CHAPTER II
HANDLING THE RED ORE
"Why, boy, you couldn't stand up for an hour down below ground."
Ike Penton, general superintendent of the Cousin Jack Mine, smiledindulgently into the eager face of Steve Rush.
"It's a man's work, not a boy's work. Mr. Carrhart's letter gives you afine endorsement. He seems to think you have the making of a miner inyou, and acting on his judgment, I shall of course give you a chance."
"Thank you, sir. You will try to place me down in one of the mines, willyou not?"
"No; I shall not take the responsibility of doing so just at the presentmoment. I shall use you above ground for a few days, until I see whatyou are best fitted to do, and then--but mind you, I am not making anypromises--I will see what can be done for you."
The superintendent smiled indulgently. He was a man of kindly impulsesand he had boys of his own. Then, too, he remembered the day, many yearsbefore, when he, also, had sought employment in the iron mines. By sheerpluck he had worked his way up from the ranks, until now he was thehead of an army of more than five thousand men, distributed among thevarious mines.
"Yes, I will see what can be done for you," repeated the superintendent.
"Thank you, sir; but I wish you might find a place for me down in themines."
"Why are you so anxious to get below ground, my lad?"
"So that I may begin my apprenticeship at once."
"When will you be ready to go to work?"
"I am ready now," answered Steve promptly.
"The day is well along. Report here at seven o'clock to-morrow morning,and I will place you at something. Your pay, to begin, will be a dollara day. Here is the address of a boarding house that I should advise youto put up at, unless you already have made arrangements."
"No, sir."
"Very well. Report to the boarding house boss some time to-day and hewill see that you are taken care of. There are very good boys there, andyou will learn considerable about the business of mining from them. Letme advise you, however, not to mix in too much with the foreign element.Let them alone and you will find they will do the same with you. Paystrict attention to duty, be punctual and work, and you will get along.Our discipline is strict, but we have the interests of our men at heart.In so far as they will let us, we make their well-being our first care.Here is a copy of the rules governing the conduct of men in alldepartments. Study it well to-day and come back here to-morrow morningat the hour named."
Briefly thanking the superintendent, Steve left the mine office at IronMountain and proceeded to the boarding house. There he was assigned to aroom in which were cots for two men. The place was neat and clean,though extremely plain. There were no evidences of luxury in thefurnishings, and when he sat down to his first meal there he found thefood plain but wholesome; the miners mostly silent and in a great hurryto have done with their meal. Considering how they bolted their food,Steve did not understand how any of them managed to keep out of thehospital.
"It's a wonder they don't all have chronic indigestion," he thought.
No one paid any attention to the quiet youth, after the first carelessglance at him, as the men took their places at the table. The lad didnot care particularly. He was rather glad that they did leave him whollyto himself until he should become better acquainted with hissurroundings.
What Steve was curious about, however, was who his roommate was to be.When he asked the boarding house boss about this the boy was told towait until night, when he would see for himself. After that Steve askedno more questions.
After dinner young Rush went out to wander about and get acquainted withhis surroundings. Iron Mountain, the town in which was located the minewhere he was to work, was a village of about seventeen hundredinhabitants, nestling between two high ranges of mountains. The timberhad been cut off, and wherever the eye chanced to rest it was met by aforest of black stumps, with here and there the shaft of an iron minerising dark and gloomy.
It was the most cheerless scene that Steve Rush had ever gazed upon. Thebuildings in the village proper were mostly mere shacks, the publicschool being the only building worthy of a name in the entire community.
The streets of the town were deserted, but beneath them, far down in theearth, men toiled and burrowed by day and by night, penetrating deeperand deeper into the earth in their quest for Nature's riches.
The lad was lonely. He would have been homesick had he not beenpossessed of the grit to keep his emotions in check. But as he strolledover toward the towering, gloomy mine shafts he began to realize thathe was at the very fountain head of the greatest steel industry in theworld. From the quiet of the little mining village he had come upon ascene of work the like of which he had never seen before.
As he gazed, the great ore cars shot up from the mines with a roar.Leaping to the top of the high shaft, they hurled their cargoes of redore into waiting dump cars, then dropped back below ground with a speedalmost too great for the human eye to follow. Men red with the metalthey were handling were laboring on the surface, their faces streakedwith perspiration, their rolled-up sleeves and open-necked shirtsdisplaying the brawn and muscle without which the great steel companywould quickly lose its greatness.
