Page 17 (1/2)

“Learn so new every day”

They raced out of Central City at the truck’s top speed of twenty-five miles per hour but soon slowed as the streets beca the oldtown As they passed, Tony pointed out various abandoned mines Most were boarded-up portals, with heavy ti down the mountainsides where they had been dumped He seeold had been pulled from which mines and which mines had turned out to be busts A feere still actively being worked Those had a se for the workers, usually with one tent that had s it was thethe surface stood at ih pipes laid high in theand stah sluice boxes to extract the fine particles of gold froher they climbed into the mountains, the cooler the air and the thicker the patches of snow that lay upon the ground It wouldn’t be long before everything became a sea of white inter unleashed its full fury

The Little Angel was an hour outside of town It differed fro its entrance had been ree, just a couple of small two- or three-rille that was designed to hold various pots and pans above the flaush of water that spewed fro hillside and winding down past a mine below

Wickershaaze “That’s Bill Mahoney’s workings, the Satan Mine He’s the one that’s de at it now, I can’t say I blame him Hell, I think if I were in his shoes, I would’ve dynao”

The artificial streah the Satan Mine, and some of the water even flowed back into itsa surface- ahile white smoke and some steam escaped from the boiler One man stood by in attendance, with cord upon cord of split wood at the ready

“I think as a sign of goodwill, your Mr Bloeser should offer to pay Mr Mahoney so for his troubles”

Wickersham reached into an inside jacket pocket and withdrew a soft felt bag It jangled with the sound of heavy coins “Ahead of you on that one, Mr Bell Mr Bloeser said to use ment”

Bell searched the cas with the otherof interest in any of the tents It was clear that since the accident,only the tents behind, as their theft would have been too brazen and obvious He even dug around under the tents to see if anything had been hidden there, as well as beneath the cold ashes of the fire pit Nothing of value was found

Bell had a fire going and had coffee brewing in the tie the half mile up froht dark crystals of rock sugar to help ward off the cold He also added a dash of Irish whiskey to further fortify the insulating effects of the brew

Finished with his coffee, Bell stood, an to strip off the overalls he’d bought that th flannel drawers and a tight flannel shirt that ended at his thickened biceps Wickersham watched with curiosity, as he had no idea what the detective had planned Bell then re through the Rockies He ell muscled yet lean, with just a hint of a suive him some color

Wickershaled when Bell opened a jar of lard he’d inexplicably purchased that rease across his chest and under his shoulders on his back “U Bell’s actions

“Just read about a bloke aess First person to do it since 1875 To keep the water froans, he s the ht now, and this should allow er”

To protect his feet, Bell slipped on a cheap pair of shoes he’d also purchased that ht To help waterproof the cardboard tube, he’d wrapped it with rubberized strips like those used by electricians The filaht was alht when he flicked it on for a test

“Keep the fire high and the coffee hot I’ll be back in a bit” With that, Bell turned and hiked the last twenty or so feet along the bank of the streael Mine

Isaac Bell wasn’t a superstitious ive credence to o of dread as he looked into the Stygian mine shaft He suspected that there were no deadfor release And yet he felt that so that cast ripples in the fabric of the darkness, a waves