aughing. "Ogden, here's a map of Crofield and all the country from
there to Mertonville. I want to ask some questions."

He knew what to ask, too; but Jack's first remark was not an answer.

"Your map's all wrong," said he. "There isn't sand and gravel in that
hill across the Cocahutchie, beyond the bridge."

[Illustration: _"Your map's all wrong," said Jack._]

"What is there, then?" asked a gentleman, who seemed to be one of the
civil engineers, pettishly. "I say it's earth and gravel, mainly."

"Clear granite," said Jack. "Go down stream a little and you'll see."

"All right," exclaimed Mr. Magruder; "it will be costly cutting it, but
we shall want the stone. Go ahead now. You're just the man we needed."

Jack thought so before they got through, for he had to tell all there
was to tell about the country, away down to Link's bridge.

"Look here," said one of them, quizzically. "Ogden, have you lived all
your life in every house in Crofield and in Mertonville and everywhere?
You know even the melon-patches and hen-roosts!"

"Well, I know some of 'em," said Jack, coloring and trying to join in
the general laugh. "I wouldn't talk so much, but Mr. Magruder asked me
to stay over and tell what you didn't know."

Then the laughter broke out again, and it was not at Jack's expense.

They had learned all they expected from him, however, and Mr. Magruder
thanked him very heartily.

"I hope you'll have a good time to-morrow," he said. "Look at the
city. I'll see that you have a ticket ready for the boat."

"I didn't expect--" began Jack.

"Nonsense, Ogden," said Mr. Magruder. "We owe you a great deal, my
boy. I wouldn't have missed knowing about that granite ledge. It's
worth something to us. The ticket will be handed you by the clerk.
Good-evening, Jack Ogden. I hope I'll see you again, some day."

"I hope so," said Jack. "Good-evening, sir. Good-evening, gentlemen."

Out he walked, and as the door closed behind him the engineer remarked:

"He ought to be a railway contractor. Brightest young fellow I've seen
in a long time."

Jack felt strange. The old, grown-up feeling seemed to have been
questioned out of him, by those keen, peremptory, clear-headed business
men, and he appeared to himself to be a very small, green, poor,
uneducated boy, who hardly knew where he was going next, or what he was
going to do when he got there. "I don't know about that either," he
said to himself, when he r