"Let me tell you that I am attending to my own business, and you will find before you are much older, that I have more right here than you." For a moment Haight hesitated, astonished by Rutherford's words and manner, then was about to make some reply, when the click of the instrument attracted his attention. Keeping his eye on Rutherford, he gave the answering signal with his left hand, then listened intently for the message. It came, containing the final orders and the farewell words of the Silver City office: "Send the mines to hell, and Houston and his crowd with them. Look out for yourself. Good-bye." In his interest in the message, Haight seemed, for an instant, to have partially forgotten Rutherford's presence, his eyes dropped toward the instrument, and in that instant, Rutherford cleared the space between them at a bound, gripping Haight firmly with one hand, while with the other he knocked the revolver which Haight had hastily drawn, half way across the room. With a single blow he knocked Haight to the floor, partially stunning him, but as he regained his senses, he rolled over towards the window, and with a strength born of desperation, struggled to his knees, and before Rutherford realized what he was trying to do, the shade flew upward to the top of the window. Even then, Rutherford would have thought little of it, had not Haight betrayed himself by a leer of fiendish triumph. In an instant Rutherford understood that it had been some pre-arranged signal. "You cowardly villain!" he exclaimed, and pausing only long enough to give him a blow which left him unconscious on the floor, he rushed forth into the darkness and fury of the storm, in the direction of the mines. As he did so, he stumbled against a small boy, running even more swiftly in the same direction. "Mister, Mister Houston! is that you?" rang out Bull-dog's voice, above the storm. "No, my boy, I am going to find Mr. Houston, to save him if I can." "Oh, sir, let me go! I know about it, they're goin' to fire the mines, I heerd Jake say so, and I was a goin' to find Mister Houston myself; I'll get there quicker, 'n I know the mine better 'n you." "But, my boy, you risk your own life," said Rutherford. "Never mind that, sir; Mister Houston, he's been my friend, 'n his life's worth more'n mine anyhow; I'll risk it," and he was already rushing on ahead, shouting back to Rutherford, "You go to the tunnels, sir, you can help him there." "Tell him the signal has been given!" called Rutherford, and Bull-dog, swinging his ragged hat in reply, sped swiftly on through the raging wind. Rutherford paused for a moment, then started in the direction of the tunnels. At that instant, Lyle, still struggling against the fury of the wind, had just reached the ground surrounding the mines; in a few seconds more she would have been within the fatal boundary line, but Bull-dog's voice, as he rushed past, warned her back.