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diff --git a/41825-0.txt b/41825-0.txt index 9693319..9f6f550 100644 --- a/41825-0.txt +++ b/41825-0.txt @@ -1,36 +1,4 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Road Builders, by Samuel Merwin - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Road Builders - -Author: Samuel Merwin - -Illustrator: F. B. Masters - -Release Date: January 12, 2013 [EBook #41825] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ROAD BUILDERS *** - - - - -Produced by Bruce Albrecht, Matthew Wheaton and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 41825 *** THE ROAD-BUILDERS @@ -6589,359 +6557,4 @@ hour or so, and you are coming with me, you know.” End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Road Builders, by Samuel Merwin -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ROAD BUILDERS *** - -***** This file should be named 41825-0.txt or 41825-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/1/8/2/41825/ - -Produced by Bruce Albrecht, Matthew Wheaton and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Road Builders - -Author: Samuel Merwin - -Illustrator: F. B. Masters - -Release Date: January 12, 2013 [EBook #41825] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ROAD BUILDERS *** - - - - -Produced by Bruce Albrecht, Matthew Wheaton and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - THE ROAD-BUILDERS - - [Illustration: The M M Co] - - [Illustration: "'there,' he cried, ... 'there, boys! that means - red hills or bust.'" _Frontispiece_] - - - - - The Road-Builders - - BY - - SAMUEL MERWIN - - - AUTHOR OF "THE MERRY ANNE," JOINT AUTHOR OF - "CALUMET 'K,'" "THE SHORT LINE WAR," ETC. - - WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY - F. B. MASTERS - - TORONTO - THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, LTD. - 1910 - - - COPYRIGHT, 1905, - BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY. - - Set up and electrotyped. Published October, 1905. Reprinted - April, 1906. - - Norwood Press - J. S. Cushing & Co.--Berwick & Smith Co. - Norwood, Mass., U.S.A. - - - _TO MY LITTLE SON_ - - -NOTE - - -A part of this story was printed serially in _The Saturday -Evening Post_ under the title, "A Link in the Girdle." - - - - -CONTENTS - - -CHAPTER PAGE - - I. YOUNG VAN ENGAGES A COOK 1 - II. WHERE THE MONEY CAME FROM 22 - III. AT MR. CARHART'S CAMP 37 - IV. JACK FLAGG SEES STARS 66 - V. WHAT THEY FOUND AT THE WATER-HOLE 97 - VI. THE ROAD TO TOTAL WRECK 138 - VII. THE SPIRIT OF THE JOB 185 - VIII. SHOTS--AND A SCOUTING PARTY 219 - IX. A SHOW-DOWN 246 - X. WHAT TOOK PLACE AT RED HILLS 293 - - - - - ILLUSTRATIONS - - - "'There,' he cried, ... 'there, boys! That means Red Hills - or bust'" _Frontispiece_ - - FACING PAGE - - "'It's all I have a right to give anybody'" 74 - - "'Eighty cents,' he muttered, 'and for how much work?'" 80 - - "'Well,' began the boss, looking him over, 'what kind of a - cook are you?'" 98 - - "Wonderfully they held the pace" 114 - - "They went on in this way for nearly an hour" 120 - - "'Look here, Tiffany,' Carhart began, 'something's going to - happen to this man Peet'" 142 - - "'You go back to your quarters'" 208 - - "... this trestle structure which was slowly crawling, like - some monster centipede, across the sands of the La Paz" 240 - - "The cigarette dropped from Antonio's unnerved fingers" 244 - - "Charlie had not raised his revolver,--the muzzle still - rested easily on the sill,--but it was pointing straight - at Jack Flagg's heart" 310 - - - - -THE ROAD-BUILDERS - - - - -CHAPTER I - -YOUNG VAN ENGAGES A COOK - - -The S. & W. was hoping some day to build a large station with a steel -and glass trainshed at Sherman. Indeed, a side elevation of the -structure, drawn to scale and framed in black walnut, had hung for a -number of years in the private office, away down east, of President -Daniel De Reamer. But that was to come in the day when Sherman should -be a metropolis; at present the steel of which it was to be -constructed still lay deep in the earth, unblasted, unsmelted, and -unconverted; and the long, very dirty train which, at the time this -narrative opens, was waiting to begin its westward journey, lay -exposed to the rays of what promised to be, by noon, the hottest sun -the spring had so far known. The cars were of an old, ill-ventilated -sort, and the laborers, who were packed within them like cattle in a -box-car, had shed coats and even shirts, and now sat back, and gasped -and grumbled and fanned themselves with their caps, and steadily lost -interest in life. - -Apparently there was some uncertainty back in the office of the -superintendent. A red-faced man, with a handkerchief around his neck, -ran out with an order; whereupon an engine backed in, coupled up to -the first car, and whistled impatiently. But they did not go. Half an -hour passed, and the red-faced man ran out again, and the engine -uncoupled, snorted, rang its bell, and disappeared whence it had come. - -At length two men--Peet, the superintendent, and Tiffany, chief -engineer of the railroad--walked down the platform together, and -addressed a stocky man with a close-cut gray mustache and a fixed -frown, who stood beside the rear car. - -"Peet says he can't wait any longer, Mr. Vandervelt," said Tiffany. - -"Can't help that," replied Vandervelt. - -"But you've got to help it!" cried Peet. "What are you waiting for, -anyway?" - -"If you think we're starting without Paul Carhart, you're mistaken." - -"Carhart! Who is Carhart?" - -"That's all right," Tiffany put in. "He's in charge of the -construction." - -"I don't care what he is! This train--" - -He was interrupted by a sudden uproar in the car just ahead. A number -of Italians had chosen to enliven the occasion by attacking the -Mexicans, some of whom had unavoidably been assigned to this car. - -Vandervelt left the railroad men without a word, bounded up the car -steps, and plunged through the door. The confusion continued for a -moment, then died down. Another moment, and Vandervelt reappeared on -the platform. - -Meanwhile Tiffany was talking to the superintendent. - -"You've simply got to wait, Peet," said he. "The old man says that -Carhart must have a free hand. If he's late, there's a reason for -it." - -"The old man didn't say that to me," growled Peet; but he waited. - - * * * * * - -It would perhaps be difficult to find, in the history of American -enterprise, an undertaking which demanded greater promptness in -execution than the present one; yet, absurdly enough, the cause of the -delay was a person so insignificant that, even for the purposes of -this narrative, his name hardly matters. The name happened to be, -however, Purple Finn, and he had been engaged for chief cook to the -first division. - -There was but one real hotel in the "city," which is to be known here -as Sherman, the half-dozen other places that bore the title of hotel -being rather in the nature of a side line to the saloon and gambling -industry. At this one, which was indicated by a projecting sign and -the words "Eagle, House," Carhart and his engineers were stopping. -"The Comma House," as the instrument men and stake men had promptly -dubbed it, was not very large and not very clean, and the "razor back" -hogs and their progeny had a way of sleeping in rows on and about the -low piazza. But it was, nevertheless, the best hotel in that -particular part of the Southwest. - -Finn, on the other hand, made his headquarters at one of the half -dozen, that one which was known to the submerged seven-eighths as -"Murphy's." That Finn should be an enthusiastic patron of the poor -man's club was not surprising, considering that he was an Irish -plainsman of a culinary turn, and considering, too, that he was now -winding up one of those periods between jobs, which begin in spacious -hilarity and conclude with a taste of ashes in the mouth. - -It was late afternoon. The chief was sitting in his room, before a -table which was piled high with maps, blue-prints, invoices, and -letters. All day long he had been sitting at this table, going over -the details of the work in hand. Old Vandervelt had reported that the -rails and bolts and ties and other necessaries were on the cars; -Flint and Scribner had reported for their divisions; the statements of -the various railroad officials had been examined, to make sure that no -details were overlooked, for these would, sooner or later, bob up in -the form of misunderstandings; the thousand and one things which must -be considered before the expedition should take the plunge into the -desert had apparently been disposed of. And finally, when the large -clock down in the office was announcing, with a preliminary rattle and -click, that it intended very shortly to strike the half-hour between -five and six, the chief pushed back his chair and looked up at his -engineers, who were seated about him--Old Van before him on a trunk; -Scribner and Young Van beside him on the bed; John Flint, a thin, -sallow man, astride the other chair, and Haddon on the floor with his -back against the wall. - -"All accounted for, Paul, I guess," said Flint. - -Carhart replied with a question, "How about those iron rods, John?" - -"All checked off and packed on the train." - -"Did you accept Doble and Dean's estimate for your oats?" - -"Not much. Cut it down a third. It was altogether too much to carry. -You see, I shall be only thirty-odd miles from Red Hills, once I get -out there, and I don't look for any trouble keeping in touch." - -"It's just as well," said Carhart. "The less you carry, the more room -for us." - -"Did those pots and kettles come, Gus?" Carhart asked, turning to the -younger Vandervelt, who was to act as his secretary and general -assistant. - -"Yes; just before noon. They had been carried on to Paradise by -mistake. I got them right aboard." - -"And you were going to keep an eye on that cook. Where is he?" - -Young Van hesitated, and an expression of chagrin came into his face. - -"I'll look him up. He promised me last night that he wouldn't touch -another drop." - -"Well--get your hands on him, and don't let go again." - -Young Van left the room, and as he drew the door to after him he could -hear the chief saying: "Haddon, I wish you would find Tiffany and -remind him that I'm counting on his getting around early to-night. I'm -not altogether satisfied with their scheme for supplying us." And -hearing this, he was more than ever conscious of his own small part in -this undertaking, and more than ever chagrined that he should prove -unequal to the very small matter of keeping an eye on the cook. At -least, it seemed a small matter, in view of the hundreds of problems -concerning men and things which Paul Carhart was solving on this day. - -The barkeeper at Murphy's, who served also in the capacity of night -clerk, proved secretive on the subject of Purple Finn--hadn't seen him -all day--didn't know when he would be in. The young engineer thought -he had better sit down to digest the situation. This suggested supper, -and he ordered the best of Murphy's fare, and ate slowly and -pondered. Seven o'clock came, but brought no hint of the cook's -whereabouts. Young Van gathered from the barroom talk that a big -outfit had come into town from Paradise within the past hour or so, -and incidentally that one of the outfit, Jack Flagg, was on the -warpath--whoever Jack Flagg might be. As he sat in a rear corner, -watching, with an assumption of carelessness, the loafers and -plainsmen and gamblers who were passing in and out, or were, like -himself, sitting at the round tables, it occurred to him to go up to -Finn's room. He knew, from former calls, where it was. But he learned -nothing more than that the cook's door was ajar, and that a -half-packed valise lay open on the bed. - -At half-past ten, after a tour of the most likely haunts, Young Van -returned to Murphy's and resumed his seat in the rear corner. He had -no notion of returning to the Eagle House without the cook. It was now -close on the hour when Sherman was used to rouse itself for the -revelry of the night, and that Finn would take some part in this -revelry, and that he would, sooner or later, reappear at his favorite -hostelry, seemed probable. - -The lamps in this room were suspended from the ceiling at such a -height that their light entered the eye at the hypnotic angle; and so -it was not long before Young Van, weary from the strain of the week, -began to nod. The bar with its line of booted figures, and the -quartets of card-players, and the one waiter moving about in his -spotted white apron, were beginning to blur and run together. The -clink of glasses and the laughter came to his ears as if from a great -distance. Once he nearly recovered his faculties. A group of new -arrivals were looking toward his corner. "Waiting for Purple Finn, -eh?" said one. "Well, I guess he's got a nice long wait in front of -him, poor fool!" Then they all laughed. And Young Van himself, with -half-open eyes, had to smile over the poor fool in the corner who was -waiting for Purple Finn. - -"I hear Jack Flagg's in town," said the barkeeper. "I wonder if he -is!" replied the first speaker. "I wonder if Jack Flagg is in town!" -Again they laughed. And again Young Van smiled. How odd that Jack -Flagg should be in town! - -He was awakened by a sound of hammering. There was little change in -the room: the card games were going steadily on; the bar still had its -line of thirsty plainsmen; two men were wrangling in a corner. Then he -made out a group of newcomers who were tacking a placard to the wall, -and chuckling as they did so. - -And now, for the first time, Young Van became conscious that he was no -longer alone at his table. Opposite him, smiling genially, and -returning his gaze with benevolent watery eyes, sat a big Texan. This -individual wore his cowboy hat on the back of his head, and made no -effort to conceal the two revolvers and the knife at his belt. - -"D'ye know," said the Texan, "I like you. What's your name?" - -"Vandervelt. What is yours?" - -"Charlie--that's my name." Then his smile faded, and he shook his -head. "But you won't find Purple Finn here." - -"Why not?" - -"Ain't that funny! You don't know 'bout Purple Finn. It's b'cause Jack -Flagg's in town. They ain't friendly--I know Jack Flagg. I've been -workin' with 'im--down Paradise way." - -Young Van was nearly awake. "You don't happen to be a cook, do you?" -said he. - -"Yes," Charlie replied dreamily. "I'm a cook. But I'm nothin' to Jack -Flagg. He's won'erful--won'erful!" - -The engineer got up to stretch his legs, and incidentally took -occasion to read the placard. It ran as follows:-- - - PURPLE FINN: I heard you was looking for me. Well, I'll be - around to Murphy's to-morrow because I want to tell you you're - talking too much. - - JACK FLAGG. - -He returned to his table, and amused himself listening to Charlie's -talk. Then he looked at his watch and found that it was nearly two -hours after midnight. Within six or seven hours the train would be -starting. He wondered what his friends would say if they could see -him. He was afraid that if he should drop off again, he might sleep -too late, and so he determined to keep awake. He communicated this -plan to Charlie, who nodded approval. But he was not equal to it. -Within a very short time his chin was reposing on his breast, and -Charlie was looking at him and chuckling. "Awful good joke," murmured -Charlie. - -Young Van fell to dreaming. He thought that the doors suddenly swung -in, and that Purple Finn himself entered the room. The noise seemed, -at the instant, to die down; the barkeeper paused and gazed; the -card-players turned and sat motionless in their chairs. Finn, thought -Young Van, nodded in a general way, and laughed, and his laugh had no -humor in it. He walked toward the bar, but halfway his roving eye -rested on the placard, and he stood motionless. The blue tobacco haze -curled around him and dimmed the outlines of his figure. In the dream -he seemed to grow a little smaller while he stood there. Then he -walked across and read the placard, taking a long time about it, as if -he found it difficult to grasp the meaning. When he finally turned and -faced the crowd, his expression was weak and uncertain. He seemed -about to say something but whatever it was he wished to say, the words -did not come. Instead, he walked to the bar, ordered a drink, put it -down with a shaking hand, and left the room as he had entered it, -silently. The door swung shut, and somebody laughed; then all returned -to their cards. - -When Young Van awoke, the room was flooded with sunlight from the side -windows. He straightened up in his chair and looked around. Charlie -was still at the table. Here and there along the side bench men were -sleeping. The card-players, with seamed faces and cold eyes, were -still at their business. A new set of players had come in, one of them -a giant of a man, dressed like a cowboy, with a hard eye, a heavy -mustache, and a tuft of hair below his under lip. - -The engineer was almost afraid to look at his watch. It was half-past -eight. He turned to the still smiling Charlie. "See here," he said, -"did Finn come in here last night?" - -Charlie nodded. "You didn't wake up." - -Young Van almost groaned aloud. "Where is he? Where did he go?" - -"Listen to 'im!" Charlie was indicating a lank stranger who was -leaning on the bar, and talking to a dozen men who had gathered about -him. - -"... And when I got off the train," the lank man was saying, "there -was Purple Finn a-standin' on the platform. I thought he looked sort -o' caved in. 'Hello, Purple,' says I, 'what you doin' up so early in -the mornin'?' But he never answers a word; just climbs on the train -and sits down in the smoker and looks out the window as if he thought -somebody was after 'im." - -A laugh went up at this, and all the group turned and looked at the -big man with the mustache. But this individual went on fingering his -cards without the twitch of an eyelid. - -"So Finn has left town," said Young Van, addressing his vis-a-vis. - -"Yes," Charlie replied humorously. "He had to see a man down to -Paradise." - -"Who is that big man over there?" - -"Him?" Charlie's voice dropped. "Why, that's him--Jack Flagg." - -"Did you tell me last night that he was a cook?" - -Charlie nodded. "He's won'erful--won'erful! I know 'im. I've been -workin'--" - -Young Van pushed back his chair and got up. For a moment he stood -looking at the forbidding face and mighty frame of the man who was now -the central figure in the room; then he crossed over and touched him -on the shoulder. "How are you?" said he, painfully conscious, as every -waking eye in the room was turned on him, that he did not know how to -talk to these men. - -Flagg looked up. - -"They tell me you can cook," said the engineer. - -"What's that to you?" said Flagg. - -"Do you want a job?" - -"This is Mr. Van'ervelt," put in Charlie, who had followed; "Mr. -Van'ervelt, of the railroad." - -"What'll you pay?" asked Flagg. - -Young Van named the amount. - -"When do you want to start?" - -"Now." - -"Charlie,"--Flagg was sweeping in a heap of chips,--"go down to Jim's -and get my things and fetch 'em here." And with this he turned back to -the game. - -Young Van looked uncertainly at Charlie, whose condition was hardly -such that he could be trusted to make the trip without a series of -stops in the numerous havens of refuge along the way. The thing to do -was perhaps to go with him; at any rate, that is what Young Van did. - -"Won'erful man!" murmured Charlie, when they reached the sidewalk. -Then, "Say, Mr. Van'ervelt, come over here a minute--jus' over to Bill -White's. Wanna see a man,--jus' minute." - -But Young Van was not in a tolerant mood. "Stiffen up, Charlie," he -said sharply. "No more of this sort of thing--not if you're going with -us." - -Charlie was meekly obedient, and even tried to hurry; but at the best -it took considerable time to get together the clothing of the cook and -his assistant, pay their bill, and return to Murphy's. This much -accomplished, it became necessary to use some tact with Flagg, who was -bent on winning a little more before stopping. And as Flagg could -easily have tossed the engineer out of the window, and had, besides, -the strategical advantage, Young Van was unable to see much choice for -himself in the matter. And standing there, waiting on the pleasure of -his cook, he passed the time in wondering where he had made his -mistake. Paul Carhart, or John Flint, he thought, would never have -found it necessary to take the undignified measures to which he had -been reduced. But what was the difference? What would they have done? -In trying to answer these questions he hit on every reason but the -right one. He forgot that he was a young man. - - * * * * * - -Carhart and Flint, after waiting a long time at the "Eagle, House," -went down to the station, arriving there some time after the outburst -of Peet, which was noted at the beginning of the chapter. Tiffany saw -them coming, and communicated the news to the superintendent. The -engine reappeared, and again coupled up to the forward car. - -"Everything all right?" called Tiffany. - -"No," replied Carhart; "don't start yet." - -The three walked on and joined Old Van by the steps of the rear car. - -"Well," growled the veteran, "how much longer are we going to wait, -Paul?" - -"Until Gus comes." - -"Gus? I thought he was aboard here." - -"No," said John Flint, with a wink; "he went out last night to see the -wheels go round. Here he comes now. But what in--" - -They all gazed without a word. Three men were walking abreast down the -platform, Gus Vandervelt, with a white face and ringed eyes, in the -middle. The youngest engineer of the outfit was not a small man, but -between the two cooks he looked like a child. - -"Would you look at that!" said Flint, at length. "Neither of those two -Jesse Jameses will ever see six-foot-three again. Makes Gus look like -a nick in a wall." - -Young Van met Carhart's questioning gaze almost defiantly. "The cook," -he said, indicating Flagg. - -"All right. Get aboard." - -"Rear car," cried Old Van, who had charge of the arrangements on the -train. - -This time the bell did not ring in vain. The train moved slowly out -toward the unpeopled West, and the engineers threw off coats and -collars, and made themselves as nearly comfortable as they could under -the circumstances. - -A few minutes after the start Paul Carhart, who was writing a letter -in pencil, looked up and saw Young Van beside him, and tried not to -smile at his sorry appearance. - -"I think I owe you an explanation, Mr. Carhart," began the young man, -in embarrassment which took the form of stiffness. - -But the chief shook his head. "I'm not asking any questions, Gus," he -replied. Then the smile escaped him, and he turned it off by adding, -"I'm writing to Mrs. Carhart." He held up the letter and glanced over -the first few lines with a twinkle in his eyes. "I was just telling -her," he went on, "that the cook problem in Chicago is in its -infancy." - - - - -CHAPTER II - -WHERE THE MONEY CAME FROM - - -Doubtless there were official persons to be found at the time of this -narrative--which is a matter of some thirty years back--who would have -insisted that the letters "S. & W." meant "Sherman and Western." But -every one who lived within two days' ride of the track knew that the -real name of the road was the "Shaky and Windy." - -Shaky the "S. & W." certainly was--physically, and, if newspaper -gossip and apparent facts were to be trusted, financially. The rails -weighed thirty-five pounds to the yard, and had been laid in scallops, -with high centres and low joints,--"sight along the rails and it looks -like a washboard," said John Flint, describing it. For ballast the -clay and sand of the region were used. And, as for the financial part, -everybody knew that old De Reamer had been forced to abandon the -construction work on the Red Hills extension, after building fully -five-sixths of the distance. The hard times had, of course, something -to do with that,--roads were going under all through the West; -receiverships were quite the common thing,--but De Reamer and the S. & -W. did not seem to revive so quickly as certain other lines. This was -the more singular in that the S. & W., extending as it did from the -Sabine country to the Staked Plains, really justified the popular -remark that "the Shaky and Windy began in a swamp and ended in a -desert." On the face of things, without the Red Hills connection with -the bigger C. & S. C., and without an eastern connection with one of -the New Orleans or St. Louis lines, the road was an absurdity. - -Then, only a few months before the time of our narrative, the railroad -world began to wake up. Commodore Durfee, one of "the big fellows," -surprised the Southwest by buying in the H. D. & W. (which meant, and -will always mean, the High, Dry, and Wobbly). The surprise was -greater when the Commodore began building southwestward, in the -general direction of Red Hills. As usual when the big men are playing -for position, the public and the wise-acres, even Wall Street, were -mystified. For the S. & W. was so obviously the best and shortest -eastern connection for the C. & S. C.,--the H. D. & W. would so -plainly be a differential line,--that it was hard to see what the -Commodore was about. He had nothing to say to the reporters. Old -General Carrington, of the C. & S. C., the biggest and shrewdest of -them all, was also silent. And Daniel De Reamer couldn't be seen at -all. - -And finally, by way of a wind-up to the first skirmish of the -picturesque war in which our engineers were soon to find themselves -taking part, there was a western breeze and a flurry of dust in Wall -Street. Somebody was fighting. S. & W. shares ran up in a day from -twenty-two to forty-six, and, which was more astonishing, sold at that -figure for another day before dropping. Other mysterious things were -going on. Suddenly De Reamer reappeared in the Southwest, and that -most welcome sign of vitality, money,--red gold corpuscles,--began to -flow through the arteries of the S. & W. "system." The construction -work started up, on rush orders. Paul Carhart was specially engaged to -take out a force and complete the track--any sort of a track--to Red -Hills. And as he preferred not to take this rush work through very -difficult country on any other terms, De Reamer gave him something -near a free hand,--ordered Chief Engineer Tiffany to let him alone, -beyond giving every assistance in getting material to the front, and -accepting the track for the company as fast as it was laid. - -And as Tiffany was not at all a bad fellow, and had admired Carhart's -part in the Rio Grande fight (though he would have managed some things -differently, not to say better, himself), the two engineers seemed -likely to get on very well. - -Carhart's three trains would hardly get over the five hundred miles -which lay between Sherman and the end of the track in less than -twenty-seven or twenty-eight hours. "The private car," as the boys -called it, was of an old type even for those days, and was very -uncomfortable. Everybody, from the chief down, had shed coat and -waistcoat before the ragged skyline of Sherman slipped out of view -behind the yellow pine trees. The car swayed and lurched so violently -that it was impossible to stand in the aisle without support. As the -hours dragged by, several of the party curled up on the hard seats and -tried to sleep. The instrument and rod and stake men and the pile -inspectors, mostly young fellows recently out of college or technical -institute, got together at one end of the car and sang college songs. - -Carhart was sitting back, his feet up on the opposite seat, watching -for the pines to thin out, and thinking of the endless gray chaparral -and sage-brush which they would find about them in the morning,--if -the train didn't break down,--when he saw Tiffany's big person -balancing down the aisle toward him. Tiffany had been quiet a long -time; now he had a story in his eye. - -"Well," he said, as he slid down beside Carhart, "I knew the old -gentleman would pull it off in time, but I never supposed he could -make the Commodore pay the bills." - -Carhart glanced up inquiringly. - -"Didn't you hear about it? Well, say! I happen to know that a month -ago Mr. De Reamer actually didn't have the money to carry this work -through. Even when Commodore Durfee started building for Red Hills, he -didn't know which way to turn. The Commodore, you know, hadn't any -notion of stopping with the H.D.& W." - -"No," said Carhart, "I didn't suppose he had." - -"He was after us, too--wanted to do the same as he did with the High -and Dry, corner the stock." Tiffany chuckled. "But he knew he'd have -to corner Daniel De Reamer first. If he didn't, the old gentleman -would manufacture shares by the hundred thousand and pump 'em right -into him. There's the Paradise Southern,--that's been a regular -fountain of stock. You knew about that." - -Carhart shook his head. - -"We passed through Paradise this noon." - -"Yes, I know the line. It runs down from Paradise to Total Wreck. But -I didn't know it had anything to do with S. & W. capital stock." - -"Didn't, eh?" chuckled Tiffany. "Mr. De Reamer and Mr. Chambers own -it, you know, and they're directors in both lines. The old game was -for them, as P. S. directors, to lease the short line to themselves as -S. & W. directors. Then the S.& W. directors pay the P. S. -directors--only they're it both ways--in S. & W. stock. Don't you see? -And it's only one of a dozen schemes. The old gentleman's always ready -for S. & W. buyers." - -Carhart smiled. The car lurched and shivered. Such air as came in -through the open door and windows was tainted with the gases of the -locomotive, and with the mingled odors of the densely packed laborers -in the cars ahead. - -"That's really the only reason they've kept up the Paradise -Southern--for there isn't any business on the line. Well, as I was -saying, the Commodore knew that the first thing he had to do was -corner Mr. De Reamer, and keep him from creating stock. So he came -down on him all at once, with a heap of injunctions and court orders. -He did it thorough: restrained the S. & W. board from issuing any more -stock, or from completing any of the transactions on hand, and -temporarily suspended the old gentleman and Mr. Chambers, pending an -investigation of their accounts, and ordered 'em to return to the -treasury of the company the seventy thousand shares they created last -year. There was a lot more, but that's the gist of it. He did it -through Waring and his other minority directors on the board. And -right at the start, you see, when he began to buy, he made S. & W. -stock so scarce that the price shot up." - -"Seems as if he had sewed up the S. & W. pretty tight," observed -Carhart. - -"Didn't it, though? But the Commodore didn't know the old gentleman as -well as he thought. Mr. De Reamer and Mr. Chambers got another judge -to issue orders for them to do everything the Commodore's judge -forbid--tangled it all up so that everything they did or didn't do, -they'd be disobeying somebody, and leaving it for the judges to settle -among themselves. Then they issued ten million dollars in convertible -bonds to a dummy, representing themselves, turned 'em right into -stock,--and tangled that transaction up so nobody in earth or heaven -will ever know just exactly _what_ was done,--and sold 'most seventy -thousand shares of it to Commodore Durfee before he had a glimmer of -where it was coming from. And then it was too late for him to stop -buying, so he had to take in the whole hundred thousand shares. I -heard Mr. Chambers say that when the Commodore found 'em out, he was -so mad he couldn't talk,--stormed stormed around his office trying to -curse Daniel De Reamer, but he couldn't even swear intelligent." - -"So Mr. De Reamer beat him," said Carhart. - -"Beat him?--I wonder--" - -"But that's not all, surely. Commodore Durfee isn't the man to swallow -that." - -"He _had_ to swallow it.--Oh, he did kick up some fuss, but it didn't -do him any good. His judge tried to jerk up our people for contempt, -but they were warned and got out of Mr. De Reamer's Broad Street -office, and over into New Jersey with all the documents and money." -Tiffany's good-humored eyes lighted up as his mind dwelt on the fight. -Never was there a more loyal railroad man than this one. Daniel De -Reamer was his king, and his king could do no wrong. "Not that they -didn't have some excitement getting away," he continued. "They -say,--mind, I don't know this, but _they_ say that Mr. De Reamer's -secretary, young Crittenden, crossed the ferry in a cab with four -million five hundred thousand dollars _in bills_--just tied up rough -in bundles so they could be thrown around. And there you -are,--Commodore Durfee is paying for this extension that's going to -cut him out of the C. & S. C. through business. The money and papers -are out of his reach. The judges are fighting among themselves, and -will be doing well if they ever come to a settlement. And now if that -ain't pretty slick business, I'd like to know what the word 'slick' -means." - -Carhart almost laughed aloud. He turned and looked out the window for -a few moments. Finally he said, "If you have that straight, Tiffany, -it's undoubtedly the worst defeat Commodore Durfee ever had. But don't -make the mistake of thinking that the S. & W. is through with him." - -"Maybe not," Tiffany replied, "but I'll bet proper on the old -gentleman." - -Carhart's position as the engineer in charge of a thousand and more -men would be not unlike that of a military commander who finds -himself dependent for subsistence on five hundred miles of what -Scribner called "very sketchy" single track. It would be more serious; -for not only must food, and in the desert, water, be brought out over -the line, but also the vast quantity of material needed in the work. -It would be the business of Peet, as the working head of the operating -department, to deliver the material from day to day, and week to week, -at the end of the last completed section, where the working train -would be made up each night for the construction work of the following -day. - -If the existing track was sketchy, the new track would be worse. -Everything was to be sacrificed to speed. The few bridges were to be -thrown up hastily in the form of primitive wooden trestles. There -would be no masonry, excepting the abutments of the La Paz -bridge,--which masonry, or rather the stone for it, was about the only -material they would find at hand. All the timber, even to the cross -ties, would have to be shipped forward from the long-leaf-pine -forests of eastern Texas and western Louisiana. - -Ordinarily, Carhart would not have relished undertaking such a hasty -job; but in this case there were compensations. When he had first -looked over the location maps, in Daniel De Reamer's New York office, -his quiet eyes had danced behind their spectacles; for it promised to -be pretty work, in which a man could use his imagination. There was -the bridge over the La Paz River, for instance. He should have to send -a man out there with a long wagon train of materials, and with orders -to have the bridge ready when the track should reach the river. He -knew just the man--John B. Flint, who built the Desplaines bridge for -the three I's. He had not heard from John since the doctors had -condemned his lungs, and ordered him to a sanatorium in the -Adirondacks, and John had compromised by going West, and hanging that -very difficult bridge between the walls of Brilliant Gorge in the -Sierras. Carhart was not sure that he was still among the living; but -a few searching telegrams brought out a characteristic message from -John himself, to the effect that he was very much alive, and was ready -to bridge the Grand Caon of the Colorado at a word from Paul Carhart. - -Then there was always to be considered the broad outline of the -situation as it was generally understood in the railway world. Details -apart, it was known that Commodore Durfee and Daniel De Reamer were -fighting for that through connection, and that old General -Carrington,--czar of the C. & S. C., holder of one and owner of -several other seats in the Senate of these United States, chairman of -the National Committee of his party,--that General Carrington was -sitting on the piazza of his country house in California, smoking good -cigars and talking horse and waiting to see whether he should gobble -Durfee or De Reamer, or both of them. For the general, too, was -represented on the directorate of the Sherman and Western; and it was -an open question whether his minority directors would continue to -support the De Reamer interests or would be ordered to ally themselves -with the Durfee men. Either way, there would be no sentiment wasted. -But it seemed to Carhart that so long as De Reamer should be able to -hold up his head in the fight General Carrington would probably stand -behind him. Commodore Durfee was too big in the East to be encouraged -in the West. And yet--there was no telling. - -It was very pretty indeed. Carhart was a quiet man, given more to -study than to speech; but he liked pretty things. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -AT MR. CARHART'S CAMP - - -"It takes an Irishman, a nigger, and a mule to build a railroad," said -Tiffany. - -With Young Van, he was standing in front of the headquarters tent, -which, together with the office tent for the first division, where Old -Van would hold forth, and the living and mess tents for the engineers, -was pitched on a knoll at a little distance from the track. - -"The mule," he continued, "will do the work, the nigger will drive the -mule, and the Irishman'll boss 'em both." - -Young Van, keyed up by this sudden plunge into frontier work, was only -half listening to the flow of good-natured comment and reminiscence -from the chief engineer at his elbow. He was looking at the -steam-shrouded locomotive, and at the long line of cars stringing off -in perspective behind it. Wagons were backed in against this and the -few other trains which had come in during the day; other wagons were -crawling about the track almost as far as he could see through the -steam and the dust. Men on horseback--picturesque figures in -wide-brimmed hats and blue shirts and snug-fitting boots laced to the -knee--were riding in and out among the teams. The old track ended in -the immediate foreground, and here old Van was at work with his young -surveyors, looking up the old stakes and driving new ones to a line -set by a solemn youngster with skinny hands and a long nose. -Everywhere was noise--a babel of it--and toil and a hearty sort of -chaos. One line of wagons--laden with scrapers, "slips" and -"wheelers," tents and camp equipage, the timbers and machinery of a -pile-driver, and a thousand and one other things--was little by little -extricating itself from the tangle, winding slowly past head-quarters, -and on toward the low-lying, blood-red sun. This was the outfit of the -second division, and Harry Scribner, riding a wiry black pony, was -leading it into corral on "mile two," preparatory to a start in the -early morning. - -From the headquarters cook tent, behind the "office," came savory -odors. Farther down the knoll, near the big "boarding house" tents, -the giant Flagg and the equally sturdy Charlie could be seen moving -about a row of iron kettles which were swinging over an open fire. The -chaos about the trains was straightening out, and the men were -corralling the wagons, and unharnessing the mules and horses. The sun -slipped down behind the low western hills, leaving a luminous memory -in the far sky. In groups, and singly, the laborers--Mexicans, -Italians, Louisiana French, broken plainsmen from everywhere, and -negroes--came straggling by, their faces streaked with dust and sweat, -the negroes laughing and singing as they lounged and shuffled along. - -Carhart, who had been dividing his attention between the unloading of -the trains and the preparations of his division engineers, came -riding up the knoll on "Texas," his compact little roan, a horse he -had ridden and boasted about in a quiet way for nearly four years. -John Flint, thin and stooping of body, with a scrawny red mustache and -high-pitched voice, soon rode in over the grade from the farther side -of the right of way, where he was packing up his outfit for the long -haul to the La Paz River. The instrument men and their assistants -followed, one by one, and fell in line at the tin wash-basin, all -exuberant with banter and laughter and high-spirited play. And at last -the headquarters cook, a stout negro, came out in front of the mess -tent and beat his gong with mighty strokes; and Harry Scribner, who -was jogging back to camp from his corral, heard it, dug in his spurs, -and came up the long knoll on the gallop. - -There was no escaping the joviality of this first evening meal in -camp. In the morning the party would break up. Scribner would ride -ahead a dozen miles to make a division camp of his own; John Flint -would be pushing out there into the sunset for the better part of a -week, across the desert, through the gray hills, and down to the -yellow La Paz. The youngsters were shy at first; but after Tiffany had -winked and said, "It'll never do to start this dry, boys," and had -produced a bottle from some mysterious corner, they felt easier. Even -Carhart, for the time, laid aside the burden which, like Christian, he -must carry for many days. A good many stories were told, most of them -by Tiffany, who had run the gamut of railroading, north, south, east, -and west. - -"That was a great time we had up at Pittsburgh," said he, "when I -stole the gondola cars,"--he placed the accent on the _do_,--"best -thing I ever did. That was when I was on the Almighty and Great Windy -that used to run from Pittsburg up to the New York State line. I was -acting as a sort of traffic superintendent, among other things,--we -had to do all sorts of work then; no picking and choosing and no -watching the clock for us." He turned on the long-nosed instrument -man. "That was when you were just about a promising candidate for long -pants, my friend." - -"We had a new general manager--named MacBayne. He didn't know anything -about railroading,--had been a telegraph operator and Durfee's -nephew,--yes, the same old Commodore, it was,--and, getting boosted up -quick, that way, he got into that frame of mind where he wouldn't ever -have contradicted you if you'd said he _was_ the Almighty and Great -Windy. First thing he did was to put in a system of bells to call us -to his office,--but I didn't care such a heap. He enjoyed it so. He'd -lean back and pull a little handle, and then be too busy to talk when -one of us came running in--loved to make us stand around a spell. -Hadn't but one eye, MacBayne hadn't, and you never could tell for -downright certain who he was swearing at. - -"The company had bought a little railroad, the P. G.--Pittsburg and -Gulf,--for four hundred and fifty thousand. Just about such a line as -our Paradise spur, only instead of the directors buying it personal, -they'd bought it for the company. - -"One day my little bell tinkled, and I got up and went into the old -man's office. He was smoking a cigar and trying to look through a -two-foot wall into Herb Williams's pickle factory. Pretty soon he -swung his one good eye around on me and looked at me sharp. 'Hen,' he -said, 'we're in a fix. We haven't paid but two hundred thousand on the -P.G.--and what's more, that's all we can pay.' - -"'Well, sir,' said I, 'what's the trouble?' It's funny--he's always -called me Hen, and I've always called him sir and Mister MacBayne. He -ain't anybody to-day, but if I went back to Pittsburg to-morrow and -met him in Morrison's place, he'd say, 'Well, Hen, how're you making -it?' and I'd say, 'Pretty well, Mister MacBayne.'--Ain't it funny? -Can't break away from it. - -"I've just had a wire from Black,' said he,--Black was our attorney -up at Buffalo,--'saying that the sheriff of Erie County,' over the -line in New York State, 'has attached all our gon_do_la cars up there, -and won't release 'em until we pay up. What'll we do?' - -"'Hum!' said I. 'We've got just a hundred and twenty gon_do_las in -Buffalo to-day.' A hundred and twenty cars was a lot to us, you -understand--just like it would be to the S. & W. Imagine what would -happen to you fellows out here if Peet had that many cars taken away -from him. So I thought a minute, and then I said, 'Has the sheriff -chained 'em to the track, Mister MacBayne?' - -"'I don't know about that,' said he. - -"'Well,' said I, 'don't you think it would be a good plan to find that -out first thing?' - -"He looked at me sharp, then he sort o' grinned. 'What're you thinking -about, Hen?' he asked. - -"I didn't answer direct. 'You find that out,' I told him, 'and let me -know what he says.' - -"About an hour later the bell tinkle-winkled again. 'No,' he said, -when I went in his office, 'they ain't chained down--not yet, anyway. -Now, what'll we do?' - -"'Why don't you go up there?' said I. 'Hook your car on to No. 5'--that -was our night express for Buffalo, a long string of oil and -coal cars with a baggage car, coach, and sleeper on the end of it. It -ran over our line and into Buffalo over the Southeastern. - -"'All right, Hen,' said he. 'Will you go along?' - -"'Sure,' I told him. - -"On our way out we picked up Charlie Greenman too. He was -superintendent of the State Line Division--tall, thin man, very -nervous, Charlie was. - -"Next morning, when we were sitting over our breakfast in the Swift -House, the old man turned his good eye on me and said, 'Well, Hen, -what next?' I'd brought him up there, you see, and now he was looking -for results. - -"'Well,' said I, speaking slow and sort of thinking it over, 'look -here, Mister MacBayne, why don't you get a horse and buggy and look -around the city? They say it's a pretty place. Or you could pick up a -boat, you and Charlie, and go sailing on Lake Erie. Or you might run -over and see the falls--Ever been there?' - -"The old man was looking on both sides of me with those two eyes of -his. 'What are you up to, Hen?' he said. - -"'Nothing,' I answered, 'not a thing. But say, Mister MacBayne, I -forgot to bring any money. Let me have a little, will you,--about a -hundred and fifty?' - -"When I said that, the old man gulped, and looked almost scared. I saw -then, just what I'd suspected, that he wouldn't be the least use to -me. I'd 'a' done better to have left him behind. 'Why, yes, Hen,' said -he, 'I can let you have that!' He went out, and pretty soon he came -back with the money in a big roll of small bills. - -"'Well, good morning, gentlemen,' said I. 'I'll see you at five -o'clock this afternoon.' - -"I went right out to the Erie yards, where they were unloading -twenty-two of our coal cars. Jim Harvey was standing near by, and he -gave me a queer look, and asked me what I was doing in Buffalo. - -"'Doing?' said I, 'I'm looking after my cars. What did you suppose? -And see here, Jim, while you were about it, don't you think you might -have put 'em together. Here you've got twenty-two of 'em, and there's -forty over at the Lake Shore, and a lot more in Chaplin's yards? There -ain't but one of me--however do you suppose I'm going to watch 'em -all, even see that the boys keep oil in the boxes?' 'I don't know -anything about that,' said he. - -"'Well now, look here, Jim,' said I, 'how many more of these cars have -you got to unload?' 'Twelve,' said he. 'How soon can you get it -done--that's my question?' 'Oh, I'll finish it up to-morrow morning.' -'Well, now, Jim,' said I, 'I want you to put on a couple of extra -wagons and get these cars emptied by five o'clock this afternoon. Then -I want you to get all our cars together over there in Chaplin's yards, -where I can keep an eye on 'em!' 'Oh, see here,' said he, 'I can't do -that, Hen. The sheriff--' - -"'Damn the sheriff,' said I. 'I ain't going to hurt the sheriff. What -I want is to get my cars together where I can know what's being done -to 'em.' - -"Well, he didn't want to do it, but some of the long green passed and -then he thought maybe he could fix me up. There was a lot of other -things I had to do that day--and a lot of other men to see. The -despatcher for the Buffalo and Southwestern was one of 'em. Then at -five o'clock, or a little before, I floated into the Swift House -office and there were MacBayne and Charlie Greenman sitting around -waiting for me. The old man had his watch in his hand. Charlie was -walking up and down, very nervous. I came up sort of offhand and -said:-- - -"'Charlie, I want two of your biggest and strongest engines, and I -want 'em up in Chaplin's yard as soon as you can get 'em there.' - -"'What,' said he, 'on a foreign road?' 'Yes,' said I, offhand like. -Then I turned to the old man. 'Now, Mister MacBayne,' said I, 'I want -you to tell Charlie here that when those engines pass out of his -division, they come absolutely under my control.' - -"'Oh, that's all right, Hen,' said Charlie, speaking up breathless. - -"'Yes, I know it is,' said I, 'but I want you to hear Mister MacBayne -say it. Remember, when those engines leave your division, they belong -to me until I see fit to bring 'em back.' - -"The old man was looking queerer than ever. 'See here, Hen,' said he, -'what devilment are you up to, anyway?' - -"'Nothing at all,' said I. 'I just want two engines. You can't run a -railroad without engines, Mister MacBayne.' - -"'Well,' said he, then, 'how about me--what do you want of me?' - -"'Why, I'll tell you,' said I. 'Why don't you hook your car on to No. -6 and go back to Pittsburg to-night?' You should have seen his good -eye light up at that. Getting out of the state suited him about as -well as anything just then, and he didn't lose any time about it. When -he had gone, Charlie said:-- - -"'Now, Hen, for heaven's sake, tell me what you're up to?' - -"'Not a bit of it,' said I. 'I don't see what business it is of yours. -You belong back on your division.' - -"'Well, I ain't going,' said he. 'I'm going wherever you go to-night.' - -"'All right,' said I; 'I'm going to Shelby's vaudeville.' - -"That surprised him. But he didn't say anything more. You remember old -Shelby's show there. I always used to go when I was in Buffalo of an -evening. - -"But about 11:30, when the show was over, Charlie began to get -nervous again. 'Well, Hen,' he said, 'where next?' - -"'I don't know about you,' said I, 'but I'm going to stroll out to -Chaplin's yard before I turn in, and take a look at our cars. You'd -better go to bed.' - -"'Not a bit of it,' he broke out. 'I'm going with you.' - -"'All right,' said I, 'come along. It's a fine night.' - -"Well, gentlemen, when we got out to the yards, there were our cars in -two long lines on parallel tracks, seventy on one track and fifty on -another--one thing bothered me, they were broken in four places at -street crossings--and on the two next tracks beside them were -Charlie's two engines, steam up and headlights lighted. And, say, you -never saw anything quite like it! The boys they'd sent with the -engines weren't anybody's fools, and they had on about three hundred -pounds of steam apiece--blowing off there with a noise you could hear -for a mile, but the boys themselves weren't saying a word; they were -sitting around smoking their pipes, quiet as seven Sabbaths. - -"When Charlie saw this laid out right before his eyes, he took -frightened all of a sudden--his knees were going like that. He grabbed -my arm and pulled me back into the shadow. - -"'Hen, for heaven's sake, let's get out of here quick. This means the -penitentiary.' - -"'You can go,' said I. 'I didn't invite you to the party.' - -"Right beside the tracks there was a watch-box, shut up as if there -wasn't anybody in it, but I could see the light coming out at the top. -It was going to be ticklish business, I knew that. We had to haul out -over a drawbridge, for one thing, to get out of the yards, and then -whistle for the switch over to the southwestern tracks. Had to use the -signals of the other roads, too. But I was in for it. - -"'Well, Hen,' said Charlie, 'if you're going to do it, what in ---- -are you standing around for now?' - -"'Got to wait for the Lake Shore Express to go through,' said I. - -"Charlie sort of groaned at this and for an hour we sat there and -waited. I tried to talk about the oil explosion down by Titusville, -but Charlie, somehow, wasn't interested. All the while those engines -were blowing off tremendous, and the crews were sitting around just -smoking steady. - -"Finally, at one o'clock, I went over to the engineer of the first -engine. 'How many men have you got?' said I. - -"'Four brakemen,' he said, 'each of us.' - -"'All right,' said I. 'I guess I don't need to tell you what to do.' - -"They all heard me, and say, you ought to have seen them jump up. The -engineer was up and on his engine before I got through talking; and he -just went a-flying down the yard, whistling for the switch. The four -brakemen ran back along the fifty-car string. You see they had to -couple up at those four crossings and that was the part I didn't like -a bit. But I couldn't help it. The engineer came a-backing down very -rapid, and bumped that front car as if he wanted to telescope it. - -"Well, sir, they did it--coupled up, link and pin. The engineer was -leaning 'way out the window, and he didn't wait very long after -getting the signal, before he was a-hiking it down the yard, tooting -his whistle for the draw. Heaven only knows what might have happened, -but nothing did. He got over the draw all right with his fifty cars -going clickety--clickety--clickety behind him, and then I could see -his rear lights and hear him whistling for the switch over to the -southwestern tracks. Then I gave the signal for the other engine. -Charlie, all this time, was getting worse and worse. He was leaning up -against me now, just naturally hanging on to me, looking like a -somnambulist. You could hear his knees batting each other. And the -engineer of that second engine turned out to be in the same fix. He -was so excited he never waited for the signal that the cars were all -coupled up, and he started up with a terrific toot of his whistle and -a yank on the couplings, leaving thirty cars and one brakeman behind. -But I knew it would never do to call him back. - -"Well, now, here is where it happened. That whistle was enough to wake -the sleeping saints. And just as the train got fairly going for the -draw, tooting all the way, the door of that watch-box burst open and -three policemen men came running out, hard as they could run. Of -course there was only one thing to do, and that's just the thing that -Charlie Greenman didn't do. He turned and ran in the general direction -of the Swift House as fast as those long legs of his could carry him. -Two of the officers ran after him and the other came for me. I yelled -to Charlie to stop, but he'd got to a point where he couldn't hear -anything. The other officer came running with his night-stick in the -air, but my Scotch-Irish was rising, and I threw up my guard. - -"'Don't you touch me,' I yelled; 'don't you touch me!' - -"'Well, come along, then,' said he. - -"'Not a bit of it,' said I. 'I've nothing to do with you.' - -"'Well, you ran,' he yelled; 'you ran!' - -"I just looked at him. 'Do you call this running?' said I. - -"'Well,' said he, 'the other fellow ran.' - -"'All right,' said I, 'we'll run after him.' So we did. Pretty soon -they caught Charlie. And I was a bit nervous, for I didn't know what -he might say. But he was too scared to say anything. So I turned to -the officer. - -"'Now,' said I, 'suppose you tell us what it is you want?' - -"'We want you,' said one of them. - -"'No, you don't,' said I. - -"'Yes, we do,' said he. - -"It seemed to be getting time for some bluffing, so I hit right out. -'Where's your headquarters?' said I. - -"'Right over here,' said he. - -"'All right,' said I, 'that's where we're going, right now. We'll see -if two railroad men can't walk through Chaplin's yards whenever they -feel like it.' - -"And all the while we were talking I could hear that second train -a-whooping it up for the state line--clickety--clickety--whoo-oo-oo! ---clickety--clickety--getting fainter and fainter. - -"There was a big captain dozing on a bench in the station house. When -he saw us come in, he climbed up behind his desk so he could look down -on us--they like to look down at you, you know. - -"'Well, Captain,' said the officer, 'we've got 'em.' - -"'Yes,' the captain answered, looking down with a grin, 'I think you -have.' - -"'Well now,' said I, to the captain, 'who have you got?' - -"'That'll be all right,' said he, with another grin. - -"It was pretty plain that he wasn't going to say anything. There was -something about the way he looked at us and especially about that -grin that started me thinking. I decided on bluff number two. I took -out my pass case, opened it, and spread out annual passes on the Great -Windy, the Erie, the South-eastern, and the Lake Shore. My name was -written on all of them, H. L. Tiffany, Pittsburg. The minute the -captain saw them he looked queer, and I turned to Charlie and told him -to get out his passes, which he did. For a minute the captain couldn't -say anything; then he turned on those three officers, and you ought to -have heard what he said to them--gave 'em the whole forty-two degrees -right there, concentrated. - -"'Well, gentlemen,' he said to us, when he'd told the officer all that -was on his mind, 'this is pretty stupid business. I'm very sorry we've -put you to this trouble, and I can tell you that if there is anything -I can do to make it right, I'll be more than glad to do it.' - -"Well, there wasn't anything in particular that I wanted just then -except to get out of Buffalo quick. But I did stop to gratify my -curiosity. - -"'Would you mind telling me, Captain,' said I, 'who you took us for?' - -"The captain looked queer again, then he said, solemn, 'We took you -for body snatchers.' - -"'Body snatchers!' I looked at Charlie, and Charlie, who was beginning -to recover, looked at me. - -"'You see,' the captain went on, 'there's an old building out there by -the yard, and some young surgeons and medical students have been using -it nights to cut up people in, and when the boys saw two well-dressed -young fellows hanging around there in the middle of the night, they -didn't stop to think twice. I'm very sorry, indeed. I'll send two of -these men over to escort you to your hotel, with your permission.' - -"That didn't please me very much, but I couldn't decline. So we -started out, Charlie and I and the two coppers. But instead of going -to the Swift House I steered them into the Mansion House, and -dampened things up a bit. Then I got three boxes of cigars, Havana -imported. I gave one to each of the officers, and on the bottom of the -third I wrote, in pencil, 'To the Captain, with the compliments of H. -L. Tiffany, of the A. & G. W., Pittsburg, Pa.' I thought he might have -reason to be interested when he got his next morning's paper in -knowing just who we were. The coppers went back, tickled to death, and -Charlie and I got out into the street. - -"'Well, Hen,' said he, very quiet, 'what are you going to do next?' - -"'You can do what you like, Charlie,' I said, 'but I'm going to take -the morning three o'clock on the Michigan Central for Toronto.' And -Charlie, he thought maybe he'd go with me." - -Tiffany leaned back in a glow of reminiscence, and chuckled softly. Of -the others, some had pushed back their chairs, some were leaning -forward on the table. All had been, for half an hour, in the remote -state of New York with this genial railroading pirate of the old -school. Now, outside, a horse whinnied. Through the desert stillness -came the clanking and coughing of a distant train. They were back in -the gray Southwest, perhaps facing adventures of their own. - -Carhart rose, for he had work to do at the headquarters tent. Young -Van took the hint, and followed his example. But the long-nosed -instrument man, the fire of a pirate soul shining out through his -countenance, leaned eagerly forward. "What happened then?" he asked. - -"Oh, nothing much," Tiffany responded. "What could happen? Charlie and -I came back from Toronto a few days later by way of Detroit." Then his -eye lighted up again. "But I like to think," he added, "that next -morning when that captain read about the theft of ninety gon_do_la -cars right out from under the sheriff's nose by H. L. Tiffany, of -Pittsburg, Pa., he was smoking one of said H. L. Tiffany's cigars." - - * * * * * - -The sun was up, hot and bright. The laborers and the men of the tie -squad and the iron squad were straggling back to work. The wagons were -backing in alongside the cars. And halfway down the knoll stood -Carhart and Flint, both in easy western costume, Flint booted and -spurred, stroking the neck of his well-kept pony. - -"Well, so long, Paul," said the bridge-builder. - -"Good-by," said Carhart. - -It rested with these two lean men whether an S. & W. train should -enter Red Hills before October. They both felt it, standing there at -the track-end, their backs to civilization, their faces to the desert. - -"All right, sir." Flint got into his saddle. "_All_ right, sir." He -turned toward the waiting wagon train. "Start along, boys!" he shouted -in his thin voice. - -Haddon galloped ahead with the order. The drivers took up their reins, -and settled themselves for the long journey. Like Carhart's men, they -were a mixed lot--Mexicans, half-breeds, native Americans of a -curiously military stamp, and nondescripts--but good-natured enough; -and Flint, believing with Carhart in the value of good cooks, meant to -keep them good-natured. One by one the whips cracked; a confusion of -English, Spanish, and French cries went up; the mules plunged; the -heavy wagons, laden with derricks, timber, tools, camp supplies, and -the inevitable pile-driver, groaned forward; and the La Paz Bridge -outfit was off. - -There was about the scene a sense of enterprise, of buoyant freedom, -of deeds to be done. Flint felt it, as he rode at the head of his -motley cavalcade; for he was an imaginative man. Young Van, standing -by the headquarters tent, felt it, for he was young. Tiffany, still at -breakfast, felt it so strongly that he swore most unreasoningly at the -cook. Down on the job, the humblest stake man stood motionless until -Old Van, who showed no signs of feeling anything, asked him if he -hadn't had about enough of a sy-esta. As for Carhart, he was stirred, -but his fancy did not roam far afield. From now on those things which -would have it in their power to give him the deepest pleasure were the -sight of gang after gang lifting cross-ties, carrying them to the -grade, and dropping them into place; the sight of that growing line of -stubby yellow timbers, and the sound of the rails clanking down upon -them and of the rapid-fire sledges driving home the spikes. - - * * * * * - -Young Van poked his head in through the flaps. - -"Well?" said the chief, looking up. - -"Won't you come down, Mr. Carhart? The boys want you to drive the -first spike." - -Carhart smiled, then pushed back his chair, and strode out and down -the slope to the grade. - -"Stand back there, boys!" cried somebody. - -Carhart caught up a sledge, swung it easily over his shoulder, and -brought it down with a swing. - -"There," he cried, entering into the spirit of the thing, "there, -boys! That means Red Hills or bust." - -The cheer that followed was led by the instrument man. Then Carhart, -still smiling, walked back to his office. Now the work was begun. - -But Old Van, the division engineer, was scowling. He wished the chief -would quit stirring up these skylarking notions--on _his_ division, -anyway. It took just that much longer to take it out of the men--break -them so you could drive them better. