That his choice of location had been well made was evidenced by the fact that the ground beneath his feet sloped away to a basin out of which bubbled a spring.  It furnished the drinking supply of the Midas, and he knew every inch of the crevice it had worn down the mountain, so felt his way cautiously along.  At the bottom of the hill where it ran out upon the level it had worn a considerable ditch through the soil, and into this he crawled on hands and knees.  His bulging clothes handicapped him so that his gait was slow and awkward, while the rain had swelled the streamlet till it trickled over his calves and up to his wrists, chilling him so that his muscles cramped and his very bones cried out with it.  The sharp schist cut into his palms till they were shredded and bleeding, while his knees found every jagged bit of bed-rock over which he dragged himself.  He could not see an arm’s-length ahead without rising, and, having removed his slicker for greater freedom of movement, the rain beat upon his back till he was soaked and sodden and felt streamlets cleaving downward between his ribs.  Now and again he squatted upon his haunches, straining his eyes to either side.  The banks were barely high enough to shield him.  At last he came to a bridge of planks spanning the ditch and was about to rear himself for another look when he suddenly flattened into the stream bed, half damming the waters with his body.  It was for this he had so carefully wrapped his fuses.  A man passed over him so close above that he might have touched him.  The sentry paused a few paces beyond and accosted another, then retraced his steps over the bridge.  Evidently this was the picket-line, so Roy wormed his way forward till he saw the blacker blackness of the mine buildings, then drew himself dripping out from the bank.  He had run the gauntlet safely.

Since evicting the owners, the receiver had erected substantial houses in place of the tents he had found on the mine.  They were of frame and corrugated-iron, sheathed within and suited to withstand a moderate exposure.  The partners had witnessed the operation from a distance, but knew nothing about the buildings from close examination.

A thrill of affection for this place wanned the young man.  He loved this old mine.  It had realized the dream of his boyhood, and had answered the hope he had clung to during his long fight against the Northland.  It had come to him when he was disheartened, bringing cheer and happiness, and had yielded itself like a bride.  Now it seemed a crime to ravage it.

He crept towards the nearest wall and listened.  Within was the sound of voices, though the windows were dark, showing that the inhabitants were on the alert.  Beneath the foundations he made mysterious preparations, then sought out the office building and cook-house, doing likewise.  He found that back of the seeming repose of the Midas there was a strained expectancy.

Although suspense had lengthened the time out of all calculation, he judged he had been gone from his companions at least an hour and that they must be in place by now.  If they were not—­if anything failed at this eleventh hour—­well, those were the fortunes of war.  In every enterprise, however carefully planned, there comes a time when chance must take its turn.