himself and say: "There is coal there; I will not give it up; and coal

or no coal I will drive the tunnel clear through the hill; I will not

surrender while I am alive."

He never thought of asking Mr. Montague for more money. He said there

was now but one chance of finding coal against nine hundred and ninety

nine that he would not find it, and so it would be wrong in him to make

the request and foolish in Mr. Montague to grant it.

He had been working three shifts of men. Finally, the settling of a

weekly account exhausted his means. He could not afford to run in debt,

and therefore he gave the men their discharge. They came into his cabin

presently, where he sat with his elbows on his knees and his chin in his

hands--the picture of discouragement and their spokesman said:

"Mr. Sterling, when Tim was down a week with his fall you kept him on

half-wages and it was a mighty help to his family; whenever any of us was

in trouble you've done what you could to help us out; you've acted fair

and square with us every time, and I reckon we are men and know a man

when we see him. We haven't got any faith in that hill, but we have a

respect for a man that's got the pluck that you've showed; you've fought

a good fight, with everybody agin you and if we had grub to go on, I'm

d---d if we wouldn't stand by you till the cows come home! That is what

the boys say. Now we want to put in one parting blast for luck. We want

to work three days more; if we don't find anything, we won't bring in no

bill against you. That is what we've come to say."

665

The Gilded Age