state of insurrection that kept
the operating, the motive power and the maintenance-of-way departments
close to the verge of nervous prostration without much let-up to speak
of. But when the smoke cleared away down East, the Hill Division and
Big Cloud forgot their bridge troubles and their washouts and their
slides long enough to stick their tongues in their cheeks and look
askance at each other; and Carleton, in his swivel chair, pulled on the
amber mouthpiece of his brier and looked at Regan, who, in turn, pulled
on his scraggly brown mustache and reached for his hip pocket and his
plug. The system was under new control.

"Who's H. Herrington Campbell when he's at home?" spluttered Regan.

"Our new general manager, Tommy," Carleton told him for the second time.

Regan grunted.

"I ain't blind! I've read that much. Who is he--h'm? Know him?"

Carleton took the pipe from his mouth--a little seriously.

"It's the P. M. & K. crowd, Tommy. Makes quite an amalgamation,
doesn't it--direct eastern tidewater connection--what? They're a
younger lot, pretty progressive, too, and sharp as they make them."

"I don't care a hoot who owns the stock," observed Regan, biting deeply
at his blackstrap. "It's the bucko with the overgrown name in the
center that interests me--who's he? Do you know him?"

"Yes," said Carleton slowly. "I know him." He got up suddenly and
walked over to the window, looked out into the yards for a moment, then
turned to face the master mechanic. "I know him, and I know most of
the others; and I'll say, between you and me, Tommy, that I'm blamed
sorry they've got their fingers on the old road. They're a cold,
money-grabbing crew, and Campbell's about as human as a snow man, only
not so warm-blooded. I fancy you'll see some changes out here."

"I turned down an offer from the Penn last week," said the fat little
master mechanic reminiscently, "mabbe I----"

Carleton laughed--he could afford to. There was hardly a road in the
country but had made covetous offers for the services of the cool-eyed
master of the Hill Division, who was the idol of his men down to the
last car tink.

"No; I guess not, Tommy. Our heads are safe enough, I think. When I
go, you go--and as the P. M. & K. have been after me before, I guess
they'll let me alone now I'm on their pay roll."

"What kind of changes, then?" inquired Regan gruffly.

"I don't know," said Carleton. "I don't know, Tommy--new crowd,