glittering in the sun-rays, toppled down
until she heard the crash and roar and felt the earth shake under her
feet even at that great distance from the Peak that the ranch was.

"The ranch-house and the out-buildings shook as in a quake, and caused
everyone to run toward the terrace that runs along the edge of the
crater. There they stood watching clouds of snow float up over the
forests that, one moment were to be seen, and the next were moving
swiftly down the mountain sides.

"The folks feared the men at the mine had been killed, as the avalanche
was the greatest they had ever heard of in that vicinity, so Mr. Brewster
rode madly to Oak Creek to get some men to go with him to see if any
signs of his boys could be found.

"They met them at Lone Pine Blaze, and Tom said that John's father sat
still and sobbed like a child, with relief at finding everyone in his
mining-party safe.

"So, Miss Polly, the gold mine is closed by Nature, for untold repairs.
Whether this generation will ever locate the ore and dig out the tools
and machinery buried in the cave, remains to be seen. But I was so
infatuated with life in the Rockies during the short visit I had there,
that I determined to put in all the cramming at college that was
possible, and finish my education so I could go out there to join Tom
Latimer and John Brewster in their exciting engineering work."

When Jack had concluded his story, the girls seemed rather downcast at
the knowledge that their little mine was gone, but Mr. Dalken said to
young Baxter:

"You may as well tell them about the Cliffs, and have all the mourning
over at one time."

Polly glanced anxiously from Mr. Dalken to Jack, and then at Eleanor, but
the young man explained without waiting longer: "All the miners working
at Rainbow Cliffs went on a big strike shortly after the calamity on
Grizzly Slide, and so unreasonable were their demands that Mr. Brewster
refused to grant them. That stopped work on the lava jewels, too, and
everything is closed down until next year. Of course, while there is no
work going on, there are no wages to pay, but there is also no income
from the vast amount of money invested in machinery."

"Dear me, then really, I am a pauper for the time being," exclaimed
Polly, but not in a distressed tone as one would expect after such dire
news.

"Your mother told me most emphatically, that that was _not_ the case.
Everyone at Pebbly Pit seems to want you to continue with