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -JACK FLAGG SEES STARS - - -It was a month later, on a Tuesday night, and the engineers were -sitting about the table in the office tent. Scribner, the last to -arrive, had ridden in after dusk from mile fourteen. - -For two weeks the work had dragged. Peet, back at Sherman, had been -more liberal of excuses than of materials. It was always the mills -back in Pennsylvania, or slow business on connecting lines, or the car -famine. And it was not unnatural that the name of the superintendent -should have come to stand at the front for certain very unpopular -qualities. Carhart had faith in Tiffany, but the railroad's chief -engineer was one man in a discordant organization. Railroad systems -are not made in a day, and the S. & W. was new, showing square -corners where all should be polished round; developing friction -between departments, and bad blood between overworked men. Thus it had -been finally brought home to Paul Carhart that in order to carry his -work through he must fight, not only time and the elements, but also -the company in whose interest he was working. - -Lately the office had received a few unmistakably vigorous messages -from Carhart. Tiffany, too, had taken a hand, and had opened his mind -to the Vice-president. The Vice-president had in turn talked with -Peet, who explained that the materials were always sent forward as -rapidly as possible, and added that certain delays had arisen from the -extremely dangerous condition of Carhart's road-bed. Meantime, not -only rails and ties, but also food and water, were running short out -there at the end of the track. - -"What does he say now, Paul?" asked Old Van, after a long silence, -during which these bronzed, dusty men sat looking at the flickering -lamp or at the heaps of papers, books, and maps which covered the -table. - -Carhart drew a crumpled slip of paper from his pocket and tossed it -across the table. Old Van spread it out, and read as follows:-- - - MR. PAUL CARHART: Small delay due to shortage of equipment. - Supply train started this morning, however. Regret - inconvenience, as by order of Vice-president every effort is - being made to supply you regularly. - - L. W. PEET, - _Division Superintendent_. - -"Interesting, isn't it!" said Carhart. "You notice he doesn't say how -long the train has been on the way. It may not get here for thirty-six -hours yet." - -"Suppose it doesn't," put in Scribner, "what are we going to do with -the men?" - -"Keep them all grading," said Carhart. - -"But--" - -"Well, what is it? This is a council of war--speak out." - -"Just this. Scraping and digging is thirsty work in this sun, and we -haven't water enough for another half day." - -"Young Van is due with water." - -"Yes, he is due, Mr. Carhart, but you told him not to come back -without it, and he won't." - -"Listen!" Outside, in the night, voices sounded, and the creaking of -wagons. - -"Here he is now," said Carhart. - -Into the dim light before the open tent stepped a gray figure. His -face was thin and drawn; his hair, of the same dust color as his -clothing, straggled down over his forehead below his broad hat. He -nodded at the waiting group, threw off his hat, unslung his army -canteen, and sank down exhausted on the first cot. - -Old Van, himself seasoned timber and unable to recognize the -limitations of the human frame, spoke impatiently, "Well, Gus, how -much did you get?" - -"Fourteen barrels." - -"Fourteen barrels!" The other men exchanged glances. - -"Why--why--" sputtered the elder brother, "that's not enough for the -engines!" - -"It's all we can get." - -"Why didn't you look farther?" - -"You'd better look at the mules," Young Van replied simply enough. "I -had to drive them"--he fumbled at his watch--"an even eighteen hours -to get back to-night." And he added in a whimsical manner that was -strange to him, "I paid two dollars a barrel, too." - -Carhart was watching him closely. "Did you have any trouble with your -men, Gus?" he asked. - -Young Van nodded. "A little." - -After a moment, during which his eyes were closed and his muscles -relaxed, he gathered his faculties, lighted a cigarette, and rose. - -"Hold on, Gus," said Carhart. "What are you going to do?" - -"Bring the barrels up by our tent here. It isn't safe to leave them on -the wagons. The men--some of them--aren't standing it well. Some are -'most crazy." He interrupted himself with a short laugh. "Hanged if I -blame them!" - -"You'd better go to bed, Gus," said the chief. "I'll look after the -water." - -But Young Van broke away from the restraining hand and went out. - -Half a hundred laborers were grouped around the water wagons in -oppressive silence. Vandervelt hardly gave them a glance. - -"Dimond," he called, "where are you?" - -A man came sullenly out of the shadows. - -"Take a hand here--roll these barrels in by Mr. Carhart's tent." A -murmur spread through the group. More men were crowding up behind. But -the engineer gave his orders incisively, in a voice that offered no -encouragement to insubordination. "You two, there, go over to -the train and fetch some skids. I want a dozen men to help -Dimond--you--you--" Rapidly he told them off. "The rest of you get -away from here--quick." - -"What you goin' to do with that water?" The voice rose from the thick -of the crowd. It drew neither explanation nor reproof from Young Van; -but his manner, as he turned his back and, pausing only to light -another cigarette, went rapidly to work, discouraged the laborers, and -in groups of two and three they drifted off to their quarters. - -The men worked rapidly, for Mr. Carhart's assistant had a way of -taking hold himself, lending a hand here or a shoulder there, and -giving low, sharp orders which the stupidest men understood. As they -rolled the barrels along the sides of the tent and stood them on end -between the guy ropes Paul Carhart stood by, a rolled-up map in his -hand, and watched his assistant. He took it all in--the cowed, angry -silence of the men, the unfailing authority of the young engineer. No -one felt the situation more keenly than Carhart, but he had set his -worries aside for the moment to observe the methods of the younger -man. Once he caught himself nodding with approval. And then, when he -was about to turn away and resume his study at the table beneath the -lantern, an odd scene took place. The work was done. Vandervelt stood -wiping his forehead with a handkerchief which had darkened from white -to rich gray. The laborers had gone; but Dimond remained. - -"That's all, Dimond," said Vandervelt. - -But the man lingered. - -"Well, what do you want?" - -"It's about this water. The boys want to know if they ain't to have a -drink." - -"No; no more to-night," replied Young Van. - -"But--but--" Dimond hesitated. - -"Wait a minute," said Van abruptly. He entered the tent, found his -canteen where he had dropped it, brought it out, and handed it to -Dimond. - -"This is my canteen. It's all I have a right to give anybody. Now, -shut up and get out." - -Dimond hesitated, then swung the canteen over his shoulder and -disappeared without a word. - -"Gus," said Paul Carhart, quietly. - -"Oh! I didn't see you there." - -"Wasn't that something of a gallery play?" - -"No, I don't think it was. It will show them that we are dealing -squarely with them. I had a deuce of a time on the ride, and Dimond -really tried, I think, to keep the men within bounds. They are -children, you know,--children with whiskey throats added,--and they -can't stand it as we can." - -"Gus," said the chief, taking the boy's arm and drawing him toward the -tent, "it's time you got to sleep. I shall need you to-morrow." - -The other engineers were still sitting about the table, talking in low -tones. Carhart rejoined them. Young Van dropped on a cot in the rear -and fell asleep with his boots on. - -"Old Van is telling how the pay-slips came in to-day," said Scribner. - -Carhart nodded. "Go ahead." He had found the laborers, headed by the -Mexicans, so impossibly deliberate in their work that he had -planned out a system of paying by the piece. When the locomotive -whistle blew at night, each man was handed a slip stating the amount -due him. At the end of the week the slips were to be cashed, and -to-day the first payment had been made. "Go ahead," he repeated. "How -much did it cost us?" - -[Illustration: "'It's all I have a right to give anybody.'"] - -"About seventy-five dollars more than last week," replied Old Van. "So -that, on the whole, we got a little more work out of them. But here's -what happened. When the whistle blew and I got out my satchel, nobody -came. I called to a couple of them to hurry up if they wanted their -pay, but they shook their heads. Finally, just two men came up and -handed in all the slips." - -"Two men!" exclaimed Carhart. - -"Yes. One was the cook, Jack Flagg. He had fully two-thirds of the -slips. The other was his assistant, the one they call Charlie. He had -the rest. I called some of the laborers up and asked what it meant, -but they said it was all right that way." - -"So you gave them the whole pay-roll?" - -"Every cent." - -Carhart frowned. "That won't do," he said. "A man who can clean out -the camp in less than a week will breed more trouble than a water -famine." - -There was little more to be said, and soon the council came to a -close. Scribner went promptly to sleep. Young Van awoke, and with a -mumbled "good night" staggered across after Scribner, to his sleeping -tent. And then, for an hour, Paul Carhart sat alone, his elbows on the -table, a profile of the line spread out before him. Outside, in the -night, something stirred. He extinguished his lamp and listened. -Cautious steps were approaching behind the cluster of tents. A moment -more and he heard a man stumble over a peg and swear aloud. - -Carhart stepped out at the rear of the tent and stood waiting. Four or -five shadowy figures slipped into view, caught sight of him, and -paused. While they stood huddled together he made out a pair of broad -shoulders towering above the group. There was only one such pair in -the camp, and they belonged to the cook, Jack Flagg. - -The silence lasted only a moment. Then, without speaking, the men -broke and ran back into the darkness. - -Carhart waited until the camp was silent, then he too, went in and to -sleep. - -But Young Van, dozing lightly and restlessly, was awakened by the -noise behind the tents. For a few moments he lay still, then he got up -and looked out. Down the knoll he could see a dim light, and after a -little he made it out as coming from the mess tent of the laborers. -Now and then a low murmur of voices floated up through the desert -stillness. - -Young Van folded up the legs of his cot, carried it out, laid it -across two of the water barrels, and went to sleep there in the open -air. - -An hour later the mess tent was still lighted. Within, seated on -blocks of timber around a cracker-box, four men were playing poker; -and pressing about them was a score of laborers--all, in fact, who -could crowd into the tent. The air was foul with cheap tobacco and -with the hundred odors that cling to working clothes. The eyes of the -twenty or more men were fixed feverishly on the greasy cards, and on -the heaps of the day's pay-slips. By a simple process of elimination -the ownership of these slips had been narrowed down to the present -players--Jack Flagg, his assistant Charlie, Dimond, and a Mexican. The -silence carried a sense of strain. The occasional coarse jokes and -boisterous laughter died down with strange suddenness. - -"It's no use," said Flagg, finally, tossing the cards on the box; -"they're against us." - -The Mexican rose at this, and sullenly left the tent. Dimond, with a -conscious laugh, gathered in two-thirds of the slips and pocketed -them. It was an achievement to clean out Jack Flagg. The remaining -third went to Charlie. - -Flagg leaned back, clasped his great knotted hands about one knee, and -looked across at Dimond. Six feet and a third tall in his socks, hard -as steel rails, he could have lifted any two of the laborers about him -clear of the ground, one in each hand. The lower part of his face was -half covered with his long, ill-kept mustache and the tuft of hair -beneath his under lip. The blue shirt he wore had unmistakably come -from a military source, but not a man there, not even Charlie--himself -nearly a match for his chief in height and breadth--would have dared -ask when he had been in the army, nor why or how he had come to leave -it. - -"Dimond," said Flagg, "let me have one of those slips a minute." - -The nervous light left Dimond's eyes. He threw a suspicious glance -across the box; then, after a moment, he complied. - -Flagg held the slip near the lantern and examined it. - -"Eighty cents," he muttered, "eighty cents--and for how much work?" - -"Half a day," a laborer replied. - -"Half a day's work, and the poor devil gets eighty cents for it!" - -"He gets eighty cents! He gets nothing, you'd better say. Dimond, -there, is the man that gets it." - -"That's no matter. He lost it in fair play. But look at it--look at -it!" The giant cook contemptuously turned the slip over in his hand. -"That devil hounds you like niggers for five hours in the hot sun--he -drives you near crazy with thirst--and then he hands you out this -pretty piece of paper with 'eighty cents' wrote on it." - -"That's a dollar-sixty a day. We was only getting one-fifty the old -way--on time." - -"You was only getting one-fifty, was you?" There was infinite scorn in -Flagg's voice; his masterly eye swept the group. "You was getting -one-fifty, and now you're thankful to get ten cents more. Do you know -what you are? You're a pack of fools--that's what you are!" - -[Illustration: "'Eighty cents,' he muttered, 'and for how much -work?'"] - -"But look here, Jack, what can we do?" - -"What can you do?" Flagg paused, glanced at his vis--vis. From the -expression of dawning intelligence on Dimond's face it was plain that -he was waking to the suggestion. The slips that he had won to-night -were worth four hundred dollars to Dimond. Why should not these same -bits of paper fetch five hundred or six hundred? - -"What can you do?" Flagg repeated. "Oh, but you boys make me weary. It -ain't any of my business. I ain't a laborer, and what I do gets well -paid for. But when I look around at you poor fools, I can't sit still -here and let you go on like this. You ask me what you can do? Well, -now, suppose we think it over a little. Here you are, four hundred of -you. This man Carhart offers you one-fifty a day to come out here into -the desert and dig your own graves. Why did he set that price on your -lives? Because he knew you for the fools you are. Do you think for a -minute he could get laborers up there in Chicago, where he comes from, -for one-fifty? Not a bit of it! Do you think he could get men in -Pennsylvania, in New York State, for one-fifty? Not a bit of it! If he -was building this line in New York State, he'd be paying you two -dollars, two-fifty, maybe three. And he'd be glad to get you at the -price. And he'd meet your representative like a gentleman, and step -around lively and walk Spanish for you, if you so much as winked." - -Dimond's eyes were flashing with excitement, though he kept them -lowered to the cards. His face was flushed. Flagg saw that the seed he -had planted was growing, and he swept on, working up the situation -with considerable art. - -"Think it over, boys, think it over. This man Carhart finds he can't -drive you fast enough at one-fifty, so what does he do? He gets up his -pay-slip scheme so's you will kill yourselves for the chance of making -ten cents more. And you stand around and let him do it--never a peep -from you! Now, what's the situation? Here's this man, five hundred -miles from nowhere; he's got to rush the job. We know that, don't we?" - -"Yes," muttered Dimond, with a quick breath, "we know that, all -right." - -"Well, now, what about it?" Flagg looked deliberately about the eager -group. "What about it? There's the situation. Here he is, and here you -are. He's in a hurry. If he was to find out, all of a sudden, that he -couldn't drive you poor devils any farther; if he was to find out that -you had just laid down and said you wouldn't do another stroke of work -on these terms, what about it? What could he do?" Flagg paused again, -to let the suggestion find its mark. - -"But he ain't worrying any. He knows you for the low-spirited lot you -are. So what does he do? He sends out a bunch of you and makes you -ride three days to get water, and then he stacks the barrels around -his tent, where he and his gang can get all they want, and tells you -to go off and suck your thumbs. Much he cares about you." - -Dimond raised his eyes. "Talk plain, Jack," he said in a low voice. -"What is it? What's the game?" - -Flagg gave him a pitying glance. "You're still asking what's the -game," he replied, and went on half absently, "Let's see. How much is -he paying the iron squad--how much was that, now?" - -"Two dollars," cried a voice. - -"Two dollars--yes, that was it; that was it. He is paying them two -dollars a day, and he has set them to digging and grading along with -you boys that only gets one-sixty. I happened to notice that to-day, -when I was a-walking up that way. Those iron-squad boys was out with -picks and shovels, a-doing the same work as the rest of you, only they -was doing it for forty cents more. They ain't common laborers, you -see. There's a difference. You couldn't expect them to swing a pick -for one-sixty a day. It would be beneath 'em. They're sort o' swells, -you see--" - -He paused. There was a long silence. - -"Boys,"--it was Dimond speaking,--"boys, Jack Flagg is right. If it -costs Carhart two per for the iron squad, it's got to cost him the -same for us!" - - * * * * * - -Carhart was turning the delay to some account by shutting himself up -with his maps and plans and reports and figures. At ten o'clock on the -following morning he heard a step without the tent, and, looking up, -saw Young Vandervelt before him. - -"There's trouble up ahead, Mr. Carhart." - -"What is it?" - -"The laborers have quit. They demand an increase of ten per cent in -their pay." - -"All right, let them have it." - -"I'll tell my brother. He said no, we shouldn't give in an inch." - -"You tell him I say to let them have what they ask." - -Young Van hurried back with the order. Carhart quietly resumed the -problems before him. - -Old Van, when he received the chief's message, swore roundly. - -"What's Paul thinking of!" he growled. "He ought to know that this is -only the tip of the wedge. They'll come up another ten per cent before -the week's out." - -But Old Van failed to do justice to the promptness of Jack Flagg. At -three in the afternoon the demand came; and for the second time that -day the scrapers lay idle, and the mules wagged their ears in lazy -comfort. - -"Well!" cried Old Van, sharply. "Well! It's what I told you, isn't it! -Now, I suppose you still believe in running to Paul with the story." - -"Yes," replied the younger brother, firmly, "of course. He's the -boss." - -"All right, sir! All right, sir!" The veteran engineer turned away in -disgust as his brother started rapidly back to the camp. The -laborers, meanwhile, covered with sweat and dust, tantalized by the -infrequent sips of water doled out to them, lay panting in a long, -irregular line on the newly turned earth. - -"Well, Gus," said Carhart, with a wry smile, at sight of the dusty -figure before the tent, "are they at it again?" - -"They certainly are." - -"They don't mean to lose any time, do they? How much is it now?" - -"Ten per cent more. What shall we do?" - -"Give it to them." - -"All right." - -"Wait a minute, Gus. Who's their spokesman? - -"Dimond." - -"Dimond?" Carhart frowned. "Nobody else?" - -"No; but the cook has been hanging around a good deal and talking with -him." - -"Oh--I see. Well, that's all. Go ahead; give them what they ask." - -Again the mules were driven at the work. Again--and throughout the -day--the sullen men toiled on under the keen eye of Old Vandervelt. If -he had been a driver before, he was a czar now. If he could not -control the rate of pay, he could at least control the rate of work. -To himself, to the younger engineers, to the men, to the mules, he was -merciless. And foot by foot, rod by rod, the embankment that was to -bear the track crept on into the desert. The sun beat down; the wind, -when there was a wind, was scorching hot; but Old Van gave no heed. -Now and again he glanced back to where the material train lay silent -and useless, hoping against hope that far in the distance he might see -the smoke of that other train from Sherman. Peet had said, yesterday, -that it was on the way; and Old Van muttered, over and over, "D--n -Peet!" - -Night came finally, but not the train. Aching in body, ugly in spirit, -the laborers crept under their blankets. Morning came, but no train. -Carhart spent an hour on the grade, and saw with some satisfaction -that the time was not wholly lost; then he went back to the operator's -tent and opened communications with Sherman. Sherman expressed -surprise that the train had not arrived; it had been long on the way, -said the despatcher. - -At this message, repeated to him by the operator, word for word, -Carhart stood thoughtful. Then, "Shut off the despatcher. Wait--tell -him Mr. Carhart is much obliged. Shut him off. Now call Paradise. Say -to him--can't you get him?" - -"Yes--all right now." - -"Say--'When did the supply train pass you on Tuesday?'--got that?" - -"Yes--one minute. 'When--did supply--train pass--you--Tuesday?'" - -"Now what does he say?" - -"'Supply--train'--he says--'passed--here -Wednesday--two--P.M.--west-bound.' There, you see, it didn't leave on -Tuesday at all. It's only a few hours to Paradise from Sherman." - -Carhart had Peet's message still crumpled in his pocket. He -straightened it out and read it again. "All right," he said to the -operator, "that will do." And as he walked slowly and thoughtfully out -into the blazing sunlight he added to himself: "So, Mr. Peet, that's -the sort you are, is it? I think we begin to understand each other." - -"Paul!" It was the gruff voice of Old Vandervelt, low and charged with -anger. - -"Yes--what?" - -"What is it you mean to do with these laborers?" - -"Build the line." - -"Well, I've done what I could. They've walked out again." - -"Another ten per cent?" - -"Another ten per cent." - -"Let's see--we've raised them twenty per cent since yesterday morning, -haven't we?" - -"You have--yes." - -"And that ought to be about enough, don't you think?" - -"If you want my opinion,--yes." - -"Now look here, Van. You go back and bring them all up here by the -train. Tell them Mr. Carhart wants to talk to them." - -Vandervelt stared at his chief in downright bewilderment. Then he -turned to obey the order; and as he walked away Carhart caught the -muttered words, "Organize a debating society, eh? Well, that's the one -fool thing left to do!" - -But the men did not take it in just this way; in fact, they did not -know how to take it. They hesitated, and looked about for counsel. -Even Dimond was disturbed. The boss had a quiet, highly effective way -of saying and doing precisely what he meant to say and do. Dimond was -not certain of his own ability to stand directly between the men and -Paul Carhart. There was something about the cool way in which they -were ordered before him that was--well, businesslike. He turned and -glanced at Flagg. The cook scowled and motioned him forward, and so -the dirty, thirsty regiment moved uncertainly back toward the train, -and formed a wide semicircle before the boss. - -Carhart had taken his position by a pile of odds and ends of lumber -that lay beside the track. He awaited them quietly, the only man among -the hundreds there who appeared unconscious of the excitement in the -air. The elder Vandervelt stood apart, scowling at the performance. -The younger scented danger, and, climbing up on the train, walked back -over the empty flat-cars to a position directly behind his chief. -There he sat down, his legs swinging over the side of the car. - -Carhart reached up for his spectacles, deliberately breathed on them, -wiped them, and replaced them. Then he gave the regiment a slow, -inquiring look. - -"Have you men authorized somebody to speak for you?" he said in a -voice which, though it was not loud, was heard distinctly by every man -there. - -There was a moment's hesitation; then the laborers, or those who were -not studying the ground, looked at Dimond. - -The telegraph operator stepped out of his little tent, and stood -looking at the scene with startled eyes. Up ahead, the iron squad, -uncertain whether to continue their work, had paused, and now they -were gazing back. As the seconds slipped away their exclamations of -astonishment died out. All eyes were fixed on the group in the centre -of the semicircle. - -For at this critical moment, there was, it seemed, a hitch. Dimond's -broad hat was pulled down until it half concealed his eyes. He stood -motionless. At his elbow was Jack Flagg, muttering orders that the -nominal leader did not seem to hear. - -"Flagg, step out here!" - -It was Carhart speaking, in the same quiet, distinct manner. The sound -of his voice broke the tension. The men all looked up, even the -nerveless Dimond. To Young Van they were oddly like a room full of -schoolboys as they stood silently waiting for Flagg to obey. The -giant cook himself was very like a schoolboy, as he glanced uneasily -around, caught no sign of fight in the obedient eyes about him, sought -counsel in the ground, the sky, the engines standing on the track, -then finally slouched forward. - -Young Van caught himself on the verge of laughing out. He saw Flagg -advance a way and pause. Carhart waited. Flagg took a few more steps, -then paused again, with the look of a man who feels that he has been -bullied into a false position, yet cannot hit upon the way out. - -"Well," he said, glowering down on the figure of the engineer in -charge--and very thin and short Carhart looked before him--"well, what -do you want of me?" - -For reply Carhart coolly looked him over. Then he snatched up a piece -of scantling, whirled it once around his head, and caught Jack Flagg -squarely on his deep, well-muscled chest. The cook staggered back, -swung his arms wildly to recover his balance, failed, and fell flat, -striking on the back of his head. - -But he was up in an instant, and he started forward, swearing -copiously and reaching for his hip pocket. - -Young Van saw the motion. He knew that Paul Carhart seldom carried a -weapon, and he felt that the safety of them all lay with himself. -Accordingly he leaped to the ground, ran to the side of his chief, -whipped out a revolver, and levelled it at Jack Flagg. - -"Hands up!" he cried. "Hands up!" - -"Gus," cried Carhart, in a disgusted voice, "put that thing up!" - -Young Van, crestfallen, hesitated; then dropped his arm. - -"Now, Flagg," said the chief, tossing the scantling to one side, "you -clear out. You'd better do it fast, or the men'll finish where I left -off." - -The cook glanced behind him, and his eyes flitted about the semicircle -from face to face. He was keen enough to take in the situation, and -in a moment he had ducked under the couplers between two cars and -disappeared. - -"Well," exclaimed Young Van, pocketing his revolver, "it didn't take -you long to wind that up, Mr. Carhart." - -"To wind it up?" Carhart repeated, turning with a queer expression -toward his young assistant. "To begin it, you'd better say." Then he -composed his features and faced the laborers. "Get back to your work," -he said. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -WHAT THEY FOUND AT THE WATER-HOLE - - -Half an hour later Scribner, who was frequently back on the first -division during these dragging days, was informed that Mr. Carhart -wished to see him at once. Walking back to the engineers' tent he -found the chief at his table. - -"You wanted me, Mr. Carhart?" - -"Oh,"--the chief looked up--"Yes, Harry, we've got to get away from -this absolute dependence on that man Peet. I want you to ride up ahead -and bore for water. You can probably start inside of an hour. I'm -putting it in your hands. Take what men, tools, and wagons you -need--but find water." - -With a brief "All right, Mr. Carhart," Scribner left the tent and set -about the necessary arrangements. Carhart, this matter disposed of, -called a passing laborer, and asked him to tell Charlie that he was -wanted at headquarters. - -The assistant cook--huge, raw-boned, with a good-natured and not -unintelligent face--lounged before the tent for some moments before he -was observed. Then, in the crisp way he had with the men, Carhart told -him to step in. - -"Well," began the boss, looking him over, "what kind of a cook are -you?" - -A slow blush spread over the broad features. - -"Speak up. What were you doing when I sent for you?" - -"I--I--you see, sir, Jack Flagg was gone, and there wasn't anything -being done about dinner, and I--" - -"And you took charge of things, eh?" - -"Well--sort of, sir. You see--" - -"That's the way to do business. Go back and stick at it. Wait a -minute, though. Has Flagg been hanging around any?" - -[Illustration: "'Well,' began the boss, looking him over, 'what kind -of a cook are you?'"] - -"I guess he has. All his things was took off, and some of mine." - -"Take any money?" - -"All I had." - -"I'm not surprised. Money was what he was here for. He would have -cleaned you out, anyway, before long." - -"I'm not so sure of that, sir. We cleaned him out last time." - -"And you weren't smart enough to see into that?" - -"Well--no, I--" - -"Take my advice and quit gambling. It isn't what you were built for. -What did you say your name was?" - -"Charlie." - -"Well, Charlie, you go back and get up your dinner. See that it is a -good one." - -Charlie backed out of the tent and returned to his kettles and pans -and his boy assistants. He was won, completely. - -Late on Thursday evening that mythical train really rolled in, and -half the night was spent in preparations for the next day. Friday -morning tracklaying began again. In the afternoon a second train -arrived, and the air of movement and accomplishment became as keen as -on the first day of the work. Paul Carhart, in a flannel shirt, which, -whatever color it may once have been, was now as near green as -anything, a wide straw hat, airy yellow linen trousers, and laced -boots, appeared and reappeared on both divisions--alert, good-natured, -radiating health and energy. The sun blazed endlessly down, but what -laborer could complain with the example of the boss before him! The -mules toiled and plunged, and balked and sulked, and toiled again, as -mules will. The drivers--boys, for the most part--carried pails of -water on their wagons, and from time to time wet the sponges which -many of the men wore in their hats. And over the grunts and heaves of -the tie squad, over the rattling and groaning of the wagon, over the -exhausts of the locomotives, sounded the ringing clang of steel, as -the rails were shifted from flat-car to truck, from truck to ties. It -was music to Carhart,--deep, significant, nineteenth-century music. -The line was creeping on again--on, on through the desert. - -"What do you think of this!" had been Young Van's exclamation when the -second train appeared. - -"It's too good to be true," was the reply of his grizzled brother. - -Old Vandervelt was right: it was too good to be true. Soon the days -were getting away from them again; provisions and water were running -short, and Peet was sending on the most skilful lot of excuses he had -yet offered. For the second time the tracklaying had to stop; and -Carhart, slipping a revolver into his holster, rode forward alone to -find Scribner. - -He found him in a patch of sage-brush not far from a hill. The heat -was blistering, the ground baked to a powder. There had been no rain -for five months. Scribner, stripped to undershirt and trousers, was -standing over his men. - -"Glad to see you, Mr. Carhart!" he cried. "You are just in time. I -think I've struck it." - -"That's good news," the chief replied, dismounting. - -They stepped aside while Scribner gave an account of himself. "I first -drove a small bore down about three hundred feet, and got this." He -produced a tin pail from his tent, which contained a dark, odorous -liquid. Carhart sniffed, and said:-- - -"Sulphur water, eh!" - -"Yes, and very bad. It wouldn't do at all. But before moving on, I -thought I'd better look around a little. That hill over there is -sandstone, and a superficial examination led me to think that the -sandstone dips under this spot." - -"That might mean a very fair quality of water." - -"That's what I think. So I inserted a larger casing, to shut out this -sulphur water, and went on down." - -"How far?" - -"A thousand feet. I'm expecting to strike it any moment now." - -"Your men seem to think they have struck something. They're calling -you." - -The engineers returned to the well in time to see the water gushing to -the surface. - -"There's enough of it," muttered Scribner. - -The chief bent over it and shook his head. "Smell it, Harry," he said. - -Scribner threw himself on the ground and drank up a mouthful from the -stream. But he promptly spit it out. - -"It's worse than the other!" he cried. - -They were silent a moment. Then Carhart said, "Well--keep at it, -Harry. I may look you up again after a little." - -He walked over to his horse, mounted, nodded a good-by, and cantered -back toward the camp. Scribner watched him ride off, then soberly -turned and prepared to pack up and move on westward. He was thinking, -as he gave the necessary orders, how much this little visit meant. The -chief would have come only with matters at a bad pass. - - * * * * * - -Over a range of low waste hills, through a village of -prairie-dogs,--and he fired humorously at them with his revolver as -they sat on their mounds, and chuckled when they popped down out of -sight,--across a plain studded from horizon to horizon with the -bleached bones and skulls of thousands of buffaloes, past the camp and -the grade where the men of the first division were at work, Paul -Carhart rode, until, finally, the main camp and the trains and wagons -came into view. - -It was supper-time. The red, spent sun hung low in the west; the -parched earth was awaiting the night breeze. Cantering easily on, -Carhart soon reached the grade, and turned in toward the tents. The -endless quiet of the desert gave place to an odd, tense quiet in the -camp. The groups of laborers, standing or lying motionless, ceasing -their low, excited talk as he passed; the lowered eyes, the circle of -Mexicans standing about the mules, the want of the relaxation and -animal good-nature that should follow the night whistle: these signs -were plain as print to his eyes and his senses. - -He dismounted, walked rapidly to the headquarters tent, and found the -two Vandervelts in anxious conversation. He had never observed so -sharply the contrast between the brothers. The younger was smooth -shaven, slender, with brown hair, and frank blue eyes that were dreamy -at times; he would have looked the poet were it not for a square -forehead, a straight, incisive mouth, and a chin as uncompromising as -the forehead. There was in his face the promise of great capacity for -work, dominated by a sympathetic imagination. The face of his brother -was another story; some of the stronger qualities were there, but they -were not tempered with the gentler. His stocky frame, his strong neck, -the deep lines about his mouth, even the set of his cropped gray -mustache, spoke of dogged, unimaginative persistence. - -Evidently they were not in agreement. Both started at the sight of -their chief--the younger brother with a frank expression of relief. - -Carhart threw off his hat and gauntlet gloves, took his seat at the -table, and looked from one to the other. - -The elder brother nodded curtly. "Go ahead, Gus," he said. "Give Paul -your view of it." - -Thus granted the floor, Young Van briefly laid out the situation. "We -put your orders into effect this morning, Mr. Carhart, and shortened -the allowance of drinking water. In an hour the men began to get -surly--just as they did the other time. But we kept them under until -an hour or so ago. Then the sheriff of Clark County--a man named Lane, -Bow-legged Bill Lane,"--Young Van smiled slightly as he pronounced the -name,--"rode in with a large posse. It seems he is on the trail of a -gang of thieves, greasers, army deserters, and renegades generally. He -had one brush with them some miles below here,--I think I had better -tell you about this before I go on,--but they broke up into small -parties and got away from him. He had some reason to think that they -would work up this way, and try to stampede our horses and mules some -night. He advises arming our men, and keeping up more of a guard at -night. Another thing; he says that a good many Apaches are hanging -around us,--he has seen signs of them over there in the hills,--and -while they would never bother such a large party as this of ours, -Bow-legged Bill"--he smiled again--"thinks it would be best to arm any -small parties we may send out. If the Indians thought Harry Scribner, -for instance, had anything worth stealing they might give him some -trouble." - -"Send half-a-dozen wagons forward to him to-morrow, under Dimond," -said Carhart, briefly. "See that they carry rifles and cartridges -enough for Scribner's whole party. And wire Tiffany to send on three -hundred more rifles." - -"All right; I will attend to it. I told the sheriff we came down here -as peaceful railroad builders, not as border fighters; but he said -what we came for hasn't much to do with it,--I couldn't repeat his -language if I tried,--it's how we're going back that counts; whether -it's to be on a 'red plush seat, or up in the baggage car on ice.' But -so much for that. It seems that his men, mixing in with ours, found -out that we are short of water. They promptly said that there is a -first-rate pool, with all the water we could use, only about -thirty-five miles southwest of here." He was coming now, having -purposely brought up the minor matters first, to the real business. -Carhart heard him out. "It didn't take long to see that something was -the matter with the men. Before the posse rode off the sheriff spoke -to me about it, and offered to let us have a man to guide us to the -pool if we wanted him. I am in favor of accepting. The men are -trembling on the edge of an outbreak. If there was a Jack Flagg here -to organize them, they would have taken the mules and started before -you got back; and if they once got started, I'm not sure that even -shooting would stop them. They are beyond all reason. It's nothing but -luck that has kept them quiet up to now,--nobody has happened to say -the word that would set them off. I think we ought to reassure -them,--tell the sheriff we'll take the guide, and let the men know -that a wagon train will start the first thing in the morning." - -"That's it! That's it!" Old Van broke out angrily. "Always give in to -those d--n rascals! There's just one thing to do, I tell you. Order -them to their quarters and stand a guard over them from the iron -squad." - -"But you forget," Young Van replied hotly, "that they are not to -blame." - -"Not to blame! What the--!" - -"Wait a minute!--They are actually suffering now. We are not dealing -with malicious men--they are not even on strike for more pay. We're on -the edge of a panic, that's what's the matter. And the question is, -What is the best way to control that panic?" - -"Wait, boys," said Carhart. "Gus is right. This trouble has its roots -away down in human nature. If water is to be had, those men have a -right to it. If we should put them under guard, and they should go -crazy and make a break for it, what then? What if they call our bluff? -We must either let them go--or shoot." - -"Then I say shoot," cried Old Vandervelt. - -"No, Van," Carhart replied, "you're wrong. As Gus says, we are -uncomfortably close to a panic. Well, let them have their panic. Put -them on the wagons and let them run off their heat. Organize this -panic with ourselves at the head of it." His voice took on a crisper -quality. "Van, you stay here in charge of the camp. Pick out a dozen -of the iron squad, give them rifles, and keep three at a time on extra -watch all night." - -"Hold on," said the veteran, bewildered, "when are you going to start -on this--?" - -"Now." - -"Now? To-night?" - -"To-night. Gus, you find your sheriff. He can't be far off." - -"No; half a mile down the line." - -"You find him, explain the situation, and tell him we want that man in -half an hour." - -The conference broke up sharply. Gus Vandervelt hurried out, saddled -his horse, and rode off into the thickening dusk. Old Van went to -select his guards. Carhart saw them go; then, pausing to note with -satisfaction the prospect of only moderate darkness, he set about -organizing his force. All the empty casks and barrels were loaded on -wagons. Mules were hitched four and six in hand. Water, beyond a -canteen for each man, could not be spared; but Charlie packed -provisions enough--so he thought--for twenty-four hours. - -The tremulous, brilliant afterglow faded away. The stars peeped out, -one by one, and twinkled faintly. The dead plain--alive only with -scorpions, horned frogs, tarantulas, striped lizards, centipedes, and -the stunted sage-brush--stretched silently away to the dim mountains -on the horizon. The bleaching bones--ghostly white out there in the -sand--began to slip off into the distance and the dark. All about was -rest, patience, eternity. Here in camp were feverish laborers with -shattered nerves; men who started at the swish of a mule's tail--and -swore, no matter what their native tongue, in English, that famous -vehicle for profane thoughts. The mules, full of life after their -enforced rest, took advantage of the dark and confusion to tangle -their harness wofully. Leaders swung around and mingled fraternally -with wheelers, whereupon boy drivers swore horrible oaths in voices -that wavered between treble and bass. Lanterns waved and bobbed about. -Men shouted aimlessly. - -Suddenly the babel quieted--the laborers were bolting a belated -supper. Then, after a moment of confusion, three men rode out of the -circle of lanterns, put their horses at the grade, stood out for a -vivid moment in the path of light thrown by the nearest engine,--Paul -Carhart, Young Vandervelt, and the easy-riding guide,--plunged down -the farther side of the grade, and blended into the night. One after -another the long line of wagons followed after, whips cracking, mules -balking and breaking, men tugging at the spokes of the wheels. Then, -at last, they were all over; the shouts had softened into silence. And -Old Van stood alone on the grade and looked after them with eyes that -were dogged and gloomy. - - * * * * * - -Paul Carhart had organized the panic; now he was resolved to "work it -out of them," as he explained aside to Young Van. He estimated that -they should reach the pool before eight o'clock in the morning. That -would mean continuous driving, but the endurance of mules is a -wonderfully elastic thing; and as for the men, the sooner they were -tired, the less danger would there be of a panic. Accordingly, the -three leaders set off at a canter. The drivers caught the pace, -lashing out with their whips and shouting in a frenzied waste of -strength. The mules galloped angrily; the wagons rattled and bumped -and leaped the mounds, for there was not the semblance of road or -trail. Now and again a barrel was jolted off, and it lay there -unheeded by the madmen who came swaying and cursing by. Here and there -one calmer than his fellows climbed back from a seat by his driver and -kept the kegs and barrels in place. - -Wonderfully they held the pace, over mile after mile of rough plain. -Then, after a time, came the hills,--low at first, but rising steadily -higher. - -In the faint light the sage-brush slipped by like the ghosts of dead -vegetation. The rocks and the heaps of bones gave the wheels many a -wrench. The steady climb was telling on the mules. They hung back, -slowed to a walk all along the line, and under the whip merely plunged -or kicked. Up and up they climbed, winding through the low range by a -pass known only to the guide. One mule, a leader in a team of six, -stumbled among the rocks, fell to his knees, and was dragged and -pushed along in a tangle of harness before his fellows came to a stop. -In a moment a score of men were crowding around. Up ahead the wagons -were winding on out of sight; behind, the line was blocked. - -[Illustration: "Wonderfully they held the pace."] - -"Vat you waiting for?" cried a New Orleans man, feverishly. He had -been drinking, and had lost his way among the languages. "_Laissez -passer! Laissez passer!_" - -The boys were cooler than the men--not knowing so well what it all -meant. "Hi there, _Oui-Oui_, gimme a knife!" cried the youthful -driver, shrilly. - -He slashed at the harness, cut the mule loose, and drove on. And one -by one the wagons circled by the struggling beast and pushed ahead to -close up the gap in the line. - -Eight hours were got through. It was four in the morning. The hills -lay behind, an alkaline waste before. The mules were tugging heavily -and dejectedly through the sand. Certain of the drivers sat upright -with lined faces and ringed eyes, others lay sleeping on the seats -with the reins tied. All were subdued. The penetrating dust aggravated -their thirst. - -Carhart pricked forward beside the guide. - -"How much farther?" he asked. - -"Well, it ain't easy to say. We might be halfway there." - -"Halfway! Do you mean to say we've done only fifteen or eighteen miles -in eight hours?" - -"No, I didn't say that." - -"Look here. How far is it to this pool!" - -"Well, it's hard to say." - -Carhart frowned and gave it up. The "thirty or thirty-five miles" had -apparently been the roughest sort of an estimate. - -Then the sun came up and beat upon them, and the sand began to radiate -heat by way of an earnest of the day to follow; and then the wheels -sank so deeply that the chief and Young Van tossed their reins to the -guide and walked by the wagons to lend a hand now and then at the -spokes. All the crazy energy of the evening was gone; men and mules -were alike sullen and dispirited. Of the latter, many gave out and -fell, and these were cut out and left there to die. So it went all -through that blazing forenoon. They halted at twelve for lunch; but -the dry bread and salt pork were hardly stimulating. - -Carhart again sought the guide. "Do you know yourself where the pool -is?" - -The guide shaded his eyes and searched the horizon. "It was in a spot -that looked something like this here," he said in a weak, confidential -sort of way. - -Carhart answered sharply, "Why don't you say you are lost, and be done -with it!" - -"Well, I ain't lost exactly. I wouldn't like to say that." - -"But you haven't the least idea where the pool is." - -"Well, now, you see--" - -"Is there any other water on ahead?" - -"Oh, yes." - -"Where?" - -"The Palos River can't be more than a dozen miles beyond the place -where we found the pool." - -He had unconsciously raised his voice. A laborer overheard the remark, -whipped out his knife, hacked at the harness of the nearest mule,--it -would have been simpler to loosen the braces, but he was past all -thinking,--threw himself on the animal's back, and rode off, lashing -behind him with the end of the reins. The panic broke loose again. Man -after man, the guide among them, followed after, until only the wagons -and about half the animals remained. - -"Come, Gus," called the chief, "let them go." - -Young Van turned wearily, mounted his panting horse, and the two -followed the men. But Carhart turned in his saddle to look back at the -property abandoned there in the sand. - -Half an hour later, Young Van's horse stumbled and fell, barely giving -his rider time to spring clear. - -"Is he done for?" asked Carhart, reining up. - -"It looks like it." - -"What's the matter--done up yourself?" - -"A little. I'll sit here a minute. You go ahead. I'll follow on foot." - -"Not a bit of it. Here--can you swing up behind me?" - -"That won't do. Texas can't carry double. Go ahead; I'm all right." - -But Carhart dismounted, lifted his assistant, protesting, into the -saddle, and pushed on, himself on foot, leading the horse. - -They went on in this way for nearly an hour. Young Van found it all he -could do to hold himself in the saddle. Then the horse took to -staggering, and finally came to his knees. - -Carhart helped his assistant to the ground, pulled his hat brim down -to shade his eyes, and looked ahead. A cloud of dust on the horizon, a -beaten trail through the sand, here and there a gray-brown heap where -a mule had fallen,--these marked the flight of his drivers and -laborers. - -His eyes came back to the fainting man at his feet. Young Van had lost -all sense of the world about him. Carhart saw that his lips were -moving, and knelt beside him. Then he smiled, a curious, unhumorous -smile; for the young engineer was muttering those words which had of -late been his brother's favorites among all the words in our rich -language: "D--n Peet!" - -The chief stood up again to think. And as he gazed off eastward in the -general direction of Sherman, toward the place where the arch enemy of -the Sherman and Western sat in his office, perhaps devising new -excuses to send to the front, those same two expressive words might -have been used to sum up his own thoughts. What could the man be -thinking of, who had brought the work practically to a stop, who was -now in the coolest imaginable fashion leaving a thousand men to mingle -their bones with the bones of the buffalo--that grim, broadcast -expression of the spirit of the desert. - -[Illustration: "They went on in this way for nearly an hour."] - -But these were unsafe thoughts. His own head was none too clear. It -was reeling with heat and thirst and with the monotony of this -desolate land. He drew a flask from his pocket,--an almost empty -flask,--and placed it against Young Van's hand. With their two hats -propped together he shaded his face. Then, a canteen slung over each -shoulder, he pushed ahead, on foot. - - * * * * * - -"The Palos River can't be more than a dozen miles--" had said the -guide, pointing southward. That was all. Somewhere off there in the -desert it lay, flowing yellow and aimless. Perhaps it was a lie. -Perhaps the guide was mistaken, as he had been in the search for the -pool. But the last feeble tie that bound these outcasts to reason had -snapped at the sight of that unsteady, pointing finger, and only the -original sin in them was left. The words of the guide had been heard -by one man, and he was off at the instant, his only remark a curse as -he knocked a boy out of his way. But others had seen the pointing -finger. And still others were moved by the impulse which spurs men, in -frantic moments, to any sort of action. - -In the rush for mounts two men, a half-breed from the Territory and a -Mexican, plunged at the same animal. The half-breed was hacking at the -nigh trace and the Mexican at the off rein when their eyes met. The -mule both had chosen was the nigh leader in a double team. But instead -of turning to one of the other three, the men, each with a knife in -his hand, fell to fighting; and while they struggled and fell and -rolled over and over in the sand, a third man mounted their prize and -galloped away. - -But it was the boys who suffered most. None but hardy youngsters had -been chosen for the drive, but their young endurance could not help -them in personal combat with these grown men; and personal combat was -what it came to wherever a boy stood or sat near a desirable mule. The -odd thing was that every man and boy succeeded in getting away. Hats -were lost. Shirts were torn to shreds, exposing skins, white and -brown, to the merciless sun. Even the half-breed and the Mexican, -dropping their quarrel as unreasonably as they had begun it, each -bleeding from half-a-dozen small wounds, finally galloped off after -the others. And when these last were gone, and the dust was billowing -up behind them, something less than two minutes had passed since the -guide had pointed southward. - -The Palos River is probably the most uninviting stream in the -Southwest. It was at this time sluggish and shallow. The water was so -rich with silt that a pailful of it, after standing an hour, would -deposit three inches of mud. The banks were low and of the same gray -sand as the desert, excepting that a narrow fringe of green announced -the river to the eye. It was into and through this fringe that the -first rider plunged. It had been a long two-hour ride, and the line -straggled out for more than a mile behind him. But he was not -interested in his companions. His eyes were fixed on the broad yellow -river-bed with the narrow yellow current winding through it. Drinking -could not satisfy him. He wanted to get into the water, and feel his -wet clothes clinging about him, and duck his face and head under, and -splash it about with his hands. His mount needed no lash to slip and -scramble down the bank and spurt over the sand. The animal was so -crazily eager that he stumbled in the soft footing and went to his -knees. But the rider sailed on over his head, and with a great shout, -arms and legs spread wide, he fell with a splash and a gurgle into the -water. The mule regained his feet and staggered after him, and then -the two of them, man and beast, rolled and wallowed and splashed, and -drank copiously. - -The second man reached the bank on foot, for his mule had fallen -within sight of the promised land. He paused there, apparently -bewildered, watching his fortunate comrade in the water. Then, with -dazed deliberation, he removed his clothes, piled them neatly under a -bush, and walked out naked, stepping gingerly on the heated sand. But -halfway to the channel a glimmer of intelligence sparkled in his eyes, -and he suddenly dashed forward and threw himself into the water. - -One by one the others came crashing through the bushes, and rode or -ran down the bank, swearing, laughing, shouting, sobbing. And not one -of them could have told afterward whether he drank on the upstream or -the downstream side of the mules. - -When Paul Carhart, a long while later, parted the bushes and stood out -in relief on the bank, leaning on a shrub for support, he saw a -strange spectacle. For a quarter of a mile, up and down the channel, -were mules, some drinking, some rolling and kicking some lying out -flat and motionless. Near at hand, hanging from every bush, were -shirts and trousers and stockings; at the edge of the bank was a long, -irregular line of boots and shoes. And below, on the broad reach of -sand, laughing, and bantering, and screaming like schoolboys, half a -hundred naked men stood in a row, stooping with hands on knees, while -a dozen others went dancing and high-stepping and vaulting over them. - -They were playing leap-frog. - -Carhart walked across to the upstream side of the mules and drank. -Then, after filling two canteens, he returned to the bank and sat down -in such small shade as he could find. It was at this moment that the -men caught sight of him. The game stopped abruptly, and for a moment -the players stood awkwardly about, as schoolboys would at the -appearance of the teacher. Then, first one, and another, and a group -of two or three more, and finally, all of them, resumed their simple -clothing, and sat down along the bank to await orders. The panic was -over. - -Now the chief roused himself. "Here, you two!" he cried. "Take these -canteens and the freshest mules you can find, and go back to Mr. -Vandervelt. Ride hard." - -And almost at the word, eager, responsive, the men he had addressed -were off. - - * * * * * - -As soon as the worst of the shakiness passed out of his legs, Carhart -rose. His next task was to get the mules back to the wagons, and bring -them on to the river in order to fill the barrels, and this promised a -greater expenditure of time and strength than he liked to face. But -there was no alternative, it seemed, so he caught a mule, mounted it, -and rode back. And the men trailed after him, riding and walking, in a -line half a mile long. - -Carhart found Young Van sitting up, too weak to talk, supported by the -two men whom he had sent back. - -"How is he?" asked the chief. - -"It's hard to say, Mr. Carhart," replied one of the men. "He don't -seem quite himself." - -Carhart dismounted, felt the pulse of the young man, and then bathed -his temples with the warmish water. "Carry him over into the shade of -that wagon, boys," he said. "Here, I'll give you a hand." - -The earth, even beneath the wagon, was warm, and Carhart and the two -laborers spread out their coats before they laid him down. The chief -poured a little water on his handkerchief, and laid it on Young Van's -forehead. - -And then, when Carhart had got to his feet and was looking about, -holding down his hat-brim to shade his eyes, an expression of inquiry, -which had come into his face some little time before, slowly deepened. - -"Boys," he said, "what's become of the mules that were left here?" - -The men looked up. "Don't know, Mr. Carhart," replied the more -talkative one. "I ain't seen 'em." - -Carhart turned away, and again his eyes roved about over the beaten -ground. Very slowly and thoughtfully he began walking around the -deserted wagons in widening circles. Those of the men who were back -from the river watched him curiously. After a time he stopped and -looked at some tracks in the sand, and then, still walking slowly, -followed them off to the right. A few of the men, the more observant -ones, fell in behind him, but he did not glance around. - -The foremost laborer stopped a moment and waited for the man next -behind. - -"The boss is done up," he said in a low voice. - -The other man nodded. "Unsteady in the legs," he replied. "And he's -gone white. I see it when we was at the river." - -The tracks were distinct enough, but Carhart did not quicken his pace. -He was talking to himself, half aloud: "It'll go on until it's -settled,--those things have to, out here. He's a coward, but he'll -drink it down every day until the idea gets to running loose in his -head."--He staggered a little, then pulled himself up short. - -"What's the matter with me, anyway!" he muttered. "This is a pretty -spectacle!" And he walked deliberately on. - -The trail led him, and the quiet little file of men behind him, over -and around a low ridge and a chain of knolls. "This heat keeps a dead -rein on you," he said, again speaking half aloud. "Let's see, what was -I thinking,--oh, the boys at the camp, they needed water too; I was -going to load up and hurry back to help them out." - -And then, as he walked on with a solemn precision not unlike that of a -drunken man, the scene shifted, and another scene--one which had long -ago slipped out of his waking thoughts,--took its place. He was -fishing a trout stream in the Adirondacks. He had found a series of -pools in a narrow gorge where the brook came leaping merrily down from -one low ledge to another. The underbrush on the steep banks was dark -and impenetrable. The pine and hemlock and beech and maple and -chestnut trees grew thick on either hand, and so matted their branches -overhead that only a little checkered light could sift through. The -rocks were dark with moss; the stream was choked at certain points -with the debris of the last flood. He was tired after the day's -fishing. A storm came up. It grew very black and ugly in that little -ravine. And then, for no reason, a thing happened which had not -happened in his steady mind before or since. He fell into a curious -horror, in which the tangled wilderness and the gloom and the rushing -rain and the creaking trees and the noise of the falling water and -that of the thunder all played some part. He recalled that he had -found a hollow in the bank, where a large tree had been uprooted, and -had taken shivering refuge there. - -The wilderness had always before seemed man's playground. It suddenly -became a savage living and breathing thing to which a man was -nothing. - -And now the desert was showing its teeth, and Carhart knew that he was -trembling again on the brink of the horrors. He understood the sort of -thing very well. He had seen men grow crafty and cowardly or ugly and -murderous out there on the frontier. He had been in Death Valley. And -as he had seen the symptoms in other men's faces, so he now felt them -coming into his own. He knew how a man's sense of proportion can go -awry,--how a mere railroad, with its very important banker-officials -in top hats and its very elaborate and impressive organization, could -seem a child's toy here in the desert where the wonderful spaces and -the unearthly atmosphere and the morning and evening colors lie very -close to the borders of another realm, and where the eye of God blazes -forever down on the just and the unjust. - -None of the little devices of a sophisticated world pass current in -the desert. Carhart knew all this, as I have said, very well. He knew -that a man's mind is searched to the bottom out here, that the morbid -tone and the yellow streak are inevitably dragged to the surface and -displayed to the gaze of all men. But he also knew that where the mind -is sound, the trouble may arise from physical exhaustion, and this -knowledge saved him. He deliberately recalled the fact that for -thirty-six hours he had not slept and that the work he had done and -the strain he had been under would have sent many men to the nearest -hospital, or, in the desert, to the nearest shallow excavation in the -ground. And he walked slowly and steadily on, in that same shaky, -determined manner. - -On the summit of a knoll he stopped short, and looked down at -something on the farther side. The men came up, one by one, and joined -him; and they, too, stopped short and looked. And then Carhart raised -his eyes and watched their faces steadily, eagerly wondering if they -saw what he saw,--a water-hole, fringed with green, and a mule lying -at the water's edge and a number of other mules quietly grazing. It -was his test of himself. For a full half minute he gazed into those -sweaty, drink-bleared faces. And then, at what he saw there, his own -tense expression gave way to one of overwhelming relief. The men ran -pell-mell down the slope, shouting with delight. And Carhart sat down -there on the knoll, and his head fell a little forward over his knees. - -"Will you have a little of this, Mr. Carhart?" - -A big renegade with the face of a criminal was holding out a flask. -The chief took it, and gulped down a few swallows. "Thank you," he -said quietly. - -"One of the boys found this here, down among them tin cans, Mr. -Carhart." - -It was the crumpled first page of the _Pierrepont Enterprise_. Carhart -stiffened up, spread it out on his knees, and read the date line. The -paper was only two days old. - -"Where's Pierrepont?" he asked. - -"About a day's journey down the river, sir." - -Again the chief's eyes ran over the sheet. Suddenly they lighted up. -Here is what he saw:-- - -GOSSIP OF THE RAILROADS - -Commodore Durfee Gets the -"Shaky & Windy" - -Mr. De Reamer and Mr. -Chambers in contempt of -Court--Durfee and Carrington -directors allied at -last against De Reamer--It -is said that Durfee already -has a majority--Meeting -to be held nex -will be decid -De Rea - -The rest of it was torn off, but he read these headings three times. -Then he lowered his knees, with the paper still lying across them, and -looked over it at the little group of men and mules about the -water-hole. "Can that be true, or can't it?" he asked himself. "And -what am I going to do about it? I don't believe it; it's another war -of injunctions, that's what it is, and it isn't likely to be settled -short of the Supreme Court. We can start back in an hour or so, and as -soon as we reach camp I'll take the five-spot"--Carhart's two engines -happened to bear the numbers five and six--"the five-spot and the -private car and see if Bill Cunningham can't make a record run toward -Sherman. It's a little puzzling, but I'm inclined to think it's a -mighty good thing that I found this paper." - -He tossed it away, and then, catching sight for the first time of the -other side, he took it up again. The second page was nearly covered -with crude designs, made with a blue pencil. There were long rows of -scallops, and others of those aimless markings a man will make when -pencil and paper are before him. And in the middle, surrounded by a -sort of decorative border, was printed out "MR. CARHART," then a blank -space and the name "JACK FLAGG." - -Carhart rose to his feet, folded the paper, put it in his hip pocket, -and looked cheerfully around. "So, Mr. Flagg, it's you I'm indebted to -for this information. I'm sure I'm greatly obliged." Then he waved to -the men. "Come on, boys," he shouted. "Bring those animals back to the -wagons. We'll fill the barrels here." - -Slowly and not without difficulty he walked back. But the unsteadiness -in his legs no longer disturbed him. The panic was over,--and -something else was over too. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -THE ROAD TO TOTAL WRECK - - -"How's my pony?" said Young Van. "You haven't told me." - -"I shot him." - -"Not yours too? Didn't I see you riding Texas this morning? I--I'm a -little hazy about what I have and haven't seen these days." - -"Yes; Texas pulled through. He's hitched on just behind us." - -The wagon train, with every barrel full, was drawing slowly toward Mr. -Carhart's camp. Young Van and Carhart were riding on the leading -wagon, and the former was gazing off dejectedly to the horizon, where -he could see a few moving black specks and the gray-yellow line of the -grade. "I don't know what you'll think of me, Mr. Carhart," he said, -after a time. "I don't seem to be good for much when it comes to real -work." - -"Better forget about it, Gus," the chief replied. "I'm going to. This -isn't railroad building." - -The long line of wagons wound into camp, and Carhart made it his first -business to get his assistant undressed and comfortably settled on his -cot. It would be a day or so before the young man would be able to -resume his work. Then Carhart stepped out, walked part way down the -knoll, and looked about him, and became conscious of an unusual stir -about the job. Peering out through dusty spectacles, he saw that a -party of strangers were coming up the slope toward him. - -At the head walked Old Van, in boiled shirt and city clothes, with a -tall man in frock coat and top hat whom Carhart recognized as -Vice-president Chambers. After them came a party of ladies and one or -two young men to whom Tiffany was explaining the methods of -construction. It seemed that Mr. Chambers had thought it worth while -to adopt Tiffany's suggestion that the vast quantities of dry bones in -the desert be gathered up and shipped eastward to be ground up into -fertilizer. - -Carhart was presented to Mrs. Chambers and to the two Misses Chambers -and the other young women. He took them in with a glance, then looked -down over his own outrageously attired person and restrained a smile. -Tiffany was the one he wished to see, and he told him so with a barely -perceptible motion of the head. - -Tiffany caught the signal, made his excuses, and walked off with this -dusty, inconspicuous man on whose shoulders rested the welfare of the -whole Sherman and Western system. He had observed that the young women -drew instinctively away from the dingy figure, and his smile was not -restrained. He was thinking of his first meeting with Paul Carhart, in -Chicago,--it was at the farewell dinner to the Dutch engineers,--and -of his distinguished appearance as he rose to speak, and of his -delightfully humorous enumeration of the qualities required in an -American engineer. Thinking of these things he almost spoke aloud: -"And they never knew the difference,--not a blessed one of 'em! Even -Mrs. Chambers don't know a gentleman without he's tagged. Ain't it -funny!" And the chief engineer of the S. & W., being a blunt, and not -at all a subtle man, wisely gave up the eternal question. - -"Look here, Tiffany," Carhart began, "something's going to happen to -this man Peet." - -Tiffany plucked a straw from a convenient bale, and began meditatively -to chew it. "I haven't got a word to say, Carhart. You've got a clear -case against us, and I guess I can't object if you take it out of me." - -"No; I understand the thing pretty well, Tiffany. You're doing what -you can, but Peet isn't." - -"Are you sure about that?" - -"Perfectly." - -"He's having the devil's own time himself, Carhart. The mills are -going back on us steady with the rails. They just naturally don't ship -'em. I'm beginning to think they don't want to ship 'em." - -Carhart stopped short, plunged in thought. "Maybe you're right," he -said after a moment. "I hadn't thought of that before." - -"No, you oughtn't to have to think of it. That's our business, but -it's been worrying us considerable. Then there's the connections, too. -The rails have to come into Sherman by way of the Queen and -Cumberland,--a long way 'round--" - -"And the Queen and Cumberland has 'Commodore Durfee' written all over -it." - -"Yes, I guess it has." - -"And knowing that, you fellows have been sitting around waiting for -the Commodore to deliver your material. No, Tiffany, don't tell me -that; I hate to think it of you." - -"I know we're a pack of fools, Carhart, but--" the sentence died out. -"But what can we do, man? We can't draw a new map of the United -States, can we? We've got our orders from the old man--!" - -[Illustration: "'Look here, Tiffany,' Carhart began, 'something's -going to happen to this man Peet.'"] - -"Could you have the stuff sent around by the Coast and Crescent, and -transferred over to Sherman by wagon?" - -"Wait a minute; who owns the Coast and Crescent? Who's got it all -buttoned up in his pants pocket?" - -"Oh," said Carhart. They stood for a little while, then sat down on a -pile of culls which had been brought up by the tie squad for -supporting tent floors. "It begins to occur to me," Carhart went on, -"that we are working under the nerviest president that ever--But -perhaps he can't help it. He's fixed pretty much as Washington was in -the New Jersey campaign; he's surrounded by the enemy and he's got to -fight out." - -"That's it, exactly," cried Tiffany. "He's got to cut his way out. He -ain't a practical railroad man, and he's just ordered us to do it for -him. Don't you see our fix?" - -"Yes," Carhart mused, "I see well enough. Look here, Tiffany; how far -can I go in this business,--extra expenses, and that sort of things?" - -Tiffany's face became very expressive. "Well," he said, "I guess if -you can beat the H. D. & W. to Red Hills there won't be any questions -asked. If you can't beat 'em, we'll all catch hell. Why, what are you -thinking of doing?" - -"Not a thing. My mind's a blank." - -From Tiffany's expression it was plain that he was uncertain whether -to believe this or not. - -"It comes to about this," Carhart went on. "It all rests on me, and if -I'm willing to run chances, I might as well run 'em." - -Tiffany's eyes were searching the lean, spectacled face. "I guess it's -for you to decide," he replied. "I don't know what else Mr. Chambers -was thinking of when he the same as told me to leave you be." - -"By the way, Tiffany,"--Carhart was going through his pockets,--"how -long is it since you people left Sherman?" - -"More than a week. Mr. Chambers wanted some shooting on the way out." - -"Do you suppose he knows about this?" And Carhart produced the torn -sheet of the _Pierrepont Enterprise_. - -Tiffany read the headlines, and slowly shook his head. "I'm sure he -don't. There was no such story around Sherman when we left. But we -found a message waiting here to-day, asking Mr. Chambers to hurry -back; very likely it's about this." - -"If it were true, if Commodore Durfee does own the line, what effect -would it have on my work here?" - -"Not a bit! Not a d--n bit!" Tiffany's big hand came down on his knee -with a bang. "This line belongs to Daniel De Reamer, and Old Durfee's -thievery and low tricks and kept judges don't go at Sherman, or here -neither. It's jugglery, the whole business; there ain't anything -honest about it." Carhart looked away, and again restrained a smile; -he was thinking of where the money came from. "And I'll tell you -this," Tiffany concluded, "if anybody comes into my office and tries -to take possession for Old Durfee, I'll say, 'Hold on, my friend, who -signed that paper you've got there?' And if I find it ain't signed by -five judges--_five_, mind!