"Now, you can demonstrate your own work, Benson," laughed Mr. Farnum.
"Fit the pipe yourself, and call on the men for what help you want."

At that, Joshua Owen folded his arms as he stepped back scowling. Yet
when the crew, under Jack's direction, had finished fitting the pipe
in place, not even this angered foreman dared say that it was not
fitted properly.

The next work called for fitting some pipe-joints, and in this a red
lead cement was used. One of these joint-makings fell to Benson and Hal.

"Here's yer cement," muttered the scowling Dan Jaggers, passing a rough
ball of the stuff to young Benson.

"Is this the best you have?" asked Jack, eyeing the cement with disfavor.

"Yes," growled Dan, "and it's plenty good enough."

"I'd call it too dry," replied Jack, quietly.

"Are you bossing this job all the way through?" demanded Joshua Owen,
angrily, stepping forward. "Mr. Farnum, Mr. Pollard, if these boys are
to have charge of this work, I may as well stop."

"What's the matter?" asked Mr. Farnum, coining forward.

"This younker is grumbling about the red lead cement," snapped the
irate foreman.

"What's the complaint, Benson?" asked the boatyard owner.