t,
he was planning Grady's campaign as carefully as his own. Finally he was
recalled to his material surroundings by a rough voice which commanded,
"Get off that keg and clear out. We don't allow no loafers around here."

Turning, Bannon recognized one of the under-foremen. "That's a good
idea," he said. "Are you making a regular patrol, or did you just happen
to see me?"

"I didn't know it was you. No, I'm tending to some work here in the
spouting house."

"Do you know where Mr. Peterson is?"

"He was right up here a bit ago. Do you want to see him?"

"Yes, if he isn't busy. I'm not the only loafer here, it seems," added
Bannon, nodding toward where the indistinct figures of a man and a woman
could be seen coming slowly toward them along the narrow strip of wharf
between the building and the water. "Never mind," he added, as the
foreman made a step in their direction, "I'll look after them myself."

The moment after he had called the foreman's attention to them he had
recognized them as Hilda and Max. He walked over to meet them. "We can't
get enough of it in the daytime, can we."

"It's a great place for a girl, isn't it, Mr. Bannon," said Max. "I was
coming over here and Hilda made me bring her along. She said she thought
it must look pretty at night."

"Doesn't it?" she asked. "Don't you think it does, Mr. Bannon?"

He had been staring at it for half an hour. Now for the first time he
looked at it. For ninety feet up into the air the large mass was one
unrelieved, unbroken shadow, barely distinguishable from the night sky
that enveloped it. Above was the skeleton of the cupola, made brilliant,
fairly dazzling, in contrast, by scores of arc lamps. At that distance
and in that confused tangle of light and shadow the great timbers of the
frame looked spidery. The effect was that of a luminous crown upon a
gigantic, sphinx-like head.

"I guess you are right," he said slowly. "But I never thought of it that
way before. And I've done more or less night work, too."

A moment later Peterson came up. "Having a tea party out here?" he
asked; then turning to Bannon: "Was there something special you wanted,
Charlie? I've got to go over to the main house pretty soon."

"It's our friend Grady. He's come down to business at last. He wants
money."

Hilda was quietly signalling Max to come away, and Bannon, observing it,
broke off to speak to them. "Don't go," he said. "We'll have a brief
council of war right here."