Shrieking railroad engines were dashing into the yards, dragging fromthem loads of ore that would be rushed to waiting ore boats on the GreatLakes, to be conveyed thence to the great steel mills in the east. Thecars were being loaded by machinery and with such speed as to cause thewatcher to gasp with amazement.
"This is wonderful," Steve cried, carried away by his enthusiasm. "Thisis the life for me! I never dreamed it was so splendid."
It was, indeed, a world pulsating with opportunities for him whopossessed the pluck to fight his way to the front. In a vague sort ofway, Steve Rush seemed to realize this.
"Some day I shall be at the head of one of these great industries!" hebreathed. "I, too, will be a captain of industry! I'll never give upuntil I am--until I have learned all that can be learned about thiswonderful industry."
The afternoon drew to a close all too soon for Steve, and not until thewhistle blew at six o'clock and the miners in their oilskins camestreaming up from their underground haunts, did the lad make up his mindto leave. With a sigh, he turned away, starting thoughtfully for theboarding house.
Just before sitting down to supper he was introduced to a Cornishman,who, he was told, was to be his roommate. When Steve had taken his placeat the table he found himself sitting opposite a boy whom he judged tobe about his own age. This boy, however, was taller and much more ruggedlooking than was Steve.
The latter saw the lad eyeing him inquiringly.
"What's your name, boy?" finally demanded the larger of the two,pointing a spoon at Steve.
"Stephen Rush."
"Rush?"
"Yes."
"That's a funny name. Do you hear that, fellows?"
"I do not see anything so very funny about it," replied Steve, his faceflushing ever so little. "What is your name?"
"Mine? I'm Bob Jarvis. But, judging from your name, you must be one ofthose fellows who is always in a hurry. Does your mamma know you'rehere?"
"She does," answered Steve gravely.
"Is she a Rusher, too?"
"Her name is Rush, if that is what you mean."
"Well, what do you think of that? His mother's Rush and she's a Rusher,too. That must be a pretty lively family," scoffed Jarvis. "Why, I'llbet----"
"You will please leave my mother's name out of your talk," commandedSteve quietly, directing a level gaze at Jarvis.
"Touchy, eh? Do you hear that, fellows?"
If the miners did hear they were much too busy with their suppers togive the matter much attention.
"Little Miss Hurry-up is going to get in a huff. But never mind, Rusher,I guess you're right at that. I had a mother once myself, but that don'tstop me from saying whatever I want to you."
"Say what you wish to, so long as you confine your talk to myself,"replie
d Steve. "What you say about me doesn't matter much, anyway. Forthat matter, I do not think your remarks are of very great consequence,whatever subject you may be discussing."
"What's that?"
"I think you heard what I said."
"What do you mean, young fellow?"
"If you don't understand, I shall try to make it plainer. I mean to saythat you act like a rowdy. I shouldn't be surprised if you are one."
Bob Jarvis half rose from his chair. The smile had left his face, givingplace to an angry scowl.
"So, you--you are looking for fight, eh?" he demanded, thrusting hischin forward belligerently.
"No, sir; I am not." Steve did not even look up as he made the reply,but calmly proceeded with his supper.
"Well, you've got to fight, whether you are looking for it or not. I'llshow you that you can't hand out a line of talk like that to BobJarvis," growled the larger boy, starting for the head of the table,around which he would have to go to reach Steve.
"Stow your scrapping and give us a chance to eat our suppers," growledone of the miners.
"Yes, we'll throw both of you out first thing you know," added another."If you want to fight, why don't you have it out before you come to thetable?"
Jarvis gave no heed to the warnings. He was bent on punishing the boy onthe other side of the table who had defied him. Just as he was passingthe head of the table, a heavy hand gripped his collar, sending Bobspinning back toward his seat.
"Sit down!" bellowed a voice.
The boarding boss straightened up threateningly. It was he who hadchecked the pugnacious Bob Jarvis, and just in time to prevent a livelyfight in the miners' boarding house. Bob fell rather than sat down inhis chair.
"If you want to fight, go out doors. But if you do fight, I'll reportyou both to the superintendent," warned the boss, resuming his seat.
Bob sulked in his chair, while Steve Rush, appearing to take not theleast bit of interest in the disturbance, went on with his supperunmoved.
"I'll make you take that back when I catch you outside, one of thesefine days, Miss Hurry-up," threatened Bob in a low tone, leaning overthe table with one eye on the boarding house boss.
"Yes?"
