The Road Builders

uring these dragging days, was informed that Mr. Carhart wished to see him a

ed me, Mr

hat man Peet. I want you to ride up ahead and bore for water. You can probably start inside of

the necessary arrangements. Carhart, this matter disposed of, called a passi

gent face-lounged before the tent for some moments before he was observed

looking him over, "what

pread over the

ere you doing whe

s gone, and there wasn't anythin

k charge of

t of, sir

k and stick at it. Wait a minute, thou

looking him over, 'what

his things was took o

any

I h

he was here for. He would have cl

that, sir. We cleane

smart enough to

l-no

. It isn't what you were built fo

arl

k and get up your dinner.

urned to his kettles and pans and his

at, 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 ti

d been Young Van's exclamation

rue," was the reply of

water were running short, and Peet was sending on the most skilful lot of excuses he had yet offered. For the second t

stering, the ground baked to a powder. There had been no rain for five mont

!" he cried. "You are just in

," the chief repl

mall bore down about three hundred feet, and got this." He produced a tin pail f

ur wat

'd better look around a little. That hill over there is sandstone, and a sup

n a very fair q

d a larger casing, to shut out thi

w f

m expecting to strik

they have struck somethi

he well in time to see the

h of it," mutt

and shook his head. "Sm

d and drank up a mouthful from the

than the oth

rt said, "Well-keep at it, Harry. I m

m ride off, then soberly turned and prepared to pack up and move on westward. He was thinking, as he gave the

ed 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

he 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,

amy 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 hi

tarted at the sight of their chief-the young

et gloves, took his seat at the tabl

ly. "Go ahead, Gus," he said.

arge 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 u

rhart, briefly. "See that they carry rifles and cartridges enough for Scri

l, 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 t

those d-n rascals! There's just one thing to do, I tell you. Order t

Van replied hotly, "that

blame! W

men-they are not even on strike for more pay. We're on the edge of a panic, that's

r is to be had, those men have a right to it. If we should put them under guard, and they should go craz

hoot," cried

he 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,

n, bewildered, "when are y

ow

To-n

find your sheriff. H

a mile dow

ituation, and tell him we wa

o; 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.

ut 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 mu

rown 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, mu

s 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 an

mile of rough plain. Then, after a time, came th

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

y they held

rishly. He had been drinking, and had lost his way a

well what it all meant. "Hi there, Oui-Oui, gim

on. And one by one the wagons circled by the struggling

re tugging heavily and dejectedly through the sand. Certain of the drivers sat upright with lined faces and ringed eye

ed forward be

farther?

sy to say. We migh

we've done only fifteen or ei

idn't sa

ow far is it

t's hard

irty or thirty-five miles" had apparent

ns 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 g

guide. "Do you know you

"It was in a spot that looked something like this

"Why don't you say you are

exactly. I wouldn'

the least idea wh

now, yo

y other wate

, y

he

than a dozen miles beyond the

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

lled the chief,

the two followed the men. But Carhart turned in his saddl

rse stumbled and fell, barely givi

r?" asked Carh

oks li

matter-done

e a minute. You go ahea

Here-can you swi

can't carry double. Go

ant, protesting, into the saddle, and pus

nd it all he could do to hold himself in the saddle. Then

ooked ahead. A cloud of dust on the horizon, a beaten trail through the sand, here and there

t his lips were moving, and knelt beside him. Then he smiled, a curious, unhumorous smile; for the young engineer was mu

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 practical

n this way for

of this desolate land. He drew a flask from his pocket,-an almost empty flask,-and placed it against Young Van's hand. Wi

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 on

n 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

esirable 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 a

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

unate 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

bank, swearing, laughing, shouting, sobbing. And not one of them could have tol

ng, 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, o

playing

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. T

ied. "Take these canteens and the freshest mules you

ager, responsive, the men

n 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 a

p, too weak to talk, supported by

e?" asked

t," replied one of the men. "

hed his temples with the warmish water. "Carry him over into the

orers spread out their coats before they laid him down. The chief poured

ding down his hat-brim to shade his eyes, an expression of inquiry, w

's become of the mules

Mr. Carhart," replied the more t

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, an

pped a moment and waited

ne up," he said

legs," he replied. "And he's gone whi

"It'll go on until it's settled,-those things have to, out here. He's a coward, but he'll drink it down ever

he muttered. "This is a pretty spec

olls. "This heat keeps a dead rein on you," he said, again speaking half aloud. "Let's see, what was I thinki

penetrable. 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

playground. It suddenly became a savage living

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

d 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

ly 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 face

a little of thi

lding out a flask. The chief took it, and gulped

his here, down among the

rise. Carhart stiffened up, spread it out on his knees,

ierrepont?

journey down

r the sheet. Suddenly they lig

OF THE

e Durfee

y & W

Reamer

s in co

fee and C

ors al

inst De

hat Durfe

ajority

e he

be

R

"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"-Ca

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

r. Flagg, it's you I'm indebted to for this information. I'm sure I'm greatly obliged." Then he waved to t

the unsteadiness in his legs no longer disturbed him