"We want work, and when we get it we'll do it."

"I hope your work will be as good as your assurance," replied
the chief engineer, with a slight twinkle in his eyes. "What
can you do?"

"We know how to do ordinary surveying, sir," Tom replied quickly.
"We can run our courses and supervise the chaining. We know
how to bring in field notes that are of some use. We can do our
work well within the limits of error allowed by the United States
Government. We also consider ourselves competent at leveling.
Give us the profile plan and the notes on an excavation, and we
can superintend the laborers who have to make an excavation.
We have a fair knowledge of ordinary road building. We have the
strength of usual materials at our finger's ends, and for beginners
I think we may claim that we are very well up in mathematics.
We have had some all-around experience. Here is a letter, sir,
from Price & Conley, of Gridley, in whose offices we have done
quite a bit of work."

Mr. Thurston took the letter courteously, though he did not \
immediately glance at it.

"Country surveyors, these gentlemen, I suppose?" he asked, looking
into Tom's eyes.

"Yes, sir," nodded Reade, "though Mr. Price is also the engineer for
our home county. Both Mr. Price and Mr. Conley paid us the
compliment of saying that we were well fitted to work in a railway
engineering camp."