“How is that?” inquired Houston, with much interest, “to what do you refer?”
“I refer to the Lucky Chance mine; are you familiar with that property?”
“Not especially,” said Houston, “I have paid no attention to it, as it was not one in which our company was interested, nor one of which I was in charge. Since the recent change, I have visited the mine once with Mr. Blaisdell, but we only went in a short distance, and he informed me there was but little work done there, and but few men employed.”
“Yes,” replied Jack, with peculiar emphasis, “but that ‘little work’ as he terms it yields the company a larger percentage than any other single mine which they own.”
Houston’s face expressed considerable astonishment. “You surprise me,” he exclaimed, “because I thought I knew their best paying properties, and I never would have supposed that was one of them, either from my own observation, or from anything I have heard of it.”
“It would not be for the interests of the company to have much said regarding the mine, or to have the workings investigated very closely. You are probably aware that the claim adjoins the Yankee Boy?”
“Certainly,” answered Houston, “I am aware of that fact.”
“Very well,” replied Jack, rising and going to the table. “I have prepared some diagrams here which I would like you and Mr. Van Dorn to examine. Here you will see,” he continued, as they drew their chairs near the table,“ the boundaries and underground workings of the Lucky Chance mine, with their approximate measurements. Please look them over and see if you detect any irregularities.”
Both Houston and Van Dorn studied the diagram carefully for a moment, when the latter exclaimed:
“Why, the main tunnel extends more than a hundred feet beyond the boundary line.”