--of the Supreme Court of the United States -sittin' in Washington, I'll say, 'Get out of here!' And if they won't -get out, I'll kick 'em out. And there's five hundred men in Sherman, a -thousand men, who'll help me to do it. If it's court business, I guess -our judges are as good as theirs. And if it comes to shooting, by God -we'll shoot!" - -"I agree with you, on the whole," said Carhart. "Mr. De Reamer and Mr. -Chambers have put me here to beat the H. D. & W. to Red Hills, and I'm -going to do it. But--" - -"That's the talk, man!" - -"But let's get back to Peet. He could help us a little if he felt like -it. You told me last month, Tiffany, that Peet had given you a list -of the numbers of all my supply cars, with an understanding that they -wouldn't be used for anything else. Have you got that list with you?" - -"No; it's in my desk, at Sherman." - -"All right. I'll call for it day after to-morrow." - -"At Sherman?" - -"Yes. Peet isn't sending those cars out here, and I'm going to find -out where he is sending them." - -"There's one thing, Carhart," said Tiffany, as they rose, "I'm sure -Peet don't know how bad off you were for water. He was holding up the -trains for material." - -"He ought to understand, Tiffany. I wired him to send the water -anyway." - -"I know. But that would be wholesale murder. He didn't realize--" - -"I'm going to undertake the job of making him realize, Tiffany." - -The whistle of the vice-president's special engine was tooting as they -started back. On the one hand, as far as human beings could be -distinguished with the naked eye, the groups and the long lines of -laborers were shuffling to and from their work on the grade; the -picked men of the iron squad, muscular, deep chested, were working -side by side with the Mexicans and the negroes, as also were the -spikers and strappers and the men of the tie squad. On the other hand, -the ladies of the vice-president's party were picking their way -daintily back toward Mr. Chambers's private car, where savory odors -and a white-clad chef awaited them. - -Carhart had time only to wash his face and hands before rejoining the -party at the car steps. His clothing was downright disreputable, and -he wanted the physique, the height and breadth and muscle display, -which alone can give distinction to rough garments. Even his clean-cut -face and reserved, studious expression were not positive features, and -could hardly triumph over the obvious facts of his dress. Mrs. -Chambers and the young women again glanced toward him, and again they -had nothing to say to him. To the truth that this ugly, noisy scene -was a resolving dissonance in the harmony of things, that this rough -person in spectacles was heroically forging a link in the world's -girdle, these women were blind. They had been curious to come; and now -that they were here and were conscious of the dirtiness and meanness -of the hundreds of men about them, now that the gray hopelessness of -the desert was getting on their nerves, they were eager to go back. -And so the bell rang, the driving-wheels spun around, slipping under -the coughing engine, the car began to rumble forward, the ladies -bowed, the vice-president, taking a last look at things from the rear -platform, nodded a good-by, and the incident was closed. - - * * * * * - -There were a number of things for Carhart to attend to after he had -eaten supper and dressed, and before he could get away,--some of which -will have to find a place in a later chapter,--and it was eleven -o'clock at night when he finally put aside his maps and reports. He -then wrote a note to Scribner, telling the engineer of the second -division that the last report of his pile inspector was not -satisfactory,--the third bent in the trestle over Tiffany Hollow on -"mile fifty-two" showed insufficient resistance. He left for Young -Van's attention a pile of letters with memoranda for the replies. He -sent for Old Van, and went over with him the condition of the work on -the first division. And finally he wrote the following letter to John -Flint:-- - - DEAR JOHN: I'm sending forward to-morrow the extra cable and - the wheelers you asked for. I have to run back to Sherman - to-night, possibly for a week or so, but there'll be time - enough to look over your plans for cutting and filling on the - west bank when I get back. I haven't figured it out yet, but - I'm inclined to agree with you that we can make more of a fill - there. But I'll write you again about it. - - Thanks to our friend Peet I nearly killed Texas on a ride for - water. Got to have another riding horse sent out here. My - assistant's pony had to be shot--that little brown beauty I - pointed out to you the morning you started, with the white - star. - - Yours, - - P. C. - - P. S. By the way, that Wall-street fight was only the opening - skirmish. The Commodore is raiding S. & W. for business. I - guess you know how he does these things. The _Pierrepont - Enterprise_ says he has already got control of the board, so - it will probably be our turn next. If you haven't plenty of - weapons, you'd better order what you need at Red Hills right - away. And don't forget that you're working for Daniel De - Reamer. - - P. C. - -He folded the letter, slipped it into an envelope, addressed it, and -then tipped back and ran his long fingers through his hair. He was -surprised to find that his forehead was beaded with sweat. "Lovely -climate, this," he said to himself; adding after a moment, "Now what -have I forgotten?" For several minutes he balanced there, supporting -himself by resting the fingers of one hand against a tall case -labelled, "A B C Spool Cotton," in the flat, glass-fronted drawers of -which he kept his maps and papers. Finally he muttered, "Well, if I -have forgotten anything, I've forgotten it for good," and the front -legs of his chair came down, and he reached across the table for his -hat. - -But instead of rising, he lingered, fingering the wide hat-brim. The -yellow lamplight fell gently on his face, now leaner than ever. "I -wonder what they think a man is made of," thought he. "Nothing very -valuable, I guess, from what an engineer gets paid. I'm in the wrong -business. It's my sort of man who does the work, and it's the -speculators and that sort who get the money,--God help 'em!" Again he -made as if to rise, and again he paused. "Oh!" he said, "of course, -that was it." He clapped his hat on the back of his head, reached out -for a letter which he had that evening written to Mrs. Carhart, opened -the envelope, and added these words:-- - - "Have Thomas Nelson plant the nasturtiums along the back fence. - There isn't enough sunshine out in front for anything but the - honeysuckle and the Dutchman's pipe. And he'd better screen the - fence with golden glow, set out pretty thick the whole way, - between the nasturtiums and the fence. The crab-apple tree will - be in the way, but it's so near dead that he'd better cut it - down. I like your other arrangements first rate." - -This, and a few other east-bound letters, he put in his handbag. Then -he looked at his watch. "Hello!" said he, "it's to-morrow morning." He -pulled his hat forward, took up the lamp, and stepped out through the -tent opening, holding the lamp high and looking down, through the -night, toward the track. - -The silence, in spite of a throbbing locomotive, or perhaps because of -it, was almost overwhelming. There was not a cloud in the sky; the -stars were twinkling down. - -"How horribly patient it is," he thought. "We're slap bang up against -the Almighty." - -"Toot! Too-oo-oot!" came from the throbbing locomotive. - -"All right, sir!" he muttered. "Be with you in a minute." - -He went back into the tent, put down the lamp, picked up his handbag, -took a last look around, and then blew out the lamp and set off down -the slope to the track. - -The engineer was hanging out of his cab. "All ready, Mr. Carhart?" - -"All ready, Bill." The chief caught the hand-rail of _his_ private -car, tossed his bag to the platform, and swung himself up after it. - -"You was in something of a hurry, Mr. Carhart?" - -"In a little of a hurry, yes, Bill." - -They started off, rocking and bumping over the new track, and Carhart -began stripping off his clothes. "It isn't exactly like Mr. -Chambers's," he said, "but I guess I'll be able to get in a little -sleep; that is, if Bill doesn't smash me up, or jolt me to death." - - * * * * * - -Three days later, at five o'clock in the afternoon, Carhart was -writing a letter in the office of the "Eagle House," at Sherman. -Sitting in rows along three sides of the room was perhaps a score of -men, and in a corner by herself sat one young woman. The men were a -mixed assortment,--locomotive engineers, photographers, travelling -salesmen of tobacco, jewellery, shoes, clothing, and small cutlery, -not to speak of an itinerant dentist and a team of "champion banjo and -vocal artists." As for the young woman, if you could have taken a peep -into the sample case at her feet, you would have learned that she was -prepared to disseminate a collection of literature which ranged from -standard sets of Dickens and Thackeray to a fat volume devoted to the -songs and scenes of Old Ireland, an illustrated life of the Pope, and -a work on the character and the splendid career of Porfirio Diaz. -Outside, at the window, stood or sat another score of men, each of -whom bore the unmistakable dress and manner of the day laborer. And -every pair of eyes, within and without the smoky room, was fixed on -the back of the man who was writing a letter at the table in the -corner. - -But Carhart's mind was wholly occupied with the work before him. He -was travel-stained,--it was not yet an hour since he had come in from -Crockett, the nearest division town on the H. D. & W.,--but there were -few signs of weariness on his face, and none at all in his eyes. "How -much had I better tell him?" he was asking himself. "I wonder what he -is up to, anyway? Possibly he has an interest in the lumber company, -or maybe Durfee's men have bought him up." For several minutes his pen -occupied itself with dotting out a design on the blotter; then -suddenly a twinkle came into his eyes, and he wrote rapidly as -follows:-- - - DEAR MR. PEET: I beg to enclose herewith a list of the cars - which were assigned to me at the beginning of the construction - work. I am sure you will agree with me that I can spare none of - these cars, least of all to supply a rival line. And in - consideration of your future hearty cooperation with me in - advancing this construction work, I will gladly take pains to - see that my present knowledge of the use that has been made of - these cars shall not interfere in any way with your continued - enjoyment of your position with the Sherman and Western. - - Yours very truly, - - P. CARHART. - -He folded the letter, then opened it and read it over. "Yes," he told -himself, "it's better to write it. Seeing the thing before him in -black and white may have a stimulating effect." He found in his pocket -the worn and thumbed list of cars, enclosed it in his letter, -addressed an envelope, and looked around. At once he was beset by the -agents and the applicants for work, but he shoved through to the -piazza, and called a boy. - -"Here, son," he said, "do you know Mr. Peet, of the railroad?" - -The boy nodded. - -"Take this letter to him. If he isn't in his office, go to his house, -but don't come back until you have found him." - -"Will there be any answer?" - -"No--no answer. Don't give the letter to anybody but Mr. Peet himself. -When you have done that, come to me and get a quarter." - -The boy started off, and Carhart rentered the building, slipped past -the office door, and walked up two flights of stairs to his room. - -"And now," thought he, "I guess a bath will feel about as good as -anything." - -The Eagle House did not boast a bathroom, and so he set about the -business in the primitive fashion to which he had learned to adapt -himself. He dragged in from the hall a tin, high-backed tub, called -down the stairway to the proprietor's wife for hot water, and, -undressing, piled his clothes on the one wooden chair in the room, -taking care that they touched neither floor nor wall. The hostess -knocked, and left a steaming pitcher outside the door. And soon the -chief engineer of the Red Hills extension of the Shaky and Windy was -splashing merrily. - -The water proved so refreshing that he lingered in it, leaning -comfortably back and hanging his legs over the edge of the tub. And as -was always the case, when he had a respite from details, his mind -began roving over the broader problems of the work. "I've done a part -of it," he said to himself, "but not enough. It won't do any good to -have the cars if we haven't the materials to put in 'em." He had been -absently pursuing the soap around the bottom of the tub, had caught -it, and was now sloping his hands into the water, and letting the cake -slide back into its element. - -There was a knock at the door. Carhart looked up with half a start. - -"Well, what is it?" - -"It's me, sir," came from the hall. - -"Who's me?" - -"The boy that took your letter." - -"Well, what about it? There was no answer." - -"But there _is_ an answer, Mr. Carhart. Mr. Peet came back with me." - -"What's that?" - -"He's here--he came back with me. He's waiting downstairs." - -Carhart hesitated. "Well--tell him that I'm very sorry, but I can't -see him. I'm taking a bath." - -"All right," said the boy; and Carhart heard him go off down the -stairs. - -For some little time longer he sat in the tub. His mind slipped again -into the accustomed channel. "If it does come to warfare," he was -thinking, "the first thing they'll do will be to cut me off from my -base. They'd know that I shall be near enough to Red Hills to get food -through from there by wagon,--that's what I should have to do,--but -there won't be any rails coming from Red Hills. I'm afraid--very much -afraid--that Durfee has got us, cold. That's the whole trick. If he's -going to seize the S. & W., he'll cut me off first thing. There's five -to six hundred miles of track between the job and Sherman. It would -take an army to guard it. And that much done, he'd be in a position -to take his time about completing the H. D. & W. to Red Hills." - -And then suddenly he got out of the tub, snatched up a towel, and, -half dry, began hurriedly to draw on his clothes. A moment later a -thin, spectacled, collarless man darted out of a room on the third -floor of the Eagle House, looked quickly up and down the hall, ran -halfway down the stairs, and leaned over the balustrade. - -"Boy," he said. - -"Yes, sir." - -"You didn't get your quarter." But it was a half dollar that he tossed -into the waiting hands. "Run after Mr. Peet and bring him back here. -Mind you catch him." - -The boy started to obey, but in a moment he was back and knocking at -Carhart's door. "He's down in the office now, Mr. Carhart. He didn't -go at all." - -"He didn't, eh?" The engineer was standing before the cracked mirror, -brushing his hair. "All right, I'll be down in a minute. Hold on -there!" He stepped to the door. The first coin his fingers encountered -in his pocket was another half dollar. He took it out without glancing -at it and handed it to the now bewildered boy. Then he returned to the -mirror and brushed his hair again, and put on his collar and tie. -"I'll have to thank Tiffany," ran his thoughts. "It's odd how that -car-stealing story has stuck in my head. I'm glad he told it." - -Peet's expression was not what might be termed complacent. He was -standing on the piazza when he heard Carhart's quick step on the -stairs. His teeth were closed tightly on a cigar, but he was not -smoking. - -"How are you, Mr. Peet?" said the engineer. Peet looked nervously -about and behind him, and then faced around. "Look here, Mr. Carhart, -I want to tell you that you haven't got that straight--" - -"Where's Tiffany?" said Carhart. - -At this interruption Peet turned, if anything, a shade redder. "He's -gone home." - -"Let's find him. Would you mind walking over there?" - -"Certainly not," Peet replied; and for a moment they walked in -silence. Then the superintendent broke out again. "You didn't -understand about those cars, Mr. Carhart. I know--the boys have told -me--that you've thought some hard things about me--" He paused: -perhaps he had better keep his mouth shut. - -As for Carhart, he was striding easily along, the hint of a smile -playing about the corners of his mouth. "I think I understand the -situation pretty well, Peet," he said. "I was a little stirred up when -my men began to go thirsty, but that's all past, and I'm going to drop -it. I guess we both understand that this construction is the most -important thing Mr. De Reamer has on hand these days. And if we're -going to carry him through, we'll have to pull together." - -They found Tiffany, coat thrown aside, hat tipped back, weeding his -garden. - -"Come in--glad to see you," he said, only half concealing his -curiosity over the spectacle of Carhart and Peet walking together in -amity. "Didn't succeed in getting back, eh, Carhart?" - -"Not yet, Tiffany. I had to run up to Crockett." He said this in an -offhand manner, and he did not look at Peet; but he knew from the -expression on Tiffany's face that the superintendent was turning red -again. - -"You ain't had supper, have you?" said Tiffany. "You're just in time -to eat with us." - -"Supper!" Carhart repeated the word in some surprise, then looked at -his watch. - -"You hadn't forgotten it, had you?" Tiffany grinned. - -"To tell the truth, I had. May we really eat with you? It will save us -some time." - -"Can you? Well, I wonder! Come in." And taking up his coat, Tiffany -led the way into the house. - -More than once during that meal did Tiffany's eyes flit from Peet's -half-bewildered countenance to that of the quiet, good-natured -Carhart. He asked no questions, but he wondered. Once he thought that -Peet threw him an inquiring glance, but he could not be certain. After -supper, as he reached for the toothpicks and pushed back his chair, he -was tempted to come out with the question which was on his mind, "What -in the devil are you up to, Carhart?" But what he really said was, -"Help yourselves to the cigars, boys. They're in that jar, there." - -And then, for a moment, both Peet and Tiffany sat back and watched -Carhart while he lighted his cigar, turned it over thoughtfully, shook -the match, and dropped it with a little sputter into his coffee cup. -Then the man who was building the Red Hills extension got, with some -deliberation, to his feet, and turned toward Tiffany. "Would it spoil -your smoke to take it while we walk?" he asked. - -"Not at all," replied the host. "Where are we going?" - -"To the yards." - -Peet, for no reason whatever, went red again; and Tiffany, tipped back -in his chair and slowly puffing at his cigar, looked at him. Then he -too got up, and the three men left the house together. And during all -the walk out to the freight depot, Carhart talked about the new -saddle-horse he had bought at Crockett. - -The freight yard at Sherman extended nearly a mile, beginning with the -siding by the depot and expanding farther on to the width of a dozen -tracks. Carhart came to a halt at the point where the tangle of -switches began, and looked about him. Everywhere he saw cars, some -laden, some empty. A fussy little engine was coughing down the track, -whistling angrily at a sow and her litter of spotted, muddy-yellow -pigs which had been sleeping in a row between the rails. From the -roundhouse, off to the left, arose the smoke of five or six resting -locomotives. Nearer at hand, seated in a row on the handle of the -turn-table, were as many black negroes, laughing and showing their -teeth and eyeballs, and discussing with much gesticulation and some -amiable heat the question of the day. Carhart's sweeping glance took -in the scene, then his interest centred on the cars. - -Peet fidgeted. "There ain't any of your cars here, Mr. Carhart," he -said uneasily. - -Already Carhart knew better, but he was not here to squabble with -Peet. "How many have you here all together?" he asked; and after a -moment of rapid counting he answered his own question: "Something more -than a hundred, eh?" - -"Yes, but--" - -"Well, what?" - -"Look here, Carhart, I don't know what you've got in mind, but I can't -let you have any of these cars." - -"You can't?" - -"Not possibly. Half of 'em are foreign as it is. I'm so short now I -don't know what I'm going to do. Honest, I don't." - -Carhart turned this answer over in his mind. After a moment he looked -up, first at Peet, then at Tiffany, as if he had something to say; but -whatever it may have been, he turned away without saying it. - -"What is it, old man?" cried Tiffany, at last. "What can we do for -you, anyway?" - -Still Carhart did not speak. His eyes again sought the long lines of -cars. Finally, resting one foot on a projecting cross-tie, he turned -to the superintendent. "Suppose you do this, Peet," he said, speaking -slowly; "suppose you tell your yard-master that I am to be absolute -boss here until midnight. Then you go home and leave me here. Tiffany -could stay and help me out--this isn't his department." - -This brought Peet close to the outer limit of bewilderment. "What -in--" he began; but Carhart, observing the effect of his request, -interrupted. - -"I don't believe Mr. Peet understands the situation very well, -Tiffany. Tell him where we stand--where Mr. De Reamer stands." And -with this he walked off a little way. - -Tiffany came to the point. To Peet's question, "What is he talking -about, Tiffany?" the veteran replied: "He knows and I know, Lou, that -the only thing that will save the old man is a track to Red Hills. I -haven't the slightest idea what Carhart's up to, but I'll tell you -this, I've seen him in one or two tight places, and I never saw him -look like this before. He's got something he wants to do, and he's -decided that it's necessary, and it ain't for you and me to stand in -his way. When you come to know Paul Carhart, you'll learn that he -don't do things careless. What do you suppose the Old Man meant when -he told you to back him up to the limit with cars and engines, and -told me to keep out of his way?" - -Peet did not reply for a moment. He took off his hat and brushed back -the hair from a forehead that was moist with sweat. He looked from -one man to the other, and from both to the roundhouse, and the depot, -and the waiting cars. Finally he walked over toward Carhart. "Go -ahead," he said queerly, "I'll stay with you." - -"Good enough." And with these two words Carhart wheeled around and -surveyed the nearest line of cars--box, flat, and gondola. "Most of -those are empty, aren't they?" he asked. - -"About half of them. But here's Dougherty, the yard-master. Dougherty, -this is Mr. Carhart. You can take your orders from him to-night." - -Carhart extended his hand. "Glad to meet you, Mr. Dougherty. I'm -afraid we'll all have to make a night of it. I want you to keep steam -up in three engines. And pick up all the men you can find and start -them unloading every car in the yard. Keep 'em jumping. I want to have -three empty trains at Paradise by midnight." - -"By mid--" Dougherty's mouth opened a very little, and his eyes, after -taking in Paul Carhart's face and figure, settled on the -superintendent. - -But Peet, with an expressive movement of his hands, turned away; and -Tiffany, after a glance about the little group, went after him. - -"Brace up, Lou," said Tiffany, in a low voice; "brace up." - -Peet's hands were deep in his pockets. His eyes were fixed on the -rails before him. "Dump all that freight on the ground!" he moaned. -"Look here, Tiffany, I suppose he knows what he's doing, but--but -what'll the traffic men say!" - -"Never you mind the traffic men." - -"But--dump all that freight out here _on the ground_!" - -Tiffany passed an unsteady hand across his eyes. If Peet had looked at -him, he would not have felt reassured; but he did not look up. - -Dougherty, with a gulp, obeyed Carhart. And half an hour later the -chance observers and the yard loafers were rubbing their eyes. -Laborers were busy from one end of the yard to the other, throwing out -boxes and bales and crates, and piling them haphazard between the -tracks. The tired, wheezy switch engine, enveloped in a cloud of its -own steam, was laboriously making up the first train. And moving -quietly about, issuing orders and giving a hand here and there, -followed by the disturbed eyes of the general superintendent and the -chief engineer of the Shaky and Windy, Paul Carhart was bossing the -work. Once he stepped over to the two men of the disturbed eyes, a -thoughtful expression on his own face. "Say, Tiffany," he asked, "how -much business does the Paradise Southern do?" - -Tiffany started, and looked keenly at Carhart. There was a faint -glimmer in his eyes, but this was followed immediately by uncertainty. -"None," he replied; "that is, none to speak of. They run a combination -car each way every day--two cars when business is brisk. The Old Man -would have abandoned it years ago if it hadn't been for the stock -scheme I told you about." - -"Yes," mused Carhart, "that's what I understood. But if it's such a -mistake, why was it built in the first place?" - -"Oh, they were going to run it through to Bonavita on the Emerald -River, but the B. & G. got all there was of that business first, and -so the P. S. never got beyond Total Wreck. Mr. De Reamer never built -it. The old Shipleigh crowd did that before Mr. De Reamer bought up -this property." The faint glimmer had returned to Tiffany's eyes; he -was searching Carhart's face. "You want these trains sent on through -to your camp, don't you?" he asked abruptly. - -"No, they are to go down over the P. S." - -Tiffany's expression was growing almost painful. Carhart went on. -"There are sidings at Total Wreck, aren't there, Peet?" he asked. - -"Oh, yes, quite a yard there; but it's badly run down." - -"What other sidings are there along the line?" - -"Long ones at Yellow House and Dusty Bend." - -"How long?" - -"Nearly two miles each." - -"How long is the line?" - -"Forty-five miles." - -"Good Lord!" The exclamation was Tiffany's. He was staring at Carhart -with an expression of such mingled astonishment, incredulity, and -expansive delight, that Peet's curiosity broke its bounds. "For God's -sake, Tiffany," he cried, "what is it? What's he going to do?" - -But Tiffany did not hear. He was gazing at Paul Carhart, saying -incoherent things to him, and bringing down a heavy hand on his -shoulder. He was somewhat frightened--never before, even in his own -emphatic life, had his routine notions received such a wrench--but his -eyes were shining. "Lord! Lord!" he was saying, "but there'll be -swearing in Sherman to-morrow." - -"The time has come when I ought to know what"--this from the purple -Peet. - -"Don't ask him, Lou," cried Tiffany, "don't ask him. If we smash, it -won't be your fault. Ain't that right, Paul?" - -"Yes," replied Carhart, "it is just right. Don't ask any questions, -Peet, and don't give me away. I don't want any swearing in Sherman -to-morrow. I don't want a whisper of this to get out for a week--not -for a month if we can keep it under." - -Tiffany quieted down; grew thoughtful. "It will take a lot of men, -Paul. How can you prevent a leak?" - -"I'm going to take them all West with me afterward." - -"I see. That's right--that's right! And the station agents and train -crews and switchmen--yes, I see. You'll take 'em all." - -"Every man," replied Carhart, quietly. - -"If necessary, you'll take 'em under guard." - -Carhart smiled a very little. "If necessary," he replied. - -"You'll want some good men," mused Tiffany. "I'll tell you,--suppose -you leave that part of it to me. It's now,--let's see,--seven-forty. -It won't be any use starting your first train until you've got the men -to do the work. I'll need a little time, but if you'll give me an hour -and half to two hours, say until nine-thirty, I'll have your outfit -ready. I'll send some of my assistants along with you, and a bunch of -our brakemen and switchmen. There'll be the commissariat to look out -for too,--you see to all that, Lou, will you?" - -Peet inclined his head. "For how many men?" he asked. - -"Oh, five hundred, anyway, before we get through with it." Nothing -could surprise the superintendent now. He merely nodded. - -"And rifles," Tiffany added. "You'll want a case of 'em." - -"No," said Carhart, "I shan't need any rifles for the P. S., but I -want five hundred more at the end of the track, and, say ten thousand -rounds of ball cartridges. Will you see to that, Peet?" - -The superintendent grunted out, "Who's paying for all this?" and then -as neither of the others took the trouble to reply, he subsided. - -"All right, then," said Tiffany. "I'll have your crew here--enough for -the first train, anyhow. You can trust to picking up fifty or a -hundred laborers in the neighborhood of Paradise. See you later." And -with this, the chief engineer took his big person away at a rapid -walk. - -Carhart turned to Peet and extended his hand. Dusk was falling. The -headlights of the locomotives threw their yellow beams up the yard. -Switch lights were shining red and white, and lanterns, in the hands -of shadowy figures, were bobbing here and there. There was a great -racket about them of bumping cars and squeaking brakes, and of -shouting and the blowing off of locomotives. "I don't blame you for -thinking that everything's going to the devil, Peet," said Carhart. -"But I don't believe they've let you in on the situation. If I'm -running risks, it's because we've got to run risks." - -Peet hesitated, then accepted the proffered hand. "I suppose it's all -right," he replied. "Tiffany seems to agree with you, and he generally -knows what he's about. But--" he paused. They were standing by a heap -of merchandise. The heap was capped by a dozen crates of chickens -which, awakened from their sleep, were fluttering about within their -narrow coop and clucking angrily. He waved his hand. "Think of what -this means to our business," he said. - -Carhart listened for a moment, then looked back to Peet. "If I were -sure it would come to nothing worse than a slight disarrangement of -your business, I'd sleep easy to-night." - -"It's as bad as that, is it?" - -"Yes," Carhart replied, "it's as bad as that. If I lose, no matter -how the fight in the board turns out, you know what it will mean--no -more De Reamer and Chambers men on the S. & W. Every De Reamer fireman -and brakeman will go. It'll be a long vacation for the bunch of you." - -Peet was silent. And then, standing there where he had so often and so -heedlessly stood before, his sordid, moderately capable mind was torn -unexpectedly loose from its well-worn grooves and thrown out to drift -on a tossing sea of emotion and of romantic adventure. The -breathlessness of the scene was borne in on his consciousness on a -wave that almost took away his breath. Carhart was the sort of man -whom he could not understand at all. He knew this now, or something -near enough to it, clear down to the bottom of his subconscious self. -And when he turned and looked at the thin man of the masterful hand, -it was with a change of manner. "All right," he said, "go ahead. Just -say what you want me to do." - -At five minutes to ten that night a locomotive lay, the steam roaring -in clouds through her safety valve, on the siding by the freight -depot; and stretching off behind her was a long string of empties. -Carhart, Tiffany, and Peet, walking up alongside the train, could -distinguish, through the dark, men sitting on brake wheels, or -swinging their legs out of box-car doors or standing in groups in the -gondola cars. Once, during a brief lull in the noise of the yard, they -heard a gentle snore which was issuing from the dark recesses of one -of the box-cars. The three men halted beside the locomotive. - -"You'd better go, Paul," said Tiffany. - -Carhart looked at Peet. "I'll rely on you to keep things coming," he -said. - -"Go ahead," replied the superintendent. "I'll have the three trains -and all the men at Paradise before morning." - -"And we'll look out for the commissariat too, Paul," added Tiffany. - -"All right," said Carhart. "But there's another thing, Peet. I -haven't cars enough yet. As soon as enough come in to make up another -train, send it out to me." - -"That'll be sometime to-morrow afternoon, likely," Peet replied -soberly. - -Carhart nodded, shook hands with the two men, and mounted to the -engine. - -"Go ahead," said Peet. "You've got a clear track." - -The whistle blew. Somewhere back in the night a speck of light swung -up in a quarter circle. The engineer opened his throttle. - -"Bong Voyage to the Paradise Unlimited!" said Tiffany. - - * * * * * - -Carhart was not surprised, when the third train rolled into Paradise -on that following morning, to see Tiffany descending from the caboose. -Between them they lost no time in completing the preparations for the -journey down to Total Wreck. Of the two regular trains on the line, -No. 3, southbound, was held at Paradise, and the lone passenger was -carried down on Carhart's train; the northbound train, No. 4, was -stopped at Dusty Bend. - -Then for a time a series of remarkable scenes took place along the -right of way of the Paradise Southern. Men by the hundred, all -seemingly bent on destruction, swarmed over the line and tore it to -pieces. Trains ran north and west laden with rusty old rails, -switches, ancient cross-ties of questionable durability, with -everything, as Carhart had ordered, excepting the sand and clay -ballast. - -"Some poor devils lost their little fortunes in the old P. S." said -Tiffany, on the first morning, as the two engineers stood looking at -the work of ruin. "I sort of hate to see it go." - -Carhart himself went West on the first train, leaving Tiffany to carry -the work through. He was satisfied that everything would from now on -work smoothly at Paradise and Sherman, and he knew that not a man of -those on the work would slip through Tiffany's fingers to bear tales -back to civilization of the wild doings on the frontier. At Sherman -they said that owing to insufficient business the P. S. trains would -be discontinued for a time, and no one was surprised at the news. Far -off in New York, in the Broad Street office of Daniel De Reamer, it -was some time before they knew anything about it. The little world was -rolling on. Men were clasping hands, buying and selling, knifing and -shooting. Durfee's plans were marching forward, as his plans had a way -of doing. De Reamer's mind was coiling and uncoiling in its -subterranean depths. General Carrington was talking about a hunting -trip into the mountains with pack-animals and good company and many, -many bottles. - -Yes, the world was rolling on about as usual; but the Paradise -Southern was no more. Forty-five miles of grade, trampled, tie-marked; -a few dismantled sheds which had once been known as stations; a lonely -row of telegraph poles stretching from one bleak horizon to another; -a rickety roundhouse or two: this was all that was left of a railroad: -this, and a long memory of disaster, and an excited ranchman at Total -Wreck who was telegraphing hotly to his lawyer. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -THE SPIRIT OF THE JOB - - -In order to make plain what was taking place at the main camp during -Carhart's absence, we must go back to that evening during which so -many things had come up to be disposed of before the chief could leave -for Sherman and Crockett and Paradise. To begin with, Dimond came -riding in at dusk with a canteen of clear water which he laid on the -table about which the engineers were sitting. To Carhart, when he had -unscrewed the cap and taken a deep draught, it tasted like -Apollinaris. "First rate!" he exclaimed; "first rate!" Then he passed -it to Old Van, who smacked his lips over it. - -"Where did he find this?" Carhart asked. - -"Eighteen or twenty miles ahead." - -"Plenty of it?" - -"He thinks so," he says, "but he's gone on to find more." - -"Are the Apaches bothering him?" - -"We've had a pop at 'em now and then. He says he hopes to have some -beadwork for you when he sees you again. There was one fellow came too -near one night, and Mr. Scribner hit him, but the others carried him -off before we could get the beads. He sent me back to guide the wagons -to the well if you want to send 'em." - -"Well," said Carhart, when Dimond had gone, "we have water now, -anyway. The next question is about these thieves. You say that five -animals were stolen while I was away. When the first roads went -through, they had regular troops to guard the work, and I don't know -that we can improve on the plan. I'll look the matter up when I get to -Sherman." - -But an hour later, when he left his division engineer and stepped -outside for a last look at "Texas," he found Charlie hanging about -near the stable tent. The cook approached him, and made it awkwardly -but firmly plain that he had heard a rumor to the effect that Mr. -Carhart was going to Sherman for regular troops, and that, if the -rumor were true, he, Charlie, would leave. - -No questions were necessary, for Carhart had never thought Jack Flagg -the only deserter in camp. He mused a moment; then he looked up -thoughtfully at the tall, loose-jointed, but well-set-up figure of the -cook. "Do you know anything about military drill and sentry duties?" -he asked abruptly. - -Charlie, taken aback, hesitated. - -"Never mind answering. We'll say that you do. Now, if I were to put -you in charge of the business, give you all the men and rifles you -need, could you guarantee to guard this camp?" - -Charlie's face wore a curious mixture of expressions. - -"Well, speak up." - -"I rather guess I could." - -"I can depend on you, can I?" - -"You won't get the regulars, then?" - -"No, I won't get them." - -"Then you can depend on me." - -"I want you to get about it this morning. Mr. Gus Vandervelt will give -you everything you need. Make the watches short and distribute them -among a good many of the men, so that nobody will be worked too hard." - -Carhart passed on, and let himself into the covered enclosure where -his horse lay sick. It was a quarter of an hour before he returned to -the headquarters tent, to find Vandervelt standing in silence at the -table. Apparently he had risen to leave, and had paused at the sound -of a step outside. Standing for a moment at the tent entrance, -Carhart's eyes took on the curious expression which the sight of the -elder of the oddly assorted brothers frequently aroused there. The -lamplight threw upward shadows on Old Van's face and deepened the -gloom about his eyes. A moment and Carhart, sobering, stepped inside. -Certain memories of Old Van's strange career came floating through -his thoughts. It was probably the last time they would be thrown -together. Considering everything, he would not again feel like -choosing him for an assistant. Yet he admired Old Van's strong -qualities, and--he was sorry, very sorry. - -"Van," he said, "I've changed my mind about the troops. I've told -Charlie, the cook, to organize an effective system of guards at night, -and I've told him, too, that he will take his orders from Gus." - -Vandervelt stood motionless, looking at this man who had risen to be -his chief, and his color slowly turned from bronze to red. - -"From Gus, eh?" he said with a slight huskiness. - -"Yes," replied Carhart, steadily, "from Gus. He will represent me -while I am gone. It will be only a day or so before he'll be around." - -Old Van might have answered roughly; instead he dropped his eyes. But -Carhart's unpleasant duty was not yet done. - -"One thing more, Van," he said, looking quietly at the older man, but -unable to conceal a certain tension in his speech, "are you carrying a -gun?" - -There was a long silence. Every one of the faint evening camp sounds -fell loud on their ears. A puff of wind shook the tent flaps and -stirred the papers on the table. The lamp flickered. Very slowly, -without looking up, Old Van reached back to his hip pocket, drew out a -revolver, laid it on the table,--laid it, oddly enough, on a copy of -the Book of Common Prayer which was acting as a paperweight, and left -the tent and went off down the grade. And for some time after his -footfalls had died away Carhart sat with elbows on table, chin on -hands, looking at the weapon. - - * * * * * - -Paul Carhart was gone. It would probably be a week to ten days before -he would be able to get back to the track-end. And with him had gone -the spirit of the work, the vitality and dash which had worked out at -moments through the assistants and the men in a stirring sense of -achievement, which had given to each young engineer and engineer's -assistant a touch of the glow of creating something, which had made -this ugly scene almost beautiful. That steam-leaking locomotive and -that rattle-trap of a "private car," bearing the chief away into the -dawn, left a sense of depression behind it. By noon of the following -day, Old Van was growing noticeably morose. By mid-afternoon every man -of the thousand felt the difference. Before supper time the heat, the -gloom, the loneliness of the desert, the sense of a dead pull on the -work, the queer thought that there was no such place as Red Hills -anywhere on the map, and that even if there were, the western -extension of the Shaky and Windy would never reach it, these thoughts -were preying on them, particularly on Young Van, who was up and at -work soon after noon. - -Through the second day it was worse. Young Van made stout efforts to -throw more energy into his work, and then, in looking back on these -efforts, recognized in them a confession of weakness. Paul Carhart -never seemed to drive as he had been driving,--his work was always the -same. In this frame of mind the young man, at evening, mounted a -hummock to survey what had been accomplished during the day. But to -his altered eyes the track was no longer a link in the world's girdle; -it was only a thin line of dirt and wood and steel, on which a -thousand dispirited men had been toiling. - -Later he saw Charlie bringing the wagons into corral. He heard his -brother ordering the cook sharply about, and he noted how doggedly the -orders were obeyed. Then, finally, having laid out the details of the -morrow's work and smoked an unresponsive cigarette or two, he went to -sleep. - -Old Van sat up later. And Charlie sat up later still, nearly all night -in fact. He found a comfortable lounging place near Dimond's post, in -the shadow of the empty train. The grade was here slightly elevated, -and, lying on one elbow, he could survey the camp. Now and then he -made the rounds, looking after the half-dozen sentries whom he had -posted on knolls outside the wide circle of tents and wagons, making -sure that there was no drinking and that his men were advised as to -their duties and responsibilities. Between trips he lay back, -surrounded by a number of wide-awake laborers, and listened while -Dimond recited the prowess of their chief. It was very comfortable -there, stretched out upon the newly turned earth. The camp was very -quiet. Only a few lights twinkled here and there, and it was not very -late when these went out, one by one. - -"I heard Mr. Scribner telling, the other day," said Dimond, "how the -boss run up against a farmer with a shotgun when he was running the -line for the M. T. S. Mr. Scribner was a boy then, carrying stakes for -him. There was quite a bunch of 'em, but nobody had a gun. They come -out of a piece of woods on to the road, and there they see the farmer -standing just inside his stump fence with the two barrels of his -shotgun resting on the top of one of the stumps. Mr. Scribner says the -old fellow was that excited he hollered so they could 'a' heard 'im -half a mile off. 'Don't you dare cross the line of my property!' he -yells. 'The first man that crosses the line of my property's a dead -man!' They all stopped, Mr. Scribner says, for they didn't any of 'em -feel particularly like taking in a barrel or so of buckshot. But Mr. -Carhart wasn't ever very easy to stop. He just looked at the fellow a -minute, and then he went right for him. 'Look out!' the man yells. -'You cross the line of my property and you're a dead man!' But Mr. -Carhart went right on over the fence. 'That's all right,' says he, -'but you can't get away with more'n one or two of us, and there'll be -enough left to hang you up to that tree over there.' And the next -thing they knew, Mr. Scribner says, Mr. Carhart had took the shotgun -right out of the farmer's hands." - -Dimond had other stories. "I guess there ain't nobody ever found it -easy to get around him. Once when he was a kid surveyor, before he -went North, they sent him over into southern Texas to look up an old -piece of property. There was a fellow claimed a lot of land that -really run over on to this property. Mr. Carhart figured it out that -the fellow was lying, but he knew it was going to be hard to prove it. -The old marks of the corners were all gone--there wasn't a soul living -who had ever seen 'em. It was an old Spanish grant, Mr. Scribner says, -and the Spanish surveyors had just blazed trees to mark the lines. -Well, sir, would you believe it, Mr. Carhart worked out the place -where this corner ought 'o be, cut down an old cedar tree that stood -there, sawed it up into lengths before witnesses, found the blaze mark -all grown over with bark, and took the piece of log right into court -and proved it. No, I guess it wouldn't be so infernal easy to get -ahead o' Mr. Carhart." - -"That's all right," observed one of the laborers, "if you're working -for Mr. Carhart. But s'pose you ain't--s'pose you're workin' for Mr. -Vandervelt?" - -"Oh, well, of course," Dimond replied, "Mr. Vandervelt's different. He -ain't nowhere near the man Mr. Carhart is." - -Charlie took in this comment quietly, but with less than the usual -good nature in his blue eyes. - -"I don't care how decent the boss is," continued the laborer, "if I -have to have a mean old he-devil cussin' at me from six to six, and -half the night besides, sometimes." - -Dimond grew reflective. "I know about Mr. Vandervelt," he said -meditatively. "You see, boys, it was sort o' lonely up ahead there -boring for water, and Mr. Scribner and me we got pretty well -acquainted." Dimond was endeavoring to conceal the slight superiority -over these men of which he could not but be conscious. "It's a queer -case," he went on, "Mr. Vandervelt's case. I know about it. It's his -temper, you see. That's what's kep' 'im back,--that's why he's only a -division engineer to-day." - -"Keep quiet, boys," broke in the laborer, with a sneer. "Dimond knows -about it. He's tellin' us the news. Mr. Vandervelt's got a temper, he -says." - -Dimond was above a retort. "I can tell you," he said. "Mr. Scribner -give me the facts." (In justice to Harry Scribner it should be -mentioned that he had told Dimond nothing whatever concerning the -personal attributes of his colleague.) "When Mr. Vandervelt gets mad, -he shoots. He don't have to be drunk, neither, or in a fight, or -frolicking careless with the boys. He shot a waiter in the Harper -restaurant at Flemington, shot 'im right down. And then he went out -into the mountains and worked for a year without ever coming near a -town. And they say"--Dimond's voice lowered--"they say he shot a camp -boss on the Northern, a man he used to knock around with, friendly. -They say he shot him." Dimond paused, in order that his words might -sink into the consciousness of each listener. "He never goes North any -more. He'll never even stay at a place like Sherman for more than a -day or two, and not that when he can help it." - -The men were silent for a little while. Then Charlie got slowly to his -feet and shook out his big frame preparatory to making his rounds. "I -guess that's why Mr. Carhart told me to take my orders from his -brother," he said slowly. "I was wondering." Then he stepped off in -the direction of the corral. - -It was three o'clock in the morning when Charlie finally stretched out -for three winks. The laborers had long before rolled themselves up in -their blankets. The men on guard, weary of peering into the darkness -and the silence, had made themselves as nearly comfortable as they -could. And it was half-past three, or near it, when a rope was cut by -a stealthy hand and half a dozen sleepy, obedient mules were led out -and away. Where so many animals were stirring; and where, too, lids -were perhaps drooping over hitherto watchful eyes, the slight -disturbance passed unobserved. At four the guards were changed, and -the new day began to make itself known. At five the camp was astir; -and a boy, searching in vain for his team, came upon the cut, trailing -ends of rope at the outer edge of the corral. - -They told Charlie, whom they found bending, red-eyed, over a steaming -kettle. And the cook, with a straightforward sort of moral courage, -went at once to announce his failure at guarding the camp. As luck -would have it, he found the brothers Vandervelt together, at the wash -basin behind their tent. - -"May I speak to you, sir?" addressing the younger. - -"Certainly, Charlie--What luck?" was the reply. And then, for a -moment, they waited,--Young Van half glancing at his brother, Charlie -summoning every ounce of this wonderful new sense of responsibility -for the ordeal which he saw was to come, Old Van meaning unmistakably -to take a hand in the discussion. - -"We lost six mules last night, Mr. Vandervelt," said Charlie, at -length, plainly addressing Young Van. - -"We lost six mules, did we?" mimicked the veteran, breaking in before -his brother could reply. "What do you mean by coming here with such a -story, you--?" The tirade was on. Old Van applied to the cook such -epithets as men did not employ at that time to any great extent on the -plains. All the depression of the day before, which he had not -succeeded in sleeping off, came out in a series of red-hot phrases, -which, to Young Van's, and to his own still greater surprise, Charlie -took. Young Van, looking every second for a blow or even for a shot, -could not see that he so much as twitched a muscle. Finally Old Van -paused, not because he was in any danger of running out of epithets, -but because something in the attitude of both Charlie and his brother -tended to clarify the situation in his mind. Gus was standing almost -as squarely as Charlie, and there were signs of tension about his -mouth. It was no time for the engineers to develop a conflict of -authority. - -When his brother had stopped talking, Young Van said shortly, "How did -you come to let them get away, Charlie?" - -"I fell asleep, Mr. Vandervelt,--it must have been after three this -morning, and I didn't wake up until four." - -"But what was the matter with your men?" - -"That's what I'm trying to find out, sir. They must have been asleep, -too." - -"Who was on guard at that point?" - -"A man named Foulk--one of the iron squad." - -"Yes, I know him. He is trustworthy, I think." - -"Oh, yes, sir, you can trust him, as far as having anything to do with -those thieves is concerned." - -"But that won't help us much if he can't keep awake a few hours. Where -is he now?" - -Charlie hesitated. "I--I tied him up." - -"Bring him here." - -Charlie went off to obey. And Old Van returned to his ablutions. A -moment more and the unfortunate sentinel was being marched across to -headquarters, under the guidance and the momentum of a huge red hand. - -"Here he is, Mr. Vandervelt." - -Young Van looked at the two. Foulk appeared honestly crestfallen. -Then, "Let him go, Charlie," he said. And turning to Foulk, he merely -added, "You'll get your night's sleep after this, my friend. We want -no men on guard who can't be relied on--and it's evident that you -can't. Now go and eat your breakfast, and get to work. See that this -doesn't happen again, Charlie." - -Foulk hurried off in one direction, Charlie walked away in another; -Old Van disappeared within the tent in order to complete his very -simple toilet; Young Van stood alone, looking after one and another -of the retreating figures with an expression of something like dismay. -He had spoken with more vigor and authority than he could suppose; but -even such as it was, his momentary grip on the situation relaxed while -he stood there. The work was not going to stop, he knew that, yet this -complicated mechanism, the job, seemed to be running on without any -mainspring. Speaking for himself, there was no one of the many tasks -Carhart had left in his hands which he was not competent to perform, -yet, viewing them in mass, they bewildered him. There would be -bickerings, sliding on from bad to worse. The work would be undertaken -each day in a dogged spirit, and it would have an ugly side which had -not before shown itself. Earlier in the course of the undertaking -there had been moments when he had thought, looking out from his own -mountain range of details, that Carhart's work was not so trying as it -seemed; that he had time to ride up and down the line, chatting with -engineers and foremen; that he could relax almost as he chose,--run -down to Sherman now and then, or even slip off for a day's shooting. -Now he saw it differently. And his forebodings were realized. -Everybody in authority felt the unfortunate drift of the work, and -everybody felt helpless to check this drift. Attempts made now and -then by individuals were worse--because they merely succeeded in -drawing attention to it--than the general failure. That evening, when -Scribner came back and they all tried to be jolly, was the gloomiest -time in a gloomy week. Men took to deserting their work. On one -occasion thirty-odd of them left in a body to join an outfit which -halted overnight near the main camp--that was when they were living on -"mile forty-five." Fights grew more frequent. Accidents seemed to be -almost a part of the week's routine. - -One day, Young Van, chancing to pass near the track-laying work, heard -his brother swearing at the rider of the snap-mule that drew the -rail-truck back and forth between the material train and the work. The -rider was a boy of twelve. Young Van recalled, as he listened, a scene -of a fortnight earlier (it seemed a year), when the boy, then new to -it, had been found by Carhart, quietly sobbing on his horse. "What's -the trouble, son?" the chief had inquired good-humoredly. "I'm -afraid," was the lad's reply. Whereupon the chief had lifted him down, -swung himself into the saddle, and, with a twinkle in his eye, had -ridden a few trips in order to show the boy how to manage it safely. - -At length a man was killed, one of pile-driver crew No. 1, on Old -Van's division. Other men had been killed earlier in the work, but -this death struck the workmen as bearing greater significance. In the -other cases Carhart himself had done all that man could do; the last -time he had driven the body twenty miles to a priest and decent -burial. But Old Van sent out a few nerve-shaken laborers to dig a -grave, and told them to waste no time about it, beyond seeing that it -was well filled after--afterward. - - * * * * * - -For several nights after the trouble with Foulk Charlie did not sleep -at all. But even a frontiersman is subject to Nature's laws, and the -time came when he was overcome, shortly after midnight, while sitting -on a box before his tent, and he rolled over and slept like a child. - -They woke him at daybreak, and, without a word, handed him this rough -placard:-- - - Tell Mr. Carhart he'd better be carrying a gun after this. - He'll need it. - - JACK FLAGG. - -"It was stuck up on the telegraph pole," explained a sleepy-eyed -sentinel. - -"Where?" - -"Here in camp." - -A few moments later the cook, pale under his tan, stood before his -half-dressed acting-chief. Again the two brothers were together. - -"So this is how you watch things, is it?" said Old Van. "What did you -lose for us last night?" - -"The drivers are counting up now, sir. I only know of a mule and a -horse so far." - -"That's all you know of, is it? I'll tell you what to do. You go back -to your quarters and see that you do no more meddling in this -business. No, not a word. Go back and get your breakfast. That's all I -expect from you after this." - -Charlie looked inquiringly at Young Van, who merely said: "I want to -know more about this, Charlie. Run it down, and then come to me." - -When the cook had gone, Young Van picked up the placard and read it -over. He was struck by the bravado of the thing. And he wondered how -much of a substratum of determination Jack Flagg's bravado might have. -This primitive animal sort of man was still new to him. He had neither -Paul Carhart's unerring instinct, nor his experience in handling men. -To him the incident seemed grave. There would be chances in plenty -before they reached Red Hills for even a coward to get in a shot, and -a coward's shot would be enough to bring the career of their chief to -an abrupt end. He folded the dirty paper and put it into his pocket. - -Later, with the best of intentions, he said to his brother: "You are -altogether too hard on Charlie. I happen to know that he has been -doing everything any man could do without a troop of regulars behind -him." - -To his surprise, Old Van replied with an angry outburst: "You keep out -of this, Gus! When I need your advice in running this division, I'll -ask you for it." - -Twenty minutes later, when they were rising from breakfast, Charlie -appeared, leading with an iron grip a dissolute-looking plainsman, and -carrying a revolver in his other hand. - -"Hello!" cried Young Van. "What's this? What are you doing with that -gun?" - -"I took it away from this man. He was hiding out there behind a -pile of bones. I reckon he was trying to get away when his horse went -lame and the daylight caught him." - -[Illustration: "'You go back to your quarters.'"] - -"What has he to say for himself?" - -"It's a ---- lie!" growled the stranger. "I was riding in to ask for a -job, an' I hadn't more'n set down to rest--" - -"You ride by night, eh?" - -"Well--" the stranger hesitated--"not gen'ally. But I was so near--" - -"Here, here!" cried Old Van. "What's all this talk about? I guess you -know what to do with him. Get about it." - -"What do you mean by that?" cried Young Van, flushing. - -"What do I mean by it? What is generally done with horse thieves?" - -The stranger blanched. "You call me a--" - -But Young Van checked him. "We don't know that he is a horse thief." - -"I do, and that's enough. Charlie, take him off, and make a clean job -of it." - -"Charlie," cried Young Van, "stay where you are!" He turned hotly on -his brother. "The worst we have any reason to believe about this man -is that he put up that placard." - -"Well, doesn't that prove him one of the gang?" - -"We have no proof of anything." - -"You keep out of this, Gus! Charlie, do as I tell you." - -Charlie hesitated, and looked inquiringly at the younger engineer. -This drove Old Van beyond reason. He suddenly snatched the revolver -from the cook, shouting angrily: "If you won't obey orders, I'll see -to it myself!" - -But Young Van, with a quick movement, gripped the weapon, bent it back -out of his brother's grasp, snapped it open, ejected the cartridges, -and silently returned it. Old Van held it in his hand and looked at -it, then at the five cartridges, where they had fallen on the ground. -Then, with an expression his brother had never before seen on his -face, he let the weapon fall on the ground among the cartridges, and -walked away to the headquarters tent. - -"Charlie," said Young Van, "keep this man safe until the sheriff comes -back." - -"All right, sir," Charlie replied. - -The cook turned away with his prisoner, and Young Van's eyes sought -the ground. He had almost come to blows with his brother, and that -before the men, about the worst thing that could have taken place. The -incident seemed the natural culmination of these days of depression -and pulling at odds. - -"It looks like the sheriff coming in now, sir." - -Young Van started and looked up. Charlie, still grasping the stranger, -was pointing down the track, where a troop of horsemen could be seen -approaching. They drew rapidly nearer, and soon the two leaders could -be distinguished. One was unmistakably Bowlegged Bill Lane. The other -was a slender man, hatless, with rumpled hair, and a white -handkerchief bound around his forehead. Young Van walked out to meet -them, and saw, with astonishment, that the hatless rider was Paul -Carhart; and never had face of man or woman been more welcome to his -eyes. - -The troop reined up, dismounted, and mopped their sweating faces. -Their horses stood damp and trembling with exhaustion. All together, -the little band bore witness of desperate riding, and to judge from -certain signs, of fighting. - -"Well, Gus," said Carhart, cheerily, "how is everything?" - -But Young Van was staring at the bandage. "Where have you been?" he -cried. - -"Chasing Jack Flagg." - -"But they hit you!" - -"Only grazed. If it hadn't been dark, we should have got him." - -"But how in--" - -The chief smiled. "How did I get here?" he said, completing the -question. "The train was stalled last night only a dozen or fifteen -miles back. The tender of that model of 1865 locomotive they gave us -went off the track, and the engine got in the same fix trying to put -it on again. When I left, they were waiting for the other train behind -to come up and help. They ought to be along any time this morning. -Where's your brother?" - -Young Van had turned to look at a group of three or four prisoners, -whom two of the posse were guarding. - -"Where's your brother?" Carhart asked again. - -"My brother! Oh, back at the tent, I guess." - -The chief gave him a curious glance, for the young engineer was -flushing oddly. "Tell him to wait a minute for me, will you? I want to -see you both before the work starts." - -Young Van walked over to the headquarters tent and stood a moment at -the entrance. His brother, seated at the table, heard him, but did not -look up. - -"Mr. Carhart is back," said the young man, finally. "He asked me to -tell you to wait for him." - -Old Van gave not the slightest indication that he had heard, but he -waited. When the chief entered, motioning Young Van to join him, he -went briskly at what he had to say. He sat erect and energetic, -apparently unconscious of the red stain on his bandage, ignoring the -fact that he had as yet eaten no breakfast; and at his first words the -blood began to flow again through the arteries of this complicated -organization that men called the Red Hills extension of the S. & W. - -"Now, boys," he began, "it was rather a slow ride back from Sherman, -and I had time for a little arithmetic. Through our friend Peet--" - -"D--n him!" interrupted Old Van. - -The chief paused at this for another of his questioning glances, then -went quietly on. "Through our friend Peet, we have lost so much time -that it isn't very cheerful business figuring it up. But we aren't -going to lose any more." - -"Oh! you saw Peet!" said Young Van. - -"Yes, I saw him. We won't bother over this lost time. What we are -interested in now is carrying through our schedule. And I needn't tell -you that from this moment we must work together as prettily as a -well-oiled engine." He said this significantly, and paused. Of the two -men before him, the younger flushed again and lowered his eyes, the -elder looked away and muttered something which could not be -understood. "I'm bringing up a hundred-odd more men on this train. -When they get in, put them right at work. Is Dimond in camp now?" - -"Yes." - -"We'll send him up to take charge of the well business. He can do it, -now that it is so well started. We need Scribner." - -"How much must we do a day now, to make it?" asked Young Van. - -"We shall average as near as possible to two miles." - -Young Van whistled, then recovered himself. "All right, Mr. Carhart," -he said. "Two miles is good. Beginning to-day, I suppose?" - -"Beginning to-day." - -The chief spent very little time on himself. He was soon out and -riding along the grade, showing no nervousness, yet making it plain to -every man on the job that he meant to give an exhibition of "the -fanciest track-laying ever seen in these United States." That was the -way Young Van, in the exuberance of his new-found spirits, expressed -it to the foreman of the iron squad. - -But even Young Van's enthusiasm was not equal to the facts. When the -night whistle blew, and the dripping workmen dropped their picks and -sledges, and rails, and ties, and reins, and sat down to breathe -before washing up for supper,--there was water for washing now,--the -conductor of the material train called to Young Van, and waved toward -a stake beside the track. "See that stick," he shouted. - -"Yes, I see it." - -"Well, sir,"--the conductor was excited too,--"I've been setting up -one of those things for every time we moved ahead a train length. My -train's a little over a thousand foot long, and--and how many of those -sticks do you suppose I've set up since morning? Give a guess now!" - -"I should say eight or ten. We've been getting over the ground pretty -rapidly." - -"No, sir! No, sir! Fifteen there were, fifteen of 'em!" - -"Fifteen thousand feet--three miles!" The young man stood a moment, -then turned and walked soberly away. - -It was early the next morning that Young Van recalled Jack Flagg's -communication, which he still had in his pocket. He saw that the chief -was about starting off for his breakfast, and called him back and gave -him the paper. Carhart read it, smiled rather contemptuously, and -handed it back. - -"That man," he said, "was just about big enough to stir up a little -trouble in the camp. I'm glad we're through with him." - -"I wish I was sure we were," replied Young Van. - -"Hello! you're right, Gus. Here he is again." - -Charlie was approaching with another dirty paper in his hand. "I -didn't think anybody could get in last night, Mr. Carhart," he said -ruefully, "but--here is what they left." - -The chief took this second paper and read it aloud:-- - - MY DEAR MR. CARHART: My shooting's getting bum. Better luck - next time. - - JACK FLAGG. - -"Flagg ought to be on the stage," he said when he had tossed the paper -away. "He is the sort of man that can't get along without an -audience." - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -SHOTS--AND A SCOUTING PARTY - - -It was early evening. Gus Vandervelt, nervous, exultant, leaving a -trail of cigarette stubs behind him, was pacing up and down the track. -When he faced the east, his eyes saw far beyond the cars and wagons -and clustering tents. Off there, in each mile of the many they had -travelled, lay a witness of some battle won. They had fought like -soldiers; and the small successes had come rapidly until the men were -beginning to take victory as a matter of course. The most stupid of -them understood now just what sort of thing the reserved, magnetic -Paul Carhart stood for, and they were finding it a very good sort of -thing indeed. - -As Young Van walked, his imagination leaping forward from battles -fought to the battles to come, he heard a step, and saw the stocky -figure of his brother approaching through the dusk. He stiffened up -and paused, but Old Van marched by without the twitch of a muscle. The -young man watched him until he had faded out of sight, then lighted -another cigarette, and continued his beat. - -A little later, smiling in a nervous way he had of late, Young Van -turned toward the headquarters tent. He knew that his brother had gone -to make up the material train and would not return for some time. - -He found Paul Carhart sitting alone, sewing a button on the yellow -linen trousers. - -"Did you see any more drunks?" Carhart asked, pausing, needle in air. - -Young Van, now that he thought of it, had observed signs of unusual -good feeling among the laborers. - -"We're a little too near this Palos settlement to suit me," said the -chief. "Keeping your men in the desert rather spoils one for the -advantages of civilization. I never had an easier time with laborers. -But these men are a bad lot to bring within five miles of a saloon. -They will be fighting before morning." - -"I suppose they will. I hadn't thought of it. By the way, there's a -rumor about that you had a letter from Mr. Flint to-day." - -Carhart shook his head. "No," said he, "that's the thing I want most -just now." - -For a while they were silent. Young Van's face grew sober. The track, -this double line of rusty steel, had so absorbed the energy of all of -them that it seemed now, to his inexperience, the complete outward -expression of their lives. He could think of little else. When not -engrossed by the actual work, his thoughts were ranging beyond, far -into the deeper significance of it. Crowding on the heels of the -constructors would come settlers. Already mushroom towns were pushing -up along the line behind them. With settlers would come well-boring, -irrigation, farming, and ranching. Timber, bricks, stone would be -rushed into these new lands, to be converted into hotels, shops, -banks, dwellings. The marvellously intricate interrelations of -civilization would suddenly be found existing and at work. There would -be rude, hard struggles, much drinking and gambling, and some -shooting. The license of the plains would be found strangely mingled -with law and with what we call right. The church and the saloon would -march on, side by side. And, finally, out of the uproar and the -fighting would rise, for better or worse, a new phase of life. -Thinking these things, Young Van could not forget that they five--Paul -Carhart, John Flint, Old Van, Harry Scribner, and himself--were -bringing it about. They were breaking the way, pioneers of the -expansion of a restless, mighty people. - -"No,"--Carhart was speaking,--"that letter was from Peet. You might -enjoy reading it." - -Young Van started from his revery, took the letter, and spread it -open. "My dear Mr. Carhart," it ran, "I am very sorry, indeed, about -the delay of that lot of spikes. I have arranged with Mr. Tiffany to -buy up all we can find here in Sherman and hurry them on to you. -Please keep me informed by wire of any delays and inconveniences. You -will understand, I am sure, that we mean to stop at nothing to keep -you from the slightest annoyance and delay in these matters. Very -faithfully yours, L. W. Peet." - -"But we have spikes enough," said the assistant, looking up. "What -does he mean?" - -Carhart smiled. "Just what he says; that he wouldn't delay us for -worlds." - -"'Very faithfully yours,' too. What is all this, Mr. Carhart? What -have you done to him--hypnotized him?" - -Carhart smiled. "Hardly," he replied; adding, "Reach me that spool of -thread, will you?" But instead of continuing his needlework, Carhart, -when he received the spool, laid it down beside him and sat, deep in -thought, gazing out through the tent-opening into the night. - -"Gus," he asked abruptly, "where did the operator go?" - -Young Van glanced up at his chief, then answered quietly: "To bed, I -think. I heard him say he was going to turn in early to-night." - -"Would you mind stirring him out?" - -"Certainly not." - -"Wait a minute. We have enough firewood on hand to keep the engines -going six or perhaps eight days. That won't do." - -Young Van was slightly puzzled. - -"Go ahead, Gus. Tell him to meet me at his instrument in ten minutes." - -Young Van left the tent at once. When he returned, after rousing the -sleepy operator, he observed that the chief was still deep in thought. -"All right," said Young Van; "he's getting up." - -"Much obliged, Gus." Carhart started to resume his mending, then -lowered his needle. "And all for the want of a horseshoe nail," he -hummed softly. - -Young Van, more puzzled than before, looked up from a heap of papers -which had drawn his attention. Carhart smiled a little. - -"You remember?" he said,-- - - "For the want of a nail the shoe was lost; - For the want of the shoe the horse was lost; - For the want of the horse the rider was lost; - For the want of the rider the battle was lost; - And all--" - -He stopped and looked out. A partly clad figure was hurrying by toward -the shelter that covered the telegraph instruments. - -"There he goes now. I'm a little bothered, Gus. It would be a humorous -sort of a joke on me if I should be held up now for a little -firewood." - -"I suppose we couldn't cut up ties?" suggested Young Van. - -"Can't spare 'em. I've ordered wood from Red Hills, but we shan't be -able to pick up enough there. And if we don't get some pretty soon, -the engines will have to stop." - -Young Van took down a letter file and glanced through it. In a moment -he had drawn out a recent message from Peet. "Here," he said, "Mr. -Peet promised to have a big lot of wood on the way by to-day. That -leaves some margin for delays." - -Carhart rose, and nodded. "Yes," he replied, "but not margin enough." - -"You expect something to happen right off?" - -"Couldn't say to that. But my bones feel queer to-night--have felt -queer all day. Tiffany writes that Bourke, who is in charge of the H. -D. & W. construction, was in Sherman the other day. And Commodore -Durfee was expected at Red Hills a week ago. Well,--" He shrugged his -shoulders and went out and over to join the operator. - -"We'll try to get the man on the next division," said Carhart. "Ask -him if the line is clear all the way." - -The operator extended his hand to send the message, but checked it in -midair. "Why," he exclaimed, "he is calling us!" He looked up prepared -to see surprise equal to his own on Carhart's face. But what he did -see there mystified him. The chief was slowly nodding. He could not -say that he had expected this call,--the thing was a coincidence,--and -yet he was not at all surprised. - -"'Trouble on Barker Hills division--'" The operator was repeating as -the instrument clicked. - -"That's a hundred miles or so back--" - -"Hundred and thirty-eight. 'Operator on middle division,' he -says, 'wires fifty men trying to seize station--has notified -Sherman--assistance promised. Big armed force Barker Hills led by -large man with red mustache--'" - -"That's Bourke himself," muttered Carhart. - -The operator's hand shook a little. His eyes were shining. "Here's -some more, Mr. Carhart,--'Have tried to hold my station, but--'" - -"Wait," cried the chief, sharply. "Quick--say this: 'Has supply train -passed west to-day?'" - -"'Has--supply--train--'" the operator repeated after a -moment--"'passed--west-to-day?'" - -"Now what does he answer?" - -"Just a moment--Here he is!--'Not--not--' Hold on there, what's the -matter?" - -"Has he stopped?" - -"Stopped short. That's queer." - -"Do you think so?" said Carhart, looking down into the white face of -the operator. The effect of the young man's excitement was hardly -lessened by the shock of rumpled hair about his forehead and by the -white collar of a nightgown which appeared above his hastily buttoned -coat. - -"You mean--?" - -"Wait a little longer." For several minutes they were silent, the -operator leaning his elbows on the table, Carhart bending over him. -Then, "Try him again," said Carhart. - -The operator obeyed. There was no response. Carhart drew up an empty -cracker box and sat down. Twenty minutes passed. - -"Click--clickety--click--click," said the instrument. The operator, in -a husky voice, translated the message as it came in: "'P. Carhart, -chief west'n ext. S. & W.: On receipt of this you will stop all -construction work until further instructions, by order of Vice-Pres. -Chambers--H. L. Tiffany.'" - -"That's funny!" said the operator. - -Carhart did not seem to hear the exclamation. He was frowning -slightly, and his lips were moving. At length he said, "Take this:-- - - "To C. O'F. BOURKE, - - Barker Hills Station:-- - - "Have another try, old chap. You haven't quite caught Hen - Tiffany's style yet. - - "P. CARHART." - -The operator laughed softly and nervously as his deft fingers -transmitted this personal communication. - -"Got it all through?" asked the chief. - -"Yes, sir; all through." - -"All right, then, go back to bed. Good night." - -"Good night, Mr. Carhart." - - * * * * * - -For several days now no word had come through from Flint, on "mile -109." But twenty hours after the trouble at Barker Hills--just before -supper time of the following day--a party of plainsmen came galloping -into camp. One of these, a wizened little man with a kindly smile and -shrewd eyes, dismounted before the headquarters tent and peered in -between the flaps. "Mr. Carhart here?" - -"He will be in two minutes," replied Young Van, rising from the table. -"Come in, sir!" - -"Your Mr. Flint asked me to hand him this." The wizened one produced a -letter, and dropped into the chair which Young Van had brought -forward. "Having quite a time up there, isn't he?" - -"How so?" asked Young Van. It was well to speak guardedly. - -"Oh, he's in it, deep," was the reply. "Commodore Durfee's at the -Frisco Hotel in Red Hills. They say he came out over the 'Wobbly' on a -construction train and rode through. Pretty spry yet, the Old -Commodore. He's hired a bad man named Flagg--Jack Flagg--and sent him -out with a hundred or so men to seize your bridge at La Paz. Sorry I -couldn't stay there to see the excitement, but I'm hurrying east. Mr. -Flint thought maybe I could pick up one of your trains running back to -Sherman. If I can't do that, I'll strike off south for Pierrepont, and -get through that way." - -Young Van hesitated, and was about to reply, when he heard the chief -approaching. - -Carhart came in from the rear, nodded to the stranger, and picked up -the envelope. "You brought this, sir?" he asked. - -"Yes; Mr. Flint asked me to." - -Very deliberately Carhart read the letter, and, without the slightest -change of expression, tossed it on the table. "You must have supper -with us," he said. "If you stopped with John Flint you perhaps know -how little an engineer's hospitality amounts to, but such as we have -we shall be very glad to share with you." - -"Thank you," replied the stranger. - -"You are a ranchman, I presume?" Carhart went on. - -"Yes--in northwest of Red Hills. I go to Sherman every year." - -Young Van spoke, "He thought of taking one of our trains through." - -Carhart smiled dryly. "I should be greatly obliged to you, sir, if you -could take a train through," he said. "That's something we don't seem -able to do." - -The wizened one glanced up with a keen expression about his eyes. -"Having trouble back along the line?" he asked. - -"You might call it trouble. My old friend Bourke, of the H. D. & W., -has cut in behind us with a small army." He gave a little shrug. "I -can't get through. I can't get either way now that they've got in -between Flint and Red Hills." - -"Then I'd better ride down to Pierrepont, hadn't I?" - -"I'm afraid that's the best that I can suggest, sir." - -"You people certainly seem to be playing in hard luck, Mr. Carhart." -As the wizened one ventured this observation he crossed his legs and -thrust his hands into his pockets. The action caused his coat to fall -back, and disclosed a small gold pendant hanging from his watch guard. -Young Van observed it, and glanced at Carhart, but he could not tell -whether the chief had taken it in. - -"It's worse than hard luck," Carhart replied; "it begins to look like -defeat. We have been dependent on the Sherman people for material, -food, water,--everything. Now Bourke has shut us off." - -"But you seem to have plenty of material here, Mr. Carhart." - -"Rails--yes. But it takes more than rails." - -"And you surely have a large enough force." - -"Yes, but moving several hundred men back a hundred and forty miles, -fighting it out with Bourke, clearing the track, and getting trains -through from Sherman, will take time. Long before we can make any -headway, the H. D. & W. will have beaten us into Red Hills." - -"Ah--I see," nodded the wizened one. "You're going back after Bourke." - -"What else can I do! I can't even wire Sherman without sending a man -two hundred miles through the desert. The most important thing to my -employers is to maintain possession of the line." - -"Of course--I see. I don't know much about these things myself." - -After supper the wizened one announced that he must ride on with his -party. - -"You won't stop with us to-night?" asked Carhart. - -"No, thanks. It'll be light an hour or two yet. I've got to move fast. -I'll lose a good deal, you see, going around by way of Pierrepont." - -"That's so, of course. Well, good-by, sir." - -"Good-by." - -The riders swung into their saddles and cantered off eastward. Carhart -turned to Young Van and slowly winked. "Come up to headquarters, Gus," -he said. "I've got some work for you." - -"I rather guess you have, if we're going after Bourke." - -"After Bourke?" Carhart smiled. "You didn't take that in, Gus?" - -"Well--of course, I suspected." - -"You saw his badge?" - -"Yes." - -"Bourke always has a lot of men about him from his own college." - -"You really think it, then?" - -"It would be hard to say what I think. But I've been going on the -assumption that he is one of Bourke's engineers." - -They were approaching the headquarters tent. Young Van looked up and -saw that "Arizona," Carhart's new saddle-horse, was hitched before -it. They entered the tent, and the first thing the chief did was to -get out two long blue-nosed revolvers and slip them into his holsters. -A moment later, and Dimond, fitted out for a long ride, appeared at -the entrance, saying, "All ready, Mr. Carhart!" - -"Now, Gus," said the chief, "I'm off for 'mile 109.' I want you to get -about two hundred men together and send them after me to-night or -to-morrow morning. I'll tell Scribner, as I pass him, to have fifty -more for you. Every man must have a rifle and plenty of ball -cartridges. Send Byers"--this was the instrument man of the long -nose--"and two or three others whom you think capable of commanding -forty or fifty men each." - -"And Bourke?" - -"We'll leave him to Mr. Chambers. Give Charlie instructions to -strengthen his night guard. Some men will be sent back to guard the -second and third wells." - -Young Van involuntarily passed his hand across his eyes. - -"I'm afraid I'm not much good," he said slowly. "I didn't grasp this -situation very well. It's rather a new phase of engineering for me. We -seem to be plunging all of a sudden into tactics and strategy." - -"That's about the size of it, Gus," the chief responded. He had -exchanged his old straw hat for a sombrero. His spurs jingled as he -moved. There was a sparkle in his eye and a new sort of military -alertness about his figure. He paused at the tent entrance, and looked -back. "That's about the size of it, Gus," he repeated with a half -smile. "And I'm afraid I rather like it." - -"Well, good-by. I'll start the men right along after you." - -Carhart mounted his horse, Dimond followed his example, and the two -rode away in the direction of the La Paz bridge. And ten hours later, -at five in the morning, a line of armed horsemen--a long-nosed young -man with the light of a pirate soul in his eyes riding at the head, an -athletic pile-inspector and a college-bred rodman bringing up the -rear--rode westward after him. - - * * * * * - -Troubles had been coming other than singly on "mile 109." Jack Flagg, -with a force which, while smaller than Flint's, was made up of -well-armed and well-paid desperadoes, had seized the ridge which shut -in the La Paz Valley on the west, had pitched camp, erected rude -intrenchments of loose stone, and stopped for the moment all work on -the mile-long trestle. So much John Flint had set down in the note -which the wizened one had delivered to Carhart. The next adventure -befell on the night after the departure of the wizened one; and it -brought out the ugly strain in the opera bouffe business of these wild -railroading days. - -Antonio, the watchman, sat on the edge of the eastern abutment and -dangled his feet. He was so drowsy that he even stopped rolling -cigarettes. He had chosen a comfortable seat, where a pile of timbers -afforded a rest for his back. To be sure, there was the possibility -of rolling off into the water and sand if he should really fall -asleep; but elsewhere he would be exposed to the searching eyes of the -engineer in charge, and those eyes were very searching indeed. He was -thinking, in a dreamy way, of what he would do on the Sunday, with his -week's pay in his pocket and the village of La Paz but twelve miles -away. - -Now and again his complacent eyes roved out across the river, which -slipped by with such a gentle, swishing murmur. He could look over the -tops of the four unfinished piers and the western abutment and see the -trestle where it was continued on the farther side. These Americanos, -what driving devils they were! And when they had built their railroad, -what were they going to do with it? To go fast--Antonio shrugged his -shoulders and resumed the cigarettes--it is very well, but to what -purpose? When they have rushed madly across the continent, what will -they find there? Perhaps they will then rush back again. These -Americanos! - -He let his eyes rest upon the row of piers--one, two, three, four of -them. What labor they had caused--how the men had sweat, and muttered, -and toiled--how the foremen had cursed! Four piers of masonry rising -out of the ghostly river. Very strong they must be, for the La Paz was -not always gentle. In the spring and fall it was savage; and then it -had an ugly way of undermining bridges, as those other foolish -Americanos had learned to their cost when they built the wagon bridge -at La Paz. He smiled lazily. But suddenly he sat up straight. A long -thin figure of a man was moving about among the piles of timber. It -was the seor Flint--and such a prowler as he was, day and night, -night and day. He lived this bridge, did the seor; he thought it, he -ate it, he drank it, he talked it, he slept it,--and for why? It could -not be that he believed it living to think and breathe bridge and only -bridge. It could not be that man was made for this--to become a slave -to this trestle structure which was slowly crawling, like some -monster centipede, across the sands of the La Paz. It was very good -for the trestle perhaps, and the bridge, but was it so good for the -seor? - -[Illustration: "... this trestle structure which was slowly crawling, -like some monster centipede, across the sands of the La Paz."] - -Antonio smiled again, and settled back; the seor was passing on. He -was getting into a boat. He was poling across the languid, dimpling -river. He was getting out on the farther bank; he was walking up the -long slope, keeping out of the moonlight in the shadow of the -trestle-thing; he was peering up toward the embattled ridge beyond, -where lay the redoubtable Flagg. - -... The cigarette dropped from Antonio's unnerved fingers, and fell -with a sizzling splash into the water below. He drew an involuntary -quick breath, and the smoke in his nostrils went unexpectedly into his -throat and made him cough. Then trembling a little, he got slowly to -his feet and stood staring out there over the serene surface of the -river. He rubbed his eyes and stared again. A shot,--two shots,--which -was right? Two--no, one! And that insignificant little dark heap -yonder in the moonlight--was that the seor? What a trouble!