now we can get along to
business with fewer preliminaries."

He kicked the released pick-helve to one side out of sight in the
darkness, his watchful eyes never straying from the Irishman's face.
Burke stood sputtering curses, his hands held high, his fighting face
red from impotent passion. The trembling light gave to the scene a
fantastic effect, grimly humorous.

"Who--who the divil be ye?" The surprised man thrust his head yet
farther forward in an effort to make the flame more clearly reveal the
other's features. Winston drew the peak of his miner's cap lower.

"That will make very little difference to you, Jack Burke," he said
quietly, "if I have any occasion to turn loose this arsenal. However,
stand quiet, and it will afford me pleasure to give you all necessary
information. Let us suppose, for instance, that I am a person to whom
Biff Farnham desires to sell some stock in this mine; becoming
interested, I seek to discover its real value for myself, and come down
with the night shift. Quite a natural proceeding on my part, is n't
it? Now, under such circumstances, I presume you, as foreman, would be
perfectly willing to show me exactly what is being accomplished down
here?"

He paused, his lips smiling pleasantly, and Burke stared at him, with
mouth wide open, his eyes mere black slits in the gloom. It was a full
minute before he regained control of his voice.

"Ye think Oi 'm a dommed fool?" he ejaculated, hoarsely.

"No; that is exactly what I do not think, Burke," and Winston smiled
again beneath his stern gray eyes. "That is precisely why I know you
will show me all I desire to see. A damn fool might possibly be
tempted to take chances with this gun, and get hurt, but you are smart
enough to understand that I 've got the drop all right, and that I mean
business--I mean business." These words were uttered slowly,
deliberately, and the foreman involuntarily dropped his lids as though
feeling them physically, the fingers of his uplifted hands clinching.

"What--what is it ye want to see?"

"That tunnel you 've got concealed by falsework."

Burke spat against the rock wall, the perspiration standing forth on
his forehead. But Irish pugnacity made him stubborn.

"Who tould ye that loie? Shure, an' it's not here ye 'll be apt to
foind the loikes o' that, me man."

Winston eyed him scornfully.

"You lie, Burke; I saw it with my own eyes just beyond that second turn
yonder. You cannot p