“How did you know that?”
“Well, a hunch, we’ll call it. I wanted desperately to, and perhaps psychology did the rest.”
For a long time she looked at him searchingly, and then her reddish lashes hid her eyes. “Let’s get off and have a look at the tunnel,” she suggested.
She led the way inside the damp cylinder in the hill, and they watched the human gophers forging ahead through the solid rock, from the open crevices of which came a continuous ooze. The men timbered carefully ahead of them as they progressed, and the huge beams used seemed capable of withstanding almost any strain.
“Madge,” said he, as they blew out their candles at the tunnel’s mouth, “I don’t like the looks of things in there. Of course I don’t know anything about the nature of the hilltop, but California Bill says it’s a mass of springs. By George, if she caves on you you’re ruined.”
“I know it,” she readily agreed. “But we’re praying that it won’t cave until the concrete gang gets on the job. We’re timbering heavily, as you saw, and if old Jawbone only will listen to the walker and me we’ll get by, I think.”
“Who’s Jawbone?”
“The most obstinate old Irish boss-powderman in the entire game,” she explained. “He’s a wonder, but too reckless. He’s fired some marvelous shots for us—shots that have made us big money. But on this kind of work he’s simply dangerous. I’d as soon think of firing myself, though, as to fire Jawbone. He’s been with us ever since we hit the West, and Pa swore by him.”
“How is he dangerous?” asked Joshua.
“Well, he uses too much powder for tunnel work like this. I tell him—and Steve, the walking boss, does too—that the big shots he’s firing in there to loosen the muck are likely to bring the entire hill down on his silly old head. He growls at us and keeps right on. He’s one of these faithful-old-retainer types—been with the outfit so long that he thinks he owns it. And he takes advantage of me since Pa died, thinking, of course, that I’m in his hands and helpless without him. But he got a little slide the other day and eased up a lot on the giant, and I’m hoping he learned a lesson before it is too late. If he’ll only stay sober! But the minute he gets a few drinks under his belt he’ll get reckless again.”