--and he -had been so comfortable there on the abutment! - -Antonio was frightened. He thought of running away from these -fate-tempting Americans; but in that case he would lose his pay and -those Sundays at La Paz. He waited a while. Perhaps he was dreaming -and would make himself ridiculous. He walked about, and tried -different points of view. And at last he went to rouse his foreman. - -They got Flint in--Haddon, in night-shirt, bare legs, and shoes with -flapping strings to them; the foreman of the pile-driver crew in -night-shirt and hat, and two big-shouldered bridgemen. There was a -ball somewhere in Flint, and there were certain complications along -the line of his chronic ailment, so that his usefulness was, so to -speak, impaired. And Haddon, during what was left of the night and -during all of the following day, had distinctly a bad time of it. - -While these things were going on, Paul Carhart was riding westward at -a hot gallop with Dimond close behind. It was shortly after sunset -that he reined up on the crest of the eastern ridge and looked out -over the La Paz. The barren valley was flooded with light. The yellow -slopes were delicately tinted rose and violet, the rock pillars stood -out black and sharply defined, the western hills formed a royal purple -barrier to the streams of color; and through this glowing scene -extended the square-jointed trestle, unmistakably the work of man -where all else was from another hand. Never in the progress of this -undertaking which we have been following across the plains had the -contrast been so marked between the patient beauty of the old land and -the uncompromising ugliness of the structure which Paul Carhart was -carrying into and through it. And yet the chief,--an intelligent, -educated man, not wanting in feeling for the finer side of -life,--though he took in the wonders of the sunset, looked last and -longest at the trestle and the uncompleted bridge. Then he rode down, -glancing, in his quizzical way, at the camp, which had been moved back -behind a knoll, at the piles of stone and timber, at the corral, and -at the groups of idle, gloomy workmen. - -Fortunately the chief was prepared for surprises. News that the -trestle had been burned to the ground would have drawn no more than a -glance and a nod from him. His mind had not been idle during the ride. -He knew that the strongest defence partakes of an offensive character, -and he had no notion of sitting back to await developments. Of several -sets of plans which he had been considering, one was so plainly the -simplest and best that he was determined to try it. It involved a -single daring act, a sort of raid, which it would be necessary to -carry through without a vestige of legal authority. But this feature -of it disturbed him very much less than a mere casual acquaintance -with this quiet gentleman might have led one to suppose. Perhaps he -had, like the red-blooded Tiffany, a vein of "Scotch-Irish" down in -the depths of his nature which could on occasion be opened up. - -[Illustration: "The cigarette dropped from Antonio's unnerved -fingers."] - -After looking out for the comfort of John Flint, and after conferring -with Haddon and going thoroughly over the ground, Carhart sent for -Dimond. - -"How much more are you good for?" he asked. - -Dimond grinned. "For everything that's going," he replied. - -"Good. Do you know where the H. D. & W. is building down, a dozen or -fifteen miles north of here?" - -"I guess I can find it," said Dimond. - -And with a fresh horse and a man or two, and with certain specific -instructions, Dimond rode north shortly after nightfall of that same -day. At eight in the morning he was back, hollow-eyed but happy. And -Paul Carhart, when Dimond had reported, was seen to smile quietly to -himself. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -A SHOW-DOWN - - -All was quiet at the main camp. Excepting that the division engineers -were short-handed, and that Paul Carhart was away, things were going -on with some regularity. Scribner rode in late on the second -afternoon, and toward the end of the evening, when the office work was -done, he and Young Van played a few rubbers of cribbage. The camp went -to sleep as usual. - -At some time between eleven o'clock and midnight the two young -engineers tacitly put up the cards and settled back for a smoke. - -"Do you know," said Young Van, after a silence, "I don't believe this -stuff at all." - -Scribner tipped back, put his feet on the table, puffed a moment, and -slowly nodded. "Same here, Gus," he replied. "Fairy tales, all of -it." - -"You can't settle the ownership of a railroad by civil war." - -"No; but if you can get possession by a five-barrelled bluff, you can -give the other fellow a devil of a time getting it back." - -"That's true, of course." They were silent again. - -... "What's that!" said Scribner. Both dropped their feet and sat up. - -"Horse," said Young Van. - -"Devil of a way off." - -"Must be. Lost it now." - -"No--there it is again. Now, what do you suppose?" - -"Don't know. Let's step out and look around." - -Standing on the sloping ground in front of the tent, they could at -first distinguish nothing. - -"Gives you a queer feeling," said Scribner, "horse galloping--this -time of night--" - -"--just now," Young Van completed, "when things are going on." - -"Coming from the east, too,--where Bourke is. Know him?" - -"No--never met him. Heard of him, of course." - -"He's a good one. Wish he was on our side." - -"I guess Mr. Carhart can match him." - -Scribner nodded. "This sort of a fight's likely to settle down into -the plain question of who's got the cards. There'll come a time when -both sides'll have to lay down their hands, and the cards'll make the -difference one way or the other. Just a show-down, after all." - -"I think myself Mr. Carhart's got the cards. He didn't look like a -loser when he went off the other night." - -"If he has," said Scribner, "you can bet he'll 'see' Durfee and Bourke -every time." - -... "Here's that horse, Harry." - -"Big man--looks like--" - -"It's Tiffany.--Good evening, Mr. Tiffany." - -"How are you, boys? Paul here?" - -"Why, no, Mr. Tiffany. He's up on 'mile 109.'" - -"'Mile 109!'" Tiffany whistled. "What the devil! You don't mean that -those--" he paused. - -"Commodore Durfee's at Red Hills, you know," said Young Van. - -"The ---- he is!" - -"And he's sent a force to hold the west bank of the La Paz." - -By this time the chief engineer of the S. & W. had got his big frame -to the ground. He bore unmistakable evidences of long and hard riding. -Even in that dim light they could see that his face was seamed with -the marks of exhaustion. - -"Haven't got a wee bit drappie, have you?" he asked. - -"I certainly have," Young Van replied. "Come right in." - -Tiffany tossed his hat on the table, reached out for the flask and -tumbler, and tossed down a drink which would have done credit to the -hardiest Highlander of them all. "Now show me the stable," he said. -"Want to fix my horse for the night. I've half killed him." - -A quarter of an hour later the three men were back in the headquarters -tent. - -"How did you get through, Mr. Tiffany?" asked Young Van. - -"Came out on the first train to Barker Hills. Bourke's holding the -station there. He had a couple of our engines, and was working east, -but we stopped that. Peet's there now with Sheriff McGraw and a bundle -of warrants and a hundred and fifty men--more, I guess, by this time. -Just another thimbleful o' that-- Thanks! We've got Bourke blocked at -Barker Hills, all right. Before the week's out we'll have the track -opened proper for you. Mr. De Reamer's taken hold himself, you know. -He's at Sherman, with some big lawyers--and maybe he ain't mad all -through!" - -"Then Commodore Durfee hasn't got the board of directors?" - -"Not by a good deal! I doubt if even General Carrington's votes would -swing it for him now. But then, I don't know such a heap about that -part of it. I was telling you--I'll take a nip o' that. Thanks!--I was -telling you. We come along the Middle Division, running slow,--we were -afraid of obstructions on the track,--" - -"Did you find any?" - -"Did we find any?--Well I guess." He held out a pair of big hands, -palms up. "I got those splinters handling cross-ties in the dark. And -about the middle of the Barker Hills division--at the foot of Crump's -Hill,--we found some rails missing. - -"Well, sir, I left 'em there to fix it up--we had a repair car in the -train--and got my horse off and rode around south of the station. Had -some sandwiches in my pocket, but didn't get a drop of water till I -struck your first well, last night. You ain't using that now?" - -"No, we've moved up to two and three--this way." - -"There was a blamed fool tried to stop me, a mile south of Barker -Hills Station--yelled at me; and fired when I didn't answer."-- -Tiffany paused with this, and looked grimly from one to the other of -the young men. Then he drew a big revolver from his belt, opened it, -and exhibited the cylinder. One chamber was empty. They were silent -for a time. - -"You'll find Mr. Carhart's cot all ready for you, Mr. Tiffany," said -Young Van, at length. - -"All right. Can I get a breakfast at five? I'm going on to find Paul. -That's where the fun'll be--where you find Paul Carhart. I wonder if -you boys know what it means to have the opportunity to work with that -man--eh? He had us all guessing about the old Paradise. And he was -right--oh, he was right. There hasn't a rail come through since." - -Scribner and Young Van were looking at each other. "Then those rails -didn't come from Pennsylvania?" said the former. - -"He didn't tell you, eh?" Tiffany grinned. "Well, I guess it ain't a -secret now. Mr. Chambers never even grunted when I told him, but he -looked queer. And Mr. De Reamer ain't said anything yet. Why, Paul, he -see first off that we weren't ever going to get the rest o' those -rails. He see, too, that Bourke was going to cut him off if he could. -And what does he do? Why he comes down and walks off with the old -Paradise Southern--rails, ties, everything. He never even tells Peet -and me. It's up to him, he thinks, and if he makes good, nobody can -kick." Tiffany was grinning again. "Yes, sir," he continued, "Paul -Carhart just naturally confiscated the Paradise Southern, and it was -the prettiest job anybody ever see. And it's funny--he says to me, -while we were out there at Total Wreck pulling up the freight yard by -the roots, 'Tiffany,' he says, 'if you hadn't told about how you stole -those Almighty and Great Windy cars from the sheriff of Erie County, -I'd never 'a' thought of it.' Well, I'll turn in, boys; good night." - -"Good night," said Young Van. - -"Good night," said Scribner; "I'll ride on with you as far as my -division to-morrow, Mr. Tiffany. I can give you a fresh horse there." - -The chief engineer of the S. & W. disappeared between the flaps of -Carhart's tent. They could hear him throwing off his clothes and -getting into bed. Another moment and they heard him snoring. They -stood gazing off down the grade. - -"Well, what do you think of that?" said Scribner. Young Van looked at -his companion. "I think this," he replied: "I wouldn't miss this work -and this fight under Paul Carhart for five years' pay." - -Scribner nodded. "The loss of an engineer's pay, Gus, wouldn't make -much difference one way or the other," he replied, and his face -lighted up with enthusiasm. "But it's a great game!" - - * * * * * - -And so it was that something like two days after Carhart's arrival on -"mile 109," Tiffany, a little the worse for wear, but still able to -ride and eat and sleep and swear, came slowly down the slope into the -camp, where Flint was hovering midway between the present and the -hereafter. He found the chief of construction deep in a somewhat -complicated problem, and after a bite to eat he climbed up the ridge -behind the camp to the tent which Carhart was occupying. - -"Well, Paul, how goes it?" said he. - -"First-rate. How much do you know?" - -"Precious little." - -Carhart mused a moment, then pulled out from a heap of papers one on -which he had sketched a map. "Here we are," said he. "The trestle is -fifty to a hundred and fifty feet high, from ridge to ridge. Flagg has -strung out his men along the west ridge, about a mile from here, and -across the end of the trestle." - -"Yes, yes," broke in Tiffany, "I see. I've been all over this ground." - -"Well, now, you see these two knolls on the west ridge, a little back -of Flagg's position? The one to the north is a hundred and twenty feet -higher than Flagg's men; the one to the south is eighty feet higher -and only a quarter of a mile away from him. His line of retreat lies -through the hollow between the two knolls, where the track is to run. -Now if I put fifty or a hundred men on each knoll, I can command his -position, and even shut off his retreat. His choice then would lie -between moving north or south along the crest of the ridge, which is -also commanded by the two knolls, or coming down the slope toward us." - -"Flagg hasn't occupied the knolls, eh?" - -"I believe he hasn't. I've been watching them with the glasses." - -"I wonder why the Commodore put such a man in charge." - -"Oh, Flagg has some reputation as a bad man. He's the sort General -Carrington employed in the Colorado fights." - -They talked on for a time, then Carhart put up his map and they walked -out. It was evening. Across the valley, at the point where the -trestle met the rising ground, they could see lights, some of them -moving about. Tiffany walked with his hands deep in his trousers -pockets. Finally he said thoughtfully:-- - -"The more I think of it, Paul, the more I'm impressed by what -Commodore Durfee has done. He has got possession of our grade over -there--we can't deny that. We've either got to give up, or else take -the offensive and fight. And that would look rotten, now, wouldn't -it?" - -"Yes," Carhart replied, "it would. He has made a pretty play. And as a -play--as a bluff--it comes pretty near being effective." - -"D--n near!" Tiffany muttered. - -"But now suppose we take those knolls--quietly, in the night--and -close in across Flagg's rear, hold a line from knoll to knoll, what -then? Wouldn't he have to shoot first?" - -"Well, perhaps. But it would put both sides in a mean light. Oh, why -didn't John stand him off in the first place! Then he could have shot -from our property, and been right in shooting." - -They had been pacing slowly up and down. Now Carhart stopped, and sat -down on a convenient stick of timber. Tiffany followed his example. -The moon was rising behind them, and the valley and the trestle and -the rude intrenchments of timber and rock on the opposite ridge and -the knolls outlined against the sky grew more distinct. - -"Yes," Carhart said slowly, "it's a very good bluff. Commodore Durfee -knows well enough that this sort of business can never settle the real -question. But the question of who gets to Red Hills first is another -thing altogether. The spectacle of Jack Flagg and a well-armed -regiment of desperadoes in front of them, and the knowledge that the -Commodore himself had organized the regiment and sent it out, would -stop some engineers." - -Tiffany leaned forward, rested his elbows on his knees, and gazed -moodily out across the valley. He had been riding hard for four days, -with not enough food and water and scarcely any sleep. Only one night -of the four had found him on a cot--the other nights had been passed -on the ground. In the resulting physical depression his mind had taken -to dwelling on the empty chamber in his revolver--he wished he knew -more of what that leaden ball had accomplished. And now here was John -Flint shot down by a hidden enemy. It was the ugliest work he had been -engaged in for years. When he finally spoke, he could not conceal his -discouragement. - -"How about this engineer here, Paul?" he said, still looking out there -over the valley. "Will the regiment and Commodore Durfee stop you?" - -"I hope not," said Carhart. - -"You're going to fight, then--until the governor calls out the state -troops, and throws us all out, and there's hell to pay?" - -"I don't think so. I'm going to get ready to fight." - -"By putting your men on those two knolls?" - -"Yes." - -"And then what?" - -"Then I'm going to Red Hills." - -"To Red Hills!" Tiffany sat up. There was more life in his voice. - -"Yes." Carhart laughed a little. "Why not?" - -Tiffany half turned and looked earnestly into the face of this unusual -man. The spectacles threw back the moonlight and concealed the eyes -behind them. The lower part of the face was perhaps a trifle leaner -than formerly. The mouth was composed. Tiffany found no answer there -to the question in his own eyes. So he put it in words: "What are you -going to do there, Paul?" - -"See Commodore Durfee." - -"See--! Look here, do you know how mad he is? Do you think he came -clear down here from New York, and shoved his old railroad harder than -anybody but you ever shoved one before and hired the rascals that shot -John Flint,--him playing for the biggest stakes on the railroad table -to-day,--do you think he'll feel like talking to the man who's put him -to all this trouble?" - -"Well," Carhart hesitated,--"I hope he will." - -"But it's foolhardy, Paul. You won't gain anything. Just the sight of -you walking into the Frisco House office may mean gun play. If it was -Bourke, it would be different; but these Durfee men are mad. The -Commodore was never treated this way in his life before. And you're a -little nervous yourself, Paul. Be careful what you do. He'll have -lawyers around him--and he's redhot, remember that." - -"I can't quite agree with you, Tiffany. I think he'll talk to me. But -there's one thing I've got to do first, and you can help me there." - -"For God's sake, then, let me get into the game. I can't stand this -looking on--fretting myself to death." - -"I want you to take charge here for a day while I go after my -firewood. I came pretty near being held up altogether for want of it. -Bourke cut me off before Peet could get it through." - -"Where can you get it?" - -"There's a lot waiting for me off north of here." - -Tiffany grunted. "North of here, eh?" - -Carhart nodded. - -"And you have to work so delicate getting it that you can't trust -anybody else to do it?" - -Carhart smiled. "Better not ask me, Tiffany. I can't talk to Commodore -Durfee until I've got all the cards in my hand, and this is the last -one. As to going myself, it happens to be the sort of thing I won't -ask anybody to do for me, that's all." - -"That's how you like it," said Tiffany, gruffly, rising. "Want to talk -about anything else to-night?" - -"No--I shan't be leaving before to-morrow noon. I'll see you in the -morning." While he spoke, he was watching Tiffany, and he was amused -to see that the veteran had recovered his equilibrium and was angry -with himself. - -"When will you want to begin your military monkey-shines?" - -Carhart drove back a smile, and got up. "Not until I get back here -with the wood," he replied. "Good night." - -Tiffany merely grunted, and marched off to the cot which had been -assigned him. - -At noon of the following day Carhart was ready to lead his expedition -northward. It was made up of all Flint's wagons, with two men on the -seat and two rifles under the seat of each. And scattered along on -both sides of the train were men picked from Flint's bridge-builders -and from Old Van's and Scribner's iron and tie squads. These men were -mounted on fresh ponies, and they carried big holsters on their -saddles and stubby, second-hand army carbines behind them. Dimond was -there, too, and the long-nosed instrument man. The two or three -besides the chief who knew what was soon to be doing kept their own -counsel. The others knew nothing, but there was a sort of tingling -electricity in the air which had got into every man of the lot. This -much they knew; Mr. Carhart was very quiet and considerate and -businesslike, but he had a streak of blue in him. And it is the streak -of blue in your quiet, considerate leader which makes him a leader -indeed in the eyes and hearts of those who are to follow him. Not that -there were any heroics in evidence, rather a certain grim quiet, from -one end of the wagon train to the other, which meant business. Carhart -took it all in, as he cantered out toward the head of the line, -dropping a nod here and there, and waving Byers, who was leaning on -his pony's rump and looking impatiently back, to start off. He had -picked his men with care--he knew that he could trust them. And so, on -reaching the leading wagon and pulling to a walk, he settled himself -comfortably in his saddle and began to plan the conversation with -Commodore Durfee which was to come next and which was to mean -everything or nothing to Paul Carhart. - -Once Byers, not observing his abstraction, spoke, "That was hard luck, -Mr. Carhart, getting cut off from Sherman this way." - -"Think so?" the chief replied, and fell back into his study. - -Byers looked puzzled, but he offered nothing further. Carhart was for -a moment diverted along the line suggested by him of the long nose. -"Hard luck, eh?" he was thinking. "It's the first time in my life I -was ever let alone. I only hope they won't clean Bourke out and repair -the wires before I get through." - - * * * * * - -The white spot on Bourke's long blueprint of the High, Dry, and -Wobbly, to which was attached the name of "Durfee," might have seemed, -to the unknowing, a town or settlement. It was not. It was a station -in the form of an unpainted shed, a few huts, and a water tank. -Besides these, there were heaps of rails and ties and bridge timbers -and all the many materials used in building a railroad. "The end of -the track," or rather "Mr. Bourke's camp," which marked the beginning -of the end, lay some dozen miles farther west. Out there, men swarmed -by the hundred, for work had by no means been discontinued on the H. -D. & W. But here at "Durfee" there were only an operator, a train crew -or so, a few section men, and a night watchman. And on that late -evening when a train of wagons rolled along on well-greased wheels -beside the track and stopped at the long piles of firewood which were -stored there within easy reach of passing locomotives, all these -worthy persons were asleep. - -What few words passed among the invaders were low and guarded. -Everything seemed to be understood. Of the two men on each wagon, one -dropped his reins and stood up in the wagon-box, the other leaped to -the ground and rapidly passed up armfuls of wood. Of the horsemen, -three out of every four dismounted and ran off in a wide circle and -took shelter in shadowed spots behind lumber piles, or dropped -silently to the ground and lay there watching. Out on the track a -deep-chested, hard-faced man, who might perhaps have answered to the -name of "Dimond," took up a post of observation. On that side of the -circle nearest the station and the huts, two men who had the manner of -some authority moved cautiously about. Both wore spectacles and one -had a long nose. Through the still air came the champing of bits and -the pawing and snorting of horses. The man with the spectacles and the -less striking nose seemed to dislike these noises. He drew out a watch -now and then, and held it up in the moonlight. The work was going on -rapidly, yet how slowly! Once somebody dropped an armful of wood, and -every man started at the sound. - -The watchman upon whom devolved the responsibility of seeing that no -prowling strangers walked off by night with the town of "Durfee" was -meanwhile dreaming troublous dreams. From pastoral serenity these -night enjoyments of his had passed through various disquieting stages -into positive discord. They finally awoke him, and even assumed an -air of waking reality. The queer, faint sounds which were floating -through the night suggested the painful thought that somebody _was_ -walking off with the town of "Durfee." He would investigate. - -Slowly tiptoeing down an alleyway between two long heaps of material, -the watchman settled his fingers around his heavy stick. Then he -paused. The sounds were very queer indeed. He decided to drop his -stick and draw his revolver. But this action, which he immediately -undertook, was interrupted by a pair of strong arms which gripped him -from behind. And a pair of hands at the end of two other strong arms -abruptly stuffed a handkerchief into his mouth and held it in place by -means of another which was tied at the back of his neck. - -"Bring him along, boys," said a low voice. - -"All right, Mr. Carhart," replied the owner of the first-mentioned -arms,--and then could have bitten his tongue out, for the speaking -eyes of the incapacitated watchman were fixed on the half-shadowed, -spectacled face before him. - -Ten minutes more and the wagon train, now heavily laden, was starting -off. The horsemen lingered until it was fairly under way, then ran -back to their mounts, and hovered in a crowd about the last dozen -wagons until all danger of an attack was past. And later on, when they -were something more than halfway back to Mr. Flint's camp, they -released the night watchman, and started him back on foot for -"Durfee," and hurled pleasantries after him for as long as he was -within earshot. - - * * * * * - -It was necessary to drop another day before occupying the knolls, and -Carhart spent most of it in sleep. He was not a man of iron, and the -exertions of the week had been of an exhausting nature. But Tiffany, -who had slept the sleep of the righteous throughout the night of the -raiding expedition, took hold of the preparations with skill and -energy. And after supper he and Carhart stood together on the high -ground at the eastern end of the trestle and talked it over. - -"Young Haddon seems to be a pretty good man to command one knoll," -said Tiffany, "but how about the other?" - -"Byers could do it, possibly, but not so well as Dimond. The men like -him, and while he's a little rough-handed, he's level-headed and -experienced. I'll take Byers to Red Hills with me. We can start out at -nine, say. Each party will have to make a wide circuit around the -hills and cross the stream a mile or two from here. It will be two or -three hours before we get around to the knolls." - -"Would you use boats to ferry the boys over?" - -"No. They saw too much of the start of my wagons yesterday. They would -make out any movement on the river. You take the down party, Tiffany, -with Haddon; I'll go up with Dimond. Then you can leave Haddon in -charge when you have him placed, and move about where you please." - -Not a man of either party knew where he was to go, but as was the case -at the beginning of the movement on "Durfee," voices were subdued and -nerves were strung up. As soon as it was dark, men carrying -rifles and with light rations stuffed into all available -pockets--little men, middle-sized men, and big men, but all active and -well-muscled--appeared here and there by ones and twos and threes, -dodged out of the camp, and slipped through the hollow behind the -trestle-end. There was little champing and pawing of horses to-night, -for Carhart and Byers were the only ones to ride. The men lay or sat -on the rocks and on the ground there behind the brow of the ridge, and -talked soberly. Before long an inquisitive bridgeman counted a hundred -and twenty of them, and still they were coming silently through the -hollow. After a time Dimond appeared, then Haddon and Byers walking -together, and, after a long wait, Tiffany and Carhart themselves. -Then the five leaders grouped for a consultation. Those near by could -see that Carhart was laying down the code that was to govern their -conduct for a day or two. Something was said before the group broke up -which drew an affirmative oath from Tiffany and started Haddon and -Dimond examining their weapons, and stirred Byers to an excited -question. Then Tiffany drew off a rod or so with Haddon at his heels, -saying, "My boys, this way." And as the word passed along man after -man, to more than a hundred, sprang up and fell in behind him. Carhart -beckoned to those who were left, fully an equal number of them, and -these gathered together behind their chief. - -"Good night, Tiffany," said Carhart, then. - -But Tiffany's gruffness suddenly gave way. With a "wait a minute, -boys," he came striding over and took Carhart's hand in a rough grip. -"Good luck, Paul," he said something huskily. And then he cleared his -throat. "Good luck!" he said again, and went back to his men. And the -two parties moved off over the broken ground and the rocks, Carhart -and Byers leading their horses. - -Carhart led his men nearly two miles north, then forded the stream at -a point where it ran wide and shallow. He climbed the west ridge, and -turned south along the farther slope. After twenty minutes of -advancing cautiously he sent Dimond to follow the crest of the ridge -and keep their bearings. Another twenty minutes and Dimond came down -the slope and motioned them to stop. - -"Is this the knoll ahead here?" asked the chief. - -Dimond nodded. - -"Quietly, then. Byers, you wait here with the horses." - -The same individual spirit which makes our little American army what -it is, was in these workingmen. Every one understood perfectly that he -must get to the top of that knoll as silently as the thing could be -done, and acted accordingly. Orders were not needed. There were -slopes of shelving rock to be ascended, there were bits of real -climbing to be managed. But the distance was not very great, and it -took but a quarter of an hour or so. Then they found themselves on the -summit, and made themselves comfortable among the rocks, spreading out -so that they could command every approach. Carhart took Dimond to the -top of the southeasterly slope and pointed out to him the knoll -opposite, the hollow between, the camp a third of a mile away of Flagg -and his cheerful crew, the trestle, the river, and their own dim camp -on the farther slope. He repeated his instructions for the last time. -"Lie quiet until noon of the day after to-morrow--not a sound, -understand; not so much as the top of a hat to show. It will be a hard -pull, but you've got to do it." - -"Yes, sir." - -"At that time, if you hear nothing further from me, take your men down -there along the slope, give Flagg one chance to withdraw, and if he -refuses, close in across the hollow behind the rocks. Mr. Haddon will -do the same. After that if they try to rush you, shoot. The men from -camp will be working out across the trestle and up the hill at the -same time.--Here it is, written down. Put it in your pocket. And mind, -not a shot, not so much as a stone thrown, before noon of day after -to-morrow, excepting in self-defence. Understand?" - -"Yes, sir." - -"Now come down the slope here, on the other side--where we can't be -seen from Flagg's camp. You have your lantern?" - -"Here." - -"Light it, and flash it once." - -Dimond obeyed. Both men peered across the hollow, but no response came -from the other knoll. - -"Flash it again." - -This time there came an answering flash. Carhart nodded, then took the -lantern from Dimond, extinguished it, and handed it back. "Don't light -this again for any purpose," he said. "Now see that you do exactly as -I have told you. Keep your men in hand." - -"All right, sir." - -"Good night, then." - -Carhart groped his way along the hillside, slowly descending. After a -time he whistled softly. - -"Here--this way!" came in Byers's voice. - -They had to lead their horses nearly a mile over the plateau before -they found the beaten track to Red Hills. Byers was jubilant. He was a -young man who had dreamed for years of this moment. He had known not -what form it would take, but that he should at some time be riding, -booted and spurred, with a weight of responsibility on his shoulders, -a fine atmosphere of daring about him, and the feeling within of a -king's messenger, this he had always known. And now here he was! And -buoyant as an April day, the blood dancing in his veins, sitting his -horse with the ease of an Indian, Byers called over to his chief: -"Fine night this, Mr. Carhart!" - -They were riding side by side. At his remark the chief seemed -unconsciously to be pulling in. He fell behind. Byers, wondering a -little, slowed down and looked around. Apparently his remark had not -been heard. He called again: "Fine night, Mr. Carhart!" ... And then, -in the moonlight, he caught a full view of the face of his leader. It -was not the face he was accustomed to see about headquarters; he found -in it no suggestion of the resourceful, energetic chief on whom he had -come to rely as older men rely on blind forces. This was the face of a -nervous, dispirited man of the name of Carhart, a man riding a small -horse, who, after accomplishing relentlessly all that man could -accomplish, had reached the point where he could do nothing further, -where he must lay down his hand and accept the inevitable, whether for -better or for worse. Byers could not, perhaps, understand what this -endless night meant to Paul Carhart, but the sight of that face -sobered him. And it was a very grave young man who turned in his -saddle and peered out ahead and let his eyes rove along the dreary, -moonlit trail. - -A moment later he started a little, and hardly conscious of what he -was doing, turned his head partly around and listened. - -"Oh, my God," Carhart was saying, as if he did not hear his own voice, -"what a night!" - - * * * * * - -They pulled up before the Frisco Hotel at Red Hills. The time had come -to throw the cards face up on the table. - -"See to the animals yourself, will you, Byers?" said Carhart. He -dismounted, patted the quivering shoulder of his little horse, and -then handed the reins to his companion. "I don't want to wear out -Arizona too." - -Byers nodded, and Carhart walked up to the hotel steps. His eyes swept -the veranda, and finally rested on two men who were talking together -earnestly, and almost, it might seem, angrily, at one end. He had -never seen either before; but one, the nearer, with the florid -countenance and the side whiskers, he knew at once for Commodore -Durfee. He paused on the steps, and tried to make out the other--a -big, fat man with the trimmed, gray chin-beard, the hard mouth, and -the shaven upper lip which we associate with pioneering days. It -was--no--yes, it was--it _must_ be--General Carrington. - -Carhart had intended to take a room and make himself presentable. He -changed his mind. Hot and dusty as he was, dressed almost like a -cowboy, he walked rapidly down the piazza. - -"Mr. Durfee?" - -The magnate turned slowly and looked up. - -"Well?" he inquired. - -Carhart found his card-case and drew out one slip of cardboard. Mr. -Durfee took it, read it, turned it over, read it again, hesitated, -then handed it to the General, saying, in a voice the intent of which -could hardly be misread, "What do you think of that?" - -General Carrington read the name with some interest, and looked up. -He said nothing, however; merely returned the card. - -"You want to talk to me?" asked Durfee. - -"If you please." - -"Well--talk ahead." - -Carhart glanced at General Carrington. He knew that the opportunity to -have it out with Durfee in the presence of the biggest man of them -all, the man who was the _x_ in this very equation with which he was -struggling, was a very great opportunity. Just why, he could hardly -have said; and he had no time to figure it out in detail. So he leaped -without looking. He drew up another of the worn porch chairs and made -himself comfortable. - -"A rascal named Jack Flagg," he said, speaking with cool deliberation, -"with a hundred or two hundred armed men, has thrown up what I suppose -he would call intrenchments across our right of way at the La Paz -River. Another party has attacked our line back at Barker Hills. This -second party is commanded by Mr. Bourke, who is in charge of the -construction work on your H. D. & W. I care nothing about Bourke, -because Mr. De Reamer, who is at Sherman, is amply able to dispose of -him. I have come here to ask you if you will consider ordering Flagg -to get out of our way at the La Paz." - -He settled back in his chair, looking steadily into the florid -countenance of the redoubtable Commodore Durfee. The two railway -presidents were looking, in turn, at him, but with something of a -difference between their expressions. Whether the General was amused -or merely interested it would have been difficult for any but one who -was accustomed to his manner to say. But there could be little doubt -that the worldly experience of the Commodore was barely equal to the -task of keeping down his astonishment and anger. - -"This has nothing to do with me," he replied shortly. "I know nothing -of this Flagg." - -Carhart leaned a little forward. His eyes never left Durfee's face. -"Then," he said, in that same measured voice, "if you know nothing of -this Flagg, you don't care what happens to him." - -"Certainly not," replied the Commodore,--a little too shortly, this -time, for he added, "I guess two hundred armed men behind -intrenchments can take care of themselves." - -Carhart settled back again, and the shadow of a smile crossed his -face. Both men were watching him, but he said nothing. And then -General Carrington unexpectedly took a hand. "See here," he said with -the air of a man who sweeps all obstructions out of his way, "what did -you come here for? What do you want?" - -Carhart's answer was deliberate, and was uttered with studied force. -"I have ridden thirty miles to talk with Mr. Durfee and he sees fit to -treat me like a d--n fool. I came here to see if we couldn't avoid -bloodshed. Evidently we can't." - -"What do you mean by that?" asked Carrington. - -Instead of replying, Carhart, after a moment's thought, turned -inquiringly to Durfee. - -"Out with it," cried that gentleman. "What do you want?" - -"I want you to call off Jack Flagg." - -"Evidently you _are_ a d--n fool," said Durfee. - -But Carrington saw deeper. "You've got something up your sleeve, Mr. -Carhart," he said. "What is it?" - -Again Carhart turned to Durfee. And Durfee said, "What is it?" - -"It's this." Carhart drew from a pocket his sketch-map of the region -about the trestle. "Here is Flagg--along this ridge, at the foot of -these two knolls. His line lies, you see, across our right of way. Of -course, everybody knows that he was sent there for a huge bluff, -everybody thinks that I wouldn't dare make real war of it. Flagg -opened up the ball by shooting Flint, my engineer in charge at the La -Paz. The shooting was done at night, when Flint was out in the valley -looking things over, unarmed and alone." - -"What Flint is that?" asked Carrington, sharply. - -"John B." - -"Hurt him much?" - -"There is a chance that he will live." - -Carrington pursed his lips. - -"We foresaw Bourke's move," Carhart pursued, "some time ago. And as it -was plain that the mills in Pennsylvania--" he smiled a little here, -straight into Durfee's eyes--"and the Queen and Cumberland Railroad -were planning to find it impossible to deliver our materials, we took -up the rails and ties of the Paradise Southern and brought them out to -the end of the track. In fact, we have our materials and supplies so -well in hand that even if Bourke could hold Barker Hills, we are in a -position to work right ahead. Track-laying is going on this minute. -But we can't cross the La Paz if Flagg doesn't move." - -"No, I suppose not," said Durfee. - -"So it is necessary to make him move." - -"It is, eh?" - -"Yes, and--" Carhart's eyes were firing up; his right fist was resting -in the palm of his left hand--"and we're going to do it, unless you -should think it worth while to forestall us. Possibly you thought I -would send a force back to Barker Hills. But I didn't--I brought it up -this way instead. I have three times as many men as your Mr. Flagg -has, and a third of them are on the knolls behind Flagg." - -"And the fighting comes next, eh?" said Carrington. - -"Either Mr. Durfee will call Flagg off at once, or there will be a -battle of the La Paz. I think you see what I am getting at, Mr. -Durfee. Whatever the courts may decide, however the real balance of -control lies now, is something that doesn't concern me at all. That -issue lies between you and my employer, Mr. De Reamer. But since you -have chosen to attack at a point where I am in authority, I shan't -hesitate to strike back. It isn't for me to say which side would -profit by making it necessary for the governor and his militia to take -hold, but I will say that if the governor does seize the road, he -will find Mr. De Reamer in possession from Sherman to Red Hills. I am -prepared to lose a hundred--two hundred--men in making that good. I -have left orders for the shooting to begin at noon to-morrow. If you -choose to give any orders, the news must reach Mr. Tiffany by that -time. I shall start back at midnight, as my horse is tired, and I wish -to allow plenty of time. You can find me here, then, at any time up to -twelve o'clock to-night." He rose. "That, Mr. Durfee, is what I came -here to say." - -"Wait a minute, Mr. Carhart," said General Carrington. "Did I -understand you to say that you have enough materials on the ground to -finish the line?" - -"Practically. Certainly enough for the present." - -"That's interesting. Even to firewood, I suppose." - -Carhart bowed slightly. "Even to firewood," he replied,--and walked -away. - -Byers was asleep in a chair, tipped back against the office wall. -Carhart woke him, and engaged a room, where, after eating the meal -which Byers had ordered, they could sleep all day. - -That evening, as Carhart and Byers were walking around from the -stable, they found General Carrington standing on the piazza. - -"Oh, Mr. Carhart!" said he. - -"Good evening, sir," said Carhart. - -The General produced a letter. "Would you be willing to get this -through to Flagg?" - -"Certainly." - -"Rather nice evening." - -"Very." - -"Suppose we sample their liquid here--I'm sorry I can't say much for -it. What will you gentlemen have?" - - * * * * * - -It was ten o'clock in the morning. Carhart, Byers, Dimond, and Tiffany -stood on the north knoll. - -"I'll take it down," said Byers, his eyes glowing through his -spectacles on either side of his long nose. - -"Go ahead," said Carhart. "And good luck to you!" - -The instrument man took the message and started down the hill. Halfway -there was a puff of smoke from Flagg's camp, and he fell. It was so -peaceful there on the hillside, so quiet and so bright with sunshine, -the men could hardly believe their eyes. Then they roused. One lost -his head and fired. But Dimond, his eyes blazing, swearing under his -breath, handed his rifle to Carhart and went running and leaping down -the hillside. When he reached the fallen man, he bent over him and -took the letter from his hand and, standing erect, waved it. Still -holding it above his head, he went on down the hill and disappeared -among the rocks that surrounded the camp. - - * * * * * - -Late that afternoon Flagg's men straggled out through the hollow, -bound for Red Hills. And every large rock on either hillside concealed -a man and a rifle. Here and there certain rocks failed in their duty, -and Flagg's men caught glimpses of blue-steel muzzles. So they did -not linger. - - * * * * * - -For a number of reasons, after an attempt to communicate by wire with -a little New Hampshire town, and after an unavailing search for -representatives of the clergy at La Paz and at Red Hills, it was -decided to bury the instrument man where he had fallen. "Near the -track," Young Van suggested. "He would like it that way, I think." - -At six in the morning a long procession filed out of the camp. At the -head went the rude coffin on the shoulders of six surveyors and -foremen. Paul Carhart and Tiffany followed, the chief with a prayer -book in his hand; and after them came the men. The grave was ready. -The laborers and the skilled workmen stood shoulder to shoulder in a -wide circle, baring their heads to the sun. Carhart opened the book -and slowly turned the pages in a quiet so intense that the rustle of -the leaves could be heard by every man there. For the ungoverned -emotions of these broken outcasts were now swayed to thoughts of death -and of what may come after. - -"I am the resurrection and the life ..." Carhart read the immortal -words splendidly, in his even, finely modulated voice. "... I know -that my Redeemer liveth.... Yet in my flesh shall I see God.... We -brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing -out.... For man walketh in a vain shadow, and disquieteth himself in -vain; he heapeth up riches, and cannot tell who shall gather them." - -Gus Vandervelt raised his eyes involuntarily and glanced from one to -another of the lustful, weak, wicked faces that made up the greater -part of the circle. - -"It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption; it is sown in -dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised -in power." - -Could it be that these wretches were to be raised in incorruption? Was -there something hidden behind each of these animal faces, something -deeper than the motives which lead such men to work with their hands -only that they may eat and drink and die? - -"... for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised -incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For ... this mortal must put -on immortality." - -At the conclusion of the service Young Van, deeply moved, looked about -for his brother. But it seemed that the same impulse had come to them -both, for he heard a gruff, familiar voice behind him:-- - -"Look here, Gus, don't you think you've been sort of a d--n fool about -this business?" - -The young fellow wheeled around with a glad look in his eyes. He saw -that his brother was scowling, was not even extending his hand, and -yet he knew how much those rough words meant. "Yes," he replied -frankly, "I think I have." - -Old Van nodded, and they walked back to breakfast, side by side. Only -once was the silence broken, when Gus said, with some slight -hesitation: "What are you going to do next?--Coming back to Sherman -with us?" - -And Old Van turned his face away and looked off down the river and -walked along for a few moments without replying. Then, "No," he -finally got out, "guess I'll take a little vacation." He paused, still -looking away, and they strode on down the slope. "Going over into -Arizona with an outfit," he added huskily. - - - - -CHAPTER X - -WHAT TOOK PLACE AT RED HILLS - - -The last spike in the western extension of the Sherman and Western was -driven by no less a personage than President De Reamer himself. In the -circle of well-dressed men about him stood General Carrington and a -score of department heads of the two lines. The thirty miles of track -between the La Paz and Red Hills was laid, without unusual incident, -in twenty days--a brilliant finish to what had been a record-breaking -performance. - -There was to be a dinner at the Frisco Hotel. Everybody knew now that -General Carrington had promised to be there and to speak a felicitous -word or two welcoming the new C. & S. C. connection. After the -spike-driving, Mr. De Reamer, a thin, saturnine figure, could be seen -moving about through the little crowd. Once, it was observed, he and -General Carrington drew aside and talked in low, earnest tones. The -reporters were there, of course, and to these the president was -urbane. They had gathered at first about the General, but he had waved -them off with a smiling "Talk with my friend De Reamer there. He -deserves whatever credit there may be in this thing." And next these -keen-eyed, beardless men of the press bore down in a little group on -Carhart, Tiffany, and Young Van, who were standing apart. Tiffany was -the first to see them approaching. - -"Not a word, boys," he said in a low voice. - -"Why not?" asked Young Van. "I don't know of anybody who deserves more -credit than you two." - -"Not a word," Tiffany repeated. "It would cost me my job. Mr. De -Reamer's crazy mad now because so much has been said about Paul here. -I don't care to get into it,--just excuse me." - -The reporters were upon them. "Is that Mr. Tiffany?" asked one, -indicating the retreating figure. - -Carhart nodded. - -"Is it true, Mr. Carhart," asked another, "that he came out and fought -under you at the La Paz?" - -Carhart smiled. President De Reamer was passing with Mr. Chambers and -had paused only a few feet away. "There wasn't any fighting at the La -Paz," he replied. - -"There is a grave there," the questioner persisted. - -"How do you know?" - -"I rode out and saw it." - -"Then you should have ridden back the length of the line and you would -have found a few other graves." The chief sobered. "You can't keep a -thousand to two thousand men at work in the desert for months without -losing a few of them. I'm sorry that this is so, but it is." - -"Mr. Carhart," came another abrupt question, this time from the -keenest-appearing reporter of them all, "What did you say to General -Carrington and Commodore Durfee when you saw them at the Frisco?" - -Young Van looked at his chief and saw that the faintest of twinkles -was in his eyes. He glanced over his shoulder and made out that De -Reamer had paused in his conversation with Mr. Chambers, and was -listening to catch Carhart's reply. For himself, Young Van was blazing -with anger that this man, who had in his eyes fairly dragged De Reamer -through to a successful termination of the fight, should be robbed of -what seemed to him the real reward. He had still something to learn of -the way of the world, and everything to learn of the way of Wall -Street. Then he heard Carhart replying:-- - -"You must ask Mr. De Reamer about that. He directs the policy of the -Sherman and Western." - -And at this the president of the melancholy visage, and with him his -vice-president, passed on out of earshot. - -"Mr. Carhart,"--the reporters were still at it,--"one of your -assistants, J. B. Flint, was carried on a cot the other day to the C. -& S. C. station and put on a train. What was the matter with him?" - -Carhart hesitated. Personally he cared not at all whether the facts -were or were not given to the public. He felt little pleasure in lying -about them. Engineers as a class do not lie very well. But he was -doing the work of the Sherman and Western, and the Sherman and -Western, for a mixture of reasons, wished the facts covered. And then, -somewhat to his relief, the youngest reporter in the group blundered -out the question which let him off with half a lie. - -"Is it true, Mr. Carhart," asked this reporter, "that Mr. Flint has -been really an invalid for years?" - -"Yes," Carhart replied cheerfully, "it is true." - -The party seemed to be breaking up. Tiffany caught Young Van's eye, -and beckoned. "Come on!" he called--"the Dinner!" - -"They are starting, Mr. Carhart," said Young Van. - -"Are they? All right.--That's all, boys. You can say, with perfect -truth, that the Sherman and Western has been completed to Red Hills." - -"And that the H. D. & W. hasn't," cried the youngest reporter. - -Carhart laughed. "The H. D. & W. will have to do its own talking," he -replied. - -"But they aren't doing any." - -"Can't help that," said Carhart. "No more--no more!" And with Young -Van he walked off toward the Frisco. - - * * * * * - -After the dinner the party broke up. Flint and Haddon went West with -the Chicago and Southern California officials. The others, who were to -start eastward in the late evening, rode off for a shoot on the -plains. And it fell out that Carhart and Young Van, who had, from -different motives, declined the ride, were left together at the -hotel. - -"What are you going to do now, Gus?" asked the chief. - -Young Van hesitated, then gave way to a nervous smile. Carhart glanced -keenly at him, and observed that he had lost color and that the pupils -of his eyes were dilated. Now that the strain was over he was himself -conscious of a severe physical let-down, and he was not surprised to -learn that his assistant was completely unstrung. - -Neither was he surprised to hear this hesitating yet perfectly honest -reply: "I've been thinking I'd start at the first saloon and drink to -the other end of town. Want to come along?" - -"No," Carhart replied, "I don't believe I will, thanks. I meant to ask -what work you plan to take up next?" - -"Nothing at all." - -"Nothing!--why so?" - -"That is easy to answer." Young Van laughed bitterly. "I have no -offers." - -"I'm surprised at that." - -"You don't really mean that, Mr. Carhart?" - -"Certainly I do." - -"Well, it's more than I can say. If a man came along and offered me a -good position, I should feel that I ought to decline it." - -"Why?" Carhart was genuinely interested. - -"Why?" Young Van rose and stood looking gloomily down at his chief. -"That's a funny question for you to ask. You've been watching my work -for these months, and you've seen me developing new limitations in -every possible direction. All together, I've discovered about the -choicest crop any man ever opened up. When I started out, I thought I -might some day become an engineer. But if this job has taught me -anything, it has taught me that I'm the emptiest ass that ever tried -to lay two rails, end to end, in a reasonably straight line." The -tremulous quality of his voice told Carhart how deeply the boy had -taken his duties to heart. - -"I've been thinking to-day that the best thing I can do will be to -rent a few acres somewhere out on Long Island and set up to raise -chickens for the New York market: broilers, and maybe squabs--they say -there is money in squabs. I'd probably find I couldn't even do that, -but it would be exciting for a while." - -"Let's get out and tramp around a little, Gus," was Carhart's reply. -"That will do you as much good as a drunk." - -Young Van flushed at this, but followed the chief out to the long -street along which straggled the buildings that made up the -settlement. These buildings were mostly saloons, each with its harvest -of plainsmen, cowboys, laborers, and outcasts standing, sitting, or -sprawling before the door. The day was hot with the dry heat of -September, from which even the memory of moisture had long ago been -sucked out. The dust rose at every step and settled on skin and -clothing. Now and then a lounging figure rose and moved languidly in -through a saloon door. Almost the only other movement to be seen was -the heat vibration in the atmosphere. The only sound, beyond a -drawled remark now and then, and the clink of glasses, was the tinkle -of a crazy piano down the street. But the bronzed, sinewy engineers, -who had for months known no other atmosphere, stepped off in a -swinging stride, and soon were past the end of the street and out in -the open. Carhart himself was not above a sense of elation, and he -fell into reminiscence. - -"There is only one thing I have regretted, Gus," he said. "If I could -have got hold of a big Italian I know of, with about a hundred of his -men, this dinner would have taken place some days ago." - -"I didn't suppose that the work could have gone much faster," replied -the younger man, moodily. - -"Yes, we might have saved that much time easily in the cuts." - -"Working by hand?" - -"Yes. My experience with this chap was up in New Jersey. The firm I -was working for at the time was developing a big ice business up in -the lakes in the northern part of the state. It was necessary to lay -a few short lines of track to connect the different ice-houses -with the main line, and I was given charge of it. I got my -laborers--several hundred of them--from an Italian padrone in New York -City. Neither myself nor my assistants spoke their language, of -course, and, as it turned out, we didn't think in their language -either, for after two or three days they all walked out--to a man. I -could do nothing with them. So I rang up the padrone and told him he -would have to furnish a better lot than that. 'But,' said he, 'I can't -let you have any more men.' I asked him why not. 'Because you don't -know how to handle them.' That was a surprising sort of an answer, but -I needed the laborers and I kept at him. Finally he said, 'I'll tell -you what I will do. I will send you the men, but you must let me send -a foreman with them, and you must agree to give all your instructions -through that foreman.' 'All right,' I replied, 'send them along. If -they do the work, I won't bother them.' - -"The next day, when I was at the office in Newark, one of my -assistants called me up and told me it would be worth my while to come -right out on the work. When I reached there, he met me and took me -down the track to a deep cut where the force was at work. The laborers -were placed just as I have placed our men lately, packed close -together on terraces; and after I had watched for a moment it dawned -on me that I had never seen Italians work so fast as those were -working. 'How did you do it?' I asked. The assistant grinned, and -advised me to watch the man at the top, and then I saw that a giant of -an Italian was standing on the hill above the top terrace, where he -could look down at the rows of laborers. He wore a long ulster, and -kept his hands in his pockets. - -"Pretty soon a laborer down on the lowest terrace rested his pick -against his knees and stood up to stretch. 'Watch now!' whispered my -assistant. I looked up at the big man just in time to see him draw a -stone out of his pocket--no pebble, mind you, but a jagged piece of -road ballast--and throw it right at that laborer's head. The fellow -simply dodged it, seized his pick, and went to work harder than ever; -and not another man stopped, even long enough to draw a good breath -during the twenty minutes I stood there. Then the whistle blew, and as -I was curious to see what would happen I waited." - -"What did happen?" asked Young Van. - -"Nothing whatever, except that the laborers crowded around this -foreman and seemed proud to get a word from him." - -"But I don't understand. What gave him such a hold over them?" - -"I don't understand it myself. But I know that if I strained things to -the breaking point, I could never get the work out of any laborers -that he got out of those Italians. With him, and them, we might have -saved a good many days in this work." - -"We might have tried the plan ourselves," said the young man, with a -chuckle. "Only I fancy a little something would have happened if we -had tried it." - -Young Van's dangerous mood had passed. Carhart abruptly changed the -subject. "How would you like to go up into Canada with me, Gus?" he -said. - -"With you? There isn't much doubt what to answer to that." - -"There will be some interesting things about the work--and time enough -to do them well, the way it looks now. I can't promise you any -remarkable inducements, but you will get a little more than you have -been paid here--I won't say more than you have earned here, for you -have not been paid what you are worth." - -A moment passed before these words could get into the consciousness of -the young man. Then--they were just entering the village on their -return--he stopped short and looked into Paul Carhart's face. "Do you -mean that you really want me?" he asked. - -Carhart tried not to smile as he said: "The choice of assistants is -in my hands, Gus, and I should find it difficult to justify myself for -taking an assistant whom I did not want--and especially for an -undertaking that is likely to last several years." - -Young Van was standing stock-still. "'Several years,'" he repeated. -Then, "This seems to amount pretty nearly to a permanent offer?" - -"Pretty nearly," said Carhart, smiling now. - -At this they resumed their pace and entered the town. Both were -absorbed--Young Van in his astonishment that he had found favor in the -eyes of his chief, Carhart in his amusement over the utter navet of -the boy; and neither had an eye for the groups of desperate characters -that lined the street, least of all for the particular group before -the "Acme Hotel, J. Peters, Prop." - -It could not be supposed that the coming of fifteen hundred men to Red -Hills, their pockets lined with the earnings of those last -irresistible weeks, should pass without a great effort on the part of -the local population to empty these pockets promptly and thoroughly. -If the two engineers had looked about more sharply in the course of -their walk, they would have seen more than one familiar face. It was, -indeed, a day to be remembered in Red Hills; there had been no such -wholesale contribution to local needs since the first ramshackle frame -building rose from the dust. Bartenders were busy; and deft-fingered, -impassive gentlemen from Chicago, and New Orleans, and Denver, and San -Francisco were hard at work behind green tables. All was quiet so far. -The laborers were so skilfully distributed that no green table was -without its professional gambler; and sweltering in the heat, gulping -down the ever ready fluids, they went gayly, gloomily, angrily, -defiantly on, thumbing the dirty cards and relinquishing their -earnings. All was still quiet, for the business of the day was carried -on in back rooms and on upper floors. The uproar would not begin for a -few hours yet, and would hardly reach its full strength before dark. - -Among those to whom music and feminine charms, such as they were, -outweighed the delights of the green table was Charlie the cook. He -sat at an open window, upstairs, where he could look down at the -sleepy street and at the front of the Acme Hotel, opposite. At first -he had been content to make out what he could of the scene through the -cheesecloth sash curtains, but, under the mellowing influence of a -rapid succession of bottles, he had drawn the curtains, and now sat -with his knees against the sill, smiling down in a ruddy, benevolent -fashion on everybody and everything below. The parlor at his back was -filled with workmen and their companions. He had seen the engineers -walk down the street, and had smiled in genial fashion, though aware -that they had not observed him. Now he saw them returning, and he was -ready, undaunted, to greet them again. - -Then something happened. The door leading to the bar of the Acme -Hotel suddenly opened, and a hulking figure of a man appeared on the -broad step. He was half drunk, and he carried a revolver in his hand. -Behind him, crowding out to see the fun, came a dozen men. Charlie saw -this, and, without in the slightest relaxing his genial smile, he drew -out one of his own revolvers and held it carelessly before him with -the muzzle resting on the window sill. Never for an instant did he -take his good-natured, bloodshot eyes from the man across the street. - -The engineers were drawing rapidly nearer. Young Van was the first to -take in the situation, and he spoke in a low, quick voice, hardly -moving his lips:-- - -"Don't look up or start, Mr. Carhart--but Jack Flagg is standing in -front of that hotel on the left, and he looks as if he meant to shoot. -What do you think we had better do? I am not armed." - -"Neither am I," Carhart replied. "Don't pay any attention to him." - -[Illustration: "Charlie had not raised his revolver,--the muzzle still -rested easily on the sill,--but it was pointing straight at Jack -Flagg's heart."] - -That was all that was said. The two engineers swung along without a -sign of faltering. Jack Flagg slowly raised his weapon and took -deliberate aim at Paul Carhart. Still the two came on, not wholly able -to conceal their sense of the situation, but, rather, regardless of -it. On Carhart's face there was an expression of stern contempt; Young -Van was pale and his eyes were fixed straight before him. - -At this point it seemed as if the strain must break one way or the -other. The men were not ten yards apart--in another moment it would be -less than two. A little gasp of admiration came from the watching -groups. Flagg heard this, and his hand wavered, but he recovered and -took a short step forward. - -Suddenly the silence was broken by a low whistle. Flagg started, and -looked around. - -Again came the low whistle. This time Flagg looked up, and caught his -first sight of Charlie in the window, and hesitated. Charlie had not -raised his revolver,--the muzzle still rested easily on the sill,--but -it was pointing straight at Jack Flagg's heart. Flagg lowered his -weapon a little way, then looked as if he wished to raise it again, -but on second thoughts this seemed hardly wise, for Charlie was -shaking his head in gentle disapproval. Then this incident, which had -shaved close to tragedy, suddenly ran off into farce. Flagg pocketed -his revolver, muttered something that nobody understood, and -disappeared through the bar-room door; and after a long breath of -mingled relief and disappointment, somebody laughed aloud. - -As for Charlie, he turned, still playing with his revolver, and looked -about the room. "Why!" he exclaimed. "Why! Where's the ladies?" - - * * * * * - -The engineers walked steadily up the street and turned into the hotel. -Then Young Van weakened, staggered to a chair, and sat limp and white. -"I told you," he said breathlessly, "I told you I was--no good." - -Carhart, before replying, looked at his watch, and his hand shook as -he did so. "Brace up, Gus," he said. "Brace up. I start East in an -hour or so, and you are coming with me, you know." - - - * * * * * - - - THE GAME - - _A TRANSCRIPT FROM REAL LIFE_ - - By JACK LONDON - - Author of "The Call of the Wild," "The Sea-Wolf," etc. - - With Illustrations and Decorations in Colors by Henry Hutt and - T. C. Lawrence. - - Cloth 12mo $1.50 - - "The Game" resembles "The Call of the Wild" very strongly in the - unity and rapidity of its action, in its singleness of purpose, - and in its conveyed impression of power. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Road Builders - -Author: Samuel Merwin - -Illustrator: F. B. Masters - -Release Date: January 12, 2013 [EBook #41825] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ROAD BUILDERS *** - - - - -Produced by Bruce Albrecht, Matthew Wheaton and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - -</pre> - +<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 41825 ***</div> <div class="figcenter pic-narrow"> <img src="images/cover.jpg" width="382" height="600" alt="" /> @@ -7113,380 +7075,6 @@ Macedonian kingdom.”—<cite>The Watchman.</cite></p> <p class="caption">Inside Back</p> </div> - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Road Builders, by Samuel Merwin - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ROAD BUILDERS *** - -***** This file should be named 41825-h.htm or 41825-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/1/8/2/41825/ - -Produced by Bruce Albrecht, Matthew Wheaton and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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Thus, we do not necessarily -keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: - - www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - - -</pre> - +<div>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 41825 ***</div> </body> </html> diff --git a/41825.txt b/41825.txt deleted file mode 100644 index b6fd31c..0000000 --- a/41825.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6947 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Road Builders, by Samuel Merwin - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Road Builders - -Author: Samuel Merwin - -Illustrator: F. B. Masters - -Release Date: January 12, 2013 [EBook #41825] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ROAD BUILDERS *** - - - - -Produced by Bruce Albrecht, Matthew Wheaton and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - THE ROAD-BUILDERS - - [Illustration: The M M Co] - - [Illustration: "'there,' he cried, ... 'there, boys! that means - red hills or bust.'" _Frontispiece_] - - - - - The Road-Builders - - BY - - SAMUEL MERWIN - - - AUTHOR OF "THE MERRY ANNE," JOINT AUTHOR OF - "CALUMET 'K,'" "THE SHORT LINE WAR," ETC. - - WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY - F. B. MASTERS - - TORONTO - THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, LTD. - 1910 - - - COPYRIGHT, 1905, - BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY. - - Set up and electrotyped. Published October, 1905. Reprinted - April, 1906. - - Norwood Press - J. S. Cushing & Co.--Berwick & Smith Co. - Norwood, Mass., U.S.A. - - - _TO MY LITTLE SON_ - - -NOTE - - -A part of this story was printed serially in _The Saturday -Evening Post_ under the title, "A Link in the Girdle." - - - - -CONTENTS - - -CHAPTER PAGE - - I. YOUNG VAN ENGAGES A COOK 1 - II. WHERE THE MONEY CAME FROM 22 - III. AT MR. CARHART'S CAMP 37 - IV. JACK FLAGG SEES STARS 66 - V. WHAT THEY FOUND AT THE WATER-HOLE 97 - VI. THE ROAD TO TOTAL WRECK 138 - VII. THE SPIRIT OF THE JOB 185 - VIII. SHOTS--AND A SCOUTING PARTY 219 - IX. A SHOW-DOWN 246 - X. WHAT TOOK PLACE AT RED HILLS 293 - - - - - ILLUSTRATIONS - - - "'There,' he cried, ... 