p.

"I don't know anything about that," he replied sullenly. "I've got my
orders. We didn't make any kick when you opened up in one place, but we
can't stand for all this."

He was not speaking firmly, and Bannon, watching him closely, jumped at
the conclusion that his orders were not very definite. Probably his
superintendent had instructed him to keep a close eye on the work, and
perhaps to grant no privileges. Bannon wished he knew more about the
understanding between the railroad and MacBride & Company. He felt sure,
however, that an understanding did exist or he would not have been told
to go ahead.

"That's all right," he said, with an air of easy authority. "We've got
to be working over your tracks for the next two months. It's as much to
our interest as it is to yours to be careful, and I guess we can pull
together. We've got an agreement with your general manager, and that's
what goes." He turned away, but paused and added, "I'll see that you
don't have any reason to complain."

The section boss looked about with an uncertain air at the crowd of
waiting men.

"Don't go too fast there----" he began.

"Look here," said Bannon, abruptly. "We'll sit right down here and send
a message to the general manager. That's the quickest way to settle
it--tell him that we're carrying out timber across the tracks and you've
stopped us."

It was a bluff, but Bannon knew his man.

"Now, how about this?" was the reply. "How long will it take you?"

"Till some time before daylight." Bannon was feeling for his pencil.

"You see that the fence goes back, will you? We ain't taking any
chances, you understand."

Bannon nodded.

"All right, Max," he shouted. "Get to work there. And look here, Max,"
in a stern voice, "I expect you to see that the road is not blocked or
delayed in any way. That's your business now, mind." He turned to the
boss as the men hurried past to the wharf. "I used to be a railroad man
myself--chief wrecker on the Grand Trunk--and I guess we won't have any
trouble understanding each other."

Again the six long lines of men were creeping from the brightly lighted
wharf across the shadowy tracks and around the end of the elevator.
Bannon had held the electric light man within call, and now set him at
work moving two other arc lamps to a position where they made the ground
about the growing piles of timber nearly as light as day. Through the
night air he could hear the thumping of the planks on the w