The roof of the tunnel was a great slab of rock. The old method of “timbering in square sets” had been used in the Crayton claim, and the square cribs, filled with waste rock, upheld the roof of these workings.
What puzzled Chet was the identity of the person who had been so recently working at the end of this abandoned tunnel.
“What was he working here for?” demanded Dig. “There’s no sign of silver that I can see.”
Both boys thought that they knew a good deal about pay ore, both gold and silver. They were so much about their fathers’ mine, and had heard so much miners’ talk, and had seen so many specimens of ore, that they felt they were not to be easily fooled.
John Peep had nothing to say and the expression on his face did not invite questions.
Chet and Digby threw off their coats and set to work. Chet first swung the pick, while Dig shovelled the earth away. In five minutes Chet’s pick rang on a rock in the wall.
“Hello!” exclaimed his chum. “Did you hear that?”
“I hit a rock.”
“And somebody hallooed,” declared his chum, with confidence.
“Was it a voice? Do you think so?” cried the excited Chet. “So soon?”