'there, boys! That means Red Hills - or bust'" _Frontispiece_ - - FACING PAGE - - "'It's all I have a right to give anybody'" 74 - - "'Eighty cents,' he muttered, 'and for how much work?'" 80 - - "'Well,' began the boss, looking him over, 'what kind of a - cook are you?'" 98 - - "Wonderfully they held the pace" 114 - - "They went on in this way for nearly an hour" 120 - - "'Look here, Tiffany,' Carhart began, 'something's going to - happen to this man Peet'" 142 - - "'You go back to your quarters'" 208 - - "... this trestle structure which was slowly crawling, like - some monster centipede, across the sands of the La Paz" 240 - - "The cigarette dropped from Antonio's unnerved fingers" 244 - - "Charlie had not raised his revolver,--the muzzle still - rested easily on the sill,--but it was pointing straight - at Jack Flagg's heart" 310 - - - - -THE ROAD-BUILDERS - - - - -CHAPTER I - -YOUNG VAN ENGAGES A COOK - - -The S. & W. was hoping some day to build a large station with a steel -and glass trainshed at Sherman. Indeed, a side elevation of the -structure, drawn to scale and framed in black walnut, had hung for a -number of years in the private office, away down east, of President -Daniel De Reamer. But that was to come in the day when Sherman should -be a metropolis; at present the steel of which it was to be -constructed still lay deep in the earth, unblasted, unsmelted, and -unconverted; and the long, very dirty train which, at the time this -narrative opens, was waiting to begin its westward journey, lay -exposed to the rays of what promised to be, by noon, the hottest sun -the spring had so far known. The cars were of an old, ill-ventilated -sort, and the laborers, who were packed within them like cattle in a -box-car, had shed coats and even shirts, and now sat back, and gasped -and grumbled and fanned themselves with their caps, and steadily lost -interest in life. - -Apparently there was some uncertainty back in the office of the -superintendent. A red-faced man, with a handkerchief around his neck, -ran out with an order; whereupon an engine backed in, coupled up to -the first car, and whistled impatiently. But they did not go. Half an -hour passed, and the red-faced man ran out again, and the engine -uncoupled, snorted, rang its bell, and disappeared whence it had come. - -At length two men--Peet, the superintendent, and Tiffany, chief -engineer of the railroad--walked down the platform together, and -addressed a stocky man with a close-cut gray mustache and a fixed -frown, who stood beside the rear car. - -"Peet says he can't wait any longer, Mr. Vandervelt," said Tiffany. - -"Can't help that," replied Vandervelt. - -"But you've got to help it!" cried Peet. "What are you waiting for, -anyway?" - -"If you think we're starting without Paul Carhart, you're mistaken." - -"Carhart! Who is Carhart?" - -"That's all right," Tiffany put in. "He's in charge of the -construction." - -"I don't care what he is! This train--" - -He was interrupted by a sudden uproar in the car just ahead. A number -of Italians had chosen to enliven the occasion by attacking the -Mexicans, some of whom had unavoidably been assigned to this car. - -Vandervelt left the railroad men without a word, bounded up the car -steps, and plunged through the door. The confusion continued for a -moment, then died down. Another moment, and Vandervelt reappeared on -the platform. - -Meanwhile Tiffany was talking to the superintendent. - -"You've simply got to wait, Peet," said he. "The old man says that -Carhart must have a free hand. If he's late, there's a reason for -it." - -"The old man didn't say that to me," growled Peet; but he waited. - - * * * * * - -It would perhaps be difficult to find, in the history of American -enterprise, an undertaking which demanded greater promptness in -execution than the present one; yet, absurdly enough, the cause of the -delay was a person so insignificant that, even for the purposes of -this narrative, his name hardly matters. The name happened to be, -however, Purple Finn, and he had been engaged for chief cook to the -first division. - -There was but one real hotel in the "city," which is to be known here -as Sherman, the half-dozen other places that bore the title of hotel -being rather in the nature of a side line to the saloon and gambling -industry. At this one, which was indicated by a projecting sign and -the words "Eagle, House," Carhart and his engineers were stopping. -"The Comma House," as the instrument men and stake men had promptly -dubbed it, was not very large and not very clean, and the "razor back" -hogs and their progeny had a way of sleeping in rows on and about the -low piazza. But it was, nevertheless, the best hotel in that -particular part of the Southwest. - -Finn, on the other hand, made his headquarters at one of the half -dozen, that one which was known to the submerged seven-eighths as -"Murphy's." That Finn should be an enthusiastic patron of the poor -man's club was not surprising, considering that he was an Irish -plainsman of a culinary turn, and considering, too, that he was now -winding up one of those periods between jobs, which begin in spacious -hilarity and conclude with a taste of ashes in the mouth. - -It was late afternoon. The chief was sitting in his room, before a -table which was piled high with maps, blue-prints, invoices, and -letters. All day long he had been sitting at this table, going over -the details of the work in hand. Old Vandervelt had reported that the -rails and bolts and ties and other necessaries were on the cars; -Flint and Scribner had reported for their divisions; the statements of -the various railroad officials had been examined, to make sure that no -details were overlooked, for these would, sooner or later, bob up in -the form of misunderstandings; the thousand and one things which must -be considered before the expedition should take the plunge into the -desert had apparently been disposed of. And finally, when the large -clock down in the office was announcing, with a preliminary rattle and -click, that it intended very shortly to strike the half-hour between -five and six, the chief pushed back his chair and looked up at his -engineers, who were seated about him--Old Van before him on a trunk; -Scribner and Young Van beside him on the bed; John Flint, a thin, -sallow man, astride the other chair, and Haddon on the floor with his -back against the wall. - -"All accounted for, Paul, I guess," said Flint. - -Carhart replied with a question, "How about those iron rods, John?" - -"All checked off and packed on the train." - -"Did you accept Doble and Dean's estimate for your oats?" - -"Not much. Cut it down a third. It was altogether too much to carry. -You see, I shall be only thirty-odd miles from Red Hills, once I get -out there, and I don't look for any trouble keeping in touch." - -"It's just as well," said Carhart. "The less you carry, the more room -for us." - -"Did those pots and kettles come, Gus?" Carhart asked, turning to the -younger Vandervelt, who was to act as his secretary and general -assistant. - -"Yes; just before noon. They had been carried on to Paradise by -mistake. I got them right aboard." - -"And you were going to keep an eye on that cook. Where is he?" - -Young Van hesitated, and an expression of chagrin came into his face. - -"I'll look him up. He promised me last night that he wouldn't touch -another drop." - -"Well--get your hands on him, and don't let go again." - -Young Van left the room, and as he drew the door to after him he could -hear the chief saying: "Haddon, I wish you would find Tiffany and -remind him that I'm counting on his getting around early to-night. I'm -not altogether satisfied with their scheme for supplying us." And -hearing this, he was more than ever conscious of his own small part in -this undertaking, and more than ever chagrined that he should prove -unequal to the very small matter of keeping an eye on the cook. At -least, it seemed a small matter, in view of the hundreds of problems -concerning men and things which Paul Carhart was solving on this day. - -The barkeeper at Murphy's, who served also in the capacity of night -clerk, proved secretive on the subject of Purple Finn--hadn't seen him -all day--didn't know when he would be in. The young engineer thought -he had better sit down to digest the situation. This suggested supper, -and he ordered the best of Murphy's fare, and ate slowly and -pondered. Seven o'clock came, but brought no hint of the cook's -whereabouts. Young Van gathered from the barroom talk that a big -outfit had come into town from Paradise within the past hour or so, -and incidentally that one of the outfit, Jack Flagg, was on the -warpath--whoever Jack Flagg might be. As he sat in a rear corner, -watching, with an assumption of carelessness, the loafers and -plainsmen and gamblers who were passing in and out, or were, like -himself, sitting at the round tables, it occurred to him to go up to -Finn's room. He knew, from former calls, where it was. But he learned -nothing more than that the cook's door was ajar, and that a -half-packed valise lay open on the bed. - -At half-past ten, after a tour of the most likely haunts, Young Van -returned to Murphy's and resumed his seat in the rear corner. He had -no notion of returning to the Eagle House without the cook. It was now -close on the hour when Sherman was used to rouse itself for the -revelry of the night, and that Finn would take some part in this -revelry, and that he would, sooner or later, reappear at his favorite -hostelry, seemed probable. - -The lamps in this room were suspended from the ceiling at such a -height that their light entered the eye at the hypnotic angle; and so -it was not long before Young Van, weary from the strain of the week, -began to nod. The bar with its line of booted figures, and the -quartets of card-players, and the one waiter moving about in his -spotted white apron, were beginning to blur and run together. The -clink of glasses and the laughter came to his ears as if from a great -distance. Once he nearly recovered his faculties. A group of new -arrivals were looking toward his corner. "Waiting for Purple Finn, -eh?" said one. "Well, I guess he's got a nice long wait in front of -him, poor fool!" Then they all laughed. And Young Van himself, with -half-open eyes, had to smile over the poor fool in the corner who was -waiting for Purple Finn. - -"I hear Jack Flagg's in town," said the barkeeper. "I wonder if he -is!" replied the first speaker. "I wonder if Jack Flagg is in town!" -Again they laughed. And again Young Van smiled. How odd that Jack -Flagg should be in town! - -He was awakened by a sound of hammering. There was little change in -the room: the card games were going steadily on; the bar still had its -line of thirsty plainsmen; two men were wrangling in a corner. Then he -made out a group of newcomers who were tacking a placard to the wall, -and chuckling as they did so. - -And now, for the first time, Young Van became conscious that he was no -longer alone at his table. Opposite him, smiling genially, and -returning his gaze with benevolent watery eyes, sat a big Texan. This -individual wore his cowboy hat on the back of his head, and made no -effort to conceal the two revolvers and the knife at his belt. - -"D'ye know," said the Texan, "I like you. What's your name?" - -"Vandervelt. What is yours?" - -"Charlie--that's my name." Then his smile faded, and he shook his -head. "But you won't find Purple Finn here." - -"Why not?" - -"Ain't that funny! You don't know 'bout Purple Finn. It's b'cause Jack -Flagg's in town. They ain't friendly--I know Jack Flagg. I've been -workin' with 'im--down Paradise way." - -Young Van was nearly awake. "You don't happen to be a cook, do you?" -said he. - -"Yes," Charlie replied dreamily. "I'm a cook. But I'm nothin' to Jack -Flagg. He's won'erful--won'erful!" - -The engineer got up to stretch his legs, and incidentally took -occasion to read the placard. It ran as follows:-- - - PURPLE FINN: I heard you was looking for me. Well, I'll be - around to Murphy's to-morrow because I want to tell you you're - talking too much. - - JACK FLAGG. - -He returned to his table, and amused himself listening to Charlie's -talk. Then he looked at his watch and found that it was nearly two -hours after midnight. Within six or seven hours the train would be -starting. He wondered what his friends would say if they could see -him. He was afraid that if he should drop off again, he might sleep -too late, and so he determined to keep awake. He communicated this -plan to Charlie, who nodded approval. But he was not equal to it. -Within a very short time his chin was reposing on his breast, and -Charlie was looking at him and chuckling. "Awful good joke," murmured -Charlie. - -Young Van fell to dreaming. He thought that the doors suddenly swung -in, and that Purple Finn himself entered the room. The noise seemed, -at the instant, to die down; the barkeeper paused and gazed; the -card-players turned and sat motionless in their chairs. Finn, thought -Young Van, nodded in a general way, and laughed, and his laugh had no -humor in it. He walked toward the bar, but halfway his roving eye -rested on the placard, and he stood motionless. The blue tobacco haze -curled around him and dimmed the outlines of his figure. In the dream -he seemed to grow a little smaller while he stood there. Then he -walked across and read the placard, taking a long time about it, as if -he found it difficult to grasp the meaning. When he finally turned and -faced the crowd, his expression was weak and uncertain. He seemed -about to say something but whatever it was he wished to say, the words -did not come. Instead, he walked to the bar, ordered a drink, put it -down with a shaking hand, and left the room as he had entered it, -silently. The door swung shut, and somebody laughed; then all returned -to their cards. - -When Young Van awoke, the room was flooded with sunlight from the side -windows. He straightened up in his chair and looked around. Charlie -was still at the table. Here and there along the side bench men were -sleeping. The card-players, with seamed faces and cold eyes, were -still at their business. A new set of players had come in, one of them -a giant of a man, dressed like a cowboy, with a hard eye, a heavy -mustache, and a tuft of hair below his under lip. - -The engineer was almost afraid to look at his watch. It was half-past -eight. He turned to the still smiling Charlie. "See here," he said, -"did Finn come in here last night?" - -Charlie nodded. "You didn't wake up." - -Young Van almost groaned aloud. "Where is he? Where did he go?" - -"Listen to 'im!" Charlie was indicating a lank stranger who was -leaning on the bar, and talking to a dozen men who had gathered about -him. - -"... And when I got off the train," the lank man was saying, "there -was Purple Finn a-standin' on the platform. I thought he looked sort -o' caved in. 'Hello, Purple,' says I, 'what you doin' up so early in -the mornin'?' But he never answers a word; just climbs on the train -and sits down in the smoker and looks out the window as if he thought -somebody was after 'im." - -A laugh went up at this, and all the group turned and looked at the -big man with the mustache. But this individual went on fingering his -cards without the twitch of an eyelid. - -"So Finn has left town," said Young Van, addressing his vis-a-vis. - -"Yes," Charlie replied humorously. "He had to see a man down to -Paradise." - -"Who is that big man over there?" - -"Him?" Charlie's voice dropped. "Why, that's him--Jack Flagg." - -"Did you tell me last night that he was a cook?" - -Charlie nodded. "He's won'erful--won'erful! I know 'im. I've been -workin'--" - -Young Van pushed back his chair and got up. For a moment he stood -looking at the forbidding face and mighty frame of the man who was now -the central figure in the room; then he crossed over and touched him -on the shoulder. "How are you?" said he, painfully conscious, as every -waking eye in the room was turned on him, that he did not know how to -talk to these men. - -Flagg looked up. - -"They tell me you can cook," said the engineer. - -"What's that to you?" said Flagg. - -"Do you want a job?" - -"This is Mr. Van'ervelt," put in Charlie, who had followed; "Mr. -Van'ervelt, of the railroad." - -"What'll you pay?" asked Flagg. - -Young Van named the amount. - -"When do you want to start?" - -"Now." - -"Charlie,"--Flagg was sweeping in a heap of chips,--"go down to Jim's -and get my things and fetch 'em here." And with this he turned back to -the game. - -Young Van looked uncertainly at Charlie, whose condition was hardly -such that he could be trusted to make the trip without a series of -stops in the numerous havens of refuge along the way. The thing to do -was perhaps to go with him; at any rate, that is what Young Van did. - -"Won'erful man!" murmured Charlie, when they reached the sidewalk. -Then, "Say, Mr. Van'ervelt, come over here a minute--jus' over to Bill -White's. Wanna see a man,--jus' minute." - -But Young Van was not in a tolerant mood. "Stiffen up, Charlie," he -said sharply. "No more of this sort of thing--not if you're going with -us." - -Charlie was meekly obedient, and even tried to hurry; but at the best -it took considerable time to get together the clothing of the cook and -his assistant, pay their bill, and return to Murphy's. This much -accomplished, it became necessary to use some tact with Flagg, who was -bent on winning a little more before stopping. And as Flagg could -easily have tossed the engineer out of the window, and had, besides, -the strategical advantage, Young Van was unable to see much choice for -himself in the matter. And standing there, waiting on the pleasure of -his cook, he passed the time in wondering where he had made his -mistake. Paul Carhart, or John Flint, he thought, would never have -found it necessary to take the undignified measures to which he had -been reduced. But what was the difference? What would they have done? -In trying to answer these questions he hit on every reason but the -right one. He forgot that he was a young man. - - * * * * * - -Carhart and Flint, after waiting a long time at the "Eagle, House," -went down to the station, arriving there some time after the outburst -of Peet, which was noted at the beginning of the chapter. Tiffany saw -them coming, and communicated the news to the superintendent. The -engine reappeared, and again coupled up to the forward car. - -"Everything all right?" called Tiffany. - -"No," replied Carhart; "don't start yet." - -The three walked on and joined Old Van by the steps of the rear car. - -"Well," growled the veteran, "how much longer are we going to wait, -Paul?" - -"Until Gus comes." - -"Gus? I thought he was aboard here." - -"No," said John Flint, with a wink; "he went out last night to see the -wheels go round. Here he comes now. But what in--" - -They all gazed without a word. Three men were walking abreast down the -platform, Gus Vandervelt, with a white face and ringed eyes, in the -middle. The youngest engineer of the outfit was not a small man, but -between the two cooks he looked like a child. - -"Would you look at that!" said Flint, at length. "Neither of those two -Jesse Jameses will ever see six-foot-three again. Makes Gus look like -a nick in a wall." - -Young Van met Carhart's questioning gaze almost defiantly. "The cook," -he said, indicating Flagg. - -"All right. Get aboard." - -"Rear car," cried Old Van, who had charge of the arrangements on the -train. - -This time the bell did not ring in vain. The train moved slowly out -toward the unpeopled West, and the engineers threw off coats and -collars, and made themselves as nearly comfortable as they could under -the circumstances. - -A few minutes after the start Paul Carhart, who was writing a letter -in pencil, looked up and saw Young Van beside him, and tried not to -smile at his sorry appearance. - -"I think I owe you an explanation, Mr. Carhart," began the young man, -in embarrassment which took the form of stiffness. - -But the chief shook his head. "I'm not asking any questions, Gus," he -replied. Then the smile escaped him, and he turned it off by adding, -"I'm writing to Mrs. Carhart." He held up the letter and glanced over -the first few lines with a twinkle in his eyes. "I was just telling -her," he went on, "that the cook problem in Chicago is in its -infancy." - - - - -CHAPTER II - -WHERE THE MONEY CAME FROM - - -Doubtless there were official persons to be found at the time of this -narrative--which is a matter of some thirty years back--who would have -insisted that the letters "S. & W." meant "Sherman and Western." But -every one who lived within two days' ride of the track knew that the -real name of the road was the "Shaky and Windy." - -Shaky the "S. & W." certainly was--physically, and, if newspaper -gossip and apparent facts were to be trusted, financially. The rails -weighed thirty-five pounds to the yard, and had been laid in scallops, -with high centres and low joints,--"sight along the rails and it looks -like a washboard," said John Flint, describing it. For ballast the -clay and sand of the region were used. And, as for the financial part, -everybody knew that old De Reamer had been forced to abandon the -construction work on the Red Hills extension, after building fully -five-sixths of the distance. The hard times had, of course, something -to do with that,--roads were going under all through the West; -receiverships were quite the common thing,--but De Reamer and the S. & -W. did not seem to revive so quickly as certain other lines. This was -the more singular in that the S. & W., extending as it did from the -Sabine country to the Staked Plains, really justified the popular -remark that "the Shaky and Windy began in a swamp and ended in a -desert." On the face of things, without the Red Hills connection with -the bigger C. & S. C., and without an eastern connection with one of -the New Orleans or St. Louis lines, the road was an absurdity. - -Then, only a few months before the time of our narrative, the railroad -world began to wake up. Commodore Durfee, one of "the big fellows," -surprised the Southwest by buying in the H. D. & W. (which meant, and -will always mean, the High, Dry, and Wobbly). The surprise was -greater when the Commodore began building southwestward, in the -general direction of Red Hills. As usual when the big men are playing -for position, the public and the wise-acres, even Wall Street, were -mystified. For the S. & W. was so obviously the best and shortest -eastern connection for the C. & S. C.,--the H. D. & W. would so -plainly be a differential line,--that it was hard to see what the -Commodore was about. He had nothing to say to the reporters. Old -General Carrington, of the C. & S. C., the biggest and shrewdest of -them all, was also silent. And Daniel De Reamer couldn't be seen at -all. - -And finally, by way of a wind-up to the first skirmish of the -picturesque war in which our engineers were soon to find themselves -taking part, there was a western breeze and a flurry of dust in Wall -Street. Somebody was fighting. S. & W. shares ran up in a day from -twenty-two to forty-six, and, which was more astonishing, sold at that -figure for another day before dropping. Other mysterious things were -going on. Suddenly De Reamer reappeared in the Southwest, and that -most welcome sign of vitality, money,--red gold corpuscles,--began to -flow through the arteries of the S. & W. "system." The construction -work started up, on rush orders. Paul Carhart was specially engaged to -take out a force and complete the track--any sort of a track--to Red -Hills. And as he preferred not to take this rush work through very -difficult country on any other terms, De Reamer gave him something -near a free hand,--ordered Chief Engineer Tiffany to let him alone, -beyond giving every assistance in getting material to the front, and -accepting the track for the company as fast as it was laid. - -And as Tiffany was not at all a bad fellow, and had admired Carhart's -part in the Rio Grande fight (though he would have managed some things -differently, not to say better, himself), the two engineers seemed -likely to get on very well. - -Carhart's three trains would hardly get over the five hundred miles -which lay between Sherman and the end of the track in less than -twenty-seven or twenty-eight hours. "The private car," as the boys -called it, was of an old type even for those days, and was very -uncomfortable. Everybody, from the chief down, had shed coat and -waistcoat before the ragged skyline of Sherman slipped out of view -behind the yellow pine trees. The car swayed and lurched so violently -that it was impossible to stand in the aisle without support. As the -hours dragged by, several of the party curled up on the hard seats and -tried to sleep. The instrument and rod and stake men and the pile -inspectors, mostly young fellows recently out of college or technical -institute, got together at one end of the car and sang college songs. - -Carhart was sitting back, his feet up on the opposite seat, watching -for the pines to thin out, and thinking of the endless gray chaparral -and sage-brush which they would find about them in the morning,--if -the train didn't break down,--when he saw Tiffany's big person -balancing down the aisle toward him. Tiffany had been quiet a long -time; now he had a story in his eye. - -"Well," he said, as he slid down beside Carhart, "I knew the old -gentleman would pull it off in time, but I never supposed he could -make the Commodore pay the bills." - -Carhart glanced up inquiringly. - -"Didn't you hear about it? Well, say! I happen to know that a month -ago Mr. De Reamer actually didn't have the money to carry this work -through. Even when Commodore Durfee started building for Red Hills, he -didn't know which way to turn. The Commodore, you know, hadn't any -notion of stopping with the H.D.& W." - -"No," said Carhart, "I didn't suppose he had." - -"He was after us, too--wanted to do the same as he did with the High -and Dry, corner the stock." Tiffany chuckled. "But he knew he'd have -to corner Daniel De Reamer first. If he didn't, the old gentleman -would manufacture shares by the hundred thousand and pump 'em right -into him. There's the Paradise Southern,--that's been a regular -fountain of stock. You knew about that." - -Carhart shook his head. - -"We passed through Paradise this noon." - -"Yes, I know the line. It runs down from Paradise to Total Wreck. But -I didn't know it had anything to do with S. & W. capital stock." - -"Didn't, eh?" chuckled Tiffany. "Mr. De Reamer and Mr. Chambers own -it, you know, and they're directors in both lines. The old game was -for them, as P. S. directors, to lease the short line to themselves as -S. & W. directors. Then the S.& W. directors pay the P. S. -directors--only they're it both ways--in S. & W. stock. Don't you see? -And it's only one of a dozen schemes. The old gentleman's always ready -for S. & W. buyers." - -Carhart smiled. The car lurched and shivered. Such air as came in -through the open door and windows was tainted with the gases of the -locomotive, and with the mingled odors of the densely packed laborers -in the cars ahead. - -"That's really the only reason they've kept up the Paradise -Southern--for there isn't any business on the line. Well, as I was -saying, the Commodore knew that the first thing he had to do was -corner Mr. De Reamer, and keep him from creating stock. So he came -down on him all at once, with a heap of injunctions and court orders. -He did it thorough: restrained the S. & W. board from issuing any more -stock, or from completing any of the transactions on hand, and -temporarily suspended the old gentleman and Mr. Chambers, pending an -investigation of their accounts, and ordered 'em to return to the -treasury of the company the seventy thousand shares they created last -year. There was a lot more, but that's the gist of it. He did it -through Waring and his other minority directors on the board. And -right at the start, you see, when he began to buy, he made S. & W. -stock so scarce that the price shot up." - -"Seems as if he had sewed up the S. & W. pretty tight," observed -Carhart. - -"Didn't it, though? But the Commodore didn't know the old gentleman as -well as he thought. Mr. De Reamer and Mr. Chambers got another judge -to issue orders for them to do everything the Commodore's judge -forbid--tangled it all up so that everything they did or didn't do, -they'd be disobeying somebody, and leaving it for the judges to settle -among themselves. Then they issued ten million dollars in convertible -bonds to a dummy, representing themselves, turned 'em right into -stock,--and tangled that transaction up so nobody in earth or heaven -will ever know just exactly _what_ was done,--and sold 'most seventy -thousand shares of it to Commodore Durfee before he had a glimmer of -where it was coming from. And then it was too late for him to stop -buying, so he had to take in the whole hundred thousand shares. I -heard Mr. Chambers say that when the Commodore found 'em out, he was -so mad he couldn't talk,--stormed stormed around his office trying to -curse Daniel De Reamer, but he couldn't even swear intelligent." - -"So Mr. De Reamer beat him," said Carhart. - -"Beat him?--I wonder--" - -"But that's not all, surely. Commodore Durfee isn't the man to swallow -that." - -"He _had_ to swallow it.--Oh, he did kick up some fuss, but it didn't -do him any good. His judge tried to jerk up our people for contempt, -but they were warned and got out of Mr. De Reamer's Broad Street -office, and over into New Jersey with all the documents and money." -Tiffany's good-humored eyes lighted up as his mind dwelt on the fight. -Never was there a more loyal railroad man than this one. Daniel De -Reamer was his king, and his king could do no wrong. "Not that they -didn't have some excitement getting away," he continued. "They -say,--mind, I don't know this, but _they_ say that Mr. De Reamer's -secretary, young Crittenden, crossed the ferry in a cab with four -million five hundred thousand dollars _in bills_--just tied up rough -in bundles so they could be thrown around. And there you -are,--Commodore Durfee is paying for this extension that's going to -cut him out of the C. & S. C. through business. The money and papers -are out of his reach. The judges are fighting among themselves, and -will be doing well if they ever come to a settlement. And now if that -ain't pretty slick business, I'd like to know what the word 'slick' -means." - -Carhart almost laughed aloud. He turned and looked out the window for -a few moments. Finally he said, "If you have that straight, Tiffany, -it's undoubtedly the worst defeat Commodore Durfee ever had. But don't -make the mistake of thinking that the S. & W. is through with him." - -"Maybe not," Tiffany replied, "but I'll bet proper on the old -gentleman." - -Carhart's position as the engineer in charge of a thousand and more -men would be not unlike that of a military commander who finds -himself dependent for subsistence on five hundred miles of what -Scribner called "very sketchy" single track. It would be more serious; -for not only must food, and in the desert, water, be brought out over -the line, but also the vast quantity of material needed in the work. -It would be the business of Peet, as the working head of the operating -department, to deliver the material from day to day, and week to week, -at the end of the last completed section, where the working train -would be made up each night for the construction work of the following -day. - -If the existing track was sketchy, the new track would be worse. -Everything was to be sacrificed to speed. The few bridges were to be -thrown up hastily in the form of primitive wooden trestles. There -would be no masonry, excepting the abutments of the La Paz -bridge,--which masonry, or rather the stone for it, was about the only -material they would find at hand. All the timber, even to the cross -ties, would have to be shipped forward from the long-leaf-pine -forests of eastern Texas and western Louisiana. - -Ordinarily, Carhart would not have relished undertaking such a hasty -job; but in this case there were compensations. When he had first -looked over the location maps, in Daniel De Reamer's New York office, -his quiet eyes had danced behind their spectacles; for it promised to -be pretty work, in which a man could use his imagination. There was -the bridge over the La Paz River, for instance. He should have to send -a man out there with a long wagon train of materials, and with orders -to have the bridge ready when the track should reach the river. He -knew just the man--John B. Flint, who built the Desplaines bridge for -the three I's. He had not heard from John since the doctors had -condemned his lungs, and ordered him to a sanatorium in the -Adirondacks, and John had compromised by going West, and hanging that -very difficult bridge between the walls of Brilliant Gorge in the -Sierras. Carhart was not sure that he was still among the living; but -a few searching telegrams brought out a characteristic message from -John himself, to the effect that he was very much alive, and was ready -to bridge the Grand Canyon of the Colorado at a word from Paul Carhart. - -Then there was always to be considered the broad outline of the -situation as it was generally understood in the railway world. Details -apart, it was known that Commodore Durfee and Daniel De Reamer were -fighting for that through connection, and that old General -Carrington,--czar of the C. & S. C., holder of one and owner of -several other seats in the Senate of these United States, chairman of -the National Committee of his party,--that General Carrington was -sitting on the piazza of his country house in California, smoking good -cigars and talking horse and waiting to see whether he should gobble -Durfee or De Reamer, or both of them. For the general, too, was -represented on the directorate of the Sherman and Western; and it was -an open question whether his minority directors would continue to -support the De Reamer interests or would be ordered to ally themselves -with the Durfee men. Either way, there would be no sentiment wasted. -But it seemed to Carhart that so long as De Reamer should be able to -hold up his head in the fight General Carrington would probably stand -behind him. Commodore Durfee was too big in the East to be encouraged -in the West. And yet--there was no telling. - -It was very pretty indeed. Carhart was a quiet man, given more to -study than to speech; but he liked pretty things. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -AT MR. CARHART'S CAMP - - -"It takes an Irishman, a nigger, and a mule to build a railroad," said -Tiffany. - -With Young Van, he was standing in front of the headquarters tent, -which, together with the office tent for the first division, where Old -Van would hold forth, and the living and mess tents for the engineers, -was pitched on a knoll at a little distance from the track. - -"The mule," he continued, "will do the work, the nigger will drive the -mule, and the Irishman'll boss 'em both." - -Young Van, keyed up by this sudden plunge into frontier work, was only -half listening to the flow of good-natured comment and reminiscence -from the chief engineer at his elbow. He was looking at the -steam-shrouded locomotive, and at the long line of cars stringing off -in perspective behind it. Wagons were backed in against this and the -few other trains which had come in during the day; other wagons were -crawling about the track almost as far as he could see through the -steam and the dust. Men on horseback--picturesque figures in -wide-brimmed hats and blue shirts and snug-fitting boots laced to the -knee--were riding in and out among the teams. The old track ended in -the immediate foreground, and here old Van was at work with his young -surveyors, looking up the old stakes and driving new ones to a line -set by a solemn youngster with skinny hands and a long nose. -Everywhere was noise--a babel of it--and toil and a hearty sort of -chaos. One line of wagons--laden with scrapers, "slips" and -"wheelers," tents and camp equipage, the timbers and machinery of a -pile-driver, and a thousand and one other things--was little by little -extricating itself from the tangle, winding slowly past head-quarters, -and on toward the low-lying, blood-red sun. This was the outfit of the -second division, and Harry Scribner, riding a wiry black pony, was -leading it into corral on "mile two," preparatory to a start in the -early morning. - -From the headquarters cook tent, behind the "office," came savory -odors. Farther down the knoll, near the big "boarding house" tents, -the giant Flagg and the equally sturdy Charlie could be seen moving -about a row of iron kettles which were swinging over an open fire. The -chaos about the trains was straightening out, and the men were -corralling the wagons, and unharnessing the mules and horses. The sun -slipped down behind the low western hills, leaving a luminous memory -in the far sky. In groups, and singly, the laborers--Mexicans, -Italians, Louisiana French, broken plainsmen from everywhere, and -negroes--came straggling by, their faces streaked with dust and sweat, -the negroes laughing and singing as they lounged and shuffled along. - -Carhart, who had been dividing his attention between the unloading of -the trains and the preparations of his division engineers, came -riding up the knoll on "Texas," his compact little roan, a horse he -had ridden and boasted about in a quiet way for nearly four years. -John Flint, thin and stooping of body, with a scrawny red mustache and -high-pitched voice, soon rode in over the grade from the farther side -of the right of way, where he was packing up his outfit for the long -haul to the La Paz River. The instrument men and their assistants -followed, one by one, and fell in line at the tin wash-basin, all -exuberant with banter and laughter and high-spirited play. And at last -the headquarters cook, a stout negro, came out in front of the mess -tent and beat his gong with mighty strokes; and Harry Scribner, who -was jogging back to camp from his corral, heard it, dug in his spurs, -and came up the long knoll on the gallop. - -There was no escaping the joviality of this first evening meal in -camp. In the morning the party would break up. Scribner would ride -ahead a dozen miles to make a division camp of his own; John Flint -would be pushing out there into the sunset for the better part of a -week, across the desert, through the gray hills, and down to the -yellow La Paz. The youngsters were shy at first; but after Tiffany had -winked and said, "It'll never do to start this dry, boys," and had -produced a bottle from some mysterious corner, they felt easier. Even -Carhart, for the time, laid aside the burden which, like Christian, he -must carry for many days. A good many stories were told, most of them -by Tiffany, who had run the gamut of railroading, north, south, east, -and west. - -"That was a great time we had up at Pittsburgh," said he, "when I -stole the gondola cars,"--he placed the accent on the _do_,--"best -thing I ever did. That was when I was on the Almighty and Great Windy -that used to run from Pittsburg up to the New York State line. I was -acting as a sort of traffic superintendent, among other things,--we -had to do all sorts of work then; no picking and choosing and no -watching the clock for us." He turned on the long-nosed instrument -man. "That was when you were just about a promising candidate for long -pants, my friend." - -"We had a new general manager--named MacBayne. He didn't know anything -about railroading,--had been a telegraph operator and Durfee's -nephew,--yes, the same old Commodore, it was,--and, getting boosted up -quick, that way, he got into that frame of mind where he wouldn't ever -have contradicted you if you'd said he _was_ the Almighty and Great -Windy. First thing he did was to put in a system of bells to call us -to his office,--but I didn't care such a heap. He enjoyed it so. He'd -lean back and pull a little handle, and then be too busy to talk when -one of us came running in--loved to make us stand around a spell. -Hadn't but one eye, MacBayne hadn't, and you never could tell for -downright certain who he was swearing at. - -"The company had bought a little railroad, the P. G.--Pittsburg and -Gulf,--for four hundred and fifty thousand. Just about such a line as -our Paradise spur, only instead of the directors buying it personal, -they'd bought it for the company. - -"One day my little bell tinkled, and I got up and went into the old -man's office. He was smoking a cigar and trying to look through a -two-foot wall into Herb Williams's pickle factory. Pretty soon he -swung his one good eye around on me and looked at me sharp. 'Hen,' he -said, 'we're in a fix. We haven't paid but two hundred thousand on the -P.G.--and what's more, that's all we can pay.' - -"'Well, sir,' said I, 'what's the trouble?' It's funny--he's always -called me Hen, and I've always called him sir and Mister MacBayne. He -ain't anybody to-day, but if I went back to Pittsburg to-morrow and -met him in Morrison's place, he'd say, 'Well, Hen, how're you making -it?' and I'd say, 'Pretty well, Mister MacBayne.'--Ain't it funny? -Can't break away from it. - -"I've just had a wire from Black,' said he,--Black was our attorney -up at Buffalo,--'saying that the sheriff of Erie County,' over the -line in New York State, 'has attached all our gon_do_la cars up there, -and won't release 'em until we pay up. What'll we do?' - -"'Hum!' said I. 'We've got just a hundred and twenty gon_do_las in -Buffalo to-day.' A hundred and twenty cars was a lot to us, you -understand--just like it would be to the S. & W. Imagine what would -happen to you fellows out here if Peet had that many cars taken away -from him. So I thought a minute, and then I said, 'Has the sheriff -chained 'em to the track, Mister MacBayne?' - -"'I don't know about that,' said he. - -"'Well,' said I, 'don't you think it would be a good plan to find that -out first thing?' - -"He looked at me sharp, then he sort o' grinned. 'What're you thinking -about, Hen?' he asked. - -"I didn't answer direct. 'You find that out,' I told him, 'and let me -know what he says.' - -"About an hour later the bell tinkle-winkled again. 'No,' he said, -when I went in his office, 'they ain't chained down--not yet, anyway. -Now, what'll we do?' - -"'Why don't you go up there?' said I. 'Hook your car on to No. 5'--that -was our night express for Buffalo, a long string of oil and -coal cars with a baggage car, coach, and sleeper on the end of it. It -ran over our line and into Buffalo over the Southeastern. - -"'All right, Hen,' said he. 'Will you go along?' - -"'Sure,' I told him. - -"On our way out we picked up Charlie Greenman too. He was -superintendent of the State Line Division--tall, thin man, very -nervous, Charlie was. - -"Next morning, when we were sitting over our breakfast in the Swift -House, the old man turned his good eye on me and said, 'Well, Hen, -what next?' I'd brought him up there, you see, and now he was looking -for results. - -"'Well,' said I, speaking slow and sort of thinking it over, 'look -here, Mister MacBayne, why don't you get a horse and buggy and look -around the city? They say it's a pretty place. Or you could pick up a -boat, you and Charlie, and go sailing on Lake Erie. Or you might run -over and see the falls--Ever been there?' - -"The old man was looking on both sides of me with those two eyes of -his. 'What are you up to, Hen?' he said. - -"'Nothing,' I answered, 'not a thing. But say, Mister MacBayne, I -forgot to bring any money. Let me have a little, will you,--about a -hundred and fifty?' - -"When I said that, the old man gulped, and looked almost scared. I saw -then, just what I'd suspected, that he wouldn't be the least use to -me. I'd 'a' done better to have left him behind. 'Why, yes, Hen,' said -he, 'I can let you have that!' He went out, and pretty soon he came -back with the money in a big roll of small bills. - -"'Well, good morning, gentlemen,' said I. 'I'll see you at five -o'clock this afternoon.' - -"I went right out to the Erie yards, where they were unloading -twenty-two of our coal cars. Jim Harvey was standing near by, and he -gave me a queer look, and asked me what I was doing in Buffalo. - -"'Doing?' said I, 'I'm looking after my cars. What did you suppose? -And see here, Jim, while you were about it, don't you think you might -have put 'em together. Here you've got twenty-two of 'em, and there's -forty over at the Lake Shore, and a lot more in Chaplin's yards? There -ain't but one of me--however do you suppose I'm going to watch 'em -all, even see that the boys keep oil in the boxes?' 'I don't know -anything about that,' said he. - -"'Well now, look here, Jim,' said I, 'how many more of these cars have -you got to unload?' 'Twelve,' said he. 'How soon can you get it -done--that's my question?' 'Oh, I'll finish it up to-morrow morning.' -'Well, now, Jim,' said I, 'I want you to put on a couple of extra -wagons and get these cars emptied by five o'clock this afternoon. Then -I want you to get all our cars together over there in Chaplin's yards, -where I can keep an eye on 'em!' 'Oh, see here,' said he, 'I can't do -that, Hen. The sheriff--' - -"'Damn the sheriff,' said I. 'I ain't going to hurt the sheriff. What -I want is to get my cars together where I can know what's being done -to 'em.' - -"Well, he didn't want to do it, but some of the long green passed and -then he thought maybe he could fix me up. There was a lot of other -things I had to do that day--and a lot of other men to see. The -despatcher for the Buffalo and Southwestern was one of 'em. Then at -five o'clock, or a little before, I floated into the Swift House -office and there were MacBayne and Charlie Greenman sitting around -waiting for me. The old man had his watch in his hand. Charlie was -walking up and down, very nervous. I came up sort of offhand and -said:-- - -"'Charlie, I want two of your biggest and strongest engines, and I -want 'em up in Chaplin's yard as soon as you can get 'em there.' - -"'What,' said he, 'on a foreign road?' 'Yes,' said I, offhand like. -Then I turned to the old man. 'Now, Mister MacBayne,' said I, 'I want -you to tell Charlie here that when those engines pass out of his -division, they come absolutely under my control.' - -"'Oh, that's all right, Hen,' said Charlie, speaking up breathless. - -"'Yes, I know it is,' said I, 'but I want you to hear Mister MacBayne -say it. Remember, when those engines leave your division, they belong -to me until I see fit to bring 'em back.' - -"The old man was looking queerer than ever. 'See here, Hen,' said he, -'what devilment are you up to, anyway?' - -"'Nothing at all,' said I. 'I just want two engines. You can't run a -railroad without engines, Mister MacBayne.' - -"'Well,' said he, then, 'how about me--what do you want of me?' - -"'Why, I'll tell you,' said I. 'Why don't you hook your car on to No. -6 and go back to Pittsburg to-night?' You should have seen his good -eye light up at that. Getting out of the state suited him about as -well as anything just then, and he didn't lose any time about it. When -he had gone, Charlie said:-- - -"'Now, Hen, for heaven's sake, tell me what you're up to?' - -"'Not a bit of it,' said I. 'I don't see what business it is of yours. -You belong back on your division.' - -"'Well, I ain't going,' said he. 'I'm going wherever you go to-night.' - -"'All right,' said I; 'I'm going to Shelby's vaudeville.' - -"That surprised him. But he didn't say anything more. You remember old -Shelby's show there. I always used to go when I was in Buffalo of an -evening. - -"But about 11:30, when the show was over, Charlie began to get -nervous again. 'Well, Hen,' he said, 'where next?' - -"'I don't know about you,' said I, 'but I'm going to stroll out to -Chaplin's yard before I turn in, and take a look at our cars. You'd -better go to bed.' - -"'Not a bit of it,' he broke out. 'I'm going with you.' - -"'All right,' said I, 'come along. It's a fine night.' - -"Well, gentlemen, when we got out to the yards, there were our cars in -two long lines on parallel tracks, seventy on one track and fifty on -another--one thing bothered me, they were broken in four places at -street crossings--and on the two next tracks beside them were -Charlie's two engines, steam up and headlights lighted. And, say, you -never saw anything quite like it! The boys they'd sent with the -engines weren't anybody's fools, and they had on about three hundred -pounds of steam apiece--blowing off there with a noise you could hear -for a mile, but the boys themselves weren't saying a word; they were -sitting around smoking their pipes, quiet as seven Sabbaths. - -"When Charlie saw this laid out right before his eyes, he took -frightened all of a sudden--his knees were going like that. He grabbed -my arm and pulled me back into the shadow. - -"'Hen, for heaven's sake, let's get out of here quick. This means the -penitentiary.' - -"'You can go,' said I. 'I didn't invite you to the party.' - -"Right beside the tracks there was a watch-box, shut up as if there -wasn't anybody in it, but I could see the light coming out at the top. -It was going to be ticklish business, I knew that. We had to haul out -over a drawbridge, for one thing, to get out of the yards, and then -whistle for the switch over to the southwestern tracks. Had to use the -signals of the other roads, too. But I was in for it. - -"'Well, Hen,' said Charlie, 'if you're going to do it, what in ---- -are you standing around for now?' - -"'Got to wait for the Lake Shore Express to go through,' said I. - -"Charlie sort of groaned at this and for an hour we sat there and -waited. I tried to talk about the oil explosion down by Titusville, -but Charlie, somehow, wasn't interested. All the while those engines -were blowing off tremendous, and the crews were sitting around just -smoking steady. - -"Finally, at one o'clock, I went over to the engineer of the first -engine. 'How many men have you got?' said I. - -"'Four brakemen,' he said, 'each of us.' - -"'All right,' said I. 'I guess I don't need to tell you what to do.' - -"They all heard me, and say, you ought to have seen them jump up. The -engineer was up and on his engine before I got through talking; and he -just went a-flying down the yard, whistling for the switch. The four -brakemen ran back along the fifty-car string. You see they had to -couple up at those four crossings and that was the part I didn't like -a bit. But I couldn't help it. The engineer came a-backing down very -rapid, and bumped that front car as if he wanted to telescope it. - -"Well, sir, they did it--coupled up, link and pin. The engineer was -leaning 'way out the window, and he didn't wait very long after -getting the signal, before he was a-hiking it down the yard, tooting -his whistle for the draw. Heaven only knows what might have happened, -but nothing did. He got over the draw all right with his fifty cars -going clickety--clickety--clickety behind him, and then I could see -his rear lights and hear him whistling for the switch over to the -southwestern tracks. Then I gave the signal for the other engine. -Charlie, all this time, was getting worse and worse. He was leaning up -against me now, just naturally hanging on to me, looking like a -somnambulist. You could hear his knees batting each other. And the -engineer of that second engine turned out to be in the same fix. He -was so excited he never waited for the signal that the cars were all -coupled up, and he started up with a terrific toot of his whistle and -a yank on the couplings, leaving thirty cars and one brakeman behind. -But I knew it would never do to call him back. - -"Well, now, here is where it happened. That whistle was enough to wake -the sleeping saints. And just as the train got fairly going for the -draw, tooting all the way, the door of that watch-box burst open and -three policemen men came running out, hard as they could run. Of -course there was only one thing to do, and that's just the thing that -Charlie Greenman didn't do. He turned and ran in the general direction -of the Swift House as fast as those long legs of his could carry him. -Two of the officers ran after him and the other came for me. I yelled -to Charlie to stop, but he'd got to a point where he couldn't hear -anything. The other officer came running with his night-stick in the -air, but my Scotch-Irish was rising, and I threw up my guard. - -"'Don't you touch me,' I yelled; 'don't you touch me!' - -"'Well, come along, then,' said he. - -"'Not a bit of it,' said I. 'I've nothing to do with you.' - -"'Well, you ran,' he yelled; 'you ran!' - -"I just looked at him. 'Do you call this running?' said I. - -"'Well,' said he, 'the other fellow ran.' - -"'All right,' said I, 'we'll run after him.' So we did. Pretty soon -they caught Charlie. And I was a bit nervous, for I didn't know what -he might say. But he was too scared to say anything. So I turned to -the officer. - -"'Now,' said I, 'suppose you tell us what it is you want?' - -"'We want you,' said one of them. - -"'No, you don't,' said I. - -"'Yes, we do,' said he. - -"It seemed to be getting time for some bluffing, so I hit right out. -'Where's your headquarters?' said I. - -"'Right over here,' said he. - -"'All right,' said I, 'that's where we're going, right now. We'll see -if two railroad men can't walk through Chaplin's yards whenever they -feel like it.' - -"And all the while we were talking I could hear that second train -a-whooping it up for the state line--clickety--clickety--whoo-oo-oo! ---clickety--clickety--getting fainter and fainter. - -"There was a big captain dozing on a bench in the station house. When -he saw us come in, he climbed up behind his desk so he could look down -on us--they like to look down at you, you know. - -"'Well, Captain,' said the officer, 'we've got 'em.' - -"'Yes,' the captain answered, looking down with a grin, 'I think you -have.' - -"'Well now,' said I, to the captain, 'who have you got?' - -"'That'll be all right,' said he, with another grin. - -"It was pretty plain that he wasn't going to say anything. There was -something about the way he looked at us and especially about that -grin that started me thinking. I decided on bluff number two. I took -out my pass case, opened it, and spread out annual passes on the Great -Windy, the Erie, the South-eastern, and the Lake Shore. My name was -written on all of them, H. L. Tiffany, Pittsburg. The minute the -captain saw them he looked queer, and I turned to Charlie and told him -to get out his passes, which he did. For a minute the captain couldn't -say anything; then he turned on those three officers, and you ought to -have heard what he said to them--gave 'em the whole forty-two degrees -right there, concentrated. - -"'Well, gentlemen,' he said to us, when he'd told the officer all that -was on his mind, 'this is pretty stupid business. I'm very sorry we've -put you to this trouble, and I can tell you that if there is anything -I can do to make it right, I'll be more than glad to do it.' - -"Well, there wasn't anything in particular that I wanted just then -except to get out of Buffalo quick. But I did stop to gratify my -curiosity. - -"'Would you mind telling me, Captain,' said I, 'who you took us for?' - -"The captain looked queer again, then he said, solemn, 'We took you -for body snatchers.' - -"'Body snatchers!' I looked at Charlie, and Charlie, who was beginning -to recover, looked at me. - -"'You see,' the captain went on, 'there's an old building out there by -the yard, and some young surgeons and medical students have been using -it nights to cut up people in, and when the boys saw two well-dressed -young fellows hanging around there in the middle of the night, they -didn't stop to think twice. I'm very sorry, indeed. I'll send two of -these men over to escort you to your hotel, with your permission.' - -"That didn't please me very much, but I couldn't decline. So we -started out, Charlie and I and the two coppers. But instead of going -to the Swift House I steered them into the Mansion House, and -dampened things up a bit. Then I got three boxes of cigars, Havana -imported. I gave one to each of the officers, and on the bottom of the -third I wrote, in pencil, 'To the Captain, with the compliments of H. -L. Tiffany, of the A. & G. W., Pittsburg, Pa.' I thought he might have -reason to be interested when he got his next morning's paper in -knowing just who we were. The coppers went back, tickled to death, and -Charlie and I got out into the street. - -"'Well, Hen,' said he, very quiet, 'what are you going to do next?' - -"'You can do what you like, Charlie,' I said, 'but I'm going to take -the morning three o'clock on the Michigan Central for Toronto.' And -Charlie, he thought maybe he'd go with me." - -Tiffany leaned back in a glow of reminiscence, and chuckled softly. Of -the others, some had pushed back their chairs, some were leaning -forward on the table. All had been, for half an hour, in the remote -state of New York with this genial railroading pirate of the old -school. Now, outside, a horse whinnied. Through the desert stillness -came the clanking and coughing of a distant train. They were back in -the gray Southwest, perhaps facing adventures of their own. - -Carhart rose, for he had work to do at the headquarters tent. Young -Van took the hint, and followed his example. But the long-nosed -instrument man, the fire of a pirate soul shining out through his -countenance, leaned eagerly forward. "What happened then?" he asked. - -"Oh, nothing much," Tiffany responded. "What could happen? Charlie and -I came back from Toronto a few days later by way of Detroit." Then his -eye lighted up again. "But I like to think," he added, "that next -morning when that captain read about the theft of ninety gon_do_la -cars right out from under the sheriff's nose by H. L. Tiffany, of -Pittsburg, Pa., he was smoking one of said H. L. Tiffany's cigars." - - * * * * * - -The sun was up, hot and bright. The laborers and the men of the tie -squad and the iron squad were straggling back to work. The wagons were -backing in alongside the cars. And halfway down the knoll stood -Carhart and Flint, both in easy western costume, Flint booted and -spurred, stroking the neck of his well-kept pony. - -"Well, so long, Paul," said the bridge-builder. - -"Good-by," said Carhart. - -It rested with these two lean men whether an S. & W. train should -enter Red Hills before October. They both felt it, standing there at -the track-end, their backs to civilization, their faces to the desert. - -"All right, sir." Flint got into his saddle. "_All_ right, sir." He -turned toward the waiting wagon train. "Start along, boys!" he shouted -in his thin voice. - -Haddon galloped ahead with the order. The drivers took up their reins, -and settled themselves for the long journey. Like Carhart's men, they -were a mixed lot--Mexicans, half-breeds, native Americans of a -curiously military stamp, and nondescripts--but good-natured enough; -and Flint, believing with Carhart in the value of good cooks, meant to -keep them good-natured. One by one the whips cracked; a confusion of -English, Spanish, and French cries went up; the mules plunged; the -heavy wagons, laden with derricks, timber, tools, camp supplies, and -the inevitable pile-driver, groaned forward; and the La Paz Bridge -outfit was off. - -There was about the scene a sense of enterprise, of buoyant freedom, -of deeds to be done. Flint felt it, as he rode at the head of his -motley cavalcade; for he was an imaginative man. Young Van, standing -by the headquarters tent, felt it, for he was young. Tiffany, still at -breakfast, felt it so strongly that he swore most unreasoningly at the -cook. Down on the job, the humblest stake man stood motionless until -Old Van, who showed no signs of feeling anything, asked him if he -hadn't had about enough of a sy-esta. As for Carhart, he was stirred, -but his fancy did not roam far afield. From now on those things which -would have it in their power to give him the deepest pleasure were the -sight of gang after gang lifting cross-ties, carrying them to the -grade, and dropping them into place; the sight of that growing line of -stubby yellow timbers, and the sound of the rails clanking down upon -them and of the rapid-fire sledges driving home the spikes. - - * * * * * - -Young Van poked his head in through the flaps. - -"Well?" said the chief, looking up. - -"Won't you come down, Mr. Carhart? The boys want you to drive the -first spike." - -Carhart smiled, then pushed back his chair, and strode out and down -the slope to the grade. - -"Stand back there, boys!" cried somebody. - -Carhart caught up a sledge, swung it easily over his shoulder, and -brought it down with a swing. - -"There," he cried, entering into the spirit of the thing, "there, -boys! That means Red Hills or bust." - -The cheer that followed was led by the instrument man. Then Carhart, -still smiling, walked back to his office. Now the work was begun. - -But Old Van, the division engineer, was scowling. He wished the chief -would quit stirring up these skylarking notions--on _his_ division, -anyway. It took just that much longer to take it out of the men--break -them so you could drive them better. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -JACK FLAGG SEES STARS - - -It was a month later, on a Tuesday night, and the engineers were -sitting about the table in the office tent. Scribner, the last to -arrive, had ridden in after dusk from mile fourteen. - -For two weeks the work had dragged. Peet, back at Sherman, had been -more liberal of excuses than of materials. It was always the mills -back in Pennsylvania, or slow business on connecting lines, or the car -famine. And it was not unnatural that the name of the superintendent -should have come to stand at the front for certain very unpopular -qualities. Carhart had faith in Tiffany, but the railroad's chief -engineer was one man in a discordant organization. Railroad systems -are not made in a day, and the S. & W. was new, showing square -corners where all should be polished round; developing friction -between departments, and bad blood between overworked men. Thus it had -been finally brought home to Paul Carhart that in order to carry his -work through he must fight, not only time and the elements, but also -the company in whose interest he was working. - -Lately the office had received a few unmistakably vigorous messages -from Carhart. Tiffany, too, had taken a hand, and had opened his mind -to the Vice-president. The Vice-president had in turn talked with -Peet, who explained that the materials were always sent forward as -rapidly as possible, and added that certain delays had arisen from the -extremely dangerous condition of Carhart's road-bed. Meantime, not -only rails and ties, but also food and water, were running short out -there at the end of the track. - -"What does he say now, Paul?" asked Old Van, after a long silence, -during which these bronzed, dusty men sat looking at the flickering -lamp or at the heaps of papers, books, and maps which covered the -table. - -Carhart drew a crumpled slip of paper from his pocket and tossed it -across the table. Old Van spread it out, and read as follows:-- - - MR. PAUL CARHART: Small delay due to shortage of equipment. - Supply train started this morning, however. Regret - inconvenience, as by order of Vice-president every effort is - being made to supply you regularly. - - L. W. PEET, - _Division Superintendent_. - -"Interesting, isn't it!" said Carhart. "You notice he doesn't say how -long the train has been on the way. It may not get here for thirty-six -hours yet." - -"Suppose it doesn't," put in Scribner, "what are we going to do with -the men?" - -"Keep them all grading," said Carhart. - -"But--" - -"Well, what is it? This is a council of war--speak out." - -"Just this. Scraping and digging is thirsty work in this sun, and we -haven't water enough for another half day." - -"Young Van is due with water." - -"Yes, he is due, Mr. Carhart, but you told him not to come back -without it, and he won't." - -"Listen!" Outside, in the night, voices sounded, and the creaking of -wagons. - -"Here he is now," said Carhart. - -Into the dim light before the open tent stepped a gray figure. His -face was thin and drawn; his hair, of the same dust color as his -clothing, straggled down over his forehead below his broad hat. He -nodded at the waiting group, threw off his hat, unslung his army -canteen, and sank down exhausted on the first cot. - -Old Van, himself seasoned timber and unable to recognize the -limitations of the human frame, spoke impatiently, "Well, Gus, how -much did you get?" - -"Fourteen barrels." - -"Fourteen barrels!" The other men exchanged glances. - -"Why--why--" sputtered the elder brother, "that's not enough for the -engines!" - -"It's all we can get." - -"Why didn't you look farther?" - -"You'd better look at the mules," Young Van replied simply enough. "I -had to drive them"--he fumbled at his watch--"an even eighteen hours -to get back to-night." And he added in a whimsical manner that was -strange to him, "I paid two dollars a barrel, too." - -Carhart was watching him closely. "Did you have any trouble with your -men, Gus?" he asked. - -Young Van nodded. "A little." - -After a moment, during which his eyes were closed and his muscles -relaxed, he gathered his faculties, lighted a cigarette, and rose. - -"Hold on, Gus," said Carhart. "What are you going to do?" - -"Bring the barrels up by our tent here. It isn't safe to leave them on -the wagons. The men--some of them--aren't standing it well. Some are -'most crazy." He interrupted himself with a short laugh. "Hanged if I -blame them!" - -"You'd better go to bed, Gus," said the chief. "I'll look after the -water." - -But Young Van broke away from the restraining hand and went out. - -Half a hundred laborers were grouped around the water wagons in -oppressive silence. Vandervelt hardly gave them a glance. - -"Dimond," he called, "where are you?" - -A man came sullenly out of the shadows. - -"Take a hand here--roll these barrels in by Mr. Carhart's tent." A -murmur spread through the group. More men were crowding up behind. But -the engineer gave his orders incisively, in a voice that offered no -encouragement to insubordination. "You two, there, go over to -the train and fetch some skids. I want a dozen men to help -Dimond--you--you--" Rapidly he told them off. "The rest of you get -away from here--quick." - -"What you goin' to do with that water?" The voice rose from the thick -of the crowd. It drew neither explanation nor reproof from Young Van; -but his manner, as he turned his back and, pausing only to light -another cigarette, went rapidly to work, discouraged the laborers, and -in groups of two and three they drifted off to their quarters. - -The men worked rapidly, for Mr. Carhart's assistant had a way of -taking hold himself, lending a hand here or a shoulder there, and -giving low, sharp orders which the stupidest men understood. As they -rolled the barrels along the sides of the tent and stood them on end -between the guy ropes Paul Carhart stood by, a rolled-up map in his -hand, and watched his assistant. He took it all in--the cowed, angry -silence of the men, the unfailing authority of the young engineer. No -one felt the situation more keenly than Carhart, but he had set his -worries aside for the moment to observe the methods of the younger -man. Once he caught himself nodding with approval. And then, when he -was about to turn away and resume his study at the table beneath the -lantern, an odd scene took place. The work was done. Vandervelt stood -wiping his forehead with a handkerchief which had darkened from white -to rich gray. The laborers had gone; but Dimond remained. - -"That's all, Dimond," said Vandervelt. - -But the man lingered. - -"Well, what do you want?" - -"It's about this water. The boys want to know if they ain't to have a -drink." - -"No; no more to-night," replied Young Van. - -"But--but--" Dimond hesitated. - -"Wait a minute," said Van abruptly. He entered the tent, found his -canteen where he had dropped it, brought it out, and handed it to -Dimond. - -"This is my canteen. It's all I have a right to give anybody. Now, -shut up and get out." - -Dimond hesitated, then swung the canteen over his shoulder and -disappeared without a word. - -"Gus," said Paul Carhart, quietly. - -"Oh! I didn't see you there." - -"Wasn't that something of a gallery play?" - -"No, I don't think it was. It will show them that we are dealing -squarely with them. I had a deuce of a time on the ride, and Dimond -really tried, I think, to keep the men within bounds. They are -children, you know,--children with whiskey throats added,--and they -can't stand it as we can." - -"Gus," said the chief, taking the boy's arm and drawing him toward the -tent, "it's time you got to sleep. I shall need you to-morrow." - -The other engineers were still sitting about the table, talking in low -tones. Carhart rejoined them. Young Van dropped on a cot in the rear -and fell asleep with his boots on. - -"Old Van is telling how the pay-slips came in to-day," said Scribner. - -Carhart nodded. "Go ahead." He had found the laborers, headed by the -Mexicans, so impossibly deliberate in their work that he had -planned out a system of paying by the piece. When the locomotive -whistle blew at night, each man was handed a slip stating the amount -due him. At the end of the week the slips were to be cashed, and -to-day the first payment had been made. "Go ahead," he repeated. "How -much did it cost us?" - -[Illustration: "'It's all I have a right to give anybody.'"] - -"About seventy-five dollars more than last week," replied Old Van. "So -that, on the whole, we got a little more work out of them. But here's -what happened. When the whistle blew and I got out my satchel, nobody -came. I called to a couple of them to hurry up if they wanted their -pay, but they shook their heads. Finally, just two men came up and -handed in all the slips." - -"Two men!" exclaimed Carhart. - -"Yes. One was the cook, Jack Flagg. He had fully two-thirds of the -slips. The other was his assistant, the one they call Charlie. He had -the rest. I called some of the laborers up and asked what it meant, -but they said it was all right that way." - -"So you gave them the whole pay-roll?" - -"Every cent." - -Carhart frowned. "That won't do," he said. "A man who can clean out -the camp in less than a week will breed more trouble than a water -famine." - -There was little more to be said, and soon the council came to a -close. Scribner went promptly to sleep. Young Van awoke, and with a -mumbled "good night" staggered across after Scribner, to his sleeping -tent. And then, for an hour, Paul Carhart sat alone, his elbows on the -table, a profile of the line spread out before him. Outside, in the -night, something stirred. He extinguished his lamp and listened. -Cautious steps were approaching behind the cluster of tents. A moment -more and he heard a man stumble over a peg and swear aloud. - -Carhart stepped out at the rear of the tent and stood waiting. Four or -five shadowy figures slipped into view, caught sight of him, and -paused. While they stood huddled together he made out a pair of broad -shoulders towering above the group. There was only one such pair in -the camp, and they belonged to the cook, Jack Flagg. - -The silence lasted only a moment. Then, without speaking, the men -broke and ran back into the darkness. - -Carhart waited until the camp was silent, then he too, went in and to -sleep. - -But Young Van, dozing lightly and restlessly, was awakened by the -noise behind the tents. For a few moments he lay still, then he got up -and looked out. Down the knoll he could see a dim light, and after a -little he made it out as coming from the mess tent of the laborers. -Now and then a low murmur of voices floated up through the desert -stillness. - -Young Van folded up the legs of his cot, carried it out, laid it -across two of the water barrels, and went to sleep there in the open -air. - -An hour later the mess tent was still lighted. Within, seated on -blocks of timber around a cracker-box, four men were playing poker; -and pressing about them was a score of laborers--all, in fact, who -could crowd into the tent. The air was foul with cheap tobacco and -with the hundred odors that cling to working clothes. The eyes of the -twenty or more men were fixed feverishly on the greasy cards, and on -the heaps of the day's pay-slips. By a simple process of elimination -the ownership of these slips had been narrowed down to the present -players--Jack Flagg, his assistant Charlie, Dimond, and a Mexican. The -silence carried a sense of strain. The occasional coarse jokes and -boisterous laughter died down with strange suddenness. - -"It's no use," said Flagg, finally, tossing the cards on the box; -"they're against us." - -The Mexican rose at this, and sullenly left the tent. Dimond, with a -conscious laugh, gathered in two-thirds of the slips and pocketed -them. It was an achievement to clean out Jack Flagg. The remaining -third went to Charlie. - -Flagg leaned back, clasped his great knotted hands about one knee, and -looked across at Dimond. Six feet and a third tall in his socks, hard -as steel rails, he could have lifted any two of the laborers about him -clear of the ground, one in each hand. The lower part of his face was -half covered with his long, ill-kept mustache and the tuft of hair -beneath his under lip. The blue shirt he wore had unmistakably come -from a military source, but not a man there, not even Charlie--himself -nearly a match for his chief in height and breadth--would have dared -ask when he had been in the army, nor why or how he had come to leave -it. - -"Dimond," said Flagg, "let me have one of those slips a minute." - -The nervous light left Dimond's eyes. He threw a suspicious glance -across the box; then, after a moment, he complied. - -Flagg held the slip near the lantern and examined it. - -"Eighty cents," he muttered, "eighty cents--and for how much work?" - -"Half a day," a laborer replied. - -"Half a day's work, and the poor devil gets eighty cents for it!" - -"He gets eighty cents! He gets nothing, you'd better say. Dimond, -there, is the man that gets it." - -"That's no matter. He lost it in fair play. But look at it--look at -it!" The giant cook contemptuously turned the slip over in his hand. -"That devil hounds you like niggers for five hours in the hot sun--he -drives you near crazy with thirst--and then he hands you out this -pretty piece of paper with 'eighty cents' wrote on it." - -"That's a dollar-sixty a day. We was only getting one-fifty the old -way--on time." - -"You was only getting one-fifty, was you?" There was infinite scorn in -Flagg's voice; his masterly eye swept the group. "You was getting -one-fifty, and now you're thankful to get ten cents more. Do you know -what you are? You're a pack of fools--that's what you are!" - -[Illustration: "'Eighty cents,' he muttered, 'and for how much -work?'"] - -"But look here, Jack, what can we do?" - -"What can you do?" Flagg paused, glanced at his vis-a-vis. From the -expression of dawning intelligence on Dimond's face it was plain that -he was waking to the suggestion. The slips that he had won to-night -were worth four hundred dollars to Dimond. Why should not these same -bits of paper fetch five hundred or six hundred? - -"What can you do?" Flagg repeated. "Oh, but you boys make me weary. It -ain't any of my business. I ain't a laborer, and what I do gets well -paid for. But when I look around at you poor fools, I can't sit still -here and let you go on like this. You ask me what you can do? Well, -now, suppose we think it over a little. Here you are, four hundred of -you. This man Carhart offers you one-fifty a day to come out here into -the desert and dig your own graves. Why did he set that price on your -lives? Because he knew you for the fools you are. Do you think for a -minute he could get laborers up there in Chicago, where he comes from, -for one-fifty? Not a bit of it! Do you think he could get men in -Pennsylvania, in New York State, for one-fifty? Not a bit of it! If he -was building this line in New York State, he'd be paying you two -dollars, two-fifty, maybe three. And he'd be glad to get you at the -price. And he'd meet your representative like a gentleman, and step -around lively and walk Spanish for you, if you so much as winked." - -Dimond's eyes were flashing with excitement, though he kept them -lowered to the cards. His face was flushed. Flagg saw that the seed he -had planted was growing, and he swept on, working up the situation -with considerable art. - -"Think it over, boys, think it over. This man Carhart finds he can't -drive you fast enough at one-fifty, so what does he do? He gets up his -pay-slip scheme so's you will kill yourselves for the chance of making -ten cents more. And you stand around and let him do it--never a peep -from you! Now, what's the situation? Here's this man, five hundred -miles from nowhere; he's got to rush the job. We know that, don't we?" - -"Yes," muttered Dimond, with a quick breath, "we know that, all -right." - -"Well, now, what about it?" Flagg looked deliberately about the eager -group. "What about it? There's the situation. Here he is, and here you -are. He's in a hurry. If he was to find out, all of a sudden, that he -couldn't drive you poor devils any farther; if he was to find out that -you had just laid down and said you wouldn't do another stroke of work -on these terms, what about it? What could he do?" Flagg paused again, -to let the suggestion find its mark. - -"But he ain't worrying any. He knows you for the low-spirited lot you -are. So what does he do? He sends out a bunch of you and makes you -ride three days to get water, and then he stacks the barrels around -his tent, where he and his gang can get all they want, and tells you -to go off and suck your thumbs. Much he cares about you." - -Dimond raised his eyes. "Talk plain, Jack," he said in a low voice. -"What is it? What's the game?" - -Flagg gave him a pitying glance. "You're still asking what's the -game," he replied, and went on half absently, "Let's see. How much is -he paying the iron squad--how much was that, now?" - -"Two dollars," cried a voice. - -"Two dollars--yes, that was it; that was it. He is paying them two -dollars a day, and he has set them to digging and grading along with -you boys that only gets one-sixty. I happened to notice that to-day, -when I was a-walking up that way. Those iron-squad boys was out with -picks and shovels, a-doing the same work as the rest of you, only they -was doing it for forty cents more. They ain't common laborers, you -see. There's a difference. You couldn't expect them to swing a pick -for one-sixty a day. It would be beneath 'em. They're sort o' swells, -you see--" - -He paused. There was a long silence. - -"Boys,"--it was Dimond speaking,--"boys, Jack Flagg is right. If it -costs Carhart two per for the iron squad, it's got to cost him the -same for us!" - - * * * * * - -Carhart was turning the delay to some account by shutting himself up -with his maps and plans and reports and figures. At ten o'clock on the -following morning he heard a step without the tent, and, looking up, -saw Young Vandervelt before him. - -"There's trouble up ahead, Mr. Carhart." - -"What is it?" - -"The laborers have quit. They demand an increase of ten per cent in -their pay." - -"All right, let them have it." - -"I'll tell my brother. He said no, we shouldn't give in an inch." - -"You tell him I say to let them have what they ask." - -Young Van hurried back with the order. Carhart quietly resumed the -problems before him. - -Old Van, when he received the chief's message, swore roundly. - -"What's Paul thinking of!" he growled. "He ought to know that this is -only the tip of the wedge. They'll come up another ten per cent before -the week's out." - -But Old Van failed to do justice to the promptness of Jack Flagg. At -three in the afternoon the demand came; and for the second time that -day the scrapers lay idle, and the mules wagged their ears in lazy -comfort. - -"Well!" cried Old Van, sharply. "Well! It's what I told you, isn't it! -Now, I suppose you still believe in running to Paul with the story." - -"Yes," replied the younger brother, firmly, "of course. He's the -boss." - -"All right, sir! All right, sir!" The veteran engineer turned away in -disgust as his brother started rapidly back to the camp. The -laborers, meanwhile, covered with sweat and dust, tantalized by the -infrequent sips of water doled out to them, lay panting in a long, -irregular line on the newly turned earth. - -"Well, Gus," said Carhart, with a wry smile, at sight of the dusty -figure before the tent, "are they at it again?" - -"They certainly are." - -"They don't mean to lose any time, do they? How much is it now?" - -"Ten per cent more. What shall we do?" - -"Give it to them." - -"All right." - -"Wait a minute, Gus. Who's their spokesman? - -"Dimond." - -"Dimond?" Carhart frowned. "Nobody else?" - -"No; but the cook has been hanging around a good deal and talking with -him." - -"Oh--I see. Well, that's all. Go ahead; give them what they ask." - -Again the mules were driven at the work. Again--and throughout the -day--the sullen men toiled on under the keen eye of Old Vandervelt. If -he had been a driver before, he was a czar now. If he could not -control the rate of pay, he could at least control the rate of work. -To himself, to the younger engineers, to the men, to the mules, he was -merciless. And foot by foot, rod by rod, the embankment that was to -bear the track crept on into the desert. The sun beat down; the wind, -when there was a wind, was scorching hot; but Old Van gave no heed. -Now and again he glanced back to where the material train lay silent -and useless, hoping against hope that far in the distance he might see -the smoke of that other train from Sherman. Peet had said, yesterday, -that it was on the way; and Old Van muttered, over and over, "D--n -Peet!" - -Night came finally, but not the train. Aching in body, ugly in spirit, -the laborers crept under their blankets. Morning came, but no train. -Carhart spent an hour on the grade, and saw with some satisfaction -that the time was not wholly lost; then he went back to the operator's -tent and opened communications with Sherman. Sherman expressed -surprise that the train had not arrived; it had been long on the way, -said the despatcher. - -At this message, repeated to him by the operator, word for word, -Carhart stood thoughtful. Then, "Shut off the despatcher. Wait--tell -him Mr. Carhart is much obliged. Shut him off. Now call Paradise. Say -to him--can't you get him?" - -"Yes--all right now." - -"Say--'When did the supply train pass you on Tuesday?'