wilderness meant thousands of dollars to the stockholders
somewhere up in God's country, who would some day hold them to
account for them. They dragged their chains through miles and
miles of jungle, and over flat alkali beds and cactus, and they
reared bridges across roaring canons. We know nothing about them
and we care less. When their work is done we ride over the road
in an observation-car and look down thousands and thousands of
feet into the depths they have bridged, and we never give them a
thought. They are the bravest soldiers of the present day, and
they are the least recognized. I have forgotten their names, and
you never heard them. But it seems to me the civil engineer, for
all that, is the chief civilizer of our century.''

Miss Langham was looking ahead of her with her eyes half-closed,
as though she were going over in her mind the situation King had
described.

``I never thought of that,'' she said. ``It sounds very fine.
As you say, the reward is so inglorious. But that is what makes
it fine.''

The cowboy was looking down at the table and pulling at a flower
in the centre-piece. He had ceased to smile. Miss Langham
turned on him somewhat sharply, resenting his silence, and said,
with a slight challenge in her voice:--

``Do you agree, Mr. Clay,'' she asked, ``or do you prefer the
chocolate-cream soldiers, in red coats and gold lace?''

``Oh, I don't know,'' the young man answered, with some slight