tion
for anything out of the old land. His ordinary commendation was,
"It's no that bad"; and his superlative was expressed in the daring
concession, "Aye, it'll maybe dae, it micht be waur." So he followed the
colonel about with disparaging comments that drove Coley to the verge of
madness. When they came to the engine room, which was Urquhart's pride,
the climax was reached.

"It's a wee bit o' a place, an' no fit for the wark," said Urquhart,
ushering the colonel into a snug little engine-room, where every bit of
brass shone with dazzling brightness, and every part of the engine moved
in smooth, sweet harmony.

"Slick little engine," said the colonel, with discriminating admiration.

"It's no that bad the noo, but ye sud hae seen it afore Jem, there, took
a hand o' it--a wheezin' rattlin' pechin thing that ye micht expect tae
flee in bits for the noise in the wame o't. But Jemmie sorted it till
it's nae despicable for its size. But it's no fit for the wark. Jemmie,
lad, just gie't its fill an' we'll pit the saw until a log," said
Urquhart, as they went up into the sawing-room where, in a few minutes,
the colonel had an exhibition of the saw sticking fast in a log for lack
of power.

"Man, yon's a lad that kens his trade. He's frae Gleska. He earns his
money's warth."

"How did you come to get him?" said the colonel, moved to interest by
Urquhart's unwonted praise.

"Indeed, just the way we've got all our best men. It's the boss picked
him oot o' the gutter, and there he is earnin' his twa and a half a
day."

"The boss did that, eh?" said the colonel, with one of his swift glances
at the speaker.

"Aye, that he did, and he's only one o' many."

"He's good at that sort of business, I guess."

"Aye, he kens men as ye can see frae his gang."

"Doesn't seem to be able to make the company's business pay," ventured
the colonel.

"D'ye think ye cud find one that cud?" pointing to the halting saw. "An
that's the machine that turned oot thae piles yonder. Gie him a chance,
though, an' when the stuff is deesposed of ye'll get y're profit."
Urquhart knew what he was about, and the colonel went back with Coley
to his rooms convinced of two facts, that the company had a plant that
might easily be improved, but a manager that, in the estimation of those
who wrought with him, was easily first in his class. Ranald could have
adopted no better plan for the enhancing of his reputation than by
allowing Colonel Thorp to