"Not such a bad day, considering the newness of us and the bridge at
the head of the gulch," he said, half to himself. And then more
pointedly to the foreman: "Bridge-builders to the front at the first
crack of dawn, Mike. Why wasn't this break filled in the grading?"

"Sure, sorr, 'tis a dhrain it is," said the Irishman; "from the placer
up beyant," he added, pointing to a washed-out excoriation on the
steep upper slope of the mountain. "Major Evarts did be tellin' us
we'd have the lawyers afther us hot-fut again if we didn't be lavin'
ut open the full width."

"Mmph!" said Adams, looking the ground over with a critical eye. "It's
a bad bit. It wouldn't take much to bring that whole slide down on us
if it wasn't frozen solid. Who owns the placer?"

"Two fellies over in Carbonate. The company did be thryin' to buy the
claim, but the sharps wouldn't sell--bein' put up to hold ut by thim
C. G. R. divils. It's more throuble we'll be havin' here, I'm
thinking."

While they lingered a shrill whistle, echoing like an eldrich laugh
among the cliffs of the upper gorge, announced the coming of a train
from the direction of Carbonate. Adams looked at his watch.

"I'd like to know what that is," he mused. "It's an hour too soon for
the accommodation. By Jove!"

The exclamation directed itself at a one-car train which came
thundering down the canyon to pull in on the siding beyond the