The other laughed. "My name is Joe Brannin. They call me Texas Joe--
Tex, for short."

"Good bhoy, Tex! Ye look the divil av a lot like a red herrin', but
that's not sich a bad fish, an' ye have the right flavor. How could
ye help ut? Brannin an' Texas is handles to pull a man through hell
wid. But tell me this--who is this man that says he knows me?"

Texas Joe shook his head and, picking out his lines, called to his
team. When they were under way again he said: "I didn't hear his
name but I judge from the talk that he is one o' them there civil
engineers, an' that he's headin' for Rubio City to build the
railroad that's goin' through to the coast. Mr. Worth told me that
there would be another man and a kid to go back with us, but I know
that Mr. Worth hadn't never seen them before himself."

Pat shifted his heavy bulk to face the driver and, removing his pipe
from his mouth, asked with deliberation: "An' do ye mane to tell me
that this place we're goin' to is on the new line av the
Southwestern an' Continental?"

"Sure. They're buildin' into Rubio City from the East now."

The Irishman became excited. "An' this man that knows me--this
engineer--is he a fine, big, up-standin' man wid brown eyes an' the
look av a king?"

"I ain't never seen no kings," drawled Tex, "but the rest of it sure
fits him."