Down the Slope   By: James Otis (1848-1912)

DOWN THE SLOPE

BY

JAMES OTIS

Author of "Telegraph Tom's Venture," "Messenger No. 48," "Toby Tyler," "The Boy Captain," "Silent Peter," etc., etc.

ILLUSTRATED

[Illustration]

M. A. DONOHUE & COMPANY

407 429 Dearborn Street

CHICAGO

COPYRIGHT 1899

BY

THE WERNER COMPANY

M. A. DONOHUE & COMPANY PRINTERS AND BINDERS 407 429 DEARBORN STREET CHICAGO

CONTENTS

PAGES

CHAPTER I THE BREAKER BOY 7 14

CHAPTER II THE WARNING 14 24

CHAPTER III IN THE SHAFT 24 33

CHAPTER IV THE BARRIER 33 41

CHAPTER V THE MOB 41 50

CHAPTER VI ON DUTY 51 59

CHAPTER VII THE STRUGGLE 59 66

CHAPTER VIII THE PURSUIT 67 75

CHAPTER IX JOE BRACE 75 84

CHAPTER X THE RESCUE 85 93

CHAPTER XI BILLINGS AND SKIP 94 101

CHAPTER XII A SINGULAR ACCIDENT 101 110

CHAPTER XIII BURIED ALIVE 110 118

CHAPTER XIV PRECAUTIONS 118 126

CHAPTER XV A DISCOVERY 126 134

CHAPTER XVI GOOD SAMARITANS 134 142

CHAPTER XVII DOWN THE SLOPE 142 150

CHAPTER XVIII SHUT DOWN 150 158

CHAPTER XIX THE CONSULTATION 158 165

CHAPTER XX THE ACCUSED 165 172

CHAPTER XXI AMATEUR DETECTIVES 173 180

CHAPTER XXII UNEXPECTED NEWS 180 187

CHAPTER XXIII A MISADVENTURE 187 195

CHAPTER XXIV BILL'S MISHAP 195 202

CHAPTER XXV JOE'S INTERVIEW 203 210

CHAPTER XXVI TURNING THE TABLES 210 217

CHAPTER XXVII AN UNLOOKED FOR DENIAL 217 224

CHAPTER XXVIII OPINIONS 224 230

CHAPTER XXIX A QUESTION OF TITLE 231 237

CHAPTER XXX A SUIT AT LAW 237 244

CHAPTER XXXI SKIP 244 253

CHAPTER XXXII ACQUITTED 253 262

CHAPTER XXXIII VICTORIOUS 262 269

CHAPTER XXXIV THE NEW MINE 270 273

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

"Raise him up!" Skip shouted, and in another instant Fred was suspended over the old shaft Frontispiece

Fred set off at full speed, and almost immediately a shout went up from the rioters: "The sneaks are sending for help! Stop that boy!" 74

"You four are to act as sentinels," said the superintendent. "Study this map and you will hit upon a scheme" 95

"Please don't drag me off," Skip said, piteously. "I'll never hurt you or anybody else again" 128

DOWN THE SLOPE

CHAPTER I

THE BREAKER BOY

"Jest moved here, eh?"

"Came last Friday."

"And you are going into the breaker?"

"Yes."

"For thirty five cents a day?"

"That is all the company pays, and a green hand can't expect to get more."

"Were you ever in a mine before?"

"I never even saw one."

"A trip down the slope will be enough to make you wish such a place in which to earn a living never existed. Why don't you try something else before it is too late?"

"What do you mean by 'too late'?"

"When a fellow is in debt to the company's store he can't afford to be independent, and it is about the same as selling yourself outright for enough to eat and drink."

"I won't get into debt."

"Wait a week, and see if you can say the same thing then."