he elevator near the paling
fence which bounded the C. & S. C. right of way. Bannon looked across
the tracks to the wharf; the pile of timber was still there.

"Did you have any trouble with the railroad when you took your stuff
across for the spouting house?" he asked.

"Not much of any. The section boss came around and talked a little, but
we only opened the fence in one place, and that seemed to suit him."

Bannon was looking about, calculating with his eye the space that was
available for the incoming lumber.

"How'd you manage that business, anyway?" asked Peterson.

"What business?"

"The cribbing. How'd you get it to the lake?"

"Oh, that was easy. I just carried it off."

"Yes, you did!"

"Look here, Pete, that timber hasn't got any business out there on the
wharf. We've got to have that room for the cribbing."

"That's all right. The steamer won't get in much before to-morrow night,
will it?"

"We aren't doing any banking on that. I've got a notion that the Pages
aren't sending out any six-mile-an-hour scow to do their quick work.
That timber's got to come over here to-night. May as well put it where
the carpenters can get right at it. We'll be on the cupola before long,
anyhow."

"But it's five o'clock already. There's the whistle."

Bannon waited while the long blast sounded through the crisp air. Then
he said:--

"Offer the men double pay, and tell them that any man can go home that
wants to, right now, but if they say they'll stay, they've got to see it
through."

Already the laborers were hurrying toward the tool house in a long,
irregular line. Peterson started toward the office, to give the word to
the men before they could hand in their time checks.

"Mr. Bannon."

The foreman turned; Vogel was approaching.

"I wanted to see about that cribbing bill. How much of it's coming down
by boat?"

"Two hundred thousand. You'd better help Peterson get that timber out of
the way. We're holding the men."

"Yes, I've been waiting for directions about that. We can put a big gang
on it, and snake it across in no time."

"You'll have to open up the fence in half a dozen places, and put on
every man you've got. There's no use in making an all-night job of it."

"I'm afraid we'll have trouble with the railroad."

"No, we won't. If they kick, you send them to me. Are your arc lights
in?"

"Yes, all but one or two. They were going to finish it to-day, but they
ain't very spry about it."