Bad Pete gazed fiercely toward the engineers' tent, hesitated
a moment, and then walked wrathfully away.




CHAPTER III

THE DAY OF REAL WORK DAWNS


The meal was finished in peace after that. It was so hearty a
meal that Tom and Harry, who had not yet acquired the keen edge
of appetite that comes to hard workers in the Rockies, had finished
long before any one else.

"You fellers had better hurry up," commanded Jake Wren finally.
"It'll soon be dark, and I'm not going to furnish candles."

As the cook was an autocrat in camp, the engineers meekly called
for more pie and coffee, disposed of it and strolled out of the
mess tent over to their own little village under canvas.

"Bring over your banjo, Matt," urged Joe. "Nothing like the merry
old twang to make the new boys feel at home in our school."

Rice needed no further urging. As darkness came down a volume
of song rang out.