I hurried up to the mine entrance, looking over my shoulder for Charles as I went.

I knew he wouldn't believe me if I told him what I'd seen in the mine.

I hardly believed it myself, but I knew what I had to do.

Even if that meant locking the gold seam up in there forever.

The mine was on my farm anyway.

The land had been in my family for over 50 years,

ever since my grandfather came over on a steamship in 1860

and used his life savings to purchase the lot for his family.

It had served us well, and that was even before I discovered gold in the cave

up on the low hill that backed one of our fields.

Since I knew next to nothing about mining, I sought the advice of a friend who had done

well for himself selling mining tools, mostly to coal miners.

But he was the only one I trusted who knew anything about mining.

He agreed to a 60-40 split, and we got to work.

That was two years ago now, and we pulled enough gold out of the mine to make us and our families

both comfortable. But Charles was confident there was much more to be had.

But he hadn't seen what I'd seen. He hadn't witnessed what I had in that dark mine.

No, it was over. There was no choice but for me to shut the mine for good,

before that thing got out. I looked over my shoulder one last time as I reached the level

ground outside the mine entrance. Charles was usually here by now, but I didn't see him coming

up the road to the house or from the house to the hill. That was good. If he wasn't here,

he wouldn't try to stop me. I set the box of dynamite down next to the mine entrance

...