"Now, I would like to go back to the mine and stay there until
some time in the night," Tom proposed. "I would like to take
Hazelton with me. Soon we will arrange it, if necessary, so that
Harry and I shall divide the time at the mine. Whenever, in any
of the tunnels, blank rock is struck, whichever one of us is in
charge will stay by the blank rock blasting, keeping careful record,
until pay ore is struck again."

"You two young engineers are too infernally methodical," grumbled
Dr. Tisco under his breath."

"That is a very excellent plan," smiled Montez, amiably. "We will
put some such plan into operation as soon as we are fairly under
way. But not to-day."

"I would like to start at once," Tom insisted.

"Not to-day," once more replied Don Luis, though without losing
patience. "Yet, if you are anxious to know how the blank rock is
coming I can telephone the mine and get all the information within
five minutes. That will be an excellent idea. I will do it now,
in fact."

Crossing the room, Don Luis rang and called for the mine.

"Our young engineers are very sharp--especially Senor Reade,"
murmured Dr. Tisco to himself, while the telephone conversation
was going on in Spanish. "Yet I wonder if our young engineer
does not half suspect that Don Luis has no man at the other end
of the wire?"