"You see there is not the same danger in this
sort of place that you find in a coal mine. I would prefer to work
digging out dynamite to mining coal."
"Dynamite? Do you keep much of it down here?" interrupted the
Professor.
"Oh, yes, we have to. There is enough down here at this moment to
more than blow up the Ruby Mountain. The greater part of it is stored
in what is known as the Ozark drift, the drift running to the
southeast. I'll show it to you when we go that way."
Now they were nearing the more active operations and the metallic
click of the steam drills filled the air as they bored their way
through the solid rock, necessitating the raising of voices that the
boys might make themselves heard.
"Would you like to take a ride in one little cars?" asked Mr. Phipps.
The boys were quite certain that they would enjoy such a trip.
"Pile into the next car, then. We'll send it through without any ore
this time. There would not be room if we were to load the car. I
think it will be a novel experience for you."
And Tom Phipps smiled significantly.
Directing the switch man to shift the car back to the return track,
the mining engineer told the lads to climb in and sit down on the
floor, which they did promptly.
Only the tops of their heads projected above the sides of the ore car.
"Under no circumstances must any of you straighten up unless you wish
to get your heads smashed.
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