ent on real business, Rutter," Tom answered, with
a flush, nevertheless. "Mr. Blaisdell must have ice a lot of it."

"Great Scott! Where shall we find it in these mountains in midsummer?"
Rutter demanded.

"We've got to have it, haven't we?" Tom urged. "It will be the
first thing that the doctor will call for."

"Then he should bring it with him," returned Rutter.

"Would you want the doctor to be hampered with a ton or so of
ice!" asked Reade.

"Would we need that much?" Rutter seemed hopelessly ignorant in
such matters.

"I imagine we'd want a lot of it," Tom answered. "By the way,
Mr. Rutter-----"

"Well?" Jack inquired.

Tom was on the point of giving a hint of what he had heard in
the gully during the meeting between Black and Bad Pete. Then,
on second thought, the cub engineer decided to hold that news
for the ear of Mr. Thurston alone.

"What were you going to say?" pressed Rutter.

"Probably Hazelton has told you," Tom continued, "that you're
in charge here until Mr. Thurston arrives."

"Yes; and I'm mighty glad that the chief will be here before daylight
tomorrow," returned Jack. "I may be a fair sort of engineer, but I'm
not cut out for a chief engineer."

Later, one of the rodmen was sent to guide Harry to the nearest
small town, twenty-eight miles away, