e across the tracks to greet Adair, and,
since this was their first meeting, he made the mistake of his life in
calling the young director by name.

"The top of the morning to you, Misther Adair. Is it Misther Colbrith
you'd be looking for?"

"It is," said Adair shortly, not failing to remark that the
barrel-bodied, black-bearded man seemed to recognize and to be expecting
him.

"'Tis two hours gone they all are," was the oily-voiced explanation. "Up
the grade and over to Copah. But they'll be back to-morrow, Heaven
savin' thim, and we'll make you comfortable here--as comfortable as we
can."

"That will be quickly done," said Adair, swinging down from the engine
step. "Just give me a horse and tell me which way they have gone, and
I'll overtake them."

But here the barrel-bodied one spread his hands helplessly.

"'Tis just our luck!" he protested, in the keenest self-reproach. "There
isn't a horse or a mule in camp that you could get a mile an hour out
of. In fact, I'm thinking there isn't anny horses at all!"

XXII

THE MAN ON HORSEBACK

Since the weather was rather threatening, and the promise of October in
the inter-mountain region is not to be lightly trifled with, Mr.
Colbrith pressed for an early start on the seventeen-mile buckboard
jaunt to Copah over the detour survey.

It was by his express command that the private-car party was called at
daybreak, and that breakfast was served in the Nadia at six o'clock. And
at seven sharp, which chanced to be the precise time of day when Adair's
commandeered Italians were spiking the last of the displaced rails into
position at the gap in the track thirty-three miles away, the buckboards
were drawn up at the steps of the president's car.

For reasons charitable, as well as practical, Ford had planned to leave
Frisbie out of this second dance of attendance upon the president. The
track-layers were well up toward the head of Horse Creek gulch, with
Brissac to drive; but during the night the Louisianian had reported in
with a touch of mountain fever, and Ford had asked Frisbie to go up and
take his place.

This was one of Ford's peg-drivings for the day; and another was timed
for the moment of outsetting. For conveyances for the party there were
the two double-seated buckboards used on the canyon trip the previous
day, and one other with a single seat; but there were only two drivers,
the third man, who had brought the single-seated rig from Copah, havi