"But, Glover, what's that got to do with this fruit? Confound your

tunnel, what I want is a track. By heavens, if it's going to take

three days to get one in we might as well dump a hundred cars of fruit

into the river now--and Bucks is looking to you to save them."

"Looking to me?" echoed Glover, raising his brows. "What's the matter

with Agnew?"

"Oh, hang Agnew!"

"If you like. But he is in charge of this division. I can't do

anything discourteous or unprofessional, Callahan."

"You are not required to."

"It looks very much as if I am being called in to instruct Agnew how to

do his work. He is a perfectly competent engineer."

"That point has been covered. Bucks had a long talk with Agnew over

the wire last night. He is needed all the time at the Blackwood bridge

and he is relieved here when you arrive. Now what's the matter with

you?"

"Nothing whatever if that is the situation. I'd much rather keep out

of it, but there isn't work enough here for two engineers.

"What do you mean?"

"This isn't very bad."

"Not very bad! Well, how much time do you want to put a track in here?"

Glover's eyes were roaming up and down the cañon. "How much can you

give me?" he asked.

"Till to-night."

Glover looked at his watch. "Then get two hundred and fifty men in

here inside of an hour."

"We've picked up about seventy-five section men so far, but there

aren't two hundred and fifty men within a hundred miles."

Glover pointed north. "Ed Smith's got two hundred men not over three

miles from here on the irrigation ditch."

"That only shows I've no business in this game," remarked Callahan,

looking at Morris Blood. "This is where you take hold."

Blood nodded. "Leave that to me. Let's have the orders all at once,

Ab. Say where you want headquarters."

The engineer stretched a finger toward the point of rocks across the

cañon. "Right above the Cat's Paw."

"Tell Bill Dancing to cut in the wrecking instrument and put an

operator over there for Glover's orders," directed Blood, turning to

Smith Young.

"I'm off for something to eat," said Callahan, "and by the way, what

shall I tell Bucks about the chances?"

"Can you get Ed Smith's outfit?" asked Glover, speaking to Blood.

"Well, I know you can--Ed's a Denver man." He meditated another

moment; "We need his whole outfit, mind you."

"I'll get it or resign. If I succeed, when can you get a train

through?"

"By midnight." Callahan staggered. Glover raised his finger. "If you

back off the ledge they will need a new general superintendent."

"By midnight?"

"I think so."

"You can't get your rock in by that time?"




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