"Yes, I will. I dare you to meet me over by the dry house after supper.I promise you I will take it out of your hide."
"No, thank you," replied Steve dryly, with a slight shrug of theshoulders.
"You won't?"
"No, I will not."
"Afraid, eh?"
"Yes; afraid I might lose some sleep. I am going to bed after supper. Ihave work on hand to-morrow and I don't care to spoil my chances bygetting into a row to-night. Besides, I am not a fighter. I am here forbusiness."
"Fellows, I told you he was a missie. I see I've got to take you inhand, Rush. You'll never make a miner until you've been properlytrimmed, and I'm the boy who's taken the contract to do the job. I----"
"Jarvis, that will be about enough for the present," warned the boardinghouse boss from the head of the table.
"Can't a fellow have a little fun without being called down?" demandedBob in a tone of disgust.
"Yes; have all the fun you want, but don't pick on a boy who isn't yoursize. You, boy down there, what did you say your name is?"
"Stephen Rush."
"Well, Steve, don't be afraid of Jarvis. His bark is much worse than hisbite."
"I am not afraid of him, sir."
"If he bothers you here, let me know. If you have any trouble outside,report it to the superintendent or to your foreman. Where are you goingto work?"
"I don't know, sir. I have not been assigned. I thank you, but I think Ishall be able to take care of myself without reporting to anyone," addedRush, flashing a significant glance at Bob Jarvis. The latter started tomake some reply, but checked himself sharply.
From that time on the meal proceeded without further disturbance. Justas they were leaving the table, however, Jarvis edged over to whereSteve was standing, waiting for those ahead of him to pass through thenarrow door.
"I hope you get in my shift," he whispered in Steve's ear.
"Why?"
"Because I'll have a chance to teach you a few things."
"Then I hope I do," answered the lad in his soft voice. "I want to learnall I can, you know."
Bob's face wrinkled into a scowl. He was not certain whether Stevereally meant what he said or whether he was poking fun at him.
Early on the following morning Steve reported to the office of thesuperintendent. To his disappointment he was assigned to the ore dump.This is a great pile of ore dumped on the surface by a tram car as theore is brought up from the mine in a skip, or ore elevator. Steve'sparticular duty was to stand at the outer end of the track and shovelthe ore away from the track after each carload had been dumped.
It was not a comfortable place to stand, for a misstep would precipitatehim down the sloping end of the ore dump to the ground some forty feetbelow.
On this dump the ore car was pushed by hand, whereas on others it wasoperated by electricity. Steve had received his instructions from thedump boss, so, with a shovel in his hands, he stood awaiting the firstcarload of ore.
At last it came on with a bump and a crunch, groaning and threatening tojump the rails with each revolution of its wheels.
Steve sprang to one side as he saw the car approaching, believing forthe minute that the tram was going to run him down and plunge over theend of the dump. Should such be the case, the tram would surely carryhim down with it, so he had lost no time in getting out of the way.
"Hi, there! Look out where you are going! You'll run off the track!"shouted the lad in a warning tone.
But the tram did not run off. It came to a slow stop; then, instead ofdischarging its cargo over the end of the pile, the end of the car's boxsuddenly swung around toward Steve. There followed a quick, sharp,metallic clang. Steve Rush went down with the contents of the carfalling all about him in a red, suffocating shower, burying him nearlyto his neck. Some of the ore rolled down the side of the dump, and thelad would have followed had he not been held fast by the dirt about him.His body was bruised in spots where unbroken chunks had bombarded him;his hair, mouth, eyes and nose were full of the stuff, and he foundhimself scarcely able to breathe.
For a moment the boy was at a loss to understand what had happened. Byindustrious blinking and rubbing of his eyes he managed presently totake account of his surroundings.
Steve struggled with all his might to free himself. He was unable to doso.
"He--help!" he shouted. "I--I'm bu--buried up to my chin and I'm gettingin deeper all the time. Help me to get out of this!"
"Hello, there! What's the matter?" questioned a jeering voice. "Why,upon my word, if it isn't Little Miss Rush."
Steve recognized the voice as belonging to Bob Jarvis.
"It's you, is it, Jarvis? Well, help me out of this and I will talk withyou. I shall have a few things to say to you, too, when we get a chanceto talk----"
"Why, sure, I'll help you out. How did you happen to get in the way ofthat dump?"
"Never mind how. I believe you did that on purpose, Bob Jarvis, and youwill have to answer to me for it," declared Steve Rush in a resolutetone.