Calumet K""

[Map of the E

lock when Bannon appea

at once sou

ou have?" he asked. "D

bbing was coming down by boat. I don't se

, two hundred thousand feet of i

ady for it, soon

ng fence which bounded the C. & S. C. right of way. Bannon looked

ailroad when you took your stuff acr

and talked a little, but we only opened the f

ing with his eye the space that wa

hat business, anywa

busi

How'd you get i

easy. I just c

you

any business out there on the wharf. We'v

mer won't get in much befor

x-mile-an-hour scow to do their quick work. That timber's got to come over here tonight. May as

clock already. Th

ng blast sounded through t

an can go home that wants to, right now, but if the

ng, irregular line. Peterson started toward the office, to give

Ban

rned; Vogel wa

cribbing bill. How much of

help Peterson get that timber out

s about that. We can put a big gang o

zen places, and put on every man you've got. T

l have trouble w

ick, you send them to me

ere going to finish it today, bu

ome out here and stay for a while. I may want to move the lights around a lit

fter the returning lab

Ban

el

ng about a stenogra

it? Haven't yo

one that could do t

got to keep time besides

of that. I don

have any shes

eper; and as for keeping the time, why, I'm out on the job all day anyh

d quizzicall

ang of men-you know the likes of them as well as I do- and then talk to me about bringi

Max, "it's

eet, his fringe of brick-red hair cropping out behind his cap, each contributing to the general appearance of utter homeliness-a faint smile came over Banno

an she

ht a

s. Tell that boy in the office that he can charge his time

m toward the wharf. It was already nearly dark, and the arc lights on the elevator structure, and on the spouti

tanding on the C. & S. C. tracks at some distance to the east. He ran across the tracks and out on the wharf, climbing on the timber pile, where Peterson and his gang were, rolling down the big sticks with cant-hooks. Not a qu

for it now. I never thought t

re all night till

as think

n't any use of wasting all day tomorrow unl

and his eyebrows were comin

"you mean to

annex, ready for business in the morning. Your sills are laid-there's nothing in th

-inch plank. Her crew had clearly been impressed with the need of hurry, for long before she could be worked into the wharf they had rigged the t

want it?" he c

ng. You can swing your bow in

craft, stirring up a whirl of mud from the botto

ing to put it?" t

ast as we can. I want that crib

on't want to be held up here-ought to p

and Vogel (who had just reached the wharf). "You want

inate the annex and the cupola of the elevator, and there was none too much light on the tracks, where the men were stumbling along, hindered rather than helped by the bright light before them. On the wha

waited for a moment, but no more gangs appeared, and then he ran around the elevator over the path the men had already trampled. Within the circle of light between him and the C. & S. C. tracks stood scattered groups of the laborers, and others wandered about

shortly. "We can't be held up this

e third man. "You can't

man over. There was in his

nnon asked. "Who

railroad, and I tell you t

hy

his arm towa

o that sort

t so

nce and then talk to

matter wit

! There ain't more'n a rod

s scowl

ee. You're the sect

es

over here and I'll show you

and Pete, and pointed out the displaced sections of the f

up all right before

ing his fingers

"I've got my orders. We didn't make any kick when you o

intendent had instructed him to keep a close eye on the work, and perhaps to grant no privileges. Bannon wished he knew more about the understand

's as much to our interest as it is to yours to be careful, and I guess we can pull together. We've got an agreement with your ge

out with an uncertain air

o fast there

message to the general manager. That's the quickest way to settle it-tell

f, but Bannon

was the reply. "How l

daylight." Bannon was

ack, will you? We ain't taking

on n

t blocked or delayed in any way. That's your business now, mind." He turned to the boss as the men hurried past to the wharf. "I

t the growing piles of timber nearly as light as day. Through the night air he could hear the thumping of the planks on the wharf. Faintly over this sound came the shouting of men and the tramp and shuffle of feet. And at intervals a train would rumble in the distance, slowly coming near

the carpenters when the morning whistle should blow. He was all about the work, giving a hand here, an orde

th a question. As he was about to return, Bannon, who had been t

this railroad business-have th

boss that does it on his own hook. He's a sort of a fool, you know,

d the checkered pattern in the ground shadow of t

general thing a railroad's mighty white to an elevator. Come to think of it, they said something about it up at the office,"-he was apparently speaking to hims

d they do?

