he smiled.

The wires were attached, and all hands went back, most of them
going considerably to the rear of the man at the magneto battery.

A rocking explosion followed. Tom was among the first to run forward.
At the heading were heaps of rock.

"Get in and pry it loose. Shovel it back," Tom ordered, in Spanish.

Shortly after, Don Luis, Dr. Tisco and Harry appeared on the scene.
They found Tom turning over the ore as it came back. More than a
dozen samples he dropped into envelopes, labeled them and put them
away in his pockets.

"What ails this lot of ore?" inquired Harry, after looking at
specimens.

"It is not running as well," said Tom briefly. "Go through the
stuff and see what you think of it."

"But we have much more to see, _caballeros_," interposed Don Luis.

"If you will be kind enough to indulge me here, for a few minutes
more, I shall be grateful," Tom informed him.

"Oh, very good," assented Don Luis, with a shrug of his shoulders.
"But it is not my purpose to tire you with too many observations
on our first trip through the mine."