Chapter 18
A few nights later one of the junior engineers came running into the office where Hanlon and Philander were playing chess.
"Trouble down in Stope Four," he gasped.
Philander jumped up, upsetting the board. He grabbed his glo-light and started out.
"Want me along, sir?" Hanlon asked.
"Might as well," and Hanlon ran with them.
Down in the mine they found, after examination, that it was not as bad as it at first seemed. Some timbers had rotted away—or had not been good wood in the first place—and a rock fall had occurred. But once they started working at it, they found it not too big. Hanlon was sent running for the rest of the men, and in a few hours everything was all tight again.
Back in the office Hanlon picked up the fallen chess pieces while Philander and the engineers talked for some time. When they left Hanlon asked, "Want to finish the game—or rather, since the board was upset, want to play another?"
"Better make it a rain-check. I've got some paper work I should do. Make it tomorrow."
"That's okay with me. I'll go hit the hay."