"It's something like that. Couldn't say exactly. Max takes care of the
lumber."

Bannon's brows came together.

"You ought to know a little more about this yourself, Pete. You're the man
that's building the house."

"I guess I've been pushing it along as well as any one could," said
Peterson, sullenly.

"That's all right. I ain't hitting at you. I'm talking business, that's
all. Now, if Vogel's right, this cribbing ought to have been here fourteen
days ago--fourteen days tomorrow."

Peterson nodded.

"That's just two weeks of lost time. How've you been planning to make that
up?"

"Why--why--I reckon I can put things together soon's I get the cribbing."

"Look here, Pete. The office has contracted to get this house done by a
certain date. They've got to pay $750 for every day that we run over that
date. There's no getting out of that, cribbing or no cribbing. When
they're seeing ten or twenty thousand dollars slipping out of their hands,
do you think they're going to thank you for telling 'em that the G.&M.
railroad couldn't get cars? They don't care what's the matter--all they
want of you is to do the work on time."