rly to the knees in mud, were
working. A forge stood on the top of the bank and the smith leaned on
the crank of the blower. He was a short, strongly-built man, and
looked sulky.

"There's too much water blowing through; pressure's heavier than I
reckoned and I don't like the way that brace sags," Jim remarked, as a
shower of mud and water fell into the hole. Then he shouted to the
men: "Get a thick plank across and wedge her up."

"Looks as if the fastenings of the brace had slipped," said Jake.

"They oughtn't to slip. The plate and nut on the iron were meant to
keep the beam in place."

"I don't think I saw a nut when the boys fixed the thing."

Jim beckoned the smith. Although the fellow was a good workman, he was
obstinate and Jim had not bothered him much until he needed some irons
for the dam, when he made careful sketches and insisted on the other's
working to his plans. This had caused some trouble and Jim now meant
to be firm.

"I reckon I told you to screw the ends of the bar and make nuts to turn
back against the plates," he said. "Did you screw the ends?"

"I did not," said the other. "There was nae use for nuts. I punched
hole for pin that wad stop her pulling oot."

"Pulling out!" Jim exclaimed. "Did you imagine I wanted to hold the
frames together?"

"If yon wasn't what you wanted, you should have said."

Jim had meant to be calm, but the men had run some risk from the
fellow's obstinacy, and he lost his control.

"I told you to screw the ends. Confound you! The dam's in
compression; there's no pull at all. Put a new bar in the vise and
I'll stand by while you cut the thread."

"Stan', if you like. I'll not touch bar while you're aboot. Are you
gan t' teach me my job?"

"It's plain you don't know your job. Get out of my way and I'll cut
the thread myself."

The smith stood square in front with a frown on his face. "You'll not
touch my tools. Vise and forge is yours; screwing stocks is mine."

"Oh, shucks!" said Jim. "Get out of the way. We want the bar right
now."

The smith did not move, and although nobody afterwards remembered how
the struggle began, Jake, interfering a moment too late, imagined Jim
tried to get past the smith and jostled him. They grappled, and while
they rocked to and fro the men in the pit stopped work. At first, Jim
would have been satisfied to throw his antagonist back, but after a
moment or two he doubted if this would be enough. The f