Word: arounded
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...made money enough in Virginia City, last spring, to set me going," continued Travers, "and the family were so delighted that they came out to California to spend the summer. They have been travelling around, seeing the sights, and are now here in town staying at the best hotel in the place," and he pointed across the street to a large tent, backed by a brush shanty. "It was a risky thing to do, especially bringing along Elsie, my sister, who is just thirteen, and prettier than she used to be. But I am one of the 'prominent citizens' here...
...next day Travers took us half a mile out of the town, to the Company's mine, on a bare hill-side dotted with groups of men working around their shafts. Two of the "Company" were at work down below, and two were turning the cranks of the rough wooden windlass. They were shaggy, powerful, good-natured fellows, who shook me warmly by the hand when they learned that I was an old friend of their "pard's," and treated Elsie as if she were a goddess just stepped down from the clouds...
...wearing a lamp in his cap, took us along a low passage, explained the different strata of soft sandy rock and the methods of working them, and pointed out two or three veins of silver ore, and then the last vein, which was rich gold ore. After splashing around in the mud, bumping our heads against the low ceiling formed by the rock, and collecting specimens, we returned to the shaft, where the small spot of blue sky overhead cast a dim light...
...ribs which recalled to me that Colney was in the drift above, and that this might be a precaution. So I made no further opposition, and we were soon swinging in mid air, with the growing spot of sky above, the black abyss below and the rough, damp walls around, just out of our reach...
...remaining strands snapped. Feeling the bucket sink under me, I seized the rope with one hand and Elsie with the other. And just as the bucket struck the bottom of the shaft with a great crash that re-echoed through the mine, I made Elsie clasp her arms around my neck. Then I tried to go up the rope hand over hand, until I should be able to wind it around me, and thus free my arms from the terrible strain; but I found that with Elsie hanging around my neck, I could not do it. There was nothing left...