CHAPTER X

THINGS BEGIN TO GO DOWN HILL


"I suppose I'm thick," Harry murmured. "How would Black, by turning
in some wrong backsights and foresights, expect to delay the building
of the road, even if he wanted to do it?"

"How?" repeated Tom Reade, showing an amount of heat and excitement
that he rarely displayed. "Why, Harry, this same old Section
Nineteen is one of the hard spots on the road. A lot of excavating
has to be done before the tracks can be laid here. It's not a
mere matter of scooping up dirt and removing it, either. A large
amount of solid rock has to be blasted out here before the roadbed
can be laid."

"I know it," Harry nodded.

"Well, then, at the present moment our chief, Mr. Thurston, is
preparing the estimates for the work that must be done. On his
estimates will be based the strength of the laboring gangs that
must come forward to do the work."

"Yes."