The Legend of Deadman's Mine Read Free Page B

haunted, and all of them could be extremely dangerous.” He glanced around the campfire meaningfully. “The story’s just make-believe. But even if the mine did exist, it would be hazardous. Those old shafts are nothing but rotten timbers and narrow passageways, and cave-ins are a real possibility. I want to return you to your parents safe and sound.”
    â€œI’d still like to hear the story,” Sean said. “Will you tell us? Please?”
    â€œAs long as you keep in mind it’s only a story,” Mr. Austin said, relenting. The boys all agreed, and Mr. Austin began. “There was a lot of silver mining in Nevada back in the 1800s,” he explained, “but when the United States passed the Coinage Act of 1873, the silver dollar was omitted from the official currency. So,” he said, “when the government stopped making silver dollars it caused the price of silver to drop, and most of the mines closed down.” He paused, staring into the fire. “Well,” he continued finally, “some of those mines contained fine veins of silver, but with prices so low it would have cost more than it was worth to try to mine the ore.”
    He pointed off into the distance. “There was supposed to be one mine in particular near-abouts that had produced an especially top grade of silver.” His eyes roamed slowly to one side, then the other. “But there were some…accidents in the mine. Terrible, horrifying accidents,” he said, shaking his head.
    â€œEver since, that mine has been known as…Deadman’s Mine.”
    There was some restless murmuring from the boys.
    â€œAround 1890,” Mr. Austin said, “an old prospector won the deed to the mine in a poker game and set out to work it, sure that the price of silver would soon return to what it had been.”
    â€œOnly he couldn’t find the mine,” Carter finished in a dramatic tone of voice.
    â€œWhat happened to the prospector?” Brian asked.
    Mr. Austin paused for a moment. “No one knows. He wandered off into the mountains…and disappeared.”
    Sean gulped.
    â€œNobody ever saw him again?” Mike asked, his voice squeaking.
    Mr. Austin slowly shook his head. “Legend says that late at night his ghost wanders through the ranch to frighten folks away from looking for his mine.”
    â€œHis ghost wanders, all right,” Woody said suddenly. “But that’s not all. To keep people from snooping around looking for his mine, he’s put brush in front of the doorway to hide it. And his skeleton is standing guard just inside the entrance to scare away trespassers.”
    He paused and gave Brian and Sean a chilling stare. “Mr. Austin’s right,” he said. “Looking for mines could be downright dangerous in more ways than one. Coming upon a skeleton is one thing,” he warned them, “but coming up face-to-face with an angry ghost could cause you a heap of trouble!”

3

    L ATER THAT NIGHT, AS the boys got ready for bed, Mike teased Carter about the time he got lost looking for Deadman’s Mine.
    â€œI didn’t get lost,” Carter snapped. “I was trying to follow Woody.”
    â€œWhat for?” Brian asked.
    â€œHe knows where the mine is. I’m sure he does.”
    â€œMr. Austin said Deadman’s Mine is just a story,” Sean said.
    Carter smiled. “That’s what he wants you to think. But the mine exists, all right. And I’ll prove it.”
    â€œEven if the mine exists,” Brian said, sitting down on his bed, “what makes you think that Woody knows where it is?”
    â€œBecause he knows things about the mine that aren’t in other people’s stories when they tell the legend,” Carter explained. “Like the skeleton guarding the entrance and the pile of brush hiding the doorway.”
    Brian pulled out his notebook and began scribbling.
    â€œDon’t you