CHAPTER XSTARTLING NEWS
Frank saw that the situation was a grave one. The rough men of the mining camp naturally believed that their demands had been refused by the stern overseer, Mr. Riley, with the approval of Colonel Haywood. And their anger must, in that event, be more or less inflamed against the principal owner of the mine.
Such turbulent spirits, once they got started, would be capable of doing almost any terrible thing in order to satisfy their desire to get even.
Frank, however, knew that there was a way to manage even the most riotous crowd, provided the men had not gone beyond all restraint. A few half-way sensible spirits among the crowd could sway them the right way. Here was McCoy, who could be placed in that list; but the question was, were there any others?
“McCoy,” he said to the engineer, as the miners came trooping forward, with ominous looks and cries, “back me up in anything that I’m going to say. And if you happen to know of several decent fellows among the lot, call on themto stand by us when the pinch comes. I’m going to carry the day!”
The Scotchman looked admiringly at the boy, as he observed quickly:
“Now, I wouldn’t be surprised if ye do, Frank. Anyhow, ye can depend on Sandy McCoy to stand by ye, come what may. And sometimes a soft word does more than all the threats in the wide world.”
“I believe you, Sandy,” replied Frank.
There was really little time for saying anything more. The surging mob had by now drawn close to them. Bob could see the ugly faces of the men, and he found himself wondering whether the fact of their carrying repeating rifles was going to help matters any.
Frank had made not the slightest move looking toward his gun. He sat in the saddle, and smiled, as he waved a hand toward the approaching miners.
“Hello! men,” he called out.
A perfect howl went up, so that if Frank had intended saying anything more it would have been drowned in the racket. He sat there, still smiling, as though waiting for a chance to speak. A few of the miners were seen to be turning on their point, and several scowled at Sandy, as though trying to enforce silence. Above the clamor Bob heard one fellow say:
“Keep still, and let the boy have a chance!Give him a square deal, and listen to what he’s got to say afore ye howl him down. Silence!”
By slow degrees the noise began to subside. Some stopped shouting because they were influenced by these arguments, and a sense of fair play; others on account of a shortage of breath.
Then the last shout died out, and silence ensued.
“Men,” said Frank, as firmly as he could, though doubtless his heart was beating like a trip-hammer under the excitement, “A good friend of yours, Sandy McCoy here, managed to send word to my father that there was some trouble at the mine, and asked him to come on to talk matters over with you, so that if anything was wrong it might be righted.”
A few angry cries interrupted Frank at this point, and several scowled at Sandy, as though they suspected him of having sought to betray them.
“Wait! Listen to what else I have to say!” shouted Frank, holding up his hand.
Again those men who had asked for a fair hearing before influenced the others, and the unruly ones were hushed, so that the boy could continue.
“My father would have come himself to meet you, only he is suffering from a broken leg. He sent me instead, with my chum, whose fatheralso owns many shares in the good old Cherry Blossom mine. And, men, you can see for yourselves that we came to meet you as friends, because we are alone. There is no armed force back of us to threaten you. I have been sent to hear your grievances, and if they seem to be just, to settle the trouble here.”
Again all sorts of cries broke out. Some of the men cheered; others, who feared that the chances for rioting might be reduced to nothing, gave evidence of their hostility. But Frank saw with satisfaction that by a large majority the crowd was coming to look on him in the light of a friend, and not a foe.
“Where is Mr. Riley?” he asked.
One of the men who had demanded a hearing for the boy stepped forward.
“He’s barricaded himself in the engine house,” he declared, grimly; “and says he’ll shoot down every striker who tries to enter. I reckon the men were only waiting for night to come to rush his fort, and put everything to the torch!”
“Then it seems that I didn’t get here any too soon,” remarked Frank. “Listen to me, men; I’ve got full authority from my father to hear your complaints, and to offer you a remedy, no matter what it may cost the company. We want our men here at the Cherry Blossom to be satisfied!”
“Hear! hear!” arose many shouts, while a few hats were thrown into the air.
Some of the trouble makers tried to stir up the passion of the mob.
“He’s only giving you taffy, men!” they called. “Don’t believe what the kid says. All he wants is to hoodwink us, ’till the force from the ranch gets within striking distance. Then it’ll be bullets instead of soft words!”
But these few were quickly made to understand they were in the minority, and that the crowd was ready to give Frank the chance he asked for.
“How about the boss—Riley?” shouted one.
“Yes, we never can work under him again, and there’s no use talkin’,” cried another.
“Wait!” said Frank. “Perhaps there may be a change here. Perhaps my father has another position on his ranch for Mr. Riley, and you may have a new foreman! How would Sandy McCoy suit you, men?” and he laid a hand on the shoulder of the brawny young engineer as he spoke.
At this the shouts that rang out were deafening. Doubtless Gustave Riley, entrenched behind the barricade he had erected at the engine house of the mining camp, was sorely puzzled by the strange sounds that came to his ears. He might have imagined that the mutineers were getting ready to use dynamite, in order to blow everybuilding in the place to pieces, to satisfy their desire for revenge.
