s. Watchin' a mix-up, an' gittin' Curly out of
a scrape. That's what delayed me."

"What was the trouble?"

"Oh, the same old story. Curly kin never mind his own bizness. He's
allus pokin' his nose into other people's affairs. He's too sassy."

"Where is he now?"

"In the smoker. I had to drag him along with me, an' that's what made
me late."

"Why didn't you leave him behind?"

"I should have done that. But it's the Brotherhood, ye see, that made
me do it. That feller ain't safe runnin' at large, an' somebody's got
to keep an eye on him, 'specially up here."

"It seems to me that you have undertaken a big task," and Reynolds
smiled.

"Indeed I have an' no one knows that better'n me. If I had my way,
he'd be shipped off to some Penitentiary. That's the right place for
the likes of him. An' he'll land thar some day, as sure as guns. But
in the meantime somebody's got to watch him."

Reynolds made no reply. In fact, he hardly heard his companion's last
words, for his eyes were riveted upon the wonderful sights around him.
Above towered the peaks of the White Pass Range, grand and majestic.
Away to the left, and far above, could be seen the railway track,
twisting along the mountain side like a thin dark thread. It seemed
incredible that the train could make such a tremendous climb.

"Do we go up there?" he asked in amazement.

"Sure. We'll be thar in a short time, but it takes four engines,
though, to tug us up. Then ye'll see something that'll make ye wonder.
Guess thar's nuthin' like it in the hull world. We'll go up three
thousand feet, an' it'll be the nearest to heaven that some of the
chaps on this train'll ever be. Jist look at that, now!"

Reynolds was indeed looking. Far down below a few cabins appeared like
little toy houses, while away beyond could be seen the blue cold waters
of the North Pacific. The air was becoming keen. But it was bracing
and stimulating.

"Say, I'd like to paint that!" he mused half aloud. "It is grand,
stupendous, appalling! And what a work to build this road! How was it
ever done!"

"It sartinly was, young man. It cost a mint of money, to say nuthin'
of the lives sacrificed. Thar was some mighty bad accidents on this
bit of road, though thar was some funny ones, too. I often have a good
laugh to meself whenever I think of one of the stories that was told."

"What was it?" Reynolds asked. He was interested in everything now.

"Wall, ye see