Leading the way with a lantern that threw a brilliant light, the
foreman went on down the tunnel to the heading. As he neared
the end of the tunnel the man called loudly and a number of workmen
stepped aside.

As they reached the spot, Tom's quick eye saw that the morning's
blasts had loosened some eight tons or so of ore. Drillers stood
ready to drive through the rock for the next blast.

"Let us look at the ore, Senor Tomaso," suggested the mine owner.

Tom began to delve through the piles of shattered, reduced rock.
The foreman held the lantern close, that the young engineer might
have all the light he wanted, and called to miners to bring their
lights closer.

Then Harry, also, began to examine the rock. For some minutes
the two young engineers picked up specimens and examined them.

"What do you make of it?" inquired Don Luis Montez at last.

"Is this what you call a run of poor luck?" Tom asked the foreman,
dryly.

"Yes, senor; rather poor," answered the foreman.

"Then it must be rather exciting here when the ore is running
well," smiled Tom. "At a guess I should say that this 'poor'
stuff before us will run thirty dollars to the ton."