--got that?" - -"Yes--one minute. 'When--did supply--train pass--you--Tuesday?'" - -"Now what does he say?" - -"'Supply--train'--he says--'passed--here -Wednesday--two--P.M.--west-bound.' There, you see, it didn't leave on -Tuesday at all. It's only a few hours to Paradise from Sherman." - -Carhart had Peet's message still crumpled in his pocket. He -straightened it out and read it again. "All right," he said to the -operator, "that will do." And as he walked slowly and thoughtfully out -into the blazing sunlight he added to himself: "So, Mr. Peet, that's -the sort you are, is it? I think we begin to understand each other." - -"Paul!" It was the gruff voice of Old Vandervelt, low and charged with -anger. - -"Yes--what?" - -"What is it you mean to do with these laborers?" - -"Build the line." - -"Well, I've done what I could. They've walked out again." - -"Another ten per cent?" - -"Another ten per cent." - -"Let's see--we've raised them twenty per cent since yesterday morning, -haven't we?" - -"You have--yes." - -"And that ought to be about enough, don't you think?" - -"If you want my opinion,--yes." - -"Now look here, Van. You go back and bring them all up here by the -train. Tell them Mr. Carhart wants to talk to them." - -Vandervelt stared at his chief in downright bewilderment. Then he -turned to obey the order; and as he walked away Carhart caught the -muttered words, "Organize a debating society, eh? Well, that's the one -fool thing left to do!" - -But the men did not take it in just this way; in fact, they did not -know how to take it. They hesitated, and looked about for counsel. -Even Dimond was disturbed. The boss had a quiet, highly effective way -of saying and doing precisely what he meant to say and do. Dimond was -not certain of his own ability to stand directly between the men and -Paul Carhart. There was something about the cool way in which they -were ordered before him that was--well, businesslike. He turned and -glanced at Flagg. The cook scowled and motioned him forward, and so -the dirty, thirsty regiment moved uncertainly back toward the train, -and formed a wide semicircle before the boss. - -Carhart had taken his position by a pile of odds and ends of lumber -that lay beside the track. He awaited them quietly, the only man among -the hundreds there who appeared unconscious of the excitement in the -air. The elder Vandervelt stood apart, scowling at the performance. -The younger scented danger, and, climbing up on the train, walked back -over the empty flat-cars to a position directly behind his chief. -There he sat down, his legs swinging over the side of the car. - -Carhart reached up for his spectacles, deliberately breathed on them, -wiped them, and replaced them. Then he gave the regiment a slow, -inquiring look. - -"Have you men authorized somebody to speak for you?" he said in a -voice which, though it was not loud, was heard distinctly by every man -there. - -There was a moment's hesitation; then the laborers, or those who were -not studying the ground, looked at Dimond. - -The telegraph operator stepped out of his little tent, and stood -looking at the scene with startled eyes. Up ahead, the iron squad, -uncertain whether to continue their work, had paused, and now they -were gazing back. As the seconds slipped away their exclamations of -astonishment died out. All eyes were fixed on the group in the centre -of the semicircle. - -For at this critical moment, there was, it seemed, a hitch. Dimond's -broad hat was pulled down until it half concealed his eyes. He stood -motionless. At his elbow was Jack Flagg, muttering orders that the -nominal leader did not seem to hear. - -"Flagg, step out here!" - -It was Carhart speaking, in the same quiet, distinct manner. The sound -of his voice broke the tension. The men all looked up, even the -nerveless Dimond. To Young Van they were oddly like a room full of -schoolboys as they stood silently waiting for Flagg to obey. The -giant cook himself was very like a schoolboy, as he glanced uneasily -around, caught no sign of fight in the obedient eyes about him, sought -counsel in the ground, the sky, the engines standing on the track, -then finally slouched forward. - -Young Van caught himself on the verge of laughing out. He saw Flagg -advance a way and pause. Carhart waited. Flagg took a few more steps, -then paused again, with the look of a man who feels that he has been -bullied into a false position, yet cannot hit upon the way out. - -"Well," he said, glowering down on the figure of the engineer in -charge--and very thin and short Carhart looked before him--"well, what -do you want of me?" - -For reply Carhart coolly looked him over. Then he snatched up a piece -of scantling, whirled it once around his head, and caught Jack Flagg -squarely on his deep, well-muscled chest. The cook staggered back, -swung his arms wildly to recover his balance, failed, and fell flat, -striking on the back of his head. - -But he was up in an instant, and he started forward, swearing -copiously and reaching for his hip pocket. - -Young Van saw the motion. He knew that Paul Carhart seldom carried a -weapon, and he felt that the safety of them all lay with himself. -Accordingly he leaped to the ground, ran to the side of his chief, -whipped out a revolver, and levelled it at Jack Flagg. - -"Hands up!" he cried. "Hands up!" - -"Gus," cried Carhart, in a disgusted voice, "put that thing up!" - -Young Van, crestfallen, hesitated; then dropped his arm. - -"Now, Flagg," said the chief, tossing the scantling to one side, "you -clear out. You'd better do it fast, or the men'll finish where I left -off." - -The cook glanced behind him, and his eyes flitted about the semicircle -from face to face. He was keen enough to take in the situation, and -in a moment he had ducked under the couplers between two cars and -disappeared. - -"Well," exclaimed Young Van, pocketing his revolver, "it didn't take -you long to wind that up, Mr. Carhart." - -"To wind it up?" Carhart repeated, turning with a queer expression -toward his young assistant. "To begin it, you'd better say." Then he -composed his features and faced the laborers. "Get back to your work," -he said. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -WHAT THEY FOUND AT THE WATER-HOLE - - -Half an hour later Scribner, who was frequently back on the first -division during these dragging days, was informed that Mr. Carhart -wished to see him at once. Walking back to the engineers' tent he -found the chief at his table. - -"You wanted me, Mr. Carhart?" - -"Oh,"--the chief looked up--"Yes, Harry, we've got to get away from -this absolute dependence on that man Peet. I want you to ride up ahead -and bore for water. You can probably start inside of an hour. I'm -putting it in your hands. Take what men, tools, and wagons you -need--but find water." - -With a brief "All right, Mr. Carhart," Scribner left the tent and set -about the necessary arrangements. Carhart, this matter disposed of, -called a passing laborer, and asked him to tell Charlie that he was -wanted at headquarters. - -The assistant cook--huge, raw-boned, with a good-natured and not -unintelligent face--lounged before the tent for some moments before he -was observed. Then, in the crisp way he had with the men, Carhart told -him to step in. - -"Well," began the boss, looking him over, "what kind of a cook are -you?" - -A slow blush spread over the broad features. - -"Speak up. What were you doing when I sent for you?" - -"I--I--you see, sir, Jack Flagg was gone, and there wasn't anything -being done about dinner, and I--" - -"And you took charge of things, eh?" - -"Well--sort of, sir. You see--" - -"That's the way to do business. Go back and stick at it. Wait a -minute, though. Has Flagg been hanging around any?" - -[Illustration: "'Well,' began the boss, looking him over, 'what kind -of a cook are you?'"] - -"I guess he has. All his things was took off, and some of mine." - -"Take any money?" - -"All I had." - -"I'm not surprised. Money was what he was here for. He would have -cleaned you out, anyway, before long." - -"I'm not so sure of that, sir. We cleaned him out last time." - -"And you weren't smart enough to see into that?" - -"Well--no, I--" - -"Take my advice and quit gambling. It isn't what you were built for. -What did you say your name was?" - -"Charlie." - -"Well, Charlie, you go back and get up your dinner. See that it is a -good one." - -Charlie backed out of the tent and returned to his kettles and pans -and his boy assistants. He was won, completely. - -Late on Thursday evening that mythical train really rolled in, and -half the night was spent in preparations for the next day. Friday -morning tracklaying began again. In the afternoon a second train -arrived, and the air of movement and accomplishment became as keen as -on the first day of the work. Paul Carhart, in a flannel shirt, which, -whatever color it may once have been, was now as near green as -anything, a wide straw hat, airy yellow linen trousers, and laced -boots, appeared and reappeared on both divisions--alert, good-natured, -radiating health and energy. The sun blazed endlessly down, but what -laborer could complain with the example of the boss before him! The -mules toiled and plunged, and balked and sulked, and toiled again, as -mules will. The drivers--boys, for the most part--carried pails of -water on their wagons, and from time to time wet the sponges which -many of the men wore in their hats. And over the grunts and heaves of -the tie squad, over the rattling and groaning of the wagon, over the -exhausts of the locomotives, sounded the ringing clang of steel, as -the rails were shifted from flat-car to truck, from truck to ties. It -was music to Carhart,--deep, significant, nineteenth-century music. -The line was creeping on again--on, on through the desert. - -"What do you think of this!" had been Young Van's exclamation when the -second train appeared. - -"It's too good to be true," was the reply of his grizzled brother. - -Old Vandervelt was right: it was too good to be true. Soon the days -were getting away from them again; provisions and water were running -short, and Peet was sending on the most skilful lot of excuses he had -yet offered. For the second time the tracklaying had to stop; and -Carhart, slipping a revolver into his holster, rode forward alone to -find Scribner. - -He found him in a patch of sage-brush not far from a hill. The heat -was blistering, the ground baked to a powder. There had been no rain -for five months. Scribner, stripped to undershirt and trousers, was -standing over his men. - -"Glad to see you, Mr. Carhart!" he cried. "You are just in time. I -think I've struck it." - -"That's good news," the chief replied, dismounting. - -They stepped aside while Scribner gave an account of himself. "I first -drove a small bore down about three hundred feet, and got this." He -produced a tin pail from his tent, which contained a dark, odorous -liquid. Carhart sniffed, and said:-- - -"Sulphur water, eh!" - -"Yes, and very bad. It wouldn't do at all. But before moving on, I -thought I'd better look around a little. That hill over there is -sandstone, and a superficial examination led me to think that the -sandstone dips under this spot." - -"That might mean a very fair quality of water." - -"That's what I think. So I inserted a larger casing, to shut out this -sulphur water, and went on down." - -"How far?" - -"A thousand feet. I'm expecting to strike it any moment now." - -"Your men seem to think they have struck something. They're calling -you." - -The engineers returned to the well in time to see the water gushing to -the surface. - -"There's enough of it," muttered Scribner. - -The chief bent over it and shook his head. "Smell it, Harry," he said. - -Scribner threw himself on the ground and drank up a mouthful from the -stream. But he promptly spit it out. - -"It's worse than the other!" he cried. - -They were silent a moment. Then Carhart said, "Well--keep at it, -Harry. I may look you up again after a little." - -He walked over to his horse, mounted, nodded a good-by, and cantered -back toward the camp. Scribner watched him ride off, then soberly -turned and prepared to pack up and move on westward. He was thinking, -as he gave the necessary orders, how much this little visit meant. The -chief would have come only with matters at a bad pass. - - * * * * * - -Over a range of low waste hills, through a village of -prairie-dogs,--and he fired humorously at them with his revolver as -they sat on their mounds, and chuckled when they popped down out of -sight,--across a plain studded from horizon to horizon with the -bleached bones and skulls of thousands of buffaloes, past the camp and -the grade where the men of the first division were at work, Paul -Carhart rode, until, finally, the main camp and the trains and wagons -came into view. - -It was supper-time. The red, spent sun hung low in the west; the -parched earth was awaiting the night breeze. Cantering easily on, -Carhart soon reached the grade, and turned in toward the tents. The -endless quiet of the desert gave place to an odd, tense quiet in the -camp. The groups of laborers, standing or lying motionless, ceasing -their low, excited talk as he passed; the lowered eyes, the circle of -Mexicans standing about the mules, the want of the relaxation and -animal good-nature that should follow the night whistle: these signs -were plain as print to his eyes and his senses. - -He dismounted, walked rapidly to the headquarters tent, and found the -two Vandervelts in anxious conversation. He had never observed so -sharply the contrast between the brothers. The younger was smooth -shaven, slender, with brown hair, and frank blue eyes that were dreamy -at times; he would have looked the poet were it not for a square -forehead, a straight, incisive mouth, and a chin as uncompromising as -the forehead. There was in his face the promise of great capacity for -work, dominated by a sympathetic imagination. The face of his brother -was another story; some of the stronger qualities were there, but they -were not tempered with the gentler. His stocky frame, his strong neck, -the deep lines about his mouth, even the set of his cropped gray -mustache, spoke of dogged, unimaginative persistence. - -Evidently they were not in agreement. Both started at the sight of -their chief--the younger brother with a frank expression of relief. - -Carhart threw off his hat and gauntlet gloves, took his seat at the -table, and looked from one to the other. - -The elder brother nodded curtly. "Go ahead, Gus," he said. "Give Paul -your view of it." - -Thus granted the floor, Young Van briefly laid out the situation. "We -put your orders into effect this morning, Mr. Carhart, and shortened -the allowance of drinking water. In an hour the men began to get -surly--just as they did the other time. But we kept them under until -an hour or so ago. Then the sheriff of Clark County--a man named Lane, -Bow-legged Bill Lane,"--Young Van smiled slightly as he pronounced the -name,--"rode in with a large posse. It seems he is on the trail of a -gang of thieves, greasers, army deserters, and renegades generally. He -had one brush with them some miles below here,--I think I had better -tell you about this before I go on,--but they broke up into small -parties and got away from him. He had some reason to think that they -would work up this way, and try to stampede our horses and mules some -night. He advises arming our men, and keeping up more of a guard at -night. Another thing; he says that a good many Apaches are hanging -around us,--he has seen signs of them over there in the hills,--and -while they would never bother such a large party as this of ours, -Bow-legged Bill"--he smiled again--"thinks it would be best to arm any -small parties we may send out. If the Indians thought Harry Scribner, -for instance, had anything worth stealing they might give him some -trouble." - -"Send half-a-dozen wagons forward to him to-morrow, under Dimond," -said Carhart, briefly. "See that they carry rifles and cartridges -enough for Scribner's whole party. And wire Tiffany to send on three -hundred more rifles." - -"All right; I will attend to it. I told the sheriff we came down here -as peaceful railroad builders, not as border fighters; but he said -what we came for hasn't much to do with it,--I couldn't repeat his -language if I tried,--it's how we're going back that counts; whether -it's to be on a 'red plush seat, or up in the baggage car on ice.' But -so much for that. It seems that his men, mixing in with ours, found -out that we are short of water. They promptly said that there is a -first-rate pool, with all the water we could use, only about -thirty-five miles southwest of here." He was coming now, having -purposely brought up the minor matters first, to the real business. -Carhart heard him out. "It didn't take long to see that something was -the matter with the men. Before the posse rode off the sheriff spoke -to me about it, and offered to let us have a man to guide us to the -pool if we wanted him. I am in favor of accepting. The men are -trembling on the edge of an outbreak. If there was a Jack Flagg here -to organize them, they would have taken the mules and started before -you got back; and if they once got started, I'm not sure that even -shooting would stop them. They are beyond all reason. It's nothing but -luck that has kept them quiet up to now,--nobody has happened to say -the word that would set them off. I think we ought to reassure -them,--tell the sheriff we'll take the guide, and let the men know -that a wagon train will start the first thing in the morning." - -"That's it! That's it!" Old Van broke out angrily. "Always give in to -those d--n rascals! There's just one thing to do, I tell you. Order -them to their quarters and stand a guard over them from the iron -squad." - -"But you forget," Young Van replied hotly, "that they are not to -blame." - -"Not to blame! What the--!" - -"Wait a minute!--They are actually suffering now. We are not dealing -with malicious men--they are not even on strike for more pay. We're on -the edge of a panic, that's what's the matter. And the question is, -What is the best way to control that panic?" - -"Wait, boys," said Carhart. "Gus is right. This trouble has its roots -away down in human nature. If water is to be had, those men have a -right to it. If we should put them under guard, and they should go -crazy and make a break for it, what then? What if they call our bluff? -We must either let them go--or shoot." - -"Then I say shoot," cried Old Vandervelt. - -"No, Van," Carhart replied, "you're wrong. As Gus says, we are -uncomfortably close to a panic. Well, let them have their panic. Put -them on the wagons and let them run off their heat. Organize this -panic with ourselves at the head of it." His voice took on a crisper -quality. "Van, you stay here in charge of the camp. Pick out a dozen -of the iron squad, give them rifles, and keep three at a time on extra -watch all night." - -"Hold on," said the veteran, bewildered, "when are you going to start -on this--?" - -"Now." - -"Now? To-night?" - -"To-night. Gus, you find your sheriff. He can't be far off." - -"No; half a mile down the line." - -"You find him, explain the situation, and tell him we want that man in -half an hour." - -The conference broke up sharply. Gus Vandervelt hurried out, saddled -his horse, and rode off into the thickening dusk. Old Van went to -select his guards. Carhart saw them go; then, pausing to note with -satisfaction the prospect of only moderate darkness, he set about -organizing his force. All the empty casks and barrels were loaded on -wagons. Mules were hitched four and six in hand. Water, beyond a -canteen for each man, could not be spared; but Charlie packed -provisions enough--so he thought--for twenty-four hours. - -The tremulous, brilliant afterglow faded away. The stars peeped out, -one by one, and twinkled faintly. The dead plain--alive only with -scorpions, horned frogs, tarantulas, striped lizards, centipedes, and -the stunted sage-brush--stretched silently away to the dim mountains -on the horizon. The bleaching bones--ghostly white out there in the -sand--began to slip off into the distance and the dark. All about was -rest, patience, eternity. Here in camp were feverish laborers with -shattered nerves; men who started at the swish of a mule's tail--and -swore, no matter what their native tongue, in English, that famous -vehicle for profane thoughts. The mules, full of life after their -enforced rest, took advantage of the dark and confusion to tangle -their harness wofully. Leaders swung around and mingled fraternally -with wheelers, whereupon boy drivers swore horrible oaths in voices -that wavered between treble and bass. Lanterns waved and bobbed about. -Men shouted aimlessly. - -Suddenly the babel quieted--the laborers were bolting a belated -supper. Then, after a moment of confusion, three men rode out of the -circle of lanterns, put their horses at the grade, stood out for a -vivid moment in the path of light thrown by the nearest engine,--Paul -Carhart, Young Vandervelt, and the easy-riding guide,--plunged down -the farther side of the grade, and blended into the night. One after -another the long line of wagons followed after, whips cracking, mules -balking and breaking, men tugging at the spokes of the wheels. Then, -at last, they were all over; the shouts had softened into silence. And -Old Van stood alone on the grade and looked after them with eyes that -were dogged and gloomy. - - * * * * * - -Paul Carhart had organized the panic; now he was resolved to "work it -out of them," as he explained aside to Young Van. He estimated that -they should reach the pool before eight o'clock in the morning. That -would mean continuous driving, but the endurance of mules is a -wonderfully elastic thing; and as for the men, the sooner they were -tired, the less danger would there be of a panic. Accordingly, the -three leaders set off at a canter. The drivers caught the pace, -lashing out with their whips and shouting in a frenzied waste of -strength. The mules galloped angrily; the wagons rattled and bumped -and leaped the mounds, for there was not the semblance of road or -trail. Now and again a barrel was jolted off, and it lay there -unheeded by the madmen who came swaying and cursing by. Here and there -one calmer than his fellows climbed back from a seat by his driver and -kept the kegs and barrels in place. - -Wonderfully they held the pace, over mile after mile of rough plain. -Then, after a time, came the hills,--low at first, but rising steadily -higher. - -In the faint light the sage-brush slipped by like the ghosts of dead -vegetation. The rocks and the heaps of bones gave the wheels many a -wrench. The steady climb was telling on the mules. They hung back, -slowed to a walk all along the line, and under the whip merely plunged -or kicked. Up and up they climbed, winding through the low range by a -pass known only to the guide. One mule, a leader in a team of six, -stumbled among the rocks, fell to his knees, and was dragged and -pushed along in a tangle of harness before his fellows came to a stop. -In a moment a score of men were crowding around. Up ahead the wagons -were winding on out of sight; behind, the line was blocked. - -[Illustration: "Wonderfully they held the pace."] - -"Vat you waiting for?" cried a New Orleans man, feverishly. He had -been drinking, and had lost his way among the languages. "_Laissez -passer! Laissez passer!_" - -The boys were cooler than the men--not knowing so well what it all -meant. "Hi there, _Oui-Oui_, gimme a knife!" cried the youthful -driver, shrilly. - -He slashed at the harness, cut the mule loose, and drove on. And one -by one the wagons circled by the struggling beast and pushed ahead to -close up the gap in the line. - -Eight hours were got through. It was four in the morning. The hills -lay behind, an alkaline waste before. The mules were tugging heavily -and dejectedly through the sand. Certain of the drivers sat upright -with lined faces and ringed eyes, others lay sleeping on the seats -with the reins tied. All were subdued. The penetrating dust aggravated -their thirst. - -Carhart pricked forward beside the guide. - -"How much farther?" he asked. - -"Well, it ain't easy to say. We might be halfway there." - -"Halfway! Do you mean to say we've done only fifteen or eighteen miles -in eight hours?" - -"No, I didn't say that." - -"Look here. How far is it to this pool!" - -"Well, it's hard to say." - -Carhart frowned and gave it up. The "thirty or thirty-five miles" had -apparently been the roughest sort of an estimate. - -Then the sun came up and beat upon them, and the sand began to radiate -heat by way of an earnest of the day to follow; and then the wheels -sank so deeply that the chief and Young Van tossed their reins to the -guide and walked by the wagons to lend a hand now and then at the -spokes. All the crazy energy of the evening was gone; men and mules -were alike sullen and dispirited. Of the latter, many gave out and -fell, and these were cut out and left there to die. So it went all -through that blazing forenoon. They halted at twelve for lunch; but -the dry bread and salt pork were hardly stimulating. - -Carhart again sought the guide. "Do you know yourself where the pool -is?" - -The guide shaded his eyes and searched the horizon. "It was in a spot -that looked something like this here," he said in a weak, confidential -sort of way. - -Carhart answered sharply, "Why don't you say you are lost, and be done -with it!" - -"Well, I ain't lost exactly. I wouldn't like to say that." - -"But you haven't the least idea where the pool is." - -"Well, now, you see--" - -"Is there any other water on ahead?" - -"Oh, yes." - -"Where?" - -"The Palos River can't be more than a dozen miles beyond the place -where we found the pool." - -He had unconsciously raised his voice. A laborer overheard the remark, -whipped out his knife, hacked at the harness of the nearest mule,--it -would have been simpler to loosen the braces, but he was past all -thinking,--threw himself on the animal's back, and rode off, lashing -behind him with the end of the reins. The panic broke loose again. Man -after man, the guide among them, followed after, until only the wagons -and about half the animals remained. - -"Come, Gus," called the chief, "let them go." - -Young Van turned wearily, mounted his panting horse, and the two -followed the men. But Carhart turned in his saddle to look back at the -property abandoned there in the sand. - -Half an hour later, Young Van's horse stumbled and fell, barely giving -his rider time to spring clear. - -"Is he done for?" asked Carhart, reining up. - -"It looks like it." - -"What's the matter--done up yourself?" - -"A little. I'll sit here a minute. You go ahead. I'll follow on foot." - -"Not a bit of it. Here--can you swing up behind me?" - -"That won't do. Texas can't carry double. Go ahead; I'm all right." - -But Carhart dismounted, lifted his assistant, protesting, into the -saddle, and pushed on, himself on foot, leading the horse. - -They went on in this way for nearly an hour. Young Van found it all he -could do to hold himself in the saddle. Then the horse took to -staggering, and finally came to his knees. - -Carhart helped his assistant to the ground, pulled his hat brim down -to shade his eyes, and looked ahead. A cloud of dust on the horizon, a -beaten trail through the sand, here and there a gray-brown heap where -a mule had fallen,--these marked the flight of his drivers and -laborers. - -His eyes came back to the fainting man at his feet. Young Van had lost -all sense of the world about him. Carhart saw that his lips were -moving, and knelt beside him. Then he smiled, a curious, unhumorous -smile; for the young engineer was muttering those words which had of -late been his brother's favorites among all the words in our rich -language: "D--n Peet!" - -The chief stood up again to think. And as he gazed off eastward in the -general direction of Sherman, toward the place where the arch enemy of -the Sherman and Western sat in his office, perhaps devising new -excuses to send to the front, those same two expressive words might -have been used to sum up his own thoughts. What could the man be -thinking of, who had brought the work practically to a stop, who was -now in the coolest imaginable fashion leaving a thousand men to mingle -their bones with the bones of the buffalo--that grim, broadcast -expression of the spirit of the desert. - -[Illustration: "They went on in this way for nearly an hour."] - -But these were unsafe thoughts. His own head was none too clear. It -was reeling with heat and thirst and with the monotony of this -desolate land. He drew a flask from his pocket,--an almost empty -flask,--and placed it against Young Van's hand. With their two hats -propped together he shaded his face. Then, a canteen slung over each -shoulder, he pushed ahead, on foot. - - * * * * * - -"The Palos River can't be more than a dozen miles--" had said the -guide, pointing southward. That was all. Somewhere off there in the -desert it lay, flowing yellow and aimless. Perhaps it was a lie. -Perhaps the guide was mistaken, as he had been in the search for the -pool. But the last feeble tie that bound these outcasts to reason had -snapped at the sight of that unsteady, pointing finger, and only the -original sin in them was left. The words of the guide had been heard -by one man, and he was off at the instant, his only remark a curse as -he knocked a boy out of his way. But others had seen the pointing -finger. And still others were moved by the impulse which spurs men, in -frantic moments, to any sort of action. - -In the rush for mounts two men, a half-breed from the Territory and a -Mexican, plunged at the same animal. The half-breed was hacking at the -nigh trace and the Mexican at the off rein when their eyes met. The -mule both had chosen was the nigh leader in a double team. But instead -of turning to one of the other three, the men, each with a knife in -his hand, fell to fighting; and while they struggled and fell and -rolled over and over in the sand, a third man mounted their prize and -galloped away. - -But it was the boys who suffered most. None but hardy youngsters had -been chosen for the drive, but their young endurance could not help -them in personal combat with these grown men; and personal combat was -what it came to wherever a boy stood or sat near a desirable mule. The -odd thing was that every man and boy succeeded in getting away. Hats -were lost. Shirts were torn to shreds, exposing skins, white and -brown, to the merciless sun. Even the half-breed and the Mexican, -dropping their quarrel as unreasonably as they had begun it, each -bleeding from half-a-dozen small wounds, finally galloped off after -the others. And when these last were gone, and the dust was billowing -up behind them, something less than two minutes had passed since the -guide had pointed southward. - -The Palos River is probably the most uninviting stream in the -Southwest. It was at this time sluggish and shallow. The water was so -rich with silt that a pailful of it, after standing an hour, would -deposit three inches of mud. The banks were low and of the same gray -sand as the desert, excepting that a narrow fringe of green announced -the river to the eye. It was into and through this fringe that the -first rider plunged. It had been a long two-hour ride, and the line -straggled out for more than a mile behind him. But he was not -interested in his companions. His eyes were fixed on the broad yellow -river-bed with the narrow yellow current winding through it. Drinking -could not satisfy him. He wanted to get into the water, and feel his -wet clothes clinging about him, and duck his face and head under, and -splash it about with his hands. His mount needed no lash to slip and -scramble down the bank and spurt over the sand. The animal was so -crazily eager that he stumbled in the soft footing and went to his -knees. But the rider sailed on over his head, and with a great shout, -arms and legs spread wide, he fell with a splash and a gurgle into the -water. The mule regained his feet and staggered after him, and then -the two of them, man and beast, rolled and wallowed and splashed, and -drank copiously. - -The second man reached the bank on foot, for his mule had fallen -within sight of the promised land. He paused there, apparently -bewildered, watching his fortunate comrade in the water. Then, with -dazed deliberation, he removed his clothes, piled them neatly under a -bush, and walked out naked, stepping gingerly on the heated sand. But -halfway to the channel a glimmer of intelligence sparkled in his eyes, -and he suddenly dashed forward and threw himself into the water. - -One by one the others came crashing through the bushes, and rode or -ran down the bank, swearing, laughing, shouting, sobbing. And not one -of them could have told afterward whether he drank on the upstream or -the downstream side of the mules. - -When Paul Carhart, a long while later, parted the bushes and stood out -in relief on the bank, leaning on a shrub for support, he saw a -strange spectacle. For a quarter of a mile, up and down the channel, -were mules, some drinking, some rolling and kicking some lying out -flat and motionless. Near at hand, hanging from every bush, were -shirts and trousers and stockings; at the edge of the bank was a long, -irregular line of boots and shoes. And below, on the broad reach of -sand, laughing, and bantering, and screaming like schoolboys, half a -hundred naked men stood in a row, stooping with hands on knees, while -a dozen others went dancing and high-stepping and vaulting over them. - -They were playing leap-frog. - -Carhart walked across to the upstream side of the mules and drank. -Then, after filling two canteens, he returned to the bank and sat down -in such small shade as he could find. It was at this moment that the -men caught sight of him. The game stopped abruptly, and for a moment -the players stood awkwardly about, as schoolboys would at the -appearance of the teacher. Then, first one, and another, and a group -of two or three more, and finally, all of them, resumed their simple -clothing, and sat down along the bank to await orders. The panic was -over. - -Now the chief roused himself. "Here, you two!" he cried. "Take these -canteens and the freshest mules you can find, and go back to Mr. -Vandervelt. Ride hard." - -And almost at the word, eager, responsive, the men he had addressed -were off. - - * * * * * - -As soon as the worst of the shakiness passed out of his legs, Carhart -rose. His next task was to get the mules back to the wagons, and bring -them on to the river in order to fill the barrels, and this promised a -greater expenditure of time and strength than he liked to face. But -there was no alternative, it seemed, so he caught a mule, mounted it, -and rode back. And the men trailed after him, riding and walking, in a -line half a mile long. - -Carhart found Young Van sitting up, too weak to talk, supported by the -two men whom he had sent back. - -"How is he?" asked the chief. - -"It's hard to say, Mr. Carhart," replied one of the men. "He don't -seem quite himself." - -Carhart dismounted, felt the pulse of the young man, and then bathed -his temples with the warmish water. "Carry him over into the shade of -that wagon, boys," he said. "Here, I'll give you a hand." - -The earth, even beneath the wagon, was warm, and Carhart and the two -laborers spread out their coats before they laid him down. The chief -poured a little water on his handkerchief, and laid it on Young Van's -forehead. - -And then, when Carhart had got to his feet and was looking about, -holding down his hat-brim to shade his eyes, an expression of inquiry, -which had come into his face some little time before, slowly deepened. - -"Boys," he said, "what's become of the mules that were left here?" - -The men looked up. "Don't know, Mr. Carhart," replied the more -talkative one. "I ain't seen 'em." - -Carhart turned away, and again his eyes roved about over the beaten -ground. Very slowly and thoughtfully he began walking around the -deserted wagons in widening circles. Those of the men who were back -from the river watched him curiously. After a time he stopped and -looked at some tracks in the sand, and then, still walking slowly, -followed them off to the right. A few of the men, the more observant -ones, fell in behind him, but he did not glance around. - -The foremost laborer stopped a moment and waited for the man next -behind. - -"The boss is done up," he said in a low voice. - -The other man nodded. "Unsteady in the legs," he replied. "And he's -gone white. I see it when we was at the river." - -The tracks were distinct enough, but Carhart did not quicken his pace. -He was talking to himself, half aloud: "It'll go on until it's -settled,--those things have to, out here. He's a coward, but he'll -drink it down every day until the idea gets to running loose in his -head."--He staggered a little, then pulled himself up short. - -"What's the matter with me, anyway!" he muttered. "This is a pretty -spectacle!" And he walked deliberately on. - -The trail led him, and the quiet little file of men behind him, over -and around a low ridge and a chain of knolls. "This heat keeps a dead -rein on you," he said, again speaking half aloud. "Let's see, what was -I thinking,--oh, the boys at the camp, they needed water too; I was -going to load up and hurry back to help them out." - -And then, as he walked on with a solemn precision not unlike that of a -drunken man, the scene shifted, and another scene--one which had long -ago slipped out of his waking thoughts,--took its place. He was -fishing a trout stream in the Adirondacks. He had found a series of -pools in a narrow gorge where the brook came leaping merrily down from -one low ledge to another. The underbrush on the steep banks was dark -and impenetrable. The pine and hemlock and beech and maple and -chestnut trees grew thick on either hand, and so matted their branches -overhead that only a little checkered light could sift through. The -rocks were dark with moss; the stream was choked at certain points -with the debris of the last flood. He was tired after the day's -fishing. A storm came up. It grew very black and ugly in that little -ravine. And then, for no reason, a thing happened which had not -happened in his steady mind before or since. He fell into a curious -horror, in which the tangled wilderness and the gloom and the rushing -rain and the creaking trees and the noise of the falling water and -that of the thunder all played some part. He recalled that he had -found a hollow in the bank, where a large tree had been uprooted, and -had taken shivering refuge there. - -The wilderness had always before seemed man's playground. It suddenly -became a savage living and breathing thing to which a man was -nothing. - -And now the desert was showing its teeth, and Carhart knew that he was -trembling again on the brink of the horrors. He understood the sort of -thing very well. He had seen men grow crafty and cowardly or ugly and -murderous out there on the frontier. He had been in Death Valley. And -as he had seen the symptoms in other men's faces, so he now felt them -coming into his own. He knew how a man's sense of proportion can go -awry,--how a mere railroad, with its very important banker-officials -in top hats and its very elaborate and impressive organization, could -seem a child's toy here in the desert where the wonderful spaces and -the unearthly atmosphere and the morning and evening colors lie very -close to the borders of another realm, and where the eye of God blazes -forever down on the just and the unjust. - -None of the little devices of a sophisticated world pass current in -the desert. Carhart knew all this, as I have said, very well. He knew -that a man's mind is searched to the bottom out here, that the morbid -tone and the yellow streak are inevitably dragged to the surface and -displayed to the gaze of all men. But he also knew that where the mind -is sound, the trouble may arise from physical exhaustion, and this -knowledge saved him. He deliberately recalled the fact that for -thirty-six hours he had not slept and that the work he had done and -the strain he had been under would have sent many men to the nearest -hospital, or, in the desert, to the nearest shallow excavation in the -ground. And he walked slowly and steadily on, in that same shaky, -determined manner. - -On the summit of a knoll he stopped short, and looked down at -something on the farther side. The men came up, one by one, and joined -him; and they, too, stopped short and looked. And then Carhart raised -his eyes and watched their faces steadily, eagerly wondering if they -saw what he saw,--a water-hole, fringed with green, and a mule lying -at the water's edge and a number of other mules quietly grazing. It -was his test of himself. For a full half minute he gazed into those -sweaty, drink-bleared faces. And then, at what he saw there, his own -tense expression gave way to one of overwhelming relief. The men ran -pell-mell down the slope, shouting with delight. And Carhart sat down -there on the knoll, and his head fell a little forward over his knees. - -"Will you have a little of this, Mr. Carhart?" - -A big renegade with the face of a criminal was holding out a flask. -The chief took it, and gulped down a few swallows. "Thank you," he -said quietly. - -"One of the boys found this here, down among them tin cans, Mr. -Carhart." - -It was the crumpled first page of the _Pierrepont Enterprise_. Carhart -stiffened up, spread it out on his knees, and read the date line. The -paper was only two days old. - -"Where's Pierrepont?" he asked. - -"About a day's journey down the river, sir." - -Again the chief's eyes ran over the sheet. Suddenly they lighted up. -Here is what he saw:-- - -GOSSIP OF THE RAILROADS - -Commodore Durfee Gets the -"Shaky & Windy" - -Mr. De Reamer and Mr. -Chambers in contempt of -Court--Durfee and Carrington -directors allied at -last against De Reamer--It -is said that Durfee already -has a majority--Meeting -to be held nex -will be decid -De Rea - -The rest of it was torn off, but he read these headings three times. -Then he lowered his knees, with the paper still lying across them, and -looked over it at the little group of men and mules about the -water-hole. "Can that be true, or can't it?" he asked himself. "And -what am I going to do about it? I don't believe it; it's another war -of injunctions, that's what it is, and it isn't likely to be settled -short of the Supreme Court. We can start back in an hour or so, and as -soon as we reach camp I'll take the five-spot"--Carhart's two engines -happened to bear the numbers five and six--"the five-spot and the -private car and see if Bill Cunningham can't make a record run toward -Sherman. It's a little puzzling, but I'm inclined to think it's a -mighty good thing that I found this paper." - -He tossed it away, and then, catching sight for the first time of the -other side, he took it up again. The second page was nearly covered -with crude designs, made with a blue pencil. There were long rows of -scallops, and others of those aimless markings a man will make when -pencil and paper are before him. And in the middle, surrounded by a -sort of decorative border, was printed out "MR. CARHART," then a blank -space and the name "JACK FLAGG." - -Carhart rose to his feet, folded the paper, put it in his hip pocket, -and looked cheerfully around. "So, Mr. Flagg, it's you I'm indebted to -for this information. I'm sure I'm greatly obliged." Then he waved to -the men. "Come on, boys," he shouted. "Bring those animals back to the -wagons. We'll fill the barrels here." - -Slowly and not without difficulty he walked back. But the unsteadiness -in his legs no longer disturbed him. The panic was over,--and -something else was over too. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -THE ROAD TO TOTAL WRECK - - -"How's my pony?" said Young Van. "You haven't told me." - -"I shot him." - -"Not yours too? Didn't I see you riding Texas this morning? I--I'm a -little hazy about what I have and haven't seen these days." - -"Yes; Texas pulled through. He's hitched on just behind us." - -The wagon train, with every barrel full, was drawing slowly toward Mr. -Carhart's camp. Young Van and Carhart were riding on the leading -wagon, and the former was gazing off dejectedly to the horizon, where -he could see a few moving black specks and the gray-yellow line of the -grade. "I don't know what you'll think of me, Mr. Carhart," he said, -after a time. "I don't seem to be good for much when it comes to real -work." - -"Better forget about it, Gus," the chief replied. "I'm going to. This -isn't railroad building." - -The long line of wagons wound into camp, and Carhart made it his first -business to get his assistant undressed and comfortably settled on his -cot. It would be a day or so before the young man would be able to -resume his work. Then Carhart stepped out, walked part way down the -knoll, and looked about him, and became conscious of an unusual stir -about the job. Peering out through dusty spectacles, he saw that a -party of strangers were coming up the slope toward him. - -At the head walked Old Van, in boiled shirt and city clothes, with a -tall man in frock coat and top hat whom Carhart recognized as -Vice-president Chambers. After them came a party of ladies and one or -two young men to whom Tiffany was explaining the methods of -construction. It seemed that Mr. Chambers had thought it worth while -to adopt Tiffany's suggestion that the vast quantities of dry bones in -the desert be gathered up and shipped eastward to be ground up into -fertilizer. - -Carhart was presented to Mrs. Chambers and to the two Misses Chambers -and the other young women. He took them in with a glance, then looked -down over his own outrageously attired person and restrained a smile. -Tiffany was the one he wished to see, and he told him so with a barely -perceptible motion of the head. - -Tiffany caught the signal, made his excuses, and walked off with this -dusty, inconspicuous man on whose shoulders rested the welfare of the -whole Sherman and Western system. He had observed that the young women -drew instinctively away from the dingy figure, and his smile was not -restrained. He was thinking of his first meeting with Paul Carhart, in -Chicago,--it was at the farewell dinner to the Dutch engineers,--and -of his distinguished appearance as he rose to speak, and of his -delightfully humorous enumeration of the qualities required in an -American engineer. Thinking of these things he almost spoke aloud: -"And they never knew the difference,--not a blessed one of 'em! Even -Mrs. Chambers don't know a gentleman without he's tagged. Ain't it -funny!" And the chief engineer of the S. & W., being a blunt, and not -at all a subtle man, wisely gave up the eternal question. - -"Look here, Tiffany," Carhart began, "something's going to happen to -this man Peet." - -Tiffany plucked a straw from a convenient bale, and began meditatively -to chew it. "I haven't got a word to say, Carhart. You've got a clear -case against us, and I guess I can't object if you take it out of me." - -"No; I understand the thing pretty well, Tiffany. You're doing what -you can, but Peet isn't." - -"Are you sure about that?" - -"Perfectly." - -"He's having the devil's own time himself, Carhart. The mills are -going back on us steady with the rails. They just naturally don't ship -'em. I'm beginning to think they don't want to ship 'em." - -Carhart stopped short, plunged in thought. "Maybe you're right," he -said after a moment. "I hadn't thought of that before." - -"No, you oughtn't to have to think of it. That's our business, but -it's been worrying us considerable. Then there's the connections, too. -The rails have to come into Sherman by way of the Queen and -Cumberland,--a long way 'round--" - -"And the Queen and Cumberland has 'Commodore Durfee' written all over -it." - -"Yes, I guess it has." - -"And knowing that, you fellows have been sitting around waiting for -the Commodore to deliver your material. No, Tiffany, don't tell me -that; I hate to think it of you." - -"I know we're a pack of fools, Carhart, but--" the sentence died out. -"But what can we do, man? We can't draw a new map of the United -States, can we? We've got our orders from the old man--!" - -[Illustration: "'Look here, Tiffany,' Carhart began, 'something's -going to happen to this man Peet.'"] - -"Could you have the stuff sent around by the Coast and Crescent, and -transferred over to Sherman by wagon?" - -"Wait a minute; who owns the Coast and Crescent? Who's got it all -buttoned up in his pants pocket?" - -"Oh," said Carhart. They stood for a little while, then sat down on a -pile of culls which had been brought up by the tie squad for -supporting tent floors. "It begins to occur to me," Carhart went on, -"that we are working under the nerviest president that ever--But -perhaps he can't help it. He's fixed pretty much as Washington was in -the New Jersey campaign; he's surrounded by the enemy and he's got to -fight out." - -"That's it, exactly," cried Tiffany. "He's got to cut his way out. He -ain't a practical railroad man, and he's just ordered us to do it for -him. Don't you see our fix?" - -"Yes," Carhart mused, "I see well enough. Look here, Tiffany; how far -can I go in this business,--extra expenses, and that sort of things?" - -Tiffany's face became very expressive. "Well," he said, "I guess if -you can beat the H. D. & W. to Red Hills there won't be any questions -asked. If you can't beat 'em, we'll all catch hell. Why, what are you -thinking of doing?" - -"Not a thing. My mind's a blank." - -From Tiffany's expression it was plain that he was uncertain whether -to believe this or not. - -"It comes to about this," Carhart went on. "It all rests on me, and if -I'm willing to run chances, I might as well run 'em." - -Tiffany's eyes were searching the lean, spectacled face. "I guess it's -for you to decide," he replied. "I don't know what else Mr. Chambers -was thinking of when he the same as told me to leave you be." - -"By the way, Tiffany,"--Carhart was going through his pockets,--"how -long is it since you people left Sherman?" - -"More than a week. Mr. Chambers wanted some shooting on the way out." - -"Do you suppose he knows about this?" And Carhart produced the torn -sheet of the _Pierrepont Enterprise_. - -Tiffany read the headlines, and slowly shook his head. "I'm sure he -don't. There was no such story around Sherman when we left. But we -found a message waiting here to-day, asking Mr. Chambers to hurry -back; very likely it's about this." - -"If it were true, if Commodore Durfee does own the line, what effect -would it have on my work here?" - -"Not a bit! Not a d--n bit!" Tiffany's big hand came down on his knee -with a bang. "This line belongs to Daniel De Reamer, and Old Durfee's -thievery and low tricks and kept judges don't go at Sherman, or here -neither. It's jugglery, the whole business; there ain't anything -honest about it." Carhart looked away, and again restrained a smile; -he was thinking of where the money came from. "And I'll tell you -this," Tiffany concluded, "if anybody comes into my office and tries -to take possession for Old Durfee, I'll say, 'Hold on, my friend, who -signed that paper you've got there?' And if I find it ain't signed by -five judges--_five_, mind!--of the Supreme Court of the United States -sittin' in Washington, I'll say, 'Get out of here!' And if they won't -get out, I'll kick 'em out. And there's five hundred men in Sherman, a -thousand men, who'll help me to do it. If it's court business, I guess -our judges are as good as theirs. And if it comes to shooting, by God -we'll shoot!" - -"I agree with you, on the whole," said Carhart. "Mr. De Reamer and Mr. -Chambers have put me here to beat the H. D. & W. to Red Hills, and I'm -going to do it. But--" - -"That's the talk, man!" - -"But let's get back to Peet. He could help us a little if he felt like -it. You told me last month, Tiffany, that Peet had given you a list -of the numbers of all my supply cars, with an understanding that they -wouldn't be used for anything else. Have you got that list with you?" - -"No; it's in my desk, at Sherman." - -"All right. I'll call for it day after to-morrow." - -"At Sherman?" - -"Yes. Peet isn't sending those cars out here, and I'm going to find -out where he is sending them." - -"There's one thing, Carhart," said Tiffany, as they rose, "I'm sure -Peet don't know how bad off you were for water. He was holding up the -trains for material." - -"He ought to understand, Tiffany. I wired him to send the water -anyway." - -"I know. But that would be wholesale murder. He didn't realize--" - -"I'm going to undertake the job of making him realize, Tiffany." - -The whistle of the vice-president's special engine was tooting as they -started back. On the one hand, as far as human beings could be -distinguished with the naked eye, the groups and the long lines of -laborers were shuffling to and from their work on the grade; the -picked men of the iron squad, muscular, deep chested, were working -side by side with the Mexicans and the negroes, as also were the -spikers and strappers and the men of the tie squad. On the other hand, -the ladies of the vice-president's party were picking their way -daintily back toward Mr. Chambers's private car, where savory odors -and a white-clad chef awaited them. - -Carhart had time only to wash his face and hands before rejoining the -party at the car steps. His clothing was downright disreputable, and -he wanted the physique, the height and breadth and muscle display, -which alone can give distinction to rough garments. Even his clean-cut -face and reserved, studious expression were not positive features, and -could hardly triumph over the obvious facts of his dress. Mrs. -Chambers and the young women again glanced toward him, and again they -had nothing to say to him. To the truth that this ugly, noisy scene -was a resolving dissonance in the harmony of things, that this rough -person in spectacles was heroically forging a link in the world's -girdle, these women were blind. They had been curious to come; and now -that they were here and were conscious of the dirtiness and meanness -of the hundreds of men about them, now that the gray hopelessness of -the desert was getting on their nerves, they were eager to go back. -And so the bell rang, the driving-wheels spun around, slipping under -the coughing engine, the car began to rumble forward, the ladies -bowed, the vice-president, taking a last look at things from the rear -platform, nodded a good-by, and the incident was closed. - - * * * * * - -There were a number of things for Carhart to attend to after he had -eaten supper and dressed, and before he could get away,--some of which -will have to find a place in a later chapter,--and it was eleven -o'clock at night when he finally put aside his maps and reports. He -then wrote a note to Scribner, telling the engineer of the second -division that the last report of his pile inspector was not -satisfactory,--the third bent in the trestle over Tiffany Hollow on -"mile fifty-two" showed insufficient resistance. He left for Young -Van's attention a pile of letters with memoranda for the replies. He -sent for Old Van, and went over with him the condition of the work on -the first division. And finally he wrote the following letter to John -Flint:-- - - DEAR JOHN: I'm sending forward to-morrow the extra cable and - the wheelers you asked for. I have to run back to Sherman - to-night, possibly for a week or so, but there'll be time - enough to look over your plans for cutting and filling on the - west bank when I get back. I haven't figured it out yet, but - I'm inclined to agree with you that we can make more of a fill - there. But I'll write you again about it. - - Thanks to our friend Peet I nearly killed Texas on a ride for - water. Got to have another riding horse sent out here. My - assistant's pony had to be shot--that little brown beauty I - pointed out to you the morning you started, with the white - star. - - Yours, - - P. C. - - P. S. By the way, that Wall-street fight was only the opening - skirmish. The Commodore is raiding S. & W. for business. I - guess you know how he does these things. The _Pierrepont - Enterprise_ says he has already got control of the board, so - it will probably be our turn next. If you haven't plenty of - weapons, you'd better order what you need at Red Hills right - away. And don't forget that you're working for Daniel De - Reamer. - - P. C. - -He folded the letter, slipped it into an envelope, addressed it, and -then tipped back and ran his long fingers through his hair. He was -surprised to find that his forehead was beaded with sweat. "Lovely -climate, this," he said to himself; adding after a moment, "Now what -have I forgotten?" For several minutes he balanced there, supporting -himself by resting the fingers of one hand against a tall case -labelled, "A B C Spool Cotton," in the flat, glass-fronted drawers of -which he kept his maps and papers. Finally he muttered, "Well, if I -have forgotten anything, I've forgotten it for good," and the front -legs of his chair came down, and he reached across the table for his -hat. - -But instead of rising, he lingered, fingering the wide hat-brim. The -yellow lamplight fell gently on his face, now leaner than ever. "I -wonder what they think a man is made of," thought he. "Nothing very -valuable, I guess, from what an engineer gets paid. I'm in the wrong -business. It's my sort of man who does the work, and it's the -speculators and that sort who get the money,--God help 'em!" Again he -made as if to rise, and again he paused. "Oh!" he said, "of course, -that was it." He clapped his hat on the back of his head, reached out -for a letter which he had that evening written to Mrs. Carhart, opened -the envelope, and added these words:-- - - "Have Thomas Nelson plant the nasturtiums along the back fence. - There isn't enough sunshine out in front for anything but the - honeysuckle and the Dutchman's pipe. And he'd better screen the - fence with golden glow, set out pretty thick the whole way, - between the nasturtiums and the fence. The crab-apple tree will - be in the way, but it's so near dead that he'd better cut it - down. I like your other arrangements first rate." - -This, and a few other east-bound letters, he put in his handbag. Then -he looked at his watch. "Hello!" said he, "it's to-morrow morning." He -pulled his hat forward, took up the lamp, and stepped out through the -tent opening, holding the lamp high and looking down, through the -night, toward the track. - -The silence, in spite of a throbbing locomotive, or perhaps because of -it, was almost overwhelming. There was not a cloud in the sky; the -stars were twinkling down. - -"How horribly patient it is," he thought. "We're slap bang up against -the Almighty." - -"Toot! Too-oo-oot!" came from the throbbing locomotive. - -"All right, sir!" he muttered. "Be with you in a minute." - -He went back into the tent, put down the lamp, picked up his handbag, -took a last look around, and then blew out the lamp and set off down -the slope to the track. - -The engineer was hanging out of his cab. "All ready, Mr. Carhart?" - -"All ready, Bill." The chief caught the hand-rail of _his_ private -car, tossed his bag to the platform, and swung himself up after it. - -"You was in something of a hurry, Mr. Carhart?" - -"In a little of a hurry, yes, Bill." - -They started off, rocking and bumping over the new track, and Carhart -began stripping off his clothes. "It isn't exactly like Mr. -Chambers's," he said, "but I guess I'll be able to get in a little -sleep; that is, if Bill doesn't smash me up, or jolt me to death." - - * * * * * - -Three days later, at five o'clock in the afternoon, Carhart was -writing a letter in the office of the "Eagle House," at Sherman. -Sitting in rows along three sides of the room was perhaps a score of -men, and in a corner by herself sat one young woman. The men were a -mixed assortment,--locomotive engineers, photographers, travelling -salesmen of tobacco, jewellery, shoes, clothing, and small cutlery, -not to speak of an itinerant dentist and a team of "champion banjo and -vocal artists." As for the young woman, if you could have taken a peep -into the sample case at her feet, you would have learned that she was -prepared to disseminate a collection of literature which ranged from -standard sets of Dickens and Thackeray to a fat volume devoted to the -songs and scenes of Old Ireland, an illustrated life of the Pope, and -a work on the character and the splendid career of Porfirio Diaz. -Outside, at the window, stood or sat another score of men, each of -whom bore the unmistakable dress and manner of the day laborer. And -every pair of eyes, within and without the smoky room, was fixed on -the back of the man who was writing a letter at the table in the -corner. - -But Carhart's mind was wholly occupied with the work before him. He -was travel-stained,--it was not yet an hour since he had come in from -Crockett, the nearest division town on the H. D. & W.,--but there were -few signs of weariness on his face, and none at all in his eyes. "How -much had I better tell him?" he was asking himself. "I wonder what he -is up to, anyway? Possibly he has an interest in the lumber company, -or maybe Durfee's men have bought him up." For several minutes his pen -occupied itself with dotting out a design on the blotter; then -suddenly a twinkle came into his eyes, and he wrote rapidly as -follows:-- - - DEAR MR. PEET: I beg to enclose herewith a list of the cars - which were assigned to me at the beginning of the construction - work. I am sure you will agree with me that I can spare none of - these cars, least of all to supply a rival line. And in - consideration of your future hearty cooperation with me in - advancing this construction work, I will gladly take pains to - see that my present knowledge of the use that has been made of - these cars shall not interfere in any way with your continued - enjoyment of your position with the Sherman and Western. - - Yours very truly, - - P. CARHART. - -He folded the letter, then opened it and read it over. "Yes," he told -himself, "it's better to write it. Seeing the thing before him in -black and white may have a stimulating effect." He found in his pocket -the worn and thumbed list of cars, enclosed it in his letter, -addressed an envelope, and looked around. At once he was beset by the -agents and the applicants for work, but he shoved through to the -piazza, and called a boy. - -"Here, son," he said, "do you know Mr. Peet, of the railroad?" - -The boy nodded. - -"Take this letter to him. If he isn't in his office, go to his house, -but don't come back until you have found him." - -"Will there be any answer?" - -"No--no answer. Don't give the letter to anybody but Mr. Peet himself. -When you have done that, come to me and get a quarter." - -The boy started off, and Carhart reentered the building, slipped past -the office door, and walked up two flights of stairs to his room. - -"And now," thought he, "I guess a bath will feel about as good as -anything." - -The Eagle House did not boast a bathroom, and so he set about the -business in the primitive fashion to which he had learned to adapt -himself. He dragged in from the hall a tin, high-backed tub, called -down the stairway to the proprietor's wife for hot water, and, -undressing, piled his clothes on the one wooden chair in the room, -taking care that they touched neither floor nor wall. The hostess -knocked, and left a steaming pitcher outside the door. And soon the -chief engineer of the Red Hills extension of the Shaky and Windy was -splashing merrily. - -The water proved so refreshing that he lingered in it, leaning -comfortably back and hanging his legs over the edge of the tub. And as -was always the case, when he had a respite from details, his mind -began roving over the broader problems of the work. "I've done a part -of it," he said to himself, "but not enough. It won't do any good to -have the cars if we haven't the materials to put in 'em." He had been -absently pursuing the soap around the bottom of the tub, had caught -it, and was now sloping his hands into the water, and letting the cake -slide back into its element. - -There was a knock at the door. Carhart looked up with half a start. - -"Well, what is it?" - -"It's me, sir," came from the hall. - -"Who's me?" - -"The boy that took your letter." - -"Well, what about it? There was no answer." - -"But there _is_ an answer, Mr. Carhart. Mr. Peet came back with me." - -"What's that?" - -"He's here--he came back with me. He's waiting downstairs." - -Carhart hesitated. "Well--tell him that I'm very sorry, but I can't -see him. I'm taking a bath." - -"All right," said the boy; and Carhart heard him go off down the -stairs. - -For some little time longer he sat in the tub. His mind slipped again -into the accustomed channel. "If it does come to warfare," he was -thinking, "the first thing they'll do will be to cut me off from my -base. They'd know that I shall be near enough to Red Hills to get food -through from there by wagon,--that's what I should have to do,--but -there won't be any rails coming from Red Hills. I'm afraid--very much -afraid--that Durfee has got us, cold. That's the whole trick. If he's -going to seize the S. & W., he'll cut me off first thing. There's five -to six hundred miles of track between the job and Sherman. It would -take an army to guard it. And that much done, he'd be in a position -to take his time about completing the H. D. & W. to Red Hills." - -And then suddenly he got out of the tub, snatched up a towel, and, -half dry, began hurriedly to draw on his clothes. A moment later a -thin, spectacled, collarless man darted out of a room on the third -floor of the Eagle House, looked quickly up and down the hall, ran -halfway down the stairs, and leaned over the balustrade. - -"Boy," he said. - -"Yes, sir." - -"You didn't get your quarter." But it was a half dollar that he tossed -into the waiting hands. "Run after Mr. Peet and bring him back here. -Mind you catch him." - -The boy started to obey, but in a moment he was back and knocking at -Carhart's door. "He's down in the office now, Mr. Carhart. He didn't -go at all." - -"He didn't, eh?" The engineer was standing before the cracked mirror, -brushing his hair. "All right, I'll be down in a minute. Hold on -there!" He stepped to the door. The first coin his fingers encountered -in his pocket was another half dollar. He took it out without glancing -at it and handed it to the now bewildered boy. Then he returned to the -mirror and brushed his hair again, and put on his collar and tie. -"I'll have to thank Tiffany," ran his thoughts. "It's odd how that -car-stealing story has stuck in my head. I'm glad he told it." - -Peet's expression was not what might be termed complacent. He was -standing on the piazza when he heard Carhart's quick step on the -stairs. His teeth were closed tightly on a cigar, but he was not -smoking. - -"How are you, Mr. Peet?" said the engineer. Peet looked nervously -about and behind him, and then faced around. "Look here, Mr. Carhart, -I want to tell you that you haven't got that straight--" - -"Where's Tiffany?" said Carhart. - -At this interruption Peet turned, if anything, a shade redder. "He's -gone home." - -"Let's find him. Would you mind walking over there?" - -"Certainly not," Peet replied; and for a moment they walked in -silence. Then the superintendent broke out again. "You didn't -understand about those cars, Mr. Carhart. I know--the boys have told -me--that you've thought some hard things about me--" He paused: -perhaps he had better keep his mouth shut. - -As for Carhart, he was striding easily along, the hint of a smile -playing about the corners of his mouth. "I think I understand the -situation pretty well, Peet," he said. "I was a little stirred up when -my men began to go thirsty, but that's all past, and I'm going to drop -it. I guess we both understand that this construction is the most -important thing Mr. De Reamer has on hand these days. And if we're -going to carry him through, we'll have to pull together." - -They found Tiffany, coat thrown aside, hat tipped back, weeding his -garden. - -"Come in--glad to see you," he said, only half concealing his -curiosity over the spectacle of Carhart and Peet walking together in -amity. "Didn't succeed in getting back, eh, Carhart?" - -"Not yet, Tiffany. I had to run up to Crockett." He said this in an -offhand manner, and he did not look at Peet; but he knew from the -expression on Tiffany's face that the superintendent was turning red -again. - -"You ain't had supper, have you?" said Tiffany. "You're just in time -to eat with us." - -"Supper!" Carhart repeated the word in some surprise, then looked at -his watch. - -"You hadn't forgotten it, had you?" Tiffany grinned. - -"To tell the truth, I had. May we really eat with you? It will save us -some time." - -"Can you? Well, I wonder! Come in." And taking up his coat, Tiffany -led the way into the house. - -More than once during that meal did Tiffany's eyes flit from Peet's -half-bewildered countenance to that of the quiet, good-natured -Carhart. He asked no questions, but he wondered. Once he thought that -Peet threw him an inquiring glance, but he could not be certain. After -supper, as he reached for the toothpicks and pushed back his chair, he -was tempted to come out with the question which was on his mind, "What -in the devil are you up to, Carhart?" But what he really said was, -"Help yourselves to the cigars, boys. They're in that jar, there." - -And then, for a moment, both Peet and Tiffany sat back and watched -Carhart while he lighted his cigar, turned it over thoughtfully, shook -the match, and dropped it with a little sputter into his coffee cup. -Then the man who was building the Red Hills extension got, with some -deliberation, to his feet, and turned toward Tiffany. "Would it spoil -your smoke to take it while we walk?" he asked. - -"Not at all," replied the host. "Where are we going?" - -"To the yards." - -Peet, for no reason whatever, went red again; and Tiffany, tipped back -in his chair and slowly puffing at his cigar, looked at him. Then he -too got up, and the three men left the house together. And during all -the walk out to the freight depot, Carhart talked about the new -saddle-horse he had bought at Crockett. - -The freight yard at Sherman extended nearly a mile, beginning with the -siding by the depot and expanding farther on to the width of a dozen -tracks. Carhart came to a halt at the point where the tangle of -switches began, and looked about him. Everywhere he saw cars, some -laden, some empty. A fussy little engine was coughing down the track, -whistling angrily at a sow and her litter of spotted, muddy-yellow -pigs which had been sleeping in a row between the rails. From the -roundhouse, off to the left, arose the smoke of five or six resting -locomotives. Nearer at hand, seated in a row on the handle of the -turn-table, were as many black negroes, laughing and showing their -teeth and eyeballs, and discussing with much gesticulation and some -amiable heat the question of the day. Carhart's sweeping glance took -in the scene, then his interest centred on the cars. - -Peet fidgeted. "There ain't any of your cars here, Mr. Carhart," he -said uneasily. - -Already Carhart knew better, but he was not here to squabble with -Peet. "How many have you here all together?" he asked; and after a -moment of rapid counting he answered his own question: "Something more -than a hundred, eh?" - -"Yes, but--" - -"Well, what?" - -"Look here, Carhart, I don't know what you've got in mind, but I can't -let you have any of these cars." - -"You can't?" - -"Not possibly. Half of 'em are foreign as it is. I'm so short now I -don't know what I'm going to do. Honest, I don't." - -Carhart turned this answer over in his mind. After a moment he looked -up, first at Peet, then at Tiffany, as if he had something to say; but -whatever it may have been, he turned away without saying it. - -"What is it, old man?" cried Tiffany, at last. "What can we do for -you, anyway?" - -Still Carhart did not speak. His eyes again sought the long lines of -cars. Finally, resting one foot on a projecting cross-tie, he turned -to the superintendent. "Suppose you do this, Peet," he said, speaking -slowly; "suppose you tell your yard-master that I am to be absolute -boss here until midnight. Then you go home and leave me here. Tiffany -could stay and help me out--this isn't his department." - -This brought Peet close to the outer limit of bewilderment. "What -in--" he began; but Carhart, observing the effect of his request, -interrupted. - -"I don't believe Mr. Peet understands the situation very well, -Tiffany. Tell him where we stand--where Mr. De Reamer stands." And -with this he walked off a little way. - -Tiffany came to the point. To Peet's question, "What is he talking -about, Tiffany?" the veteran replied: "He knows and I know, Lou, that -the only thing that will save the old man is a track to Red Hills. I -haven't the slightest idea what Carhart's up to, but I'll tell you -this, I've seen him in one or two tight places, and I never saw him -look like this before. He's got something he wants to do, and he's -decided that it's necessary, and it ain't for you and me to stand in -his way. When you come to know Paul Carhart, you'll learn that he -don't do things careless. What do you suppose the Old Man meant when -he told you to back him up to the limit with cars and engines, and -told me to keep out of his way?" - -Peet did not reply for a moment. He took off his hat and brushed back -the hair from a forehead that was moist with sweat. He looked from -one man to the other, and from both to the roundhouse, and the depot, -and the waiting cars. Finally he walked over toward Carhart. "Go -ahead," he said queerly, "I'll stay with you." - -"Good enough." And with these two words Carhart wheeled around and -surveyed the nearest line of cars--box, flat, and gondola. "Most of -those are empty, aren't they?" he asked. - -"About half of them. But here's Dougherty, the yard-master. Dougherty, -this is Mr. Carhart. You can take your orders from him to-night." - -Carhart extended his hand. "Glad to meet you, Mr. Dougherty. I'm -afraid we'll all have to make a night of it. I want you to keep steam -up in three engines. And pick up all the men you can find and start -them unloading every car in the yard. Keep 'em jumping. I want to have -three empty trains at Paradise by midnight." - -"By mid--" Dougherty's mouth opened a very little, and his eyes, after -taking in Paul Carhart's face and figure, settled on the -superintendent. - -But Peet, with an expressive movement of his hands, turned away; and -Tiffany, after a glance about the little group, went after him. - -"Brace up, Lou," said Tiffany, in a low voice; "brace up." - -Peet's hands were deep in his pockets. His eyes were fixed on the -rails before him. "Dump all that freight on the ground!" he moaned. -"Look here, Tiffany, I suppose he knows what he's doing, but--but -what'll the traffic men say!" - -"Never you mind the traffic men." - -"But--dump all that freight out here _on the ground_!" - -Tiffany passed an unsteady hand across his eyes. If Peet had looked at -him, he would not have felt reassured; but he did not look up. - -Dougherty, with a gulp, obeyed Carhart. And half an hour later the -chance observers and the yard loafers were rubbing their eyes. -Laborers were busy from one end of the yard to the other, throwing out -boxes and bales and crates, and piling them haphazard between the -tracks. The tired, wheezy switch engine, enveloped in a cloud of its -own steam, was laboriously making up the first train. And moving -quietly about, issuing orders and giving a hand here and there, -followed by the disturbed eyes of the general superintendent and the -chief engineer of the Shaky and Windy, Paul Carhart was bossing the -work. Once he stepped over to the two men of the disturbed eyes, a -thoughtful expression on his own face. "Say, Tiffany," he asked, "how -much business does the Paradise Southern do?" - -Tiffany started, and looked keenly at Carhart. There was a faint -glimmer in his eyes, but this was followed immediately by uncertainty. -"None," he replied; "that is, none to speak of. They run a combination -car each way every day--two cars when business is brisk. The Old Man -would have abandoned it years ago if it hadn't been for the stock -scheme I told you about." - -"Yes," mused Carhart, "that's what I understood. But if it's such a -mistake, why was it built in the first place?" - -"Oh, they were going to run it through to Bonavita on the Emerald -River, but the B. & G. got all there was of that business first, and -so the P. S. never got beyond Total Wreck. Mr. De Reamer never built -it. The old Shipleigh crowd did that before Mr. De Reamer bought up -this property." The faint glimmer had returned to Tiffany's eyes; he -was searching Carhart's face. "You want these trains sent on through -to your camp, don't you?" he asked abruptly. - -"No, they are to go down over the P. S." - -Tiffany's expression was growing almost painful. Carhart went on. -"There are sidings at Total Wreck, aren't there, Peet?" he asked. - -"Oh, yes, quite a yard there; but it's badly run down." - -"What other sidings are there along the line?" - -"Long ones at Yellow House and Dusty Bend." - -"How long?" - -"Nearly two miles each." - -"How long is the line?" - -"Forty-five miles." - -"Good Lord!" The exclamation was Tiffany's. He was staring at Carhart -with an expression of such mingled astonishment, incredulity, and -expansive delight, that Peet's curiosity broke its bounds. "For God's -sake, Tiffany," he cried, "what is it? What's he going to do?" - -But Tiffany did not hear. He was gazing at Paul Carhart, saying -incoherent things to him, and bringing down a heavy hand on his -shoulder. He was somewhat frightened--never before, even in his own -emphatic life, had his routine notions received such a wrench--but his -eyes were shining. "Lord! Lord!" he was saying, "but there'll be -swearing in Sherman to-morrow." - -"The time has come when I ought to know what"--this from the purple -Peet. - -"Don't ask him, Lou," cried Tiffany, "don't ask him. If we smash, it -won't be your fault. Ain't that right, Paul?" - -"Yes," replied Carhart, "it is just right. Don't ask any questions, -Peet, and don't give me away. I don't want any swearing in Sherman -to-morrow. I don't want a whisper of this to get out for a week--not -for a month if we can keep it under." - -Tiffany quieted down; grew thoughtful. "It will take a lot of men, -Paul. How can you prevent a leak?" - -"I'm going to take them all West with me afterward." - -"I see. That's right--that's right! And the station agents and train -crews and switchmen--yes, I see. You'll take 'em all." - -"Every man," replied Carhart, quietly. - -"If necessary, you'll take 'em under guard." - -Carhart smiled a very little. "If necessary," he replied. - -"You'll want some good men," mused Tiffany. "I'll tell you,--suppose -you leave that part of it to me. It's now,--let's see,--seven-forty. -It won't be any use starting your first train until you've got the men -to do the work. I'll need a little time, but if you'll give me an hour -and half to two hours, say until nine-thirty, I'll have your outfit -ready. I'll send some of my assistants along with you, and a bunch of -our brakemen and switchmen. There'll be the commissariat to look out -for too,--you see to all that, Lou, will you?" - -Peet inclined his head. "For how many men?" he asked. - -"Oh, five hundred, anyway, before we get through with it." Nothing -could surprise the superintendent now. He merely nodded. - -"And rifles," Tiffany added. "You'll want a case of 'em." - -"No," said Carhart, "I shan't need any rifles for the P. S., but I -want five hundred more at the end of the track, and, say ten thousand -rounds of ball cartridges. Will you see to that, Peet?" - -The superintendent grunted out, "Who's paying for all this?" and then -as neither of the others took the trouble to reply, he subsided. - -"All right, then," said Tiffany. "I'll have your crew here--enough for -the first train, anyhow. You can trust to picking up fifty or a -hundred laborers in the neighborhood of Paradise. See you later." And -with this, the chief engineer took his big person away at a rapid -walk. - -Carhart turned to Peet and extended his hand. Dusk was falling. The -headlights of the locomotives threw their yellow beams up the yard. -Switch lights were shining red and white, and lanterns, in the hands -of shadowy figures, were bobbing here and there. There was a great -racket about them of bumping cars and squeaking brakes, and of -shouting and the blowing off of locomotives. "I don't blame you for -thinking that everything's going to the devil, Peet," said Carhart. -"But I don't believe they've let you in on the situation. If I'm -running risks, it's because we've got to run risks." - -Peet hesitated, then accepted the proffered hand. "I suppose it's all -right," he replied. "Tiffany seems to agree with you, and he generally -knows what he's about. But--" he paused. They were standing by a heap -of merchandise. The heap was capped by a dozen crates of chickens -which, awakened from their sleep, were fluttering about within their -narrow coop and clucking angrily. He waved his hand. "Think of what -this means to our business," he said. - -Carhart listened for a moment, then looked back to Peet. "If I were -sure it would come to nothing worse than a slight disarrangement of -your business, I'd sleep easy to-night." - -"It's as bad as that, is it?" - -"Yes," Carhart replied, "it's as bad as that. If I lose, no matter -how the fight in the board turns out, you know what it will mean--no -more De Reamer and Chambers men on the S. & W. Every De Reamer fireman -and brakeman will go. It'll be a long vacation for the bunch of you." - -Peet was silent. And then, standing there where he had so often and so -heedlessly stood before, his sordid, moderately capable mind was torn -unexpectedly loose from its well-worn grooves and thrown out to drift -on a tossing sea of emotion and of romantic adventure. The -breathlessness of the scene was borne in on his consciousness on a -wave that almost took away his breath. Carhart was the sort of man -whom he could not understand at all. He knew this now, or something -near enough to it, clear down to the bottom of his subconscious self. -And when he turned and looked at the thin man of the masterful hand, -it was with a change of manner. "All right," he said, "go ahead. Just -say what you want me to do." - -At five minutes to ten that night a locomotive lay, the steam roaring -in clouds through her safety valve, on the siding by the freight -depot; and stretching off behind her was a long string of empties. -Carhart, Tiffany, and Peet, walking up alongside the train, could -distinguish, through the dark, men sitting on brake wheels, or -swinging their legs out of box-car doors or standing in groups in the -gondola cars. Once, during a brief lull in the noise of the yard, they -heard a gentle snore which was issuing from the dark recesses of one -of the box-cars. The three men halted beside the locomotive. - -"You'd better go, Paul," said Tiffany. - -Carhart looked at Peet. "I'll rely on you to keep things coming," he -said. - -"Go ahead," replied the superintendent. "I'll have the three trains -and all the men at Paradise before morning." - -"And we'll look out for the commissariat too, Paul," added Tiffany. - -"All right," said Carhart. "But there's another thing, Peet. I -haven't cars enough yet. As soon as enough come in to make up another -train, send it out to me." - -"That'll be sometime to-morrow afternoon, likely," Peet replied -soberly. - -Carhart nodded, shook hands with the two men, and mounted to the -engine. - -"Go ahead," said Peet. "You've got a clear track." - -The whistle blew. Somewhere back in the night a speck of light swung -up in a quarter circle. The engineer opened his throttle. - -"Bong Voyage to the Paradise Unlimited!" said Tiffany. - - * * * * * - -Carhart was not surprised, when the third train rolled into Paradise -on that following morning, to see Tiffany descending from the caboose. -Between them they lost no time in completing the preparations for the -journey down to Total Wreck. Of the two regular trains on the line, -No. 3, southbound, was held at Paradise, and the lone passenger was -carried down on Carhart's train; the northbound train, No. 4, was -stopped at Dusty Bend. - -Then for a time a series of remarkable scenes took place along the -right of way of the Paradise Southern. Men by the hundred, all -seemingly bent on destruction, swarmed over the line and tore it to -pieces. Trains ran north and west laden with rusty old rails, -switches, ancient cross-ties of questionable durability, with -everything, as Carhart had ordered, excepting the sand and clay -ballast. - -"Some poor devils lost their little fortunes in the old P. S." said -Tiffany, on the first morning, as the two engineers stood looking at -the work of ruin. "I sort of hate to see it go." - -Carhart himself went West on the first train, leaving Tiffany to carry -the work through. He was satisfied that everything would from now on -work smoothly at Paradise and Sherman, and he knew that not a man of -those on the work would slip through Tiffany's fingers to bear tales -back to civilization of the wild doings on the frontier. At Sherman -they said that owing to insufficient business the P. S. trains would -be discontinued for a time, and no one was surprised at the news. Far -off in New York, in the Broad Street office of Daniel De Reamer, it -was some time before they knew anything about it. The little world was -rolling on. Men were clasping hands, buying and selling, knifing and -shooting. Durfee's plans were marching forward, as his plans had a way -of doing. De Reamer's mind was coiling and uncoiling in its -subterranean depths. General Carrington was talking about a hunting -trip into the mountains with pack-animals and good company and many, -many bottles. - -Yes, the world was rolling on about as usual; but the Paradise -Southern was no more. Forty-five miles of grade, trampled, tie-marked; -a few dismantled sheds which had once been known as stations; a lonely -row of telegraph poles stretching from one bleak horizon to another; -a rickety roundhouse or two: this was all that was left of a railroad: -this, and a long memory of disaster, and an excited ranchman at Total -Wreck who was telegraphing hotly to his lawyer. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -THE SPIRIT OF THE JOB - - -In order to make plain what was taking place at the main camp during -Carhart's absence, we must go back to that evening during which so -many things had come up to be disposed of before the chief could leave -for Sherman and Crockett and Paradise. To begin with, Dimond came -riding in at dusk with a canteen of clear water which he laid on the -table about which the engineers were sitting. To Carhart, when he had -unscrewed the cap and taken a deep draught, it tasted like -Apollinaris. "First rate!" he exclaimed; "first rate!" Then he passed -it to Old Van, who smacked his lips over it. - -"Where did he find this?" Carhart asked. - -"Eighteen or twenty miles ahead." - -"Plenty of it?" - -"He thinks so," he says, "but he's gone on to find more." - -"Are the Apaches bothering him?" - -"We've had a pop at 'em now and then. He says he hopes to have some -beadwork for you when he sees you again. There was one fellow came too -near one night, and Mr. Scribner hit him, but the others carried him -off before we could get the beads. He sent me back to guide the wagons -to the well if you want to send 'em." - -"Well," said Carhart, when Dimond had gone, "we have water now, -anyway. The next question is about these thieves. You say that five -animals were stolen while I was away. When the first roads went -through, they had regular troops to guard the work, and I don't know -that we can improve on the plan. I'll look the matter up when I get to -Sherman." - -But an hour later, when he left his division engineer and stepped -outside for a last look at "Texas," he found Charlie hanging about -near the stable tent. The cook approached him, and made it awkwardly -but firmly plain that he had heard a rumor to the effect that Mr. -Carhart was going to Sherman for regular troops, and that, if the -rumor were true, he, Charlie, would leave. - -No questions were necessary, for Carhart had never thought Jack Flagg -the only deserter in camp. He mused a moment; then he looked up -thoughtfully at the tall, loose-jointed, but well-set-up figure of the -cook. "Do you know anything about military drill and sentry duties?" -he asked abruptly. - -Charlie, taken aback, hesitated. - -"Never mind answering. We'll say that you do. Now, if I were to put -you in charge of the business, give you all the men and rifles you -need, could you guarantee to guard this camp?" - -Charlie's face wore a curious mixture of expressions. - -"Well, speak up." - -"I rather guess I could." - -"I can depend on you, can I?" - -"You won't get the regulars, then?" - -"No, I won't get them." - -"Then you can depend on me." - -"I want you to get about it this morning. Mr. Gus Vandervelt will give -you everything you need. Make the watches short and distribute them -among a good many of the men, so that nobody will be worked too hard." - -Carhart passed on, and let himself into the covered enclosure where -his horse lay sick. It was a quarter of an hour before he returned to -the headquarters tent, to find Vandervelt standing in silence at the -table. Apparently he had risen to leave, and had paused at the sound -of a step outside. Standing for a moment at the tent entrance, -Carhart's eyes took on the curious expression which the sight of the -elder of the oddly assorted brothers frequently aroused there. The -lamplight threw upward shadows on Old Van's face and deepened the -gloom about his eyes. A moment and Carhart, sobering, stepped inside. -Certain memories of Old Van's strange career came floating through -his thoughts. It was probably the last time they would be thrown -together. Considering everything, he would not again feel like -choosing him for an assistant. Yet he admired Old Van's strong -qualities, and--he was sorry, very sorry. - -"Van," he said, "I've changed my mind about the troops. I've told -Charlie, the cook, to organize an effective system of guards at night, -and I've told him, too, that he will take his orders from Gus." - -Vandervelt stood motionless, looking at this man who had risen to be -his chief, and his color slowly turned from bronze to red. - -"From Gus, eh?" he said with a slight huskiness. - -"Yes," replied Carhart, steadily, "from Gus. He will represent me -while I am gone. It will be only a day or so before he'll be around." - -Old Van might have answered roughly; instead he dropped his eyes. But -Carhart's unpleasant duty was not yet done. - -"One thing more, Van," he said, looking quietly at the older man, but -unable to conceal a certain tension in his speech, "are you carrying a -gun?" - -There was a long silence. Every one of the faint evening camp sounds -fell loud on their ears. A puff of wind shook the tent flaps and -stirred the papers on the table. The lamp flickered. Very slowly, -without looking up, Old Van reached back to his hip pocket, drew out a -revolver, laid it on the table,--laid it, oddly enough, on a copy of -the Book of Common Prayer which was acting as a paperweight, and left -the tent and went off down the grade. And for some time after his -footfalls had died away Carhart sat with elbows on table, chin on -hands, looking at the weapon. - - * * * * * - -Paul Carhart was gone. It would probably be a week to ten days before -he would be able to get back to the track-end. And with him had gone -the spirit of the work, the vitality and dash which had worked out at -moments through the assistants and the men in a stirring sense of -achievement, which had given to each young engineer and engineer's -assistant a touch of the glow of creating something, which had made -this ugly scene almost beautiful. That steam-leaking locomotive and -that rattle-trap of a "private car," bearing the chief away into the -dawn, left a sense of depression behind it. By noon of the following -day, Old Van was growing noticeably morose. By mid-afternoon every man -of the thousand felt the difference. Before supper time the heat, the -gloom, the loneliness of the desert, the sense of a dead pull on the -work, the queer thought that there was no such place as Red Hills -anywhere on the map, and that even if there were, the western -extension of the Shaky and Windy would never reach it, these thoughts -were preying on them, particularly on Young Van, who was up and at -work soon after noon. - -Through the second day it was worse. Young Van made stout efforts to -throw more energy into his work, and then, in looking back on these -efforts, recognized in them a confession of weakness. Paul Carhart -never seemed to drive as he had been driving,--his work was always the -same. In this frame of mind the young man, at evening, mounted a -hummock to survey what had been accomplished during the day. But to -his altered eyes the track was no longer a link in the world's girdle; -it was only a thin line of dirt and wood and steel, on which a -thousand dispirited men had been toiling. - -Later he saw Charlie bringing the wagons into corral. He heard his -brother ordering the cook sharply about, and he noted how doggedly the -orders were obeyed. Then, finally, having laid out the details of the -morrow's work and smoked an unresponsive cigarette or two, he went to -sleep. - -Old Van sat up later. And Charlie sat up later still, nearly all night -in fact. He found a comfortable lounging place near Dimond's post, in -the shadow of the empty train. The grade was here slightly elevated, -and, lying on one elbow, he could survey the camp. Now and then he -made the rounds, looking after the half-dozen sentries whom he had -posted on knolls outside the wide circle of tents and wagons, making -sure that there was no drinking and that his men were advised as to -their duties and responsibilities. Between trips he lay back, -surrounded by a number of wide-awake laborers, and listened while -Dimond recited the prowess of their chief. It was very comfortable -there, stretched out upon the newly turned earth. The camp was very -quiet. Only a few lights twinkled here and there, and it was not very -late when these went out, one by one. - -"I heard Mr. Scribner telling, the other day," said Dimond, "how the -boss run up against a farmer with a shotgun when he was running the -line for the M. T. S. Mr. Scribner was a boy then, carrying stakes for -him. There was quite a bunch of 'em, but nobody had a gun. They come -out of a piece of woods on to the road, and there they see the farmer -standing just inside his stump fence with the two barrels of his -shotgun resting on the top of one of the stumps. Mr. Scribner says the -old fellow was that excited he hollered so they could 'a' heard 'im -half a mile off. 'Don't you dare cross the line of my property!' he -yells. 'The first man that crosses the line of my property's a dead -man!' They all stopped, Mr. Scribner says, for they didn't any of 'em -feel particularly like taking in a barrel or so of buckshot. But Mr. -Carhart wasn't ever very easy to stop. He just looked at the fellow a -minute, and then he went right for him. 'Look out!' the man yells. -'You cross the line of my property and you're a dead man!' But Mr. -Carhart went right on over the fence. 'That's all right,' says he, -'but you can't get away with more'n one or two of us, and there'll be -enough left to hang you up to that tree over there.' And the next -thing they knew, Mr. Scribner says, Mr. Carhart had took the shotgun -right out of the farmer's hands." - -Dimond had other stories. "I guess there ain't nobody ever found it -easy to get around him. Once when he was a kid surveyor, before he -went North, they sent him over into southern Texas to look up an old -piece of property. There was a fellow claimed a lot of land that -really run over on to this property. Mr. Carhart figured it out that -the fellow was lying, but he knew it was going to be hard to prove it. -The old marks of the corners were all gone--there wasn't a soul living -who had ever seen 'em. It was an old Spanish grant, Mr. Scribner says, -and the Spanish surveyors had just blazed trees to mark the lines. -Well, sir, would you believe it, Mr. Carhart worked out the place -where this corner ought 'o be, cut down an old cedar tree that stood -there, sawed it up into lengths before witnesses, found the blaze mark -all grown over with bark, and took the piece of log right into court -and proved it. No, I guess it wouldn't be so infernal easy to get -ahead o' Mr. Carhart." - -"That's all right," observed one of the laborers, "if you're working -for Mr. Carhart. But s'pose you ain't--s'pose you're workin' for Mr. -Vandervelt?" - -"Oh, well, of course," Dimond replied, "Mr. Vandervelt's different. He -ain't nowhere near the man Mr. Carhart is." - -Charlie took in this comment quietly, but with less than the usual -good nature in his blue eyes. - -"I don't care how decent the boss is," continued the laborer, "if I -have to have a mean old he-devil cussin' at me from six to six, and -half the night besides, sometimes." - -Dimond grew reflective. "I know about Mr. Vandervelt," he said -meditatively. "You see, boys, it was sort o' lonely up ahead there -boring for water, and Mr. Scribner and me we got pretty well -acquainted." Dimond was endeavoring to conceal the slight superiority -over these men of which he could not but be conscious. "It's a queer -case," he went on, "Mr. Vandervelt's case. I know about it. It's his -temper, you see. That's what's kep' 'im back,--that's why he's only a -division engineer to-day." - -"Keep quiet, boys," broke in the laborer, with a sneer. "Dimond knows -about it. He's tellin' us the news. Mr. Vandervelt's got a temper, he -says." - -Dimond was above a retort. "I can tell you," he said. "Mr. Scribner -give me the facts." (In justice to Harry Scribner it should be -mentioned that he had told Dimond nothing whatever concerning the -personal attributes of his colleague.) "When Mr. Vandervelt gets mad, -he shoots. He don't have to be drunk, neither, or in a fight, or -frolicking careless with the boys. He shot a waiter in the Harper -restaurant at Flemington, shot 'im right down. And then he went out -into the mountains and worked for a year without ever coming near a -town. And they say"--Dimond's voice lowered--"they say he shot a camp -boss on the Northern, a man he used to knock around with, friendly. -They say he shot him." Dimond paused, in order that his words might -sink into the consciousness of each listener. "He never goes North any -more. He'll never even stay at a place like Sherman for more than a -day or two, and not that when he can help it." - -The men were silent for a little while. Then Charlie got slowly to his -feet and shook out his big frame preparatory to making his rounds. "I -guess that's why Mr. Carhart told me to take my orders from his -brother," he said slowly. "I was wondering." Then he stepped off in -the direction of the corral. - -It was three o'clock in the morning when Charlie finally stretched out -for three winks. The laborers had long before rolled themselves up in -their blankets. The men on guard, weary of peering into the darkness -and the silence, had made themselves as nearly comfortable as they -could. And it was half-past three, or near it, when a rope was cut by -a stealthy hand and half a dozen sleepy, obedient mules were led out -and away. Where so many animals were stirring; and where, too, lids -were perhaps drooping over hitherto watchful eyes, the slight -disturbance passed unobserved. At four the guards were changed, and -the new day began to make itself known. At five the camp was astir; -and a boy, searching in vain for his team, came upon the cut, trailing -ends of rope at the outer edge of the corral. - -They told Charlie, whom they found bending, red-eyed, over a steaming -kettle. And the cook, with a straightforward sort of moral courage, -went at once to announce his failure at guarding the camp. As luck -would have it, he found the brothers Vandervelt together, at the wash -basin behind their tent. - -"May I speak to you, sir?" addressing the younger. - -"Certainly, Charlie--What luck?" was the reply. And then, for a -moment, they waited,--Young Van half glancing at his brother, Charlie -summoning every ounce of this wonderful new sense of responsibility -for the ordeal which he saw was to come, Old Van meaning unmistakably -to take a hand in the discussion. - -"We lost six mules last night, Mr. Vandervelt," said Charlie, at -length, plainly addressing Young Van. - -"We lost six mules, did we?" mimicked the veteran, breaking in before -his brother could reply. "What do you mean by coming here with such a -story, you--?" The tirade was on. Old Van applied to the cook such -epithets as men did not employ at that time to any great extent on the -plains. All the depression of the day before, which he had not -succeeded in sleeping off, came out in a series of red-hot phrases, -which, to Young Van's, and to his own still greater surprise, Charlie -took. Young Van, looking every second for a blow or even for a shot, -could not see that he so much as twitched a muscle. Finally Old Van -paused, not because he was in any danger of running out of epithets, -but because something in the attitude of both Charlie and his brother -tended to clarify the situation in his mind. Gus was standing almost -as squarely as Charlie, and there were signs of tension about his -mouth. It was no time for the engineers to develop a conflict of -authority. - -When his brother had stopped talking, Young Van said shortly, "How did -you come to let them get away, Charlie?" - -"I fell asleep, Mr. Vandervelt,--it must have been after three this -morning, and I didn't wake up until four." - -"But what was the matter with your men?" - -"That's what I'm trying to find out, sir. They must have been asleep, -too." - -"Who was on guard at that point?" - -"A man named Foulk--one of the iron squad." - -"Yes, I know him. He is trustworthy, I think." - -"Oh, yes, sir, you can trust him, as far as having anything to do with -those thieves is concerned." - -"But that won't help us much if he can't keep awake a few hours. Where -is he now?" - -Charlie hesitated. "I--I tied him up." - -"Bring him here." - -Charlie went off to obey. And Old Van returned to his ablutions. A -moment more and the unfortunate sentinel was being marched across to -headquarters, under the guidance and the momentum of a huge red hand. - -"Here he is, Mr. Vandervelt." - -Young Van looked at the two. Foulk appeared honestly crestfallen. -Then, "Let him go, Charlie," he said. And turning to Foulk, he merely -added, "You'll get your night's sleep after this, my friend. We want -no men on guard who can't be relied on--and it's evident that you -can't. Now go and eat your breakfast, and get to work. See that this -doesn't happen again, Charlie." - -Foulk hurried off in one direction, Charlie walked away in another; -Old Van disappeared within the tent in order to complete his very -simple toilet; Young Van stood alone, looking after one and another -of the retreating figures with an expression of something like dismay. -He had spoken with more vigor and authority than he could suppose; but -even such as it was, his momentary grip on the situation relaxed while -he stood there. The work was not going to stop, he knew that, yet this -complicated mechanism, the job, seemed to be running on without any -mainspring. Speaking for himself, there was no one of the many tasks -Carhart had left in his hands which he was not competent to perform, -yet, viewing them in mass, they bewildered him. There would be -bickerings, sliding on from bad to worse. The work would be undertaken -each day in a dogged spirit, and it would have an ugly side which had -not before shown itself. Earlier in the course of the undertaking -there had been moments when he had thought, looking out from his own -mountain range of details, that Carhart's work was not so trying as it -seemed; that he had time to ride up and down the line, chatting with -engineers and foremen; that he could relax almost as he chose,--run -down to Sherman now and then, or even slip off for a day's shooting. -Now he saw it differently. And his forebodings were realized. -Everybody in authority felt the unfortunate drift of the work, and -everybody felt helpless to check this drift. Attempts made now and -then by individuals were worse--because they merely succeeded in -drawing attention to it--than the general failure. That evening, when -Scribner came back and they all tried to be jolly, was the gloomiest -time in a gloomy week. Men took to deserting their work. On one -occasion thirty-odd of them left in a body to join an outfit which -halted overnight near the main camp--that was when they were living on -"mile forty-five." Fights grew more frequent. Accidents seemed to be -almost a part of the week's routine. - -One day, Young Van, chancing to pass near the track-laying work, heard -his brother swearing at the rider of the snap-mule that drew the -rail-truck back and forth between the material train and the work. The -rider was a boy of twelve. Young Van recalled, as he listened, a scene -of a fortnight earlier (it seemed a year), when the boy, then new to -it, had been found by Carhart, quietly sobbing on his horse. "What's -the trouble, son?" the chief had inquired good-humoredly. "I'm -afraid," was the lad's reply. Whereupon the chief had lifted him down, -swung himself into the saddle, and, with a twinkle in his eye, had -ridden a few trips in order to show the boy how to manage it safely. - -At length a man was killed, one of pile-driver crew No. 1, on Old -Van's division. Other men had been killed earlier in the work, but -this death struck the workmen as bearing greater significance. In the -other cases Carhart himself had done all that man could do; the last -time he had driven the body twenty miles to a priest and decent -burial. But Old Van sent out a few nerve-shaken laborers to dig a -grave, and told them to waste no time about it, beyond seeing that it -was well filled after--afterward. - - * * * * * - -For several nights after the trouble with Foulk Charlie did not sleep -at all. But even a frontiersman is subject to Nature's laws, and the -time came when he was overcome, shortly after midnight, while sitting -on a box before his tent, and he rolled over and slept like a child. - -They woke him at daybreak, and, without a word, handed him this rough -placard:-- - - Tell Mr. Carhart he'd better be carrying a gun after this. - He'll need it. - - JACK FLAGG. - -"It was stuck up on the telegraph pole," explained a sleepy-eyed -sentinel. - -"Where?" - -"Here in camp." - -A few moments later the cook, pale under his tan, stood before his -half-dressed acting-chief. Again the two brothers were together. - -"So this is how you watch things, is it?" said Old Van. "What did you -lose for us last night?" - -"The drivers are counting up now, sir. I only know of a mule and a -horse so far." - -"That's all you know of, is it? I'll tell you what to do. You go back -to your quarters and see that you do no more meddling in this -business. No, not a word. Go back and get your breakfast. That's all I -expect from you after this." - -Charlie looked inquiringly at Young Van, who merely said: "I want to -know more about this, Charlie. Run it down, and then come to me." - -When the cook had gone, Young Van picked up the placard and read it -over. He was struck by the bravado of the thing. And he wondered how -much of a substratum of determination Jack Flagg's bravado might have. -This primitive animal sort of man was still new to him. He had neither -Paul Carhart's unerring instinct, nor his experience in handling men. -To him the incident seemed grave. There would be chances in plenty -before they reached Red Hills for even a coward to get in a shot, and -a coward's shot would be enough to bring the career of their chief to -an abrupt end. He folded the dirty paper and put it into his pocket. - -Later, with the best of intentions, he said to his brother: "You are -altogether too hard on Charlie. I happen to know that he has been -doing everything any man could do without a troop of regulars behind -him." - -To his surprise, Old Van replied with an angry outburst: "You keep out -of this, Gus! When I need your advice in running this division, I'll -ask you for it." - -Twenty minutes later, when they were rising from breakfast, Charlie -appeared, leading with an iron grip a dissolute-looking plainsman, and -carrying a revolver in his other hand. - -"Hello!" cried Young Van. "What's this? What are you doing with that -gun?" - -"I took it away from this man. He was hiding out there behind a -pile of bones. I reckon he was trying to get away when his horse went -lame and the daylight caught him." - -[Illustration: "'You go back to your quarters.'"] - -"What has he to say for himself?" - -"It's a ---- lie!" growled the stranger. "I was riding in to ask for a -job, an' I hadn't more'n set down to rest--" - -"You ride by night, eh?" - -"Well--" the stranger hesitated--"not gen'ally. But I was so near--" - -"Here, here!" cried Old Van. "What's all this talk about? I guess you -know what to do with him. Get about it." - -"What do you mean by that?" cried Young Van, flushing. - -"What do I mean by it? What is generally done with horse thieves?" - -The stranger blanched. "You call me a--" - -But Young Van checked him. "We don't know that he is a horse thief." - -"I do, and that's enough. Charlie, take him off, and make a clean job -of it." - -"Charlie," cried Young Van, "stay where you are!" He turned hotly on -his brother. "The worst we have any reason to believe about this man -is that he put up that placard." - -"Well, doesn't that prove him one of the gang?" - -"We have no proof of anything." - -"You keep out of this, Gus! Charlie, do as I tell you." - -Charlie hesitated, and looked inquiringly at the younger engineer. -This drove Old Van beyond reason. He suddenly snatched the revolver -from the cook, shouting angrily: "If you won't obey orders, I'll see -to it myself!" - -But Young Van, with a quick movement, gripped the weapon, bent it back -out of his brother's grasp, snapped it open, ejected the cartridges, -and silently returned it. Old Van held it in his hand and looked at -it, then at the five cartridges, where they had fallen on the ground. -Then, with an expression his brother had never before seen on his -face, he let the weapon fall on the ground among the cartridges, and -walked away to the headquarters tent. - -"Charlie," said Young Van, "keep this man safe until the sheriff comes -back." - -"All right, sir," Charlie replied. - -The cook turned away with his prisoner, and Young Van's eyes sought -the ground. He had almost come to blows with his brother, and that -before the men, about the worst thing that could have taken place. The -incident seemed the natural culmination of these days of depression -and pulling at odds. - -"It looks like the sheriff coming in now, sir." - -Young Van started and looked up. Charlie, still grasping the stranger, -was pointing down the track, where a troop of horsemen could be seen -approaching. They drew rapidly nearer, and soon the two leaders could -be distinguished. One was unmistakably Bowlegged Bill Lane. The other -was a slender man, hatless, with rumpled hair, and a white -handkerchief bound around his forehead. Young Van walked out to meet -them, and saw, with astonishment, that the hatless rider was Paul -Carhart; and never had face of man or woman been more welcome to his -eyes. - -The troop reined up, dismounted, and mopped their sweating faces. -Their horses stood damp and trembling with exhaustion. All together, -the little band bore witness of desperate riding, and to judge from -certain signs, of fighting. - -"Well, Gus," said Carhart, cheerily, "how is everything?" - -But Young Van was staring at the bandage. "Where have you been?" he -cried. - -"Chasing Jack Flagg." - -"But they hit you!" - -"Only grazed. If it hadn't been dark, we should have got him." - -"But how in--" - -The chief smiled. "How did I get here?" he said, completing the -question. "The train was stalled last night only a dozen or fifteen -miles back. The tender of that model of 1865 locomotive they gave us -went off the track, and the engine got in the same fix trying to put -it on again. When I left, they were waiting for the other train behind -to come up and help. They ought to be along any time this morning. -Where's your brother?" - -Young Van had turned to look at a group of three or four prisoners, -whom two of the posse were guarding. - -"Where's your brother?" Carhart asked again. - -"My brother! Oh, back at the tent, I guess." - -The chief gave him a curious glance, for the young engineer was -flushing oddly. "Tell him to wait a minute for me, will you? I want to -see you both before the work starts." - -Young Van walked over to the headquarters tent and stood a moment at -the entrance. His brother, seated at the table, heard him, but did not -look up. - -"Mr. Carhart is back," said the young man, finally. "He asked me to -tell you to wait for him." - -Old Van gave not the slightest indication that he had heard, but he -waited. When the chief entered, motioning Young Van to join him, he -went briskly at what he had to say. He sat erect and energetic, -apparently unconscious of the red stain on his bandage, ignoring the -fact that he had as yet eaten no breakfast; and at his first words the -blood began to flow again through the arteries of this complicated -organization that men called the Red Hills extension of the S. & W. - -"Now, boys," he began, "it was rather a slow ride back from Sherman, -and I had time for a little arithmetic. Through our friend Peet--" - -"D--n him!" interrupted Old Van. - -The chief paused at this for another of his questioning glances, then -went quietly on. "Through our friend Peet, we have lost so much time -that it isn't very cheerful business figuring it up. But we aren't -going to lose any more." - -"Oh! you saw Peet!" said Young Van. - -"Yes, I saw him. We won't bother over this lost time. What we are -interested in now is carrying through our schedule. And I needn't tell -you that from this moment we must work together as prettily as a -well-oiled engine." He said this significantly, and paused. Of the two -men before him, the younger flushed again and lowered his eyes, the -elder looked away and muttered something which could not be -understood. "I'm bringing up a hundred-odd more men on this train. -When they get in, put them right at work. Is Dimond in camp now?" - -"Yes." - -"We'll send him up to take charge of the well business. He can do it, -now that it is so well started. We need Scribner." - -"How much must we do a day now, to make it?" asked Young Van. - -"We shall average as near as possible to two miles." - -Young Van whistled, then recovered himself. "All right, Mr. Carhart," -he said. "Two miles is good. Beginning to-day, I suppose?" - -"Beginning to-day." - -The chief spent very little time on himself. He was soon out and -riding along the grade, showing no nervousness, yet making it plain to -every man on the job that he meant to give an exhibition of "the -fanciest track-laying ever seen in these United States." That was the -way Young Van, in the exuberance of his new-found spirits, expressed -it to the foreman of the iron squad. - -But even Young Van's enthusiasm was not equal to the facts. When the -night whistle blew, and the dripping workmen dropped their picks and -sledges, and rails, and ties, and reins, and sat down to breathe -before washing up for supper,--there was water for washing now,--the -conductor of the material train called to Young Van, and waved toward -a stake beside the track. "See that stick," he shouted. - -"Yes, I see it." - -"Well, sir,"--the conductor was excited too,--"I've been setting up -one of those things for every time we moved ahead a train length. My -train's a little over a thousand foot long, and--and how many of those -sticks do you suppose I've set up since morning? Give a guess now!" - -"I should say eight or ten. We've been getting over the ground pretty -rapidly." - -"No, sir! No, sir! Fifteen there were, fifteen of 'em!" - -"Fifteen thousand feet--three miles!" The young man stood a moment, -then turned and walked soberly away. - -It was early the next morning that Young Van recalled Jack Flagg's -communication, which he still had in his pocket. He saw that the chief -was about starting off for his breakfast, and called him back and gave -him the paper. Carhart read it, smiled rather contemptuously, and -handed it back. - -"That man," he said, "was just about big enough to stir up a little -trouble in the camp. I'm glad we're through with him." - -"I wish I was sure we were," replied Young Van. - -"Hello! you're right, Gus. Here he is again." - -Charlie was approaching with another dirty paper in his hand. "I -didn't think anybody could get in last night, Mr. Carhart," he said -ruefully, "but--here is what they left." - -The chief took this second paper and read it aloud:-- - - MY DEAR MR. CARHART: My shooting's getting bum. Better luck - next time. - - JACK FLAGG. - -"Flagg ought to be on the stage," he said when he had tossed the paper -away. "He is the sort of man that can't get along without an -audience." - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -SHOTS--AND A SCOUTING PARTY - - -It was early evening. Gus Vandervelt, nervous, exultant, leaving a -trail of cigarette stubs behind him, was pacing up and down the track. -When he faced the east, his eyes saw far beyond the cars and wagons -and clustering tents. Off there, in each mile of the many they had -travelled, lay a witness of some battle won. They had fought like -soldiers; and the small successes had come rapidly until the men were -beginning to take victory as a matter of course. The most stupid of -them understood now just what sort of thing the reserved, magnetic -Paul Carhart stood for, and they were finding it a very good sort of -thing indeed. - -As Young Van walked, his imagination leaping forward from battles -fought to the battles to come, he heard a step, and saw the stocky -figure of his brother approaching through the dusk. He stiffened up -and paused, but Old Van marched by without the twitch of a muscle. The -young man watched him until he had faded out of sight, then lighted -another cigarette, and continued his beat. - -A little later, smiling in a nervous way he had of late, Young Van -turned toward the headquarters tent. He knew that his brother had gone -to make up the material train and would not return for some time. - -He found Paul Carhart sitting alone, sewing a button on the yellow -linen trousers. - -"Did you see any more drunks?" Carhart asked, pausing, needle in air. - -Young Van, now that he thought of it, had observed signs of unusual -good feeling among the laborers. - -"We're a little too near this Palos settlement to suit me," said the -chief. "Keeping your men in the desert rather spoils one for the -advantages of civilization. I never had an easier time with laborers. -But these men are a bad lot to bring within five miles of a saloon. -They will be fighting before morning." - -"I suppose they will. I hadn't thought of it. By the way, there's a -rumor about that you had a letter from Mr. Flint to-day." - -Carhart shook his head. "No," said he, "that's the thing I want most -just now." - -For a while they were silent. Young Van's face grew sober. The track, -this double line of rusty steel, had so absorbed the energy of all of -them that it seemed now, to his inexperience, the complete outward -expression of their lives. He could think of little else. When not -engrossed by the actual work, his thoughts were ranging beyond, far -into the deeper significance of it. Crowding on the heels of the -constructors would come settlers. Already mushroom towns were pushing -up along the line behind them. With settlers would come well-boring, -irrigation, farming, and ranching. Timber, bricks, stone would be -rushed into these new lands, to be converted into hotels, shops, -banks, dwellings. The marvellously intricate interrelations of -civilization would suddenly be found existing and at work. There would -be rude, hard struggles, much drinking and gambling, and some -shooting. The license of the plains would be found strangely mingled -with law and with what we call right. The church and the saloon would -march on, side by side. And, finally, out of the uproar and the -fighting would rise, for better or worse, a new phase of life. -Thinking these things, Young Van could not forget that they five--Paul -Carhart, John Flint, Old Van, Harry Scribner, and himself--were -bringing it about. They were breaking the way, pioneers of the -expansion of a restless, mighty people. - -"No,"--Carhart was speaking,--"that letter was from Peet. You might -enjoy reading it." - -Young Van started from his revery, took the letter, and spread it -open. "My dear Mr. Carhart," it ran, "I am very sorry, indeed, about -the delay of that lot of spikes. I have arranged with Mr. Tiffany to -buy up all we can find here in Sherman and hurry them on to you. -Please keep me informed by wire of any delays and inconveniences. You -will understand, I am sure, that we mean to stop at nothing to keep -you from the slightest annoyance and delay in these matters. Very -faithfully yours, L. W. Peet." - -"But we have spikes enough," said the assistant, looking up. "What -does he mean?" - -Carhart smiled. "Just what he says; that he wouldn't delay us for -worlds." - -"'Very faithfully yours,' too. What is all this, Mr. Carhart? What -have you done to him--hypnotized him?" - -Carhart smiled. "Hardly," he replied; adding, "Reach me that spool of -thread, will you?" But instead of continuing his needlework, Carhart, -when he received the spool, laid it down beside him and sat, deep in -thought, gazing out through the tent-opening into the night. - -"Gus," he asked abruptly, "where did the operator go?" - -Young Van glanced up at his chief, then answered quietly: "To bed, I -think. I heard him say he was going to turn in early to-night." - -"Would you mind stirring him out?" - -"Certainly not." - -"Wait a minute. We have enough firewood on hand to keep the engines -going six or perhaps eight days. That won't do." - -Young Van was slightly puzzled. - -"Go ahead, Gus. Tell him to meet me at his instrument in ten minutes." - -Young Van left the tent at once. When he returned, after rousing the -sleepy operator, he observed that the chief was still deep in thought. -"All right," said Young Van; "he's getting up." - -"Much obliged, Gus." Carhart started to resume his mending, then -lowered his needle. "And all for the want of a horseshoe nail," he -hummed softly. - -Young Van, more puzzled than before, looked up from a heap of papers -which had drawn his attention. Carhart smiled a little. - -"You remember?" he said,-- - - "For the want of a nail the shoe was lost; - For the want of the shoe the horse was lost; - For the want of the horse the rider was lost; - For the want of the rider the battle was lost; - And all--" - -He stopped and looked out. A partly clad figure was hurrying by toward -the shelter that covered the telegraph instruments. - -"There he goes now. I'm a little bothered, Gus. It would be a humorous -sort of a joke on me if I should be held up now for a little -firewood." - -"I suppose we couldn't cut up ties?" suggested Young Van. - -"Can't spare 'em. I've ordered wood from Red Hills, but we shan't be -able to pick up enough there. And if we don't get some pretty soon, -the engines will have to stop." - -Young Van took down a letter file and glanced through it. In a moment -he had drawn out a recent message from Peet. "Here," he said, "Mr. -Peet promised to have a big lot of wood on the way by to-day. That -leaves some margin for delays." - -Carhart rose, and nodded. "Yes," he replied, "but not margin enough." - -"You expect something to happen right off?" - -"Couldn't say to that. But my bones feel queer to-night--have felt -queer all day. Tiffany writes that Bourke, who is in charge of the H. -D. & W. construction, was in Sherman the other day. And Commodore -Durfee was expected at Red Hills a week ago. Well,--" He shrugged his -shoulders and went out and over to join the operator. - -"We'll try to get the man on the next division," said Carhart. "Ask -him if the line is clear all the way." - -The operator extended his hand to send the message, but checked it in -midair. "Why," he exclaimed, "he is calling us!" He looked up prepared -to see surprise equal to his own on Carhart's face. But what he did -see there mystified him. The chief was slowly nodding. He could not -say that he had expected this call,--the thing was a coincidence,--and -yet he was not at all surprised. - -"'Trouble on Barker Hills division--'" The operator was repeating as -the instrument clicked. - -"That's a hundred miles or so back--" - -"Hundred and thirty-eight. 'Operator on middle division,' he -says, 'wires fifty men trying to seize station--has notified -Sherman--assistance promised. Big armed force Barker Hills led by -large man with red mustache--'" - -"That's Bourke himself," muttered Carhart. - -The operator's hand shook a little. His eyes were shining. "Here's -some more, Mr. Carhart,--'Have tried to hold my station, but--'" - -"Wait," cried the chief, sharply. "Quick--say this: 'Has supply train -passed west to-day?'" - -"'Has--supply--train--'" the operator repeated after a -moment--"'passed--west-to-day?'" - -"Now what does he answer?" - -"Just a moment--Here he is!--'Not--not--' Hold on there, what's the -matter?" - -"Has he stopped?" - -"Stopped short. That's queer." - -"Do you think so?" said Carhart, looking down into the white face of -the operator. The effect of the young man's excitement was hardly -lessened by the shock of rumpled hair about his forehead and by the -white collar of a nightgown which appeared above his hastily buttoned -coat. - -"You mean--?" - -"Wait a little longer." For several minutes they were silent, the -operator leaning his elbows on the table, Carhart bending over him. -Then, "Try him again," said Carhart. - -The operator obeyed. There was no response. Carhart drew up an empty -cracker box and sat down. Twenty minutes passed. - -"Click--clickety--click--click," said the instrument. The operator, in -a husky voice, translated the message as it came in: "'P. Carhart, -chief west'n ext. S. & W.: On receipt of this you will stop all -construction work until further instructions, by order of Vice-Pres. -Chambers--H. L. Tiffany.'" - -"That's funny!" said the operator. - -Carhart did not seem to hear the exclamation. He was frowning -slightly, and his lips were moving. At length he said, "Take this:-- - - "To C. O'F. BOURKE, - - Barker Hills Station:-- - - "Have another try, old chap. You haven't quite caught Hen - Tiffany's style yet. - - "P. CARHART." - -The operator laughed softly and nervously as his deft fingers -transmitted this personal communication. - -"Got it all through?" asked the chief. - -"Yes, sir; all through." - -"All right, then, go back to bed. Good night." - -"Good night, Mr. Carhart." - - * * * * * - -For several days now no word had come through from Flint, on "mile -109." But twenty hours after the trouble at Barker Hills--just before -supper time of the following day--a party of plainsmen came galloping -into camp. One of these, a wizened little man with a kindly smile and -shrewd eyes, dismounted before the headquarters tent and peered in -between the flaps. "Mr. Carhart here?" - -"He will be in two minutes," replied Young Van, rising from the table. -"Come in, sir!" - -"Your Mr. Flint asked me to hand him this." The wizened one produced a -letter, and dropped into the chair which Young Van had brought -forward. "Having quite a time up there, isn't he?" - -"How so?" asked Young Van. It was well to speak guardedly. - -"Oh, he's in it, deep," was the reply. "Commodore Durfee's at the -Frisco Hotel in Red Hills. They say he came out over the 'Wobbly' on a -construction train and rode through. Pretty spry yet, the Old -Commodore. He's hired a bad man named Flagg--Jack Flagg--and sent him -out with a hundred or so men to seize your bridge at La Paz. Sorry I -couldn't stay there to see the excitement, but I'm hurrying east. Mr. -Flint thought maybe I could pick up one of your trains running back to -Sherman. If I can't do that, I'll strike off south for Pierrepont, and -get through that way." - -Young Van hesitated, and was about to reply, when he heard the chief -approaching. - -Carhart came in from the rear, nodded to the stranger, and picked up -the envelope. "You brought this, sir?" he asked. - -"Yes; Mr. Flint asked me to." - -Very deliberately Carhart read the letter, and, without the slightest -change of expression, tossed it on the table. "You must have supper -with us," he said. "If you stopped with John Flint you perhaps know -how little an engineer's hospitality amounts to, but such as we have -we shall be very glad to share with you." - -"Thank you," replied the stranger. - -"You are a ranchman, I presume?" Carhart went on. - -"Yes--in northwest of Red Hills. I go to Sherman every year." - -Young Van spoke, "He thought of taking one of our trains through." - -Carhart smiled dryly. "I should be greatly obliged to you, sir, if you -could take a train through," he said. "That's something we don't seem -able to do." - -The wizened one glanced up with a keen expression about his eyes. -"Having trouble back along the line?" he asked. - -"You might call it trouble. My old friend Bourke, of the H. D. & W., -has cut in behind us with a small army." He gave a little shrug. "I -can't get through. I can't get either way now that they've got in -between Flint and Red Hills." - -"Then I'd better ride down to Pierrepont, hadn't I?" - -"I'm afraid that's the best that I can suggest, sir." - -"You people certainly seem to be playing in hard luck, Mr. Carhart." -As the wizened one ventured this observation he crossed his legs and -thrust his hands into his pockets. The action caused his coat to fall -back, and disclosed a small gold pendant hanging from his watch guard. -Young Van observed it, and glanced at Carhart, but he could not tell -whether the chief had taken it in. - -"It's worse than hard luck," Carhart replied; "it begins to look like -defeat. We have been dependent on the Sherman people for material, -food, water,--everything. Now Bourke has shut us off." - -"But you seem to have plenty of material here, Mr. Carhart." - -"Rails--yes. But it takes more than rails." - -"And you surely have a large enough force." - -"Yes, but moving several hundred men back a hundred and forty miles, -fighting it out with Bourke, clearing the track, and getting trains -through from Sherman, will take time. Long before we can make any -headway, the H. D. & W. will have beaten us into Red Hills." - -"Ah--I see," nodded the wizened one. "You're going back after Bourke." - -"What else can I do! I can't even wire Sherman without sending a man -two hundred miles through the desert. The most important thing to my -employers is to maintain possession of the line." - -"Of course--I see. I don't know much about these things myself." - -After supper the wizened one announced that he must ride on with his -party. - -"You won't stop with us to-night?" asked Carhart. - -"No, thanks. It'll be light an hour or two yet. I've got to move fast. -I'll lose a good deal, you see, going around by way of Pierrepont." - -"That's so, of course. Well, good-by, sir." - -"Good-by." - -The riders swung into their saddles and cantered off eastward. Carhart -turned to Young Van and slowly winked. "Come up to headquarters, Gus," -he said. "I've got some work for you." - -"I rather guess you have, if we're going after Bourke." - -"After Bourke?" Carhart smiled. "You didn't take that in, Gus?" - -"Well--of course, I suspected." - -"You saw his badge?" - -"Yes." - -"Bourke always has a lot of men about him from his own college." - -"You really think it, then?" - -"It would be hard to say what I think. But I've been going on the -assumption that he is one of Bourke's engineers." - -They were approaching the headquarters tent. Young Van looked up and -saw that "Arizona," Carhart's new saddle-horse, was hitched before -it. They entered the tent, and the first thing the chief did was to -get out two long blue-nosed revolvers and slip them into his holsters. -A moment later, and Dimond, fitted out for a long ride, appeared at -the entrance, saying, "All ready, Mr. Carhart!" - -"Now, Gus," said the chief, "I'm off for 'mile 109.' I want you to get -about two hundred men together and send them after me to-night or -to-morrow morning. I'll tell Scribner, as I pass him, to have fifty -more for you. Every man must have a rifle and plenty of ball -cartridges. Send Byers"--this was the instrument man of the long -nose--"and two or three others whom you think capable of commanding -forty or fifty men each." - -"And Bourke?" - -"We'll leave him to Mr. Chambers. Give Charlie instructions to -strengthen his night guard. Some men will be sent back to guard the -second and third wells." - -Young Van involuntarily passed his hand across his eyes. - -"I'm afraid I'm not much good," he said slowly. "I didn't grasp this -situation very well. It's rather a new phase of engineering for me. We -seem to be plunging all of a sudden into tactics and strategy." - -"That's about the size of it, Gus," the chief responded. He had -exchanged his old straw hat for a sombrero. His spurs jingled as he -moved. There was a sparkle in his eye and a new sort of military -alertness about his figure. He paused at the tent entrance, and looked -back. "That's about the size of it, Gus," he repeated with a half -smile. "And I'm afraid I rather like it." - -"Well, good-by. I'll start the men right along after you." - -Carhart mounted his horse, Dimond followed his example, and the two -rode away in the direction of the La Paz bridge. And ten hours later, -at five in the morning, a line of armed horsemen--a long-nosed young -man with the light of a pirate soul in his eyes riding at the head, an -athletic pile-inspector and a college-bred rodman bringing up the -rear--rode westward after him. - - * * * * * - -Troubles had been coming other than singly on "mile 109." Jack Flagg, -with a force which, while smaller than Flint's, was made up of -well-armed and well-paid desperadoes, had seized the ridge which shut -in the La Paz Valley on the west, had pitched camp, erected rude -intrenchments of loose stone, and stopped for the moment all work on -the mile-long trestle. So much John Flint had set down in the note -which the wizened one had delivered to Carhart. The next adventure -befell on the night after the departure of the wizened one; and it -brought out the ugly strain in the opera bouffe business of these wild -railroading days. - -Antonio, the watchman, sat on the edge of the eastern abutment and -dangled his feet. He was so drowsy that he even stopped rolling -cigarettes. He had chosen a comfortable seat, where a pile of timbers -afforded a rest for his back. To be sure, there was the possibility -of rolling off into the water and sand if he should really fall -asleep; but elsewhere he would be exposed to the searching eyes of the -engineer in charge, and those eyes were very searching indeed. He was -thinking, in a dreamy way, of what he would do on the Sunday, with his -week's pay in his pocket and the village of La Paz but twelve miles -away. - -Now and again his complacent eyes roved out across the river, which -slipped by with such a gentle, swishing murmur. He could look over the -tops of the four unfinished piers and the western abutment and see the -trestle where it was continued on the farther side. These Americanos, -what driving devils they were! And when they had built their railroad, -what were they going to do with it? To go fast--Antonio shrugged his -shoulders and resumed the cigarettes--it is very well, but to what -purpose? When they have rushed madly across the continent, what will -they find there? Perhaps they will then rush back again. These -Americanos! - -He let his eyes rest upon the row of piers--one, two, three, four of -them. What labor they had caused--how the men had sweat, and muttered, -and toiled--how the foremen had cursed! Four piers of masonry rising -out of the ghostly river. Very strong they must be, for the La Paz was -not always gentle. In the spring and fall it was savage; and then it -had an ugly way of undermining bridges, as those other foolish -Americanos had learned to their cost when they built the wagon bridge -at La Paz. He smiled lazily. But suddenly he sat up straight. A long -thin figure of a man was moving about among the piles of timber. It -was the senor Flint--and such a prowler as he was, day and night, -night and day. He lived this bridge, did the senor; he thought it, he -ate it, he drank it, he talked it, he slept it,--and for why? It could -not be that he believed it living to think and breathe bridge and only -bridge. It could not be that man was made for this--to become a slave -to this trestle structure which was slowly crawling, like some -monster centipede, across the sands of the La Paz. It was very good -for the trestle perhaps, and the bridge, but was it so good for the -senor? - -[Illustration: "... this trestle structure which was slowly crawling, -like some monster centipede, across the sands of the La Paz."] - -Antonio smiled again, and settled back; the senor was passing on. He -was getting into a boat. He was poling across the languid, dimpling -river. He was getting out on the farther bank; he was walking up the -long slope, keeping out of the moonlight in the shadow of the -trestle-thing; he was peering up toward the embattled ridge beyond, -where lay the redoubtable Flagg. - -... The cigarette dropped from Antonio's unnerved fingers, and fell -with a sizzling splash into the water below. He drew an involuntary -quick breath, and the smoke in his nostrils went unexpectedly into his -throat and made him cough. Then trembling a little, he got slowly to -his feet and stood staring out there over the serene surface of the -river. He rubbed his eyes and stared again. A shot,--two shots,--which -was right? Two--no, one! And that insignificant little dark heap -yonder in the moonlight--was that the senor? What a trouble!