't what's bothering me. They haven't an

is head-"no, not

're likely to hear from him again. I'll tell you what it is. Somebody-I don't know who, but somebody-is mighty eager to keep this house from be

wed he was going to make trouble. I didn't say anyt

ow. What's

igg

e can't hu

rk; and Vogel disappeared in

his hands in his pockets, and wished he had worn his overcoat; but the laborers, barearmed and bareheaded, clad only in overalls or in thin trousers and cotton shirts, were shaking sweat from their eyes, and stealing moments between trips t

d his side: "Just keep an eye on this, will you? I'll

or, built against the wall, with a high stool before it. The wall lamp had been taken down; now it stood with its reflector on the top of the desk, which was covered with books and papers. A girl was sitting on the stool, bending ove

one, but beyond a slight compressing of her lips she did not seem to hear him. Without a word, Bannon came forward, took him by the arm, and l

, "you're the man th

eply. "And you

igg

s, did you get a

his eyes on the ground. "Max, he come around, bu

me now, d

reply was

is. If I catch you in there again, I

ned. "Maybe you think you can lay me

f the red that outcropped from Max's big head; it was of a dark, rich color, and it had caught the light from the lamp with such a shine as there is in new red gold. When he entered, she was again footing columns. She was slender, and her hand, where

s it, p

s Vo

es

working tonight. I'm just keeping the men on so

I wanted to look things over

you fi

ing over the jumble

she presently said. "But it won't be

lanced at the paper on which sh

go home, Miss Vogel. I

inish in

e chances enough for night w

eached for her jacket, which hung from

d wait for my bro

we can spare him. I'll spea

are boarding at

the door whe

put out t

ner, as she stood there in the dim light, her hair straying out from beneath her white "sombrero" hat, that for the moment took

elt Line tracks, and he had helped her, with a little laugh from each of them, to pick her way

ave his work on such an errand. He bade her a brusque good-night, and hurried back, pausing only after he had crossed the tracks,

d about the tracks that had been there during the trouble with the section boss-the same buzz of talk, and the idle laughter and shouting. As he ra

ut on the tracks, lay the lines of timber. Here and there Bannon passed gangs of men lounging on the ground, waiting for the order to move on. As he passed through the fence, walking on the t

back against the opposite fence. These had moved apart at one of the fence openings, and as Bannon looked, two men came through, stumbling and staggering under a long ten-b

Max, who had been hurrying

all th

s him over there where those men are standing, the little fel

k. What's t

each other. Finally he came out here on the job and said we were working the men too hard-said we'd have to put ten men on the heavy sticks and eight on the others. I was going to do it, but Peterson came up and said he wouldn't do it, and Grady called the men off, just where they

their way, and shifting the weight a little, at every few seconds, on their shoulders. Bannon was glancing swiftly about, taking in the situation.

s saying. "He brought the delegate around-he was

e job now?"

again very soon. There were some loaf

ce, and a few of the crowd were following, to see the

out flagmen, Ma

I did

with a lantern-put something red ov

l dare do it while t

e one side yoursel

ns, Bannon walked out to the gr

Mr. Grady

ted, but the delega

ou?" said Bannon. "I'm M

at's the tr

anner was not what it was to be when he should kno

w better than tha

n wh

running a job the

id Bannon, quietly. "You haven't

to make money by putting on o

ow

manner exaspera

n't make eight men carry a

y shall

en

rig

put eight men on

, nettled that Bannon

this, if you've got anything to say, I wish you'd come to me with it b

cigar. He stood looking about

starting up

y n

d of a locomotive bell and exhaust. Bannon started down the track, jumping the timbers as he ran, toward Vogel's lantern, that wa

" Max shouted. "Can't we

came the delegate, with two men, chewing his cigar in silence as he walked. The train was creeping along, the fireman leaning far out of the cab window, closely scanning t

ered. He turned and shouted to the m

ed at the delegate. He stepped to one side and coo

bers," he said. "It

en stood motionless. By that time the train had stopped, and three of the crew had come forw

s, boys! Don't let

gate spoke in that tone. A score of m

knotted fists. But Bannon knew the power of the unions, and he knew that a rash step now m

want?" he s

ng fro

there was something in his voice that cau

u work them like this. They'

d never had any serious trouble in dealing with his workmen or their representatives. Mr. MacBride was fond of saying that Bannon's tact in handling men was unequalled; but Bannon himself did not think of it in this way-to him, trouble with the

at are yo

t to be relieved

Now clear up

o their work. In a moment the track was clear, and the tra

d close together in the distance. Then he went over to the wharf to see how much timber remained, and to tell Peterson to hurry the work; for he did not look for any further accommodation on the part of the C. & S. C. railroad, now that a train had been stopped. The stea

of the wharf. Bannon found him standing on the pile, rolling down the sticks with a peavey to where the carrying gangs could pi

near at hand. The men at once scattered, and brushing aside Bannon's laborers, they began replacing the sections o

ound that," he said, w

aight from

hurried with him around the elevator to

; but Bannon made no reply until the three w

high as you can on the spouting house. We'll run it across the tracks, on a slope, do

rly. "You're going to r

eers have gone,

ive," said

hoist at the spouting house. The rest

ho'll

and see that they're started down. Max will st

five o'clock, the laborers stood about, grumbling and growing more impatient. But at last it was all under way. The timbers were hoisted lightly up the side of the spouting house, hooked to the travelling block, and sent whirlin

dumping out the cribbing by hand and steam, on the cleared space on the wharf. And then, when the last big stick had gone over, Peterson began sending bundles of two-inch cribbing. Before the work was fi

e ground, and Max put on his coat and waited for the two foremen to come across th

id; "where did you

Max replied. "You o