of which he had dreamed, and for which he had hoped and
toiled--depended upon his success or failure in keeping two hundred
utterly worn-out men at work in the rain, the water, and the mud, for
six hours more.

At last, this resolute man, whose courage had seemed unconquerable, was
discouraged.

"Might as well give it up," said Will Hallam. "The men simply will not
work any longer."

"It isn't a case of will not, but of cannot," answered Duncan.

Barbara heard all, as she hovered over the fire of logs, and busied
herself with her tasks, regardless of rain and weariness, regardless of
every consideration of self. She wore no wraps or protection of any kind
against the torrents of rain. "They would simply bother me," she said,
when urged to protect her person. Her face was flushed by the heat of
the fire, but otherwise she was very pale, and her tightly compressed
lips were livid as she straightened herself up to answer Duncan's
despairing words.

"You are wrong," she said. "They can work a little longer if they will.
It is for us to put will into them. Call them to the fire, a dozen or
twenty at a time, for breakfast. I've something new and tempting for
them--something that will renew their strength. You and Captain Hallam
and Mr. Temple must do the rest."

A dozen of the men had already come with their tin cups to drink again
of the strong coffee that Barbara had been serving to them at intervals
throughout the night. She had something more substantial for them now.

She had by her a barrel full of batter, and she and the negro boy, Bob,
each with two large frying pans, were making griddle cakes with
astonishing rapidity. To each of the men she gave one of the tin plates,
with half a dozen of the hot cakes upon it, bidding each help himself to
molasses from the half barrel, from which, for convenience of ladling,
Bob had removed the head.

"This is breakfast," she said to the men, as they refreshed themselves.
"There'll be dinner, and a good one, ready for all of you at noon, when
the work is done."

The men were too far exhausted to greet her suggestion with enthusiasm.
The few words they spoke in response were words of discouragement, and
even of despair. They did not tell her that they had decided to work no
more, but she saw clearly that they were on the point of such decision.
The breakfast she was serving comforted them and gave them some small
measure of fresh strength, but it did not give them courag