Meanwhile, unaware of my predicament, Augustus had discovered a dilapidated station with a mining cart and cart tracks leading toward a small town visible in the valley below. Recognizing that this cart system could provide us with useful transportation, Augustus utilized his natural adroitness and began to make repairs.
Back in the mine, after quietly freeing myself from the ropes, I sprang into action with a flip and a few choice chops to the perpetrator's neck and a darting kick to the jaw. The thief crumpled into a pile like so much dirty laundry. I quickly took the ropes that had bound me and securely fastened them around the swindler.
I made my way outside and found Augustus hard at work putting the finishing touches on the mining cart. Needless to say, he was quite shocked by my story. Augustus had news of his own, however. He had fixed the cart so that we could ride it down the rails into the town that he had spied below. Augustus and I went back into the mine to collect our dirty laundry. We felt that the townspeople below would be interested in meeting this ghost.
We threw the thief into the cart, and Augustus and I rode in front. What a ride! Augustus was right, we made it down to the town in record speed and saved ourselves quite a bit of climbing. The tracks led to the town's old refinery and smelting plant, which had not been in operation since the mine closed. I am afraid we gave an old man at the plant quite a scare when we came barreling towards him in the cart.
Day Twelve: Indeed, the townspeople were very interested to hear our story. Without the profits from the mine, their quality of life had declined drastically over the last two years. We have now been here in Kearney for two days. This afternoon the Mounties came for our thief as federal warrants had been issued for his arrest. Fortunately, before the Mounties came, I was able to spend some time with the swindler, and with some gentle persuasion, he told me where he had secreted the gold that he had stolen out of the mine in the last year. I hoped that the recovery of that cache would aid the town with a much-needed financial infusion.
Day Thirteen: I believe that we will always have friends up in Kearney, should we be in the neighborhood again. We were escorted to a local airport with much fanfare where there was a plane waiting to take us back to Penetanguishene. Late this evening, we arrived back at Augustus' cabin, weary but in high spirits. This excursion certainly did not run the course that I had expected. Nonetheless, we did have a chance to camp and take in the wilderness, and I believe that we did some good as well. It has been wonderful seeing my brother again, but it will also be nice to return home, where I believe I will take a vacation from my vacation.