Projects, cutting himself off from civilization in the flower of his
youth and giving his young life blood to his dams! I know he's received
offers of five times his salary from a corporation and stayed by his
dam. I've seen him hang by a frayed cable with the flood round his arm
pits, arguing, heartening the rough-necks for twenty-four hours at a
stretch, the last man to give in, for his dam! I've seen him take
chances that meant life or death for him and a hundred workmen and ten
thousand dollars worth of material and win for his dam, for a pile of
stones that was to bring money to the very men here who are howling him
down. For his dam, that's wife and child to him, and they accuse him of
prostituting it! Bah! You fools! Don't you know no money-getter works
that way? He's a trail builder, Mr. Secretary. He's the breed that opens
the way for idiots like these and they follow in and trample him
underfoot on the very trail he has made for them!"

Uncle Denny stopped. There was a moment's hush in the room. Jim watched
the patch of blue with unseeing eyes. As Uncle Denny started back to his
seat there rose an angry buzz, but the Secretary raised his hand.

"Gentlemen! Gentlemen! Turn about is fair play. Remember that you have
called the Reclamation Engineers some very foul names. Mr. Manning, I
cannot see why you should not return to the flood at your dam and you
other engineers to your respective posts, there to await word from your
Director as to the results of this Hearing. You yourselves must realize
after hearing all sides that I can take action only after careful
deliberation. I thank you all for your frankness and patience with me."

As the room cleared, Uncle Denny puffed down on Jim. "Still Jim, me boy,
don't be sore at me. I should have spoken if I'd been a deaf mute!"

Jim took Uncle Denny's hands. "Uncle Denny! Uncle Denny! You shouldn't
have done it, yet how can I be sore at you!"

"That's right," said Uncle Denny. "You can't be! Oh, I tell you, I feel
about you as I do about Ireland! I'm aching for some blundering fool to
say something that I may knock his block off! When are you going back?"

"Tonight," replied Jim. "Come up to the hotel and talk while I pack. I
can't wait an hour on the flood. How are mother and Pen?"

"Fine! Your mother and I are the most comfortable couple on earth. We
took it for granted you'd come up to New York. You got me letter about
Sara and Pen before you left the dam, didn'