--and he -had been so comfortable there on the abutment! - -Antonio was frightened. He thought of running away from these -fate-tempting Americans; but in that case he would lose his pay and -those Sundays at La Paz. He waited a while. Perhaps he was dreaming -and would make himself ridiculous. He walked about, and tried -different points of view. And at last he went to rouse his foreman. - -They got Flint in--Haddon, in night-shirt, bare legs, and shoes with -flapping strings to them; the foreman of the pile-driver crew in -night-shirt and hat, and two big-shouldered bridgemen. There was a -ball somewhere in Flint, and there were certain complications along -the line of his chronic ailment, so that his usefulness was, so to -speak, impaired. And Haddon, during what was left of the night and -during all of the following day, had distinctly a bad time of it. - -While these things were going on, Paul Carhart was riding westward at -a hot gallop with Dimond close behind. It was shortly after sunset -that he reined up on the crest of the eastern ridge and looked out -over the La Paz. The barren valley was flooded with light. The yellow -slopes were delicately tinted rose and violet, the rock pillars stood -out black and sharply defined, the western hills formed a royal purple -barrier to the streams of color; and through this glowing scene -extended the square-jointed trestle, unmistakably the work of man -where all else was from another hand. Never in the progress of this -undertaking which we have been following across the plains had the -contrast been so marked between the patient beauty of the old land and -the uncompromising ugliness of the structure which Paul Carhart was -carrying into and through it. And yet the chief,--an intelligent, -educated man, not wanting in feeling for the finer side of -life,--though he took in the wonders of the sunset, looked last and -longest at the trestle and the uncompleted bridge. Then he rode down, -glancing, in his quizzical way, at the camp, which had been moved back -behind a knoll, at the piles of stone and timber, at the corral, and -at the groups of idle, gloomy workmen. - -Fortunately the chief was prepared for surprises. News that the -trestle had been burned to the ground would have drawn no more than a -glance and a nod from him. His mind had not been idle during the ride. -He knew that the strongest defence partakes of an offensive character, -and he had no notion of sitting back to await developments. Of several -sets of plans which he had been considering, one was so plainly the -simplest and best that he was determined to try it. It involved a -single daring act, a sort of raid, which it would be necessary to -carry through without a vestige of legal authority. But this feature -of it disturbed him very much less than a mere casual acquaintance -with this quiet gentleman might have led one to suppose. Perhaps he -had, like the red-blooded Tiffany, a vein of "Scotch-Irish" down in -the depths of his nature which could on occasion be opened up. - -[Illustration: "The cigarette dropped from Antonio's unnerved -fingers."] - -After looking out for the comfort of John Flint, and after conferring -with Haddon and going thoroughly over the ground, Carhart sent for -Dimond. - -"How much more are you good for?" he asked. - -Dimond grinned. "For everything that's going," he replied. - -"Good. Do you know where the H. D. & W. is building down, a dozen or -fifteen miles north of here?" - -"I guess I can find it," said Dimond. - -And with a fresh horse and a man or two, and with certain specific -instructions, Dimond rode north shortly after nightfall of that same -day. At eight in the morning he was back, hollow-eyed but happy. And -Paul Carhart, when Dimond had reported, was seen to smile quietly to -himself. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -A SHOW-DOWN - - -All was quiet at the main camp. Excepting that the division engineers -were short-handed, and that Paul Carhart was away, things were going -on with some regularity. Scribner rode in late on the second -afternoon, and toward the end of the evening, when the office work was -done, he and Young Van played a few rubbers of cribbage. The camp went -to sleep as usual. - -At some time between eleven o'clock and midnight the two young -engineers tacitly put up the cards and settled back for a smoke. - -"Do you know," said Young Van, after a silence, "I don't believe this -stuff at all." - -Scribner tipped back, put his feet on the table, puffed a moment, and -slowly nodded. "Same here, Gus," he replied. "Fairy tales, all of -it." - -"You can't settle the ownership of a railroad by civil war." - -"No; but if you can get possession by a five-barrelled bluff, you can -give the other fellow a devil of a time getting it back." - -"That's true, of course." They were silent again. - -... "What's that!" said Scribner. Both dropped their feet and sat up. - -"Horse," said Young Van. - -"Devil of a way off." - -"Must be. Lost it now." - -"No--there it is again. Now, what do you suppose?" - -"Don't know. Let's step out and look around." - -Standing on the sloping ground in front of the tent, they could at -first distinguish nothing. - -"Gives you a queer feeling," said Scribner, "horse galloping--this -time of night--" - -"--just now," Young Van completed, "when things are going on." - -"Coming from the east, too,--where Bourke is. Know him?" - -"No--never met him. Heard of him, of course." - -"He's a good one. Wish he was on our side." - -"I guess Mr. Carhart can match him." - -Scribner nodded. "This sort of a fight's likely to settle down into -the plain question of who's got the cards. There'll come a time when -both sides'll have to lay down their hands, and the cards'll make the -difference one way or the other. Just a show-down, after all." - -"I think myself Mr. Carhart's got the cards. He didn't look like a -loser when he went off the other night." - -"If he has," said Scribner, "you can bet he'll 'see' Durfee and Bourke -every time." - -... "Here's that horse, Harry." - -"Big man--looks like--" - -"It's Tiffany.--Good evening, Mr. Tiffany." - -"How are you, boys? Paul here?" - -"Why, no, Mr. Tiffany. He's up on 'mile 109.'" - -"'Mile 109!'" Tiffany whistled. "What the devil! You don't mean that -those--" he paused. - -"Commodore Durfee's at Red Hills, you know," said Young Van. - -"The ---- he is!" - -"And he's sent a force to hold the west bank of the La Paz." - -By this time the chief engineer of the S. & W. had got his big frame -to the ground. He bore unmistakable evidences of long and hard riding. -Even in that dim light they could see that his face was seamed with -the marks of exhaustion. - -"Haven't got a wee bit drappie, have you?" he asked. - -"I certainly have," Young Van replied. "Come right in." - -Tiffany tossed his hat on the table, reached out for the flask and -tumbler, and tossed down a drink which would have done credit to the -hardiest Highlander of them all. "Now show me the stable," he said. -"Want to fix my horse for the night. I've half killed him." - -A quarter of an hour later the three men were back in the headquarters -tent. - -"How did you get through, Mr. Tiffany?" asked Young Van. - -"Came out on the first train to Barker Hills. Bourke's holding the -station there. He had a couple of our engines, and was working east, -but we stopped that. Peet's there now with Sheriff McGraw and a bundle -of warrants and a hundred and fifty men--more, I guess, by this time. -Just another thimbleful o' that-- Thanks! We've got Bourke blocked at -Barker Hills, all right. Before the week's out we'll have the track -opened proper for you. Mr. De Reamer's taken hold himself, you know. -He's at Sherman, with some big lawyers--and maybe he ain't mad all -through!" - -"Then Commodore Durfee hasn't got the board of directors?" - -"Not by a good deal! I doubt if even General Carrington's votes would -swing it for him now. But then, I don't know such a heap about that -part of it. I was telling you--I'll take a nip o' that. Thanks!--I was -telling you. We come along the Middle Division, running slow,--we were -afraid of obstructions on the track,--" - -"Did you find any?" - -"Did we find any?--Well I guess." He held out a pair of big hands, -palms up. "I got those splinters handling cross-ties in the dark. And -about the middle of the Barker Hills division--at the foot of Crump's -Hill,--we found some rails missing. - -"Well, sir, I left 'em there to fix it up--we had a repair car in the -train--and got my horse off and rode around south of the station. Had -some sandwiches in my pocket, but didn't get a drop of water till I -struck your first well, last night. You ain't using that now?" - -"No, we've moved up to two and three--this way." - -"There was a blamed fool tried to stop me, a mile south of Barker -Hills Station--yelled at me; and fired when I didn't answer."-- -Tiffany paused with this, and looked grimly from one to the other of -the young men. Then he drew a big revolver from his belt, opened it, -and exhibited the cylinder. One chamber was empty. They were silent -for a time. - -"You'll find Mr. Carhart's cot all ready for you, Mr. Tiffany," said -Young Van, at length. - -"All right. Can I get a breakfast at five? I'm going on to find Paul. -That's where the fun'll be--where you find Paul Carhart. I wonder if -you boys know what it means to have the opportunity to work with that -man--eh? He had us all guessing about the old Paradise. And he was -right--oh, he was right. There hasn't a rail come through since." - -Scribner and Young Van were looking at each other. "Then those rails -didn't come from Pennsylvania?" said the former. - -"He didn't tell you, eh?" Tiffany grinned. "Well, I guess it ain't a -secret now. Mr. Chambers never even grunted when I told him, but he -looked queer. And Mr. De Reamer ain't said anything yet. Why, Paul, he -see first off that we weren't ever going to get the rest o' those -rails. He see, too, that Bourke was going to cut him off if he could. -And what does he do? Why he comes down and walks off with the old -Paradise Southern--rails, ties, everything. He never even tells Peet -and me. It's up to him, he thinks, and if he makes good, nobody can -kick." Tiffany was grinning again. "Yes, sir," he continued, "Paul -Carhart just naturally confiscated the Paradise Southern, and it was -the prettiest job anybody ever see. And it's funny--he says to me, -while we were out there at Total Wreck pulling up the freight yard by -the roots, 'Tiffany,' he says, 'if you hadn't told about how you stole -those Almighty and Great Windy cars from the sheriff of Erie County, -I'd never 'a' thought of it.' Well, I'll turn in, boys; good night." - -"Good night," said Young Van. - -"Good night," said Scribner; "I'll ride on with you as far as my -division to-morrow, Mr. Tiffany. I can give you a fresh horse there." - -The chief engineer of the S. & W. disappeared between the flaps of -Carhart's tent. They could hear him throwing off his clothes and -getting into bed. Another moment and they heard him snoring. They -stood gazing off down the grade. - -"Well, what do you think of that?" said Scribner. Young Van looked at -his companion. "I think this," he replied: "I wouldn't miss this work -and this fight under Paul Carhart for five years' pay." - -Scribner nodded. "The loss of an engineer's pay, Gus, wouldn't make -much difference one way or the other," he replied, and his face -lighted up with enthusiasm. "But it's a great game!" - - * * * * * - -And so it was that something like two days after Carhart's arrival on -"mile 109," Tiffany, a little the worse for wear, but still able to -ride and eat and sleep and swear, came slowly down the slope into the -camp, where Flint was hovering midway between the present and the -hereafter. He found the chief of construction deep in a somewhat -complicated problem, and after a bite to eat he climbed up the ridge -behind the camp to the tent which Carhart was occupying. - -"Well, Paul, how goes it?" said he. - -"First-rate. How much do you know?" - -"Precious little." - -Carhart mused a moment, then pulled out from a heap of papers one on -which he had sketched a map. "Here we are," said he. "The trestle is -fifty to a hundred and fifty feet high, from ridge to ridge. Flagg has -strung out his men along the west ridge, about a mile from here, and -across the end of the trestle." - -"Yes, yes," broke in Tiffany, "I see. I've been all over this ground." - -"Well, now, you see these two knolls on the west ridge, a little back -of Flagg's position? The one to the north is a hundred and twenty feet -higher than Flagg's men; the one to the south is eighty feet higher -and only a quarter of a mile away from him. His line of retreat lies -through the hollow between the two knolls, where the track is to run. -Now if I put fifty or a hundred men on each knoll, I can command his -position, and even shut off his retreat. His choice then would lie -between moving north or south along the crest of the ridge, which is -also commanded by the two knolls, or coming down the slope toward us." - -"Flagg hasn't occupied the knolls, eh?" - -"I believe he hasn't. I've been watching them with the glasses." - -"I wonder why the Commodore put such a man in charge." - -"Oh, Flagg has some reputation as a bad man. He's the sort General -Carrington employed in the Colorado fights." - -They talked on for a time, then Carhart put up his map and they walked -out. It was evening. Across the valley, at the point where the -trestle met the rising ground, they could see lights, some of them -moving about. Tiffany walked with his hands deep in his trousers -pockets. Finally he said thoughtfully:-- - -"The more I think of it, Paul, the more I'm impressed by what -Commodore Durfee has done. He has got possession of our grade over -there--we can't deny that. We've either got to give up, or else take -the offensive and fight. And that would look rotten, now, wouldn't -it?" - -"Yes," Carhart replied, "it would. He has made a pretty play. And as a -play--as a bluff--it comes pretty near being effective." - -"D--n near!" Tiffany muttered. - -"But now suppose we take those knolls--quietly, in the night--and -close in across Flagg's rear, hold a line from knoll to knoll, what -then? Wouldn't he have to shoot first?" - -"Well, perhaps. But it would put both sides in a mean light. Oh, why -didn't John stand him off in the first place! Then he could have shot -from our property, and been right in shooting." - -They had been pacing slowly up and down. Now Carhart stopped, and sat -down on a convenient stick of timber. Tiffany followed his example. -The moon was rising behind them, and the valley and the trestle and -the rude intrenchments of timber and rock on the opposite ridge and -the knolls outlined against the sky grew more distinct. - -"Yes," Carhart said slowly, "it's a very good bluff. Commodore Durfee -knows well enough that this sort of business can never settle the real -question. But the question of who gets to Red Hills first is another -thing altogether. The spectacle of Jack Flagg and a well-armed -regiment of desperadoes in front of them, and the knowledge that the -Commodore himself had organized the regiment and sent it out, would -stop some engineers." - -Tiffany leaned forward, rested his elbows on his knees, and gazed -moodily out across the valley. He had been riding hard for four days, -with not enough food and water and scarcely any sleep. Only one night -of the four had found him on a cot--the other nights had been passed -on the ground. In the resulting physical depression his mind had taken -to dwelling on the empty chamber in his revolver--he wished he knew -more of what that leaden ball had accomplished. And now here was John -Flint shot down by a hidden enemy. It was the ugliest work he had been -engaged in for years. When he finally spoke, he could not conceal his -discouragement. - -"How about this engineer here, Paul?" he said, still looking out there -over the valley. "Will the regiment and Commodore Durfee stop you?" - -"I hope not," said Carhart. - -"You're going to fight, then--until the governor calls out the state -troops, and throws us all out, and there's hell to pay?" - -"I don't think so. I'm going to get ready to fight." - -"By putting your men on those two knolls?" - -"Yes." - -"And then what?" - -"Then I'm going to Red Hills." - -"To Red Hills!" Tiffany sat up. There was more life in his voice. - -"Yes." Carhart laughed a little. "Why not?" - -Tiffany half turned and looked earnestly into the face of this unusual -man. The spectacles threw back the moonlight and concealed the eyes -behind them. The lower part of the face was perhaps a trifle leaner -than formerly. The mouth was composed. Tiffany found no answer there -to the question in his own eyes. So he put it in words: "What are you -going to do there, Paul?" - -"See Commodore Durfee." - -"See--! Look here, do you know how mad he is? Do you think he came -clear down here from New York, and shoved his old railroad harder than -anybody but you ever shoved one before and hired the rascals that shot -John Flint,--him playing for the biggest stakes on the railroad table -to-day,--do you think he'll feel like talking to the man who's put him -to all this trouble?" - -"Well," Carhart hesitated,--"I hope he will." - -"But it's foolhardy, Paul. You won't gain anything. Just the sight of -you walking into the Frisco House office may mean gun play. If it was -Bourke, it would be different; but these Durfee men are mad. The -Commodore was never treated this way in his life before. And you're a -little nervous yourself, Paul. Be careful what you do. He'll have -lawyers around him--and he's redhot, remember that." - -"I can't quite agree with you, Tiffany. I think he'll talk to me. But -there's one thing I've got to do first, and you can help me there." - -"For God's sake, then, let me get into the game. I can't stand this -looking on--fretting myself to death." - -"I want you to take charge here for a day while I go after my -firewood. I came pretty near being held up altogether for want of it. -Bourke cut me off before Peet could get it through." - -"Where can you get it?" - -"There's a lot waiting for me off north of here." - -Tiffany grunted. "North of here, eh?" - -Carhart nodded. - -"And you have to work so delicate getting it that you can't trust -anybody else to do it?" - -Carhart smiled. "Better not ask me, Tiffany. I can't talk to Commodore -Durfee until I've got all the cards in my hand, and this is the last -one. As to going myself, it happens to be the sort of thing I won't -ask anybody to do for me, that's all." - -"That's how you like it," said Tiffany, gruffly, rising. "Want to talk -about anything else to-night?" - -"No--I shan't be leaving before to-morrow noon. I'll see you in the -morning." While he spoke, he was watching Tiffany, and he was amused -to see that the veteran had recovered his equilibrium and was angry -with himself. - -"When will you want to begin your military monkey-shines?" - -Carhart drove back a smile, and got up. "Not until I get back here -with the wood," he replied. "Good night." - -Tiffany merely grunted, and marched off to the cot which had been -assigned him. - -At noon of the following day Carhart was ready to lead his expedition -northward. It was made up of all Flint's wagons, with two men on the -seat and two rifles under the seat of each. And scattered along on -both sides of the train were men picked from Flint's bridge-builders -and from Old Van's and Scribner's iron and tie squads. These men were -mounted on fresh ponies, and they carried big holsters on their -saddles and stubby, second-hand army carbines behind them. Dimond was -there, too, and the long-nosed instrument man. The two or three -besides the chief who knew what was soon to be doing kept their own -counsel. The others knew nothing, but there was a sort of tingling -electricity in the air which had got into every man of the lot. This -much they knew; Mr. Carhart was very quiet and considerate and -businesslike, but he had a streak of blue in him. And it is the streak -of blue in your quiet, considerate leader which makes him a leader -indeed in the eyes and hearts of those who are to follow him. Not that -there were any heroics in evidence, rather a certain grim quiet, from -one end of the wagon train to the other, which meant business. Carhart -took it all in, as he cantered out toward the head of the line, -dropping a nod here and there, and waving Byers, who was leaning on -his pony's rump and looking impatiently back, to start off. He had -picked his men with care--he knew that he could trust them. And so, on -reaching the leading wagon and pulling to a walk, he settled himself -comfortably in his saddle and began to plan the conversation with -Commodore Durfee which was to come next and which was to mean -everything or nothing to Paul Carhart. - -Once Byers, not observing his abstraction, spoke, "That was hard luck, -Mr. Carhart, getting cut off from Sherman this way." - -"Think so?" the chief replied, and fell back into his study. - -Byers looked puzzled, but he offered nothing further. Carhart was for -a moment diverted along the line suggested by him of the long nose. -"Hard luck, eh?" he was thinking. "It's the first time in my life I -was ever let alone. I only hope they won't clean Bourke out and repair -the wires before I get through." - - * * * * * - -The white spot on Bourke's long blueprint of the High, Dry, and -Wobbly, to which was attached the name of "Durfee," might have seemed, -to the unknowing, a town or settlement. It was not. It was a station -in the form of an unpainted shed, a few huts, and a water tank. -Besides these, there were heaps of rails and ties and bridge timbers -and all the many materials used in building a railroad. "The end of -the track," or rather "Mr. Bourke's camp," which marked the beginning -of the end, lay some dozen miles farther west. Out there, men swarmed -by the hundred, for work had by no means been discontinued on the H. -D. & W. But here at "Durfee" there were only an operator, a train crew -or so, a few section men, and a night watchman. And on that late -evening when a train of wagons rolled along on well-greased wheels -beside the track and stopped at the long piles of firewood which were -stored there within easy reach of passing locomotives, all these -worthy persons were asleep. - -What few words passed among the invaders were low and guarded. -Everything seemed to be understood. Of the two men on each wagon, one -dropped his reins and stood up in the wagon-box, the other leaped to -the ground and rapidly passed up armfuls of wood. Of the horsemen, -three out of every four dismounted and ran off in a wide circle and -took shelter in shadowed spots behind lumber piles, or dropped -silently to the ground and lay there watching. Out on the track a -deep-chested, hard-faced man, who might perhaps have answered to the -name of "Dimond," took up a post of observation. On that side of the -circle nearest the station and the huts, two men who had the manner of -some authority moved cautiously about. Both wore spectacles and one -had a long nose. Through the still air came the champing of bits and -the pawing and snorting of horses. The man with the spectacles and the -less striking nose seemed to dislike these noises. He drew out a watch -now and then, and held it up in the moonlight. The work was going on -rapidly, yet how slowly! Once somebody dropped an armful of wood, and -every man started at the sound. - -The watchman upon whom devolved the responsibility of seeing that no -prowling strangers walked off by night with the town of "Durfee" was -meanwhile dreaming troublous dreams. From pastoral serenity these -night enjoyments of his had passed through various disquieting stages -into positive discord. They finally awoke him, and even assumed an -air of waking reality. The queer, faint sounds which were floating -through the night suggested the painful thought that somebody _was_ -walking off with the town of "Durfee." He would investigate. - -Slowly tiptoeing down an alleyway between two long heaps of material, -the watchman settled his fingers around his heavy stick. Then he -paused. The sounds were very queer indeed. He decided to drop his -stick and draw his revolver. But this action, which he immediately -undertook, was interrupted by a pair of strong arms which gripped him -from behind. And a pair of hands at the end of two other strong arms -abruptly stuffed a handkerchief into his mouth and held it in place by -means of another which was tied at the back of his neck. - -"Bring him along, boys," said a low voice. - -"All right, Mr. Carhart," replied the owner of the first-mentioned -arms,--and then could have bitten his tongue out, for the speaking -eyes of the incapacitated watchman were fixed on the half-shadowed, -spectacled face before him. - -Ten minutes more and the wagon train, now heavily laden, was starting -off. The horsemen lingered until it was fairly under way, then ran -back to their mounts, and hovered in a crowd about the last dozen -wagons until all danger of an attack was past. And later on, when they -were something more than halfway back to Mr. Flint's camp, they -released the night watchman, and started him back on foot for -"Durfee," and hurled pleasantries after him for as long as he was -within earshot. - - * * * * * - -It was necessary to drop another day before occupying the knolls, and -Carhart spent most of it in sleep. He was not a man of iron, and the -exertions of the week had been of an exhausting nature. But Tiffany, -who had slept the sleep of the righteous throughout the night of the -raiding expedition, took hold of the preparations with skill and -energy. And after supper he and Carhart stood together on the high -ground at the eastern end of the trestle and talked it over. - -"Young Haddon seems to be a pretty good man to command one knoll," -said Tiffany, "but how about the other?" - -"Byers could do it, possibly, but not so well as Dimond. The men like -him, and while he's a little rough-handed, he's level-headed and -experienced. I'll take Byers to Red Hills with me. We can start out at -nine, say. Each party will have to make a wide circuit around the -hills and cross the stream a mile or two from here. It will be two or -three hours before we get around to the knolls." - -"Would you use boats to ferry the boys over?" - -"No. They saw too much of the start of my wagons yesterday. They would -make out any movement on the river. You take the down party, Tiffany, -with Haddon; I'll go up with Dimond. Then you can leave Haddon in -charge when you have him placed, and move about where you please." - -Not a man of either party knew where he was to go, but as was the case -at the beginning of the movement on "Durfee," voices were subdued and -nerves were strung up. As soon as it was dark, men carrying -rifles and with light rations stuffed into all available -pockets--little men, middle-sized men, and big men, but all active and -well-muscled--appeared here and there by ones and twos and threes, -dodged out of the camp, and slipped through the hollow behind the -trestle-end. There was little champing and pawing of horses to-night, -for Carhart and Byers were the only ones to ride. The men lay or sat -on the rocks and on the ground there behind the brow of the ridge, and -talked soberly. Before long an inquisitive bridgeman counted a hundred -and twenty of them, and still they were coming silently through the -hollow. After a time Dimond appeared, then Haddon and Byers walking -together, and, after a long wait, Tiffany and Carhart themselves. -Then the five leaders grouped for a consultation. Those near by could -see that Carhart was laying down the code that was to govern their -conduct for a day or two. Something was said before the group broke up -which drew an affirmative oath from Tiffany and started Haddon and -Dimond examining their weapons, and stirred Byers to an excited -question. Then Tiffany drew off a rod or so with Haddon at his heels, -saying, "My boys, this way." And as the word passed along man after -man, to more than a hundred, sprang up and fell in behind him. Carhart -beckoned to those who were left, fully an equal number of them, and -these gathered together behind their chief. - -"Good night, Tiffany," said Carhart, then. - -But Tiffany's gruffness suddenly gave way. With a "wait a minute, -boys," he came striding over and took Carhart's hand in a rough grip. -"Good luck, Paul," he said something huskily. And then he cleared his -throat. "Good luck!" he said again, and went back to his men. And the -two parties moved off over the broken ground and the rocks, Carhart -and Byers leading their horses. - -Carhart led his men nearly two miles north, then forded the stream at -a point where it ran wide and shallow. He climbed the west ridge, and -turned south along the farther slope. After twenty minutes of -advancing cautiously he sent Dimond to follow the crest of the ridge -and keep their bearings. Another twenty minutes and Dimond came down -the slope and motioned them to stop. - -"Is this the knoll ahead here?" asked the chief. - -Dimond nodded. - -"Quietly, then. Byers, you wait here with the horses." - -The same individual spirit which makes our little American army what -it is, was in these workingmen. Every one understood perfectly that he -must get to the top of that knoll as silently as the thing could be -done, and acted accordingly. Orders were not needed. There were -slopes of shelving rock to be ascended, there were bits of real -climbing to be managed. But the distance was not very great, and it -took but a quarter of an hour or so. Then they found themselves on the -summit, and made themselves comfortable among the rocks, spreading out -so that they could command every approach. Carhart took Dimond to the -top of the southeasterly slope and pointed out to him the knoll -opposite, the hollow between, the camp a third of a mile away of Flagg -and his cheerful crew, the trestle, the river, and their own dim camp -on the farther slope. He repeated his instructions for the last time. -"Lie quiet until noon of the day after to-morrow--not a sound, -understand; not so much as the top of a hat to show. It will be a hard -pull, but you've got to do it." - -"Yes, sir." - -"At that time, if you hear nothing further from me, take your men down -there along the slope, give Flagg one chance to withdraw, and if he -refuses, close in across the hollow behind the rocks. Mr. Haddon will -do the same. After that if they try to rush you, shoot. The men from -camp will be working out across the trestle and up the hill at the -same time.--Here it is, written down. Put it in your pocket. And mind, -not a shot, not so much as a stone thrown, before noon of day after -to-morrow, excepting in self-defence. Understand?" - -"Yes, sir." - -"Now come down the slope here, on the other side--where we can't be -seen from Flagg's camp. You have your lantern?" - -"Here." - -"Light it, and flash it once." - -Dimond obeyed. Both men peered across the hollow, but no response came -from the other knoll. - -"Flash it again." - -This time there came an answering flash. Carhart nodded, then took the -lantern from Dimond, extinguished it, and handed it back. "Don't light -this again for any purpose," he said. "Now see that you do exactly as -I have told you. Keep your men in hand." - -"All right, sir." - -"Good night, then." - -Carhart groped his way along the hillside, slowly descending. After a -time he whistled softly. - -"Here--this way!" came in Byers's voice. - -They had to lead their horses nearly a mile over the plateau before -they found the beaten track to Red Hills. Byers was jubilant. He was a -young man who had dreamed for years of this moment. He had known not -what form it would take, but that he should at some time be riding, -booted and spurred, with a weight of responsibility on his shoulders, -a fine atmosphere of daring about him, and the feeling within of a -king's messenger, this he had always known. And now here he was! And -buoyant as an April day, the blood dancing in his veins, sitting his -horse with the ease of an Indian, Byers called over to his chief: -"Fine night this, Mr. Carhart!" - -They were riding side by side. At his remark the chief seemed -unconsciously to be pulling in. He fell behind. Byers, wondering a -little, slowed down and looked around. Apparently his remark had not -been heard. He called again: "Fine night, Mr. Carhart!" ... And then, -in the moonlight, he caught a full view of the face of his leader. It -was not the face he was accustomed to see about headquarters; he found -in it no suggestion of the resourceful, energetic chief on whom he had -come to rely as older men rely on blind forces. This was the face of a -nervous, dispirited man of the name of Carhart, a man riding a small -horse, who, after accomplishing relentlessly all that man could -accomplish, had reached the point where he could do nothing further, -where he must lay down his hand and accept the inevitable, whether for -better or for worse. Byers could not, perhaps, understand what this -endless night meant to Paul Carhart, but the sight of that face -sobered him. And it was a very grave young man who turned in his -saddle and peered out ahead and let his eyes rove along the dreary, -moonlit trail. - -A moment later he started a little, and hardly conscious of what he -was doing, turned his head partly around and listened. - -"Oh, my God," Carhart was saying, as if he did not hear his own voice, -"what a night!" - - * * * * * - -They pulled up before the Frisco Hotel at Red Hills. The time had come -to throw the cards face up on the table. - -"See to the animals yourself, will you, Byers?" said Carhart. He -dismounted, patted the quivering shoulder of his little horse, and -then handed the reins to his companion. "I don't want to wear out -Arizona too." - -Byers nodded, and Carhart walked up to the hotel steps. His eyes swept -the veranda, and finally rested on two men who were talking together -earnestly, and almost, it might seem, angrily, at one end. He had -never seen either before; but one, the nearer, with the florid -countenance and the side whiskers, he knew at once for Commodore -Durfee. He paused on the steps, and tried to make out the other--a -big, fat man with the trimmed, gray chin-beard, the hard mouth, and -the shaven upper lip which we associate with pioneering days. It -was--no--yes, it was--it _must_ be--General Carrington. - -Carhart had intended to take a room and make himself presentable. He -changed his mind. Hot and dusty as he was, dressed almost like a -cowboy, he walked rapidly down the piazza. - -"Mr. Durfee?" - -The magnate turned slowly and looked up. - -"Well?" he inquired. - -Carhart found his card-case and drew out one slip of cardboard. Mr. -Durfee took it, read it, turned it over, read it again, hesitated, -then handed it to the General, saying, in a voice the intent of which -could hardly be misread, "What do you think of that?" - -General Carrington read the name with some interest, and looked up. -He said nothing, however; merely returned the card. - -"You want to talk to me?" asked Durfee. - -"If you please." - -"Well--talk ahead." - -Carhart glanced at General Carrington. He knew that the opportunity to -have it out with Durfee in the presence of the biggest man of them -all, the man who was the _x_ in this very equation with which he was -struggling, was a very great opportunity. Just why, he could hardly -have said; and he had no time to figure it out in detail. So he leaped -without looking. He drew up another of the worn porch chairs and made -himself comfortable. - -"A rascal named Jack Flagg," he said, speaking with cool deliberation, -"with a hundred or two hundred armed men, has thrown up what I suppose -he would call intrenchments across our right of way at the La Paz -River. Another party has attacked our line back at Barker Hills. This -second party is commanded by Mr. Bourke, who is in charge of the -construction work on your H. D. & W. I care nothing about Bourke, -because Mr. De Reamer, who is at Sherman, is amply able to dispose of -him. I have come here to ask you if you will consider ordering Flagg -to get out of our way at the La Paz." - -He settled back in his chair, looking steadily into the florid -countenance of the redoubtable Commodore Durfee. The two railway -presidents were looking, in turn, at him, but with something of a -difference between their expressions. Whether the General was amused -or merely interested it would have been difficult for any but one who -was accustomed to his manner to say. But there could be little doubt -that the worldly experience of the Commodore was barely equal to the -task of keeping down his astonishment and anger. - -"This has nothing to do with me," he replied shortly. "I know nothing -of this Flagg." - -Carhart leaned a little forward. His eyes never left Durfee's face. -"Then," he said, in that same measured voice, "if you know nothing of -this Flagg, you don't care what happens to him." - -"Certainly not," replied the Commodore,--a little too shortly, this -time, for he added, "I guess two hundred armed men behind -intrenchments can take care of themselves." - -Carhart settled back again, and the shadow of a smile crossed his -face. Both men were watching him, but he said nothing. And then -General Carrington unexpectedly took a hand. "See here," he said with -the air of a man who sweeps all obstructions out of his way, "what did -you come here for? What do you want?" - -Carhart's answer was deliberate, and was uttered with studied force. -"I have ridden thirty miles to talk with Mr. Durfee and he sees fit to -treat me like a d--n fool. I came here to see if we couldn't avoid -bloodshed. Evidently we can't." - -"What do you mean by that?" asked Carrington. - -Instead of replying, Carhart, after a moment's thought, turned -inquiringly to Durfee. - -"Out with it," cried that gentleman. "What do you want?" - -"I want you to call off Jack Flagg." - -"Evidently you _are_ a d--n fool," said Durfee. - -But Carrington saw deeper. "You've got something up your sleeve, Mr. -Carhart," he said. "What is it?" - -Again Carhart turned to Durfee. And Durfee said, "What is it?" - -"It's this." Carhart drew from a pocket his sketch-map of the region -about the trestle. "Here is Flagg--along this ridge, at the foot of -these two knolls. His line lies, you see, across our right of way. Of -course, everybody knows that he was sent there for a huge bluff, -everybody thinks that I wouldn't dare make real war of it. Flagg -opened up the ball by shooting Flint, my engineer in charge at the La -Paz. The shooting was done at night, when Flint was out in the valley -looking things over, unarmed and alone." - -"What Flint is that?" asked Carrington, sharply. - -"John B." - -"Hurt him much?" - -"There is a chance that he will live." - -Carrington pursed his lips. - -"We foresaw Bourke's move," Carhart pursued, "some time ago. And as it -was plain that the mills in Pennsylvania--" he smiled a little here, -straight into Durfee's eyes--"and the Queen and Cumberland Railroad -were planning to find it impossible to deliver our materials, we took -up the rails and ties of the Paradise Southern and brought them out to -the end of the track. In fact, we have our materials and supplies so -well in hand that even if Bourke could hold Barker Hills, we are in a -position to work right ahead. Track-laying is going on this minute. -But we can't cross the La Paz if Flagg doesn't move." - -"No, I suppose not," said Durfee. - -"So it is necessary to make him move." - -"It is, eh?" - -"Yes, and--" Carhart's eyes were firing up; his right fist was resting -in the palm of his left hand--"and we're going to do it, unless you -should think it worth while to forestall us. Possibly you thought I -would send a force back to Barker Hills. But I didn't--I brought it up -this way instead. I have three times as many men as your Mr. Flagg -has, and a third of them are on the knolls behind Flagg." - -"And the fighting comes next, eh?" said Carrington. - -"Either Mr. Durfee will call Flagg off at once, or there will be a -battle of the La Paz. I think you see what I am getting at, Mr. -Durfee. Whatever the courts may decide, however the real balance of -control lies now, is something that doesn't concern me at all. That -issue lies between you and my employer, Mr. De Reamer. But since you -have chosen to attack at a point where I am in authority, I shan't -hesitate to strike back. It isn't for me to say which side would -profit by making it necessary for the governor and his militia to take -hold, but I will say that if the governor does seize the road, he -will find Mr. De Reamer in possession from Sherman to Red Hills. I am -prepared to lose a hundred--two hundred--men in making that good. I -have left orders for the shooting to begin at noon to-morrow. If you -choose to give any orders, the news must reach Mr. Tiffany by that -time. I shall start back at midnight, as my horse is tired, and I wish -to allow plenty of time. You can find me here, then, at any time up to -twelve o'clock to-night." He rose. "That, Mr. Durfee, is what I came -here to say." - -"Wait a minute, Mr. Carhart," said General Carrington. "Did I -understand you to say that you have enough materials on the ground to -finish the line?" - -"Practically. Certainly enough for the present." - -"That's interesting. Even to firewood, I suppose." - -Carhart bowed slightly. "Even to firewood," he replied,--and walked -away. - -Byers was asleep in a chair, tipped back against the office wall. -Carhart woke him, and engaged a room, where, after eating the meal -which Byers had ordered, they could sleep all day. - -That evening, as Carhart and Byers were walking around from the -stable, they found General Carrington standing on the piazza. - -"Oh, Mr. Carhart!" said he. - -"Good evening, sir," said Carhart. - -The General produced a letter. "Would you be willing to get this -through to Flagg?" - -"Certainly." - -"Rather nice evening." - -"Very." - -"Suppose we sample their liquid here--I'm sorry I can't say much for -it. What will you gentlemen have?" - - * * * * * - -It was ten o'clock in the morning. Carhart, Byers, Dimond, and Tiffany -stood on the north knoll. - -"I'll take it down," said Byers, his eyes glowing through his -spectacles on either side of his long nose. - -"Go ahead," said Carhart. "And good luck to you!" - -The instrument man took the message and started down the hill. Halfway -there was a puff of smoke from Flagg's camp, and he fell. It was so -peaceful there on the hillside, so quiet and so bright with sunshine, -the men could hardly believe their eyes. Then they roused. One lost -his head and fired. But Dimond, his eyes blazing, swearing under his -breath, handed his rifle to Carhart and went running and leaping down -the hillside. When he reached the fallen man, he bent over him and -took the letter from his hand and, standing erect, waved it. Still -holding it above his head, he went on down the hill and disappeared -among the rocks that surrounded the camp. - - * * * * * - -Late that afternoon Flagg's men straggled out through the hollow, -bound for Red Hills. And every large rock on either hillside concealed -a man and a rifle. Here and there certain rocks failed in their duty, -and Flagg's men caught glimpses of blue-steel muzzles. So they did -not linger. - - * * * * * - -For a number of reasons, after an attempt to communicate by wire with -a little New Hampshire town, and after an unavailing search for -representatives of the clergy at La Paz and at Red Hills, it was -decided to bury the instrument man where he had fallen. "Near the -track," Young Van suggested. "He would like it that way, I think." - -At six in the morning a long procession filed out of the camp. At the -head went the rude coffin on the shoulders of six surveyors and -foremen. Paul Carhart and Tiffany followed, the chief with a prayer -book in his hand; and after them came the men. The grave was ready. -The laborers and the skilled workmen stood shoulder to shoulder in a -wide circle, baring their heads to the sun. Carhart opened the book -and slowly turned the pages in a quiet so intense that the rustle of -the leaves could be heard by every man there. For the ungoverned -emotions of these broken outcasts were now swayed to thoughts of death -and of what may come after. - -"I am the resurrection and the life ..." Carhart read the immortal -words splendidly, in his even, finely modulated voice. "... I know -that my Redeemer liveth.... Yet in my flesh shall I see God.... We -brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing -out.... For man walketh in a vain shadow, and disquieteth himself in -vain; he heapeth up riches, and cannot tell who shall gather them." - -Gus Vandervelt raised his eyes involuntarily and glanced from one to -another of the lustful, weak, wicked faces that made up the greater -part of the circle. - -"It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption; it is sown in -dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised -in power." - -Could it be that these wretches were to be raised in incorruption? Was -there something hidden behind each of these animal faces, something -deeper than the motives which lead such men to work with their hands -only that they may eat and drink and die? - -"... for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised -incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For ... this mortal must put -on immortality." - -At the conclusion of the service Young Van, deeply moved, looked about -for his brother. But it seemed that the same impulse had come to them -both, for he heard a gruff, familiar voice behind him:-- - -"Look here, Gus, don't you think you've been sort of a d--n fool about -this business?" - -The young fellow wheeled around with a glad look in his eyes. He saw -that his brother was scowling, was not even extending his hand, and -yet he knew how much those rough words meant. "Yes," he replied -frankly, "I think I have." - -Old Van nodded, and they walked back to breakfast, side by side. Only -once was the silence broken, when Gus said, with some slight -hesitation: "What are you going to do next?--Coming back to Sherman -with us?" - -And Old Van turned his face away and looked off down the river and -walked along for a few moments without replying. Then, "No," he -finally got out, "guess I'll take a little vacation." He paused, still -looking away, and they strode on down the slope. "Going over into -Arizona with an outfit," he added huskily. - - - - -CHAPTER X - -WHAT TOOK PLACE AT RED HILLS - - -The last spike in the western extension of the Sherman and Western was -driven by no less a personage than President De Reamer himself. In the -circle of well-dressed men about him stood General Carrington and a -score of department heads of the two lines. The thirty miles of track -between the La Paz and Red Hills was laid, without unusual incident, -in twenty days--a brilliant finish to what had been a record-breaking -performance. - -There was to be a dinner at the Frisco Hotel. Everybody knew now that -General Carrington had promised to be there and to speak a felicitous -word or two welcoming the new C. & S. C. connection. After the -spike-driving, Mr. De Reamer, a thin, saturnine figure, could be seen -moving about through the little crowd. Once, it was observed, he and -General Carrington drew aside and talked in low, earnest tones. The -reporters were there, of course, and to these the president was -urbane. They had gathered at first about the General, but he had waved -them off with a smiling "Talk with my friend De Reamer there. He -deserves whatever credit there may be in this thing." And next these -keen-eyed, beardless men of the press bore down in a little group on -Carhart, Tiffany, and Young Van, who were standing apart. Tiffany was -the first to see them approaching. - -"Not a word, boys," he said in a low voice. - -"Why not?" asked Young Van. "I don't know of anybody who deserves more -credit than you two." - -"Not a word," Tiffany repeated. "It would cost me my job. Mr. De -Reamer's crazy mad now because so much has been said about Paul here. -I don't care to get into it,--just excuse me." - -The reporters were upon them. "Is that Mr. Tiffany?" asked one, -indicating the retreating figure. - -Carhart nodded. - -"Is it true, Mr. Carhart," asked another, "that he came out and fought -under you at the La Paz?" - -Carhart smiled. President De Reamer was passing with Mr. Chambers and -had paused only a few feet away. "There wasn't any fighting at the La -Paz," he replied. - -"There is a grave there," the questioner persisted. - -"How do you know?" - -"I rode out and saw it." - -"Then you should have ridden back the length of the line and you would -have found a few other graves." The chief sobered. "You can't keep a -thousand to two thousand men at work in the desert for months without -losing a few of them. I'm sorry that this is so, but it is." - -"Mr. Carhart," came another abrupt question, this time from the -keenest-appearing reporter of them all, "What did you say to General -Carrington and Commodore Durfee when you saw them at the Frisco?" - -Young Van looked at his chief and saw that the faintest of twinkles -was in his eyes. He glanced over his shoulder and made out that De -Reamer had paused in his conversation with Mr. Chambers, and was -listening to catch Carhart's reply. For himself, Young Van was blazing -with anger that this man, who had in his eyes fairly dragged De Reamer -through to a successful termination of the fight, should be robbed of -what seemed to him the real reward. He had still something to learn of -the way of the world, and everything to learn of the way of Wall -Street. Then he heard Carhart replying:-- - -"You must ask Mr. De Reamer about that. He directs the policy of the -Sherman and Western." - -And at this the president of the melancholy visage, and with him his -vice-president, passed on out of earshot. - -"Mr. Carhart,"--the reporters were still at it,--"one of your -assistants, J. B. Flint, was carried on a cot the other day to the C. -& S. C. station and put on a train. What was the matter with him?" - -Carhart hesitated. Personally he cared not at all whether the facts -were or were not given to the public. He felt little pleasure in lying -about them. Engineers as a class do not lie very well. But he was -doing the work of the Sherman and Western, and the Sherman and -Western, for a mixture of reasons, wished the facts covered. And then, -somewhat to his relief, the youngest reporter in the group blundered -out the question which let him off with half a lie. - -"Is it true, Mr. Carhart," asked this reporter, "that Mr. Flint has -been really an invalid for years?" - -"Yes," Carhart replied cheerfully, "it is true." - -The party seemed to be breaking up. Tiffany caught Young Van's eye, -and beckoned. "Come on!" he called--"the Dinner!" - -"They are starting, Mr. Carhart," said Young Van. - -"Are they? All right.--That's all, boys. You can say, with perfect -truth, that the Sherman and Western has been completed to Red Hills." - -"And that the H. D. & W. hasn't," cried the youngest reporter. - -Carhart laughed. "The H. D. & W. will have to do its own talking," he -replied. - -"But they aren't doing any." - -"Can't help that," said Carhart. "No more--no more!" And with Young -Van he walked off toward the Frisco. - - * * * * * - -After the dinner the party broke up. Flint and Haddon went West with -the Chicago and Southern California officials. The others, who were to -start eastward in the late evening, rode off for a shoot on the -plains. And it fell out that Carhart and Young Van, who had, from -different motives, declined the ride, were left together at the -hotel. - -"What are you going to do now, Gus?" asked the chief. - -Young Van hesitated, then gave way to a nervous smile. Carhart glanced -keenly at him, and observed that he had lost color and that the pupils -of his eyes were dilated. Now that the strain was over he was himself -conscious of a severe physical let-down, and he was not surprised to -learn that his assistant was completely unstrung. - -Neither was he surprised to hear this hesitating yet perfectly honest -reply: "I've been thinking I'd start at the first saloon and drink to -the other end of town. Want to come along?" - -"No," Carhart replied, "I don't believe I will, thanks. I meant to ask -what work you plan to take up next?" - -"Nothing at all." - -"Nothing!--why so?" - -"That is easy to answer." Young Van laughed bitterly. "I have no -offers." - -"I'm surprised at that." - -"You don't really mean that, Mr. Carhart?" - -"Certainly I do." - -"Well, it's more than I can say. If a man came along and offered me a -good position, I should feel that I ought to decline it." - -"Why?" Carhart was genuinely interested. - -"Why?" Young Van rose and stood looking gloomily down at his chief. -"That's a funny question for you to ask. You've been watching my work -for these months, and you've seen me developing new limitations in -every possible direction. All together, I've discovered about the -choicest crop any man ever opened up. When I started out, I thought I -might some day become an engineer. But if this job has taught me -anything, it has taught me that I'm the emptiest ass that ever tried -to lay two rails, end to end, in a reasonably straight line." The -tremulous quality of his voice told Carhart how deeply the boy had -taken his duties to heart. - -"I've been thinking to-day that the best thing I can do will be to -rent a few acres somewhere out on Long Island and set up to raise -chickens for the New York market: broilers, and maybe squabs--they say -there is money in squabs. I'd probably find I couldn't even do that, -but it would be exciting for a while." - -"Let's get out and tramp around a little, Gus," was Carhart's reply. -"That will do you as much good as a drunk." - -Young Van flushed at this, but followed the chief out to the long -street along which straggled the buildings that made up the -settlement. These buildings were mostly saloons, each with its harvest -of plainsmen, cowboys, laborers, and outcasts standing, sitting, or -sprawling before the door. The day was hot with the dry heat of -September, from which even the memory of moisture had long ago been -sucked out. The dust rose at every step and settled on skin and -clothing. Now and then a lounging figure rose and moved languidly in -through a saloon door. Almost the only other movement to be seen was -the heat vibration in the atmosphere. The only sound, beyond a -drawled remark now and then, and the clink of glasses, was the tinkle -of a crazy piano down the street. But the bronzed, sinewy engineers, -who had for months known no other atmosphere, stepped off in a -swinging stride, and soon were past the end of the street and out in -the open. Carhart himself was not above a sense of elation, and he -fell into reminiscence. - -"There is only one thing I have regretted, Gus," he said. "If I could -have got hold of a big Italian I know of, with about a hundred of his -men, this dinner would have taken place some days ago." - -"I didn't suppose that the work could have gone much faster," replied -the younger man, moodily. - -"Yes, we might have saved that much time easily in the cuts." - -"Working by hand?" - -"Yes. My experience with this chap was up in New Jersey. The firm I -was working for at the time was developing a big ice business up in -the lakes in the northern part of the state. It was necessary to lay -a few short lines of track to connect the different ice-houses -with the main line, and I was given charge of it. I got my -laborers--several hundred of them--from an Italian padrone in New York -City. Neither myself nor my assistants spoke their language, of -course, and, as it turned out, we didn't think in their language -either, for after two or three days they all walked out--to a man. I -could do nothing with them. So I rang up the padrone and told him he -would have to furnish a better lot than that. 'But,' said he, 'I can't -let you have any more men.' I asked him why not. 'Because you don't -know how to handle them.' That was a surprising sort of an answer, but -I needed the laborers and I kept at him. Finally he said, 'I'll tell -you what I will do. I will send you the men, but you must let me send -a foreman with them, and you must agree to give all your instructions -through that foreman.' 'All right,' I replied, 'send them along. If -they do the work, I won't bother them.' - -"The next day, when I was at the office in Newark, one of my -assistants called me up and told me it would be worth my while to come -right out on the work. When I reached there, he met me and took me -down the track to a deep cut where the force was at work. The laborers -were placed just as I have placed our men lately, packed close -together on terraces; and after I had watched for a moment it dawned -on me that I had never seen Italians work so fast as those were -working. 'How did you do it?' I asked. The assistant grinned, and -advised me to watch the man at the top, and then I saw that a giant of -an Italian was standing on the hill above the top terrace, where he -could look down at the rows of laborers. He wore a long ulster, and -kept his hands in his pockets. - -"Pretty soon a laborer down on the lowest terrace rested his pick -against his knees and stood up to stretch. 'Watch now!' whispered my -assistant. I looked up at the big man just in time to see him draw a -stone out of his pocket--no pebble, mind you, but a jagged piece of -road ballast--and throw it right at that laborer's head. The fellow -simply dodged it, seized his pick, and went to work harder than ever; -and not another man stopped, even long enough to draw a good breath -during the twenty minutes I stood there. Then the whistle blew, and as -I was curious to see what would happen I waited." - -"What did happen?" asked Young Van. - -"Nothing whatever, except that the laborers crowded around this -foreman and seemed proud to get a word from him." - -"But I don't understand. What gave him such a hold over them?" - -"I don't understand it myself. But I know that if I strained things to -the breaking point, I could never get the work out of any laborers -that he got out of those Italians. With him, and them, we might have -saved a good many days in this work." - -"We might have tried the plan ourselves," said the young man, with a -chuckle. "Only I fancy a little something would have happened if we -had tried it." - -Young Van's dangerous mood had passed. Carhart abruptly changed the -subject. "How would you like to go up into Canada with me, Gus?" he -said. - -"With you? There isn't much doubt what to answer to that." - -"There will be some interesting things about the work--and time enough -to do them well, the way it looks now. I can't promise you any -remarkable inducements, but you will get a little more than you have -been paid here--I won't say more than you have earned here, for you -have not been paid what you are worth." - -A moment passed before these words could get into the consciousness of -the young man. Then--they were just entering the village on their -return--he stopped short and looked into Paul Carhart's face. "Do you -mean that you really want me?" he asked. - -Carhart tried not to smile as he said: "The choice of assistants is -in my hands, Gus, and I should find it difficult to justify myself for -taking an assistant whom I did not want--and especially for an -undertaking that is likely to last several years." - -Young Van was standing stock-still. "'Several years,'" he repeated. -Then, "This seems to amount pretty nearly to a permanent offer?" - -"Pretty nearly," said Carhart, smiling now. - -At this they resumed their pace and entered the town. Both were -absorbed--Young Van in his astonishment that he had found favor in the -eyes of his chief, Carhart in his amusement over the utter naivete of -the boy; and neither had an eye for the groups of desperate characters -that lined the street, least of all for the particular group before -the "Acme Hotel, J. Peters, Prop." - -It could not be supposed that the coming of fifteen hundred men to Red -Hills, their pockets lined with the earnings of those last -irresistible weeks, should pass without a great effort on the part of -the local population to empty these pockets promptly and thoroughly. -If the two engineers had looked about more sharply in the course of -their walk, they would have seen more than one familiar face. It was, -indeed, a day to be remembered in Red Hills; there had been no such -wholesale contribution to local needs since the first ramshackle frame -building rose from the dust. Bartenders were busy; and deft-fingered, -impassive gentlemen from Chicago, and New Orleans, and Denver, and San -Francisco were hard at work behind green tables. All was quiet so far. -The laborers were so skilfully distributed that no green table was -without its professional gambler; and sweltering in the heat, gulping -down the ever ready fluids, they went gayly, gloomily, angrily, -defiantly on, thumbing the dirty cards and relinquishing their -earnings. All was still quiet, for the business of the day was carried -on in back rooms and on upper floors. The uproar would not begin for a -few hours yet, and would hardly reach its full strength before dark. - -Among those to whom music and feminine charms, such as they were, -outweighed the delights of the green table was Charlie the cook. He -sat at an open window, upstairs, where he could look down at the -sleepy street and at the front of the Acme Hotel, opposite. At first -he had been content to make out what he could of the scene through the -cheesecloth sash curtains, but, under the mellowing influence of a -rapid succession of bottles, he had drawn the curtains, and now sat -with his knees against the sill, smiling down in a ruddy, benevolent -fashion on everybody and everything below. The parlor at his back was -filled with workmen and their companions. He had seen the engineers -walk down the street, and had smiled in genial fashion, though aware -that they had not observed him. Now he saw them returning, and he was -ready, undaunted, to greet them again. - -Then something happened. The door leading to the bar of the Acme -Hotel suddenly opened, and a hulking figure of a man appeared on the -broad step. He was half drunk, and he carried a revolver in his hand. -Behind him, crowding out to see the fun, came a dozen men. Charlie saw -this, and, without in the slightest relaxing his genial smile, he drew -out one of his own revolvers and held it carelessly before him with -the muzzle resting on the window sill. Never for an instant did he -take his good-natured, bloodshot eyes from the man across the street. - -The engineers were drawing rapidly nearer. Young Van was the first to -take in the situation, and he spoke in a low, quick voice, hardly -moving his lips:-- - -"Don't look up or start, Mr. Carhart--but Jack Flagg is standing in -front of that hotel on the left, and he looks as if he meant to shoot. -What do you think we had better do? I am not armed." - -"Neither am I," Carhart replied. "Don't pay any attention to him." - -[Illustration: "Charlie had not raised his revolver,--the muzzle still -rested easily on the sill,--but it was pointing straight at Jack -Flagg's heart."] - -That was all that was said. The two engineers swung along without a -sign of faltering. Jack Flagg slowly raised his weapon and took -deliberate aim at Paul Carhart. Still the two came on, not wholly able -to conceal their sense of the situation, but, rather, regardless of -it. On Carhart's face there was an expression of stern contempt; Young -Van was pale and his eyes were fixed straight before him. - -At this point it seemed as if the strain must break one way or the -other. The men were not ten yards apart--in another moment it would be -less than two. A little gasp of admiration came from the watching -groups. Flagg heard this, and his hand wavered, but he recovered and -took a short step forward. - -Suddenly the silence was broken by a low whistle. Flagg started, and -looked around. - -Again came the low whistle. This time Flagg looked up, and caught his -first sight of Charlie in the window, and hesitated. Charlie had not -raised his revolver,--the muzzle still rested easily on the sill,--but -it was pointing straight at Jack Flagg's heart. Flagg lowered his -weapon a little way, then looked as if he wished to raise it again, -but on second thoughts this seemed hardly wise, for Charlie was -shaking his head in gentle disapproval. Then this incident, which had -shaved close to tragedy, suddenly ran off into farce. Flagg pocketed -his revolver, muttered something that nobody understood, and -disappeared through the bar-room door; and after a long breath of -mingled relief and disappointment, somebody laughed aloud. - -As for Charlie, he turned, still playing with his revolver, and looked -about the room. "Why!" he exclaimed. "Why! Where's the ladies?" - - * * * * * - -The engineers walked steadily up the street and turned into the hotel. -Then Young Van weakened, staggered to a chair, and sat limp and white. -"I told you," he said breathlessly, "I told you I was--no good." - -Carhart, before replying, looked at his watch, and his hand shook as -he did so. "Brace up, Gus," he said. "Brace up. I start East in an -hour or so, and you are coming with me, you know." - - - * * * * * - - - THE GAME - - _A TRANSCRIPT FROM REAL LIFE_ - - By JACK LONDON - - Author of "The Call of the Wild," "The Sea-Wolf," etc. - - With Illustrations and Decorations in Colors by Henry Hutt and - T. C. Lawrence. - - Cloth 12mo $1.50 - - "The Game" resembles "The Call of the Wild" very strongly in the - unity and rapidity of its action, in its singleness of purpose, - and in its conveyed impression of power. "The Game" is that - which takes place within the squared ring; included in the story - is an intensely graphic portrayal of what the prize ring stands - for and means to participants, spectators, and the general - scheme of things. - - - THE STORM CENTRE - - By CHARLES EGBERT CRADDOCK - - Author of "The Prophet of the Great Smoky Mountains," "The Story - of Old Fort Loudon," etc. - - Cloth 12mo $1.50 - - A war story; but more of flirtation, love, and courtship, than - of fighting or history. It is a simple and pleasing tale of a - wounded Union officer in a household strongly in sympathy with - the Confederate cause. The officer falls in love with the young - lady of the house, and the son of the family, a dashing young - Confederate officer, comes back to see his family. While there - the rebel officer secures information that enables the Southern - army to gain an important strategical advantage, and the Union - officer is eventually court-martialled. The tale is light and - entertaining and thoroughly readable, and the background is that - associated with Miss Murfree's well-earned fame. - - - THE HOUSE OF CARDS - - _A RECORD_ - - By JOHN HEIGH - - Sometime Major U.S.A. - - Cloth 12mo $1.50 - - Glimpses of many fascinating figures are seen in this chronicle. - The old, old social warfares of Boston and Philadelphia come out - now and then amusingly. The chief character is one of the modern - kings of finance--"a promoter? Not at all! He reorganizes - railroads and things; one railway he has reorganized three - times; and these rejuvenated concerns have been very grateful to - him. He is rich beyond all decent guessing, my friend of fifty - years, and I regard him as the most dangerous man in America." - So his story is told by his oldest friend, with little thrusts - of grim humor; yet with a very strong and sweet undercurrent of - sentiment. It has an altogether indescribable tone that is - admirably in keeping with one's mental picture of the veteran - soldier and scholar who tells the tale to young "Waltham Eliot, - late of Boston, who has come to settle in Philadelphia, live on - law, and be honest!" But in the last analysis it is a love-story - of yesterday, to-day, and forever. - - - MRS. DARRELL - - By FOXCROFT DAVIS - - Author of "Despotism and Democracy" - - With Illustrations by William Sherman Potts - - Cloth 12mo $1.50 - - "Mrs. Darrell" is a penetrating bit of analysis in the form of - an exceptionally good story of the social side of high political - life in the national capital. - - Its very genuine people are sketched with a light touch, a - delicacy of expression, that make the book enjoyable reading. - Those who know the city well enough to recognize the unerring - accuracy of even its minor details will wonder over the skill - which has produced such real, interestingly varied types. It is - full of highly diverting humor without a trace of satirical - sting; on the contrary, its prevailing tone is refreshingly - wholesome. - - - A DARK LANTERN - - _A STORY WITH A PROLOGUE_ - - By ELIZABETH ROBINS (C. E. RAIMOND) - - Author of "The Magnetic North," "Below the Salt," etc. - - Cloth 12mo $1.50 - - This new book is one that must appeal very strongly to those who - enjoy the novel of keen social analysis. Its pictures of English - and continental society are as graphic, just, and authoritative - as any that have appeared in fiction. One of the main characters - is a young German whose rank at once excludes him from the - privileges of commonplace home life and gives him the - unconscious assumption of the overfeted man who has missed the - tonic of hard work. Another is the young specialist in "nerves," - accurate to the verge of brutality, driven to misogyny by the - trivial aggravations of encountering most often the vague - indecisions he hated most. And between them stands Katharine - Dereham, a character of strong, unforgettable appeal to the - woman who looks on modern social life with open eyes. - - - The Memoirs of an American Citizen - - By ROBERT HERRICK - - Author of "The Common Lot," "The Real World," etc., etc. - - With 45 Illustrations by F. B. Masters - - Cloth 12mo $1.50 - - In his grasp on the popular interest Mr. Herrick's mastery grows - with every new book he writes. Just because they are human, - alive, and above all sincere, they hold one as no tales of silks - and swords in an imaginary land could possibly do. The - "American" of his new story walks into the Chicago markets from - Indiana, to all appearances a tramp--in reality a country boy - who has quarrelled with his home surroundings and flung himself - into the city to fight for a future. The novel opens in time and - scenes of Chicago in 1877. It includes among other incidents a - glimpse of the strained days of the Haymarket riot and the trial - that followed. It is a novel with more than a passing appeal to - ones sympathies, and taken as a whole seems certain to be at - once the most popular and the best thing that Mr. Herrick has - written. - - - THE SECRET WOMAN - - By EDEN PHILLPOTTS - - Author of "The American Prisoner," "My Devon Year," etc. - - Cloth 12mo $1.50 - - "There cannot be two opinions as to the interest and the power - of 'The Secret Woman.' It is not only its author's masterpiece, - but it is far in advance of anything he has yet written--and - that is to give it higher praise than almost any other - comparison with contemporary fiction could afford." - - - THE LODESTAR - - By SIDNEY R. 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