Part 5 (1/2)

The shaft went straight in, past the range of light filtering in fron of human occupancy or activity, except for the ancient marks on the tunnel wallshere,” Rick said, and his voice was lost in the erunted ”Another dead end Okay, where did the ghost coine He puzzled over it as they walked outside, then suddenly snapped his fingers ”Did you see any sign of water in there? Or a pipe?”

”No It was dry No pipes Why?”

”Hoas the original artesian well driven? Right into the hillside? If so, why didn't the mine tunnel strike water?”

Scotty scratched his chin ”Now that you ative I can't ever ree

We'll have to ask Dr Miller about it”

”Maybe the answer is deeper in the o back and see”

Rick rehts ”I suppose we could make torches out of junk from the trash cans”

”Easy, if we can find some newspapers”

There were several trash cans spotted around the picnic area, and it was indicative of the kind of neat people in the vicinity that they were used There was no litter

The second can yielded two entire newspapers, one a bulky edition of a Washi+ngton paper, the other a ten-page local sheet The boys split the papers evenly, then rolled thehtly They frayed one end with a jackknife to make the torch

”Got a rinned ”No, have you?”

”No ot a pocket lens!”

Rick's enthusiasm for microscopy had extended to the purchase of a twelve-power pocket lens to suppleiven hi speci them home for closer scrutiny under the otten used to carrying the slass arose

He took the lens from his watch pocket and unfolded it from the protective metal case It focused the sun's rays to a pinpoint of intense light and heat, and the charred paper then burst into a tiny flame Rick blew the fla

”Nothing like the scientific method,” he told his pal ”Who needs host out of there”

Scotty grinned ”Nothing like luck,” he corrected ”Okay, I'ht behind you”

They retraced their steps into the h the entrance that the old uessed that the mine had been boarded up because it was unsafe He and Scotty would have to be careful

In a few loo the very well, probably because he had rolled it too tightly They could see only a trace of daylight

The old shaft turned at nearly right angles where a geological fault had forced the Civil War ood ore The turn cut offflicker of Rick's torch Scotty hurriedly held his own torch to the flaht it