Frank held up his hand to ask for further silence, and when he could be heard went on:
“Depend on it, men, everything is going to be made right. Stick by us, and there will be no cause for any further trouble. If you had sent a committee to my father before going to extremes all this might have been avoided, because he has the name of being a square man. Are we going to be friends, men?”
Like magic the temper of the mob had changed. Those rough men had come out filled with anger toward Colonel Haywood and his entire family. Now they had swung around to the other extreme. Nearly to a man they pressed forward to shake hands with the saddle boys. Even those who had appeared to be ugly toward Frank thought best to hide their real feelings and go with the tide.
“Now, what do you think, Sandy?” asked Frank, more than a little excited by the success that had attended his peace move.
“It’s just wonderful how things have changed around, Frank,” replied the other. “But would ye mind telling me whether your father knew what ye were going to do about makin’ a change here in overseers?”
“Oh! we talked it all over, Sandy,” repliedthe boy. “He’s been convinced that a change would do good here, and that Riley was too severe with the men. So he is going to offer him a fine position on the ranch, for he needs just such a man there. I hope Riley takes the job, for he is all right, if a little too pig-headed.”
“And did your father mention my name, Frank?” asked the pleased engineer.
“You may be sure he did the same, Sandy. Long ago he had his eye on you, and told me you were going to get this billet if ever there was a change made. But come, I’d like to talk with the overseer. Suppose we go to the engine house, Sandy.”
Frank and Bob jumped to the ground, leaving their horses to be looked after by some of the men, who were only too eager to curry favor this way. Accompanied by McCoy, and followed by two dozen of the miners, they pushed through the camp, heading toward the buildings.
A head was thrust out of an opening, and a voice hailed them.
“Keep back, every man of you! If a single one crosses that dead line, I shoot!”
“Hold on, Mr. Riley,” the miner’s son called. “Look again, and you’ll see that it’s Frank Haywood.”
“Why, so it is, for a fact!” cried the prisoner of the engine house, in a surprised tone. “Whateverbrings you here, and right now when there’s going to be all sorts of trouble breaking loose?”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Mr. Riley,” answered Frank, as, accompanied by his two companions, he continued to advance. “I’ve been sent here by dad, whose broken leg prevented his coming, to look into matters, and settle the same to the satisfaction of the men.”
“Does that mean your father is going to give in to them?” demanded the obstinate foreman. “If that’s the case just count me out. I resign on the spot. I’d fight the whole camp before I’d knuckle down to a lot of rascals.”
“All right, Mr. Riley; your resignation is accepted,” said Frank, as the door opened, and he stepped into the building. “My father has seen for some time that you and the men here had bad blood between you; and he wants you on the ranch, if you will come, to fill a position that pays better than being overseer at the mine.”
Riley, who was certainly a fighter, looked uncertain.
“Well,” said he, “it sure does make me tired to think these plotters are going to soft-soap Colonel Haywood; but perhaps, after all, its best. They would burn the buildings down, and cause a big loss. But see here, Frank, who will be boss after I’m gone?”
Frank turned and looked smilingly at McCoy.
“Dad has had this gentleman in his eye for some little time; how do you think he’d fill the bill, Mr. Riley?” he asked.
The deposed overseer waited for a minute, as though trying to conquer the natural feeling of bitterness that almost overwhelmed him. Then he impulsively thrust out his hand to Sandy.
“You couldn’t do better,” he said. “I honestly believe Sandy McCoy will make good. Besides, I reckon he’s got the confidence of the men, and that’s what I was never able to get.”
“Then it’s all right, Mr. Riley,” Frank remarked. “As you find the time, please put the new overseer in touch with all the affairs of the company that he ought to know. And when that is done my father will want to see you at the ranch.”
“Very good, Frank,” said Mr. Riley. “You got here just in the nick of time. From the way things were going I’m afraid there’d have been warm work before another sun came up. I had six guns back of me, with one man and two boys to help. But now we’ll try and forget all about the trouble. I suppose you’ll have the men get a committee together, formulate their demands, and then pass on ’em?”
“That’s about what I expect to do, Mr. Riley,” remarked Frank, gleefully. “And since they already trust me, I expect to have little trouble inpatching up a lasting truce with the men of the Cherry Blossom mine. Why, perhaps in a day or two, my chum and I will be taking the back trail to Circle Ranch.”
The deposed foreman looked around him cautiously, and Bob was struck by something of mystery in his actions. Then he leaned forward, and plucked Frank by the sleeve.
“It might be you will not be leaving for home as soon as you thought, Frank,” he said, suggestively.
“Why not, Mr. Riley; what’s to hinder us?” asked the boy, earnestly.
“Why, I’m thinking that perhaps you’d feel inclined to stay a little while longer, and see if you couldn’t recover it,” Mr. Riley remarked.
“Recover what?” Frank asked.
“The treasure that has been stolen from the strong room in the office of Cherry Blossom mine,” came the astonishing reply.
“Treasure!” echoed Frank. “Do you mean to tell me there has been a robbery as well as a strike here?”
“Just that, Frank,” replied the other, moodily. “All the clean-up of the month, some two hundred pounds of gold, has been stolen, and the robbers are by now far away from here!”