serious by it.
Jeff lit a lantern. There was a fizzing, popping sound, and along the corridor, another and then another lantern sprang to life. There was a moment of uncertainty while each man stood very still and waited and when nothing blew up, they carried on down the shaft.
“That is quite some trick,” Michael said.
“Yes, it’s Troy and Lizzy’s work,” Jeff said. “They’ve saved us from having to light each lantern individually, and at the same time, they’ve stopped us from blowing up. It’s a good combination.”
The other miners around them agreed with nods.
“Well, I’m glad it all works,” Michael said. “Hey, do you know where Kevin is?”
“He should be around here somewhere,” Jeff said. “He’s on this shift. Maybe he’s still on his way down.”
“And have you seen Robert?” Michael asked.
“Oh sure, he’ll be taking his time getting down here. He hates working in the dark,” Jeff said.
Michael could understand that. He went about getting his samples as he waited for the two men he was interested in speaking to to arrive.
He went with Jeff to the newest section of the shaft and took a sample, chipping the ore-bearing rock out of the wall.
Then he went to another section and did the same.
On his way back up the shaft, he ran into Kevin. He was working hard, breaking large chunks of rock free of the walls with a pick.
“Hey, Mike, I didn’t see you there,” Kevin said in his good-natured way. “What brings you down here?”
“I needed some samples and to ask you a favor,” Michael said. “How do you feel about shifting to the smelter for a while? It would just be until Ethan is back on his feet.”
“Yeah, I heard about the shooting,” Kevin said.
“Do you think it will be worth it to start sending more of us out with the cart when you go on supply runs? I know Andy wants to keep us here for the work, but I figure not losing things or getting injured would make things work more smoothly around here too.”
“You’re not wrong,” Michael said. “We’re going to have to increase security. But what do you say? Will you come to the smelter? You’re a geologist, and you can help me keep an eye on the purity of our product.”
“I’m happy to help out wherever I’m needed,” Kevin said with a nod. “Do you need me to start today?”
Michael nodded.
“It means that fellows on this side will be a man short,” Kevin said.
“Well, you can pop in after your shift here,” Michael said. “I don’t expect you to drop everything and come running when I call. We can make this work for both of us. We can take turns keeping the smelter running.”
“Thanks,” Kevin said. “I’ll pop in at the end of my shift and see how you’re doing. Then I’ll come to the smelter tomorrow. I’ll have to find a substitute to take my place down here.”
Michael thanked him and moved on, looking for the last bit of business he had down the shaft. It was with Robert Hayes.
Of all the original men who had agreed to come out to this little spot in Texas and build a mine, Robert was the only one who had actual law enforcement experience. He had been a US Marshal and had decided that a life on the road was no life at all.
As a marshal he had been on the road so much that he hadn’t seen his home in months at a time.
It was too much for him. Robert loved to work in his little patch of garden, and on his days off from the mine, he enjoyed painting landscapes.
He had forcefully refused to be the town sheriff on more than one occasion.
Michael was hoping he might be able to change the man’s mind.
He found Robert loading up a mining cart and getting ready to push it up to the surface. It worked on rails, and there was a pulley system in place—more of Troy and Lizzy’s work—but it still needed a man to walk alongside it, making sure everything worked as planned.
“Morning, Robert,” Michael said as he reached the man. “How is it going today?”
Robert was tall with dark hair. He had sharp eyes and an uncanny ability to know when someone was trying to butter him up, even before they reached for their butter knife.
“The morning has been perfectly fine so far, Michael,” Robert said. “How has it been for you? And what exactly is it that you’re looking for?”
“Can’t I pop in and say hi?” Michael asked. He was losing this contest already, and it had only just begun.
“Depends,” Robert said. He straightened up and, reaching to the floor, hooked the cart to a rope.
Then he pulled on a second rope, and a bell rang somewhere.
A moment later, the cart began to move slowly up the shaft, its wheels creaking with the effort of rolling forward with all the broken-up rock loaded in the compartment.
“Depends on what?” Michael asked.
“On what you want to talk about,” Robert said.
They began the slow walk up the shaft.
Michael decided there was no point in beating about the bush with this man. He wanted him to do something, and that was just how it was.
“I think we should talk on the surface,” Michael said.
“Do I have a choice?” Robert asked.
“Sure you do, but I think you’ll want to hear me out,” Michael said.
Robert sighed and nodded. “Okay. I can take a water break.”
It was stiflingly hot down there, and Michael felt the sweat running down his spine.
He couldn’t wait to breathe the fresh air outside of the mine again.
Despite being a geologist, he really hated being underground.
When eventually, he and Robert emerged from the mine, Michael drew in a deep breath.
The day had become overcast, with gray clouds blocking out the sun.
The temperature had dropped too, and Michael breathed in the cold air with great relief.
Robert and Michael drew on their jackets as they walked to the water depot, which was near the entrance.
A large bucket of water and an assortment of tin cups stood on a table.
The water was carried in fresh every day, and it was cold and clear. They dipped two cups in and drank.
“All right,” Robert said, wiping his mouth with his forearm. “What do you want to talk about?”
“Let’s take a little walk,” Michael said, steering him away from listening ears as other miners came up with carts of ore.
They walked to a spot where several stumps had been placed for the miners to take their lunch break. They sat and looked out over the camp. Michael could see the school tent from there. The flap was shut, but he had no doubt that Emily was in there, teaching the children something important.
“We have a problem,” Michael said, breaking the silence. “It’s one I think only you can help me solve.”
“All right,” Robert said, turning to Michael. “What happened?”
“When Ethan and I went to sell the refined ore yesterday, we were told in no uncertain terms that the last couple of shipments we’ve made haven’t been the usual quality,” Michael said.
“Mr. Fry wanted to know what’s gone wrong.
He suggested a couple of scenarios, and I will check for them, but I think we should be prepared for all possibilities. ”
“And they are?” Robert asked.
“One is that I made a mistake with the assessment of the seam,” Michael said. “The other is that we might be dealing with someone who is either skimming or sabotaging us.”