argus-eyed individual had noticed the loss.

Having breakfasted heartily in a deep thicket, Pete now looked
down over the camp, his eyes twinkling in an evil way.

"I'll get bounced out of mess on account of two pasty-faced tenderfeet
like those boys, will I?" Pete grumbled to himself. "Before
this morning is over I reckon I'll have all accounts squared
with the tenderfeet!"




CHAPTER IV

"TRYING OUT" THE GRIDLEY BOYS


The chainmen picked up the transits, carrying also the chains
and rods. Rutter led the way, Tom and Harry keeping on either
side of him, except when the rough mountain trail narrowed. Then
they were obliged to walk at his heels.

"We are making this survey first," Rutter explained, "and then
the leveling over the same ground follows within a few days.
Both the surveying and the leveling have to be done with great
care. They must tally accurately, or the work will all go wrong,
and the contractors would be thrown out so badly that they'd hardly
know where they stood. A serious mistake in surveying or leveling
at any point might throw the work down for some days. As you've