one down here," answered Dave. "We are utter
strangers. We obtained our positions through a Mr. Ramsdell, who was
our tutor."

"Oh, I see." The man had been looking rather sharply at Dave. "May I
ask where you come from?"

"We come from New England. I live in a town called Crumville. My
friend here is the son of United States Senator Morr."

"Oh, indeed!" William Jarvey showed increased interest. "The son of a
United States senator, eh? Well, that ought to help you a great deal.
The Mentor Construction Company often has to ask the government for
favors, you know," and he laughed lightly.

"I'm not going to trade on the fact that my father is a United States
senator," remarked Roger, somewhat shortly. "I am going to make my
own way."

"And I guess you will. You look like a pretty bright young man,"
returned William Jarvey, hastily.

"Are you a civil engineer?" questioned Dave.

"Oh, no! No such luck for me. I am connected with the bookkeeping and
the blue-print department. I wish I were a first-class civil engineer.
I might be earning a much larger salary;" and the man drew down his
mouth as he spoke. Evidently he was a fellow who was not at all
satisfied with his position in life.

"We are to report to a Mr. Perry Watson at San Antonio," explained
Roger. "He is to tell us where to go and what to do."

"Perry Watson, eh?" and the man scowled and showed his teeth in an
unpleasant manner.

"What's the matter--don't you like Mr. Watson?" asked Dave.

"Not much. Very few of the men do. He's terribly sharp on watching
everything a man does."

"I sincerely hope we don't have any trouble with him," was Roger's
comment. "We'd like to start right, you know."

"Well, you'll have to watch yourselves pretty closely," announced
William Jarvey.

The talk then became general, and the burly man told the youths much
about the work being done by the Mentor Construction Company. It
seemed that there were four gangs in the field, two operating south of
San Antonio, and the others to the westward.

"It's more than likely you'll be sent to the west," he said. "I think
the gangs in the south have all the helpers they need. I am going west
myself; so if you are sent that way perhaps we'll see more of each
other."

"Perhaps," answered Dave. He was not particularly elated over the
thought, for there was something about William Jarvey which did not
appeal to him. The man was evidently very overbearing and had an
exceedingly