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Show 87 Chapter Eleven Josh hated the dark. But when Cap grabbed his arm, pulling him toward the open tunnel of the Lucky Lady mine, he hesitated only an instant. Behind them they could hear the shouts of Bixby and the pilot, urging Rollins to cut them off from the mine entrance. The opening was half filled with rock from a cave-in years earlier, and they had to help Chinook pull the travois over the rubble. In the half-light Josh knelt by his dog and jerked out his belt knife. "I'm cutting the poles loose," he called to Cap. "He'll get stuck with 'em in here." "Hurry," yelled Cap, motioning him on. With quick strokes of his knife Josh let the poles clatter to the floor, then cut the gold bag from the travois. "Grab on," he said to Cap, and the two of them began to drag the heavy gold along with them into the depths of the tunnel. The crunch of rocks outside told them that Rollins was getting closer. Loose now, Chinook lay down and heaved a sigh. When Josh clucked his tongue urgently at him, the dog struggled up and reluctantly trotted along with them. As he and Cap pulled the gold deeper into the mine, Josh paused and gulped. Ahead was the blackest of darkness. What terrors, what dangers lurked there he could only imagine. He felt his hand |
