Brandt’s seemingly careless and transitory glance
rested on a little shanty and noted that it was separated
from others of its class by a considerable interval.
“Bute, you say, is on the day-shift.”
“Yes, he won’t be up till six o’clock.”
“I’ll manage to see him then without his
knowing it.”
“Be careful. I take my risk on the ground
of your good faith and prudence.”
“Don’t fear.”
THWARTED
Brandt maintained his disguise admirably. His
presence caused little comment, and he was spoken
of as a visiting stockholder of the mine. During
his walk with Mr. Alford he appeared interested only
in machinery, ores, etc., but his trained eyes
made a topographical map of surroundings, and everything
centred about Bute’s shanty. In the evening,
he amply returned his host’s hospitality by
comic and tragic stories of criminal life. The
next day he began to lay his plans carefully, and
disappeared soon after breakfast with the ostensible
purpose of climbing a height at some distance for
the sake of the prospect. He soon doubled round,
noting every covert approach to Bute’s lodgings.
His eye and ear were as quick as an Indian’s;
but he still maintained, in case he was observed,
the manner of an elderly stranger strolling about
to view the region.
By noon he felt that he had the immediate locality
by heart. His afternoon task was to explore the
possibilities of a stream that crossed the mine road
something over a mile away, and for this purpose he
mounted his horse. He soon reached the shallow
ford, and saw that the water was backed up for a considerable
distance, and that the shallows certainly extended
around a high, jutting rock which hid the stream from
that point and beyond from the road. The bed
appeared smooth, firm, and sandy, and he waded his
horse up the gentle current until he was concealed
from the highway. A place, however, was soon
reached where the water came tumbling down over impassable
rocks; and he was compelled to ascend the wooded shore.
This he did on the side nearest to the mine house,
and found that with care he could lead his horse to
a point that could not be, he thought, over half a
mile from the superintendent’s cottage.
Here there was a little dell around which the pines
grew so darkly and thickly that he determined to make
it his covert should he fail in his first attempt.
His object now was to see if his estimate of proximity
to the mine was correct; and leaving his horse, he
pushed up the mountain-side. At last he reached
a precipitous ledge. Skirting this a short distance,
he found a place of comparatively easy ascent, and
soon learned with much satisfaction that he was not
over two hundred yards from the thicket opposite Mr.
Alford’s quarters. These discoveries all
favored possible future operations; and he retraced
his steps, marking his returning path by bits of white
paper, held in place by stones against the high prevailing
winds. Near the spot where he had left his horse
he found a nook among the rocks in which a fire would
be well hidden. Having marked the place carefully
with his eye and obtained his bearings, he led his
horse back to the stream and reached the unfrequented
road again without being observed.
