his seemed to indicate that Kenwardine did not know about Dick's recent
visit. He could have no reason for hiding his knowledge, and it looked as
if Clare did not tell her father everything.

"You have succeeded in keeping your young friend out of our way,"
Kenwardine resumed. "Still, as he hasn't your love of work and sober
character, there's some risk of a reaction if you hold him in too hard.
Jake's at an age when it's difficult to be satisfied with cement."

Dick laughed. "I really did try to keep him, but was helped by luck. We
have been unusually busy at the dam and although I don't know that his
love for cement is strong he doesn't often leave a half-finished job."

"If you work upon his feelings in that way, I expect you'll beat me; but
after all, I'm not scheming to entangle the lad. He's a bright and
amusing youngster, but there wouldn't be much profit in exploiting him.
However, you have had some accidents at the dam, haven't you?"

Dick was immediately on his guard, but he answered carelessly: "We broke
a crane-drum, which delayed us."

"And didn't a truck fall down the embankment and do some damage?"

"It did," said Dick. "We had a big molded block, which cost a good deal
to make, smashed to pieces, and some others split. I had something of an
escape, too, because I was standing under the block."

He was watching Kenwardine and thought his expression changed and his
easy pose stiffened. His self-control was good, but Dick imagined he was
keenly interested and surprised.

"Then you ran a risk of being killed?"

"Yes. Jake, however, saw the danger and warned me just before the block
fell."

"That was lucky. But you have a curious temperament. When we began to
talk of the accidents, you remembered the damage to Fuller's property
before the risk to your life."

"Well," said Dick, "you see I wasn't hurt, but the damage still keeps us
back."

"How did the truck run off the line? I should have thought you'd have
taken precautions against anything of the kind."

Dick pondered. He believed Kenwardine really was surprised to hear he had
nearly been crushed by the block; but the fellow was clever and had begun
to talk about the accidents. He must do nothing to rouse his suspicions,
and began a painstaking account of the matter, explaining that the
guard-rail had got loose, but saying nothing about the clamps being
tampered with. Indeed, the trouble he took about the explanation was in
harmony with his c