The Road Builders

rman. Indeed, a side elevation of the structure, drawn to scale and framed in black walnut, had

ich, 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 s

an out with an order; whereupon an engine backed in, coupled up to the first car, and whistled impatiently. But they did not go. Half a

he railroad-walked down the platform together, and addressed a stocky man wi

it any longer, Mr. Van

that," repli

t!" cried Peet. "What are

arting without Paul Ca

! Who is

any put in. "He's in cha

e what he is

ber of Italians had chosen to enliven the occasion by attacking th

s, and plunged through the door. The confusion continued for a moment, t

was talking to t

The old man says that Carhart must have a fre

ay that to me," growl

than the present one; yet, absurdly enough, the cause of the delay was a person so insignificant that, even for the purposes of this narra

y. 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

n 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 conside

tements 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 announcin

for, Paul, I gu

question, "How about

ff and packed

le and Dean's estim

y. You see, I shall be only thirty-odd miles from Red Hills, once

Carhart. "The less you car

asked, turning to the younger Vandervelt, who wa

been carried on to Paradise by

to keep an eye on th

d an expression of chag

sed me last night that he w

nds on him, and d

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

red. 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 assu

on 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 n

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 looki

lied the first speaker. "I wonder if Jack Flagg is in town!" Again they lau

steadily on; the bar still had its line of thirsty plainsmen; two men were wrangling in a corner. Then

smiling genially, and returning his gaze with benevolent watery eyes, sat a big Texan. This individual wore hi

e Texan, "I like you

lt. What

mile faded, and he shook his head. "

y n

b'cause Jack Flagg's in town. They ain't friendly-I know

e. "You don't happen to b

I'm a cook. But I'm nothin' to Jac

gs, and incidentally took occasion to

ell, I'll be around to Murphy's to-morrow beca

k F

arting. 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

d 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 final

he 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 s

as half-past eight. He turned to the still smiling Charli

ed. "You did

ned aloud. "Where is

stranger who was leaning on the bar, and talk

he looked sort o' caved in. 'Hello, Purple,' says I, 'what you doin' up so early in the mornin'?' But he never answers a w

ed at the big man with the mustache. But this individual w

," said Young Van, add

umorously. "He had to se

t big man o

ce dropped. "Why, th

last night that

n'erful-won'erful! I kno

man who was now the central figure in the room; then he crossed over and touched him on the shoulder. "How are you?" said

look

ou can cook," s

t to you?"

u want

n Charlie, who had followed; "M

ou pay?" a

named th

you want

ow

-"go down to Jim's and get my things and fetch 'e

rusted to make the trip without a series of stops in the numerous havens of refuge along th

idewalk. Then, "Say, Mr. Van'ervelt, come over here a minu

fen up, Charlie," he said sharply. "No more of

re 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 mista

me time after the outburst of Peet, which was noted at the beginning of the chapter. Tiffany saw them coming, a

ll right?" ca

Carhart; "do

d joined Old Van by th

ran, "how much longer ar

Gus c

ght he was a

went out last night to see the wheels go

Vandervelt, with a white face and ringed eyes, in the middle. The youngest engineer

ther of those two Jesse Jameses will ever see six-foo

ing gaze almost defiantly. "The

ht. Get

, who had charge of the a

the unpeopled West, and the engineers threw off coats and collars, and ma

ting a letter in pencil, looked up and saw Young Van be

arhart," began the young man, in embarra

rned it off by adding, "I'm writing to Mrs. Carhart." He held up the letter and glanced over the first few lines wit