Spooner did not finish what he was about to say. The dark object bounded from the ore car, landing with great force against the angry contractor. Spooner toppled over backwards, the breath pretty well knocked out of him, collapsing in the gutter at the side of the track.
Steve Rush had found the Spooner contract at last. The lad was not much the worse for his exciting slide, though he had been somewhat bruised when he burst through the wooden trap door at the lower end of the rise.
Steve was up in a twinkling. He looked about him and in a half laughing voice demanded:
"Where am I?"
"I reckon you're on seventeen," answered one of the miners.
"Where's the boss?"
"He's down there under you somewhere. I guess you knocked the daylight out of him. I hope you did. If it wasn't for my wife and family I'd a done it long time ago."
"Yes; I'd give a year's wages for the privilege of turning the diamond drill on him," added the head driller.
"Did I hit a man?" asked Steve anxiously.