Grant jumps down an embankment, holding me out so I don’t get jostled. We have arrived at the mine’s opening and the darkness just inside made me shiver as Grant gently sets me on my feet.
“Are you cold?”
“No, but that looks terrifying. I hate that you go in there all alone.”
“I would be lying if I said there haven’t been a few close calls. Trying to stabilize and reinforce everything as I go has not always been easy. An extra set of hands would be greatly appreciated. I simply have not found anyone I could count on or trust in this area to hire as help.”
“How do you know what you’re looking for under a mountain?”
“If you’re willing to go in, I will show you.”
Pausing, I stand there for a minute as he holds his hand out for me, and even though it looks like a giant mouth ready to swallow us whole, I know Grant wouldn’t deliberately do anything to hurt me. So, I take his hand and let him pull me gently forward until we are standing inside the main opening.
He lights a lantern and hands it to me before lighting another for himself. “You can’t get lost because right now, it’s just a dead end. Watch your head, there are places that stick out randomly.”
Grant must bend down several times as our steps lead us further in. The daylight from the opening disappears quickly as we round a corner, and I suddenly feel like the mountain is sitting on top of me. Gasping for breath, I try my best to concentrate on Grant’s warm hand and the light of the lantern. “How much further?” My whispered words seem to echo around us.
“Just around the bend.”
True to his word, we stop shortly after and he holds his lantern up. “Do you see this layer?”
“Yes.”
“This is where I’ve been removing the coal. It’s a shallow shelf hiding the true treasure behind it. Look over here where it’s been removed. Do you see that vein running along its edges?”
“Yes, it’s very prominent.”
“That’s silver. There are veins of it all over this mine. I have also found a few garnets and other colored stones as well. Toby and Eliza were sitting on riches neither of them could imagine. It’s a shame they never got to see the fruits of their labor.”
“Was the mine here when you arrived?”
“Yes, Toby had made it about thirty feet in on his own, literally inches from the first silver vein I found. I have since added the rest of this distance myself. When I originally came in, I had no idea what he was mining for. It could have been coal or possibly gold, as I found a lot of pans for sifting sitting on the back porch, but he knew something was here.”
“If all of this is here, why do you not have the entrance blocked off?”
“Everyone thinks it’s a simple coal mine. Even though there is money in coal, it’s hard to extract, and the return is not usually worth the effort it takes to extract it. I don’t sell anything I find locally, but the coal is a distraction. Twice a year, I gather everything up and take it north to Salt Lake City. I have a local solicitor sell it anonymously. Then the funds are distributed into several accounts.”
“That’s impressive, Grant. Do you work in the mine a lot?”
“Not as much as I should. There’s always something else that needs tending to … like a house full of dirty dishes that a certain someone keeps frowning at each time she looks around.”
I can’t help but laugh and my eyes get big when it echoes all around us. “I can do the dishes, Grant.”
“I know, but I told you I would help and I will.”
“What are your plans for this place?”
“My thoughts are scattered all over when it comes to that and I can’t decide what I want or need to do. I have been spending the money I get from the silver sales to buy up all the connecting land. Right now, I own a little over three thousand acres.”
“That’s a lot.”
“It is, and I’ve been doing random projects like that since I got here, but now that I have you, I need to decide where my … our future lies. Would it bother you if I decided to go back North?”
“As you say, I’m your wife so I don’t really have a say in such things. I just hope I wouldn’t embarrass you too much. I’ve lived within twenty miles of here my entire life, and I’ve met plenty of people who think our way of life is primitive and barbaric.” A shiver wracks my entire frame and instantly, Grant puts his large hand on my back, pushing me gently back toward the opening.
“Let’s get you out of here before this cold sets in your bones.”
I don’t think I have ever been so happy to see the sky or feel the sun on my face as I am when we walk out. Rubbing my arms, I look back at the darkness, watching as Grant fills the lanterns back up with fuel before placing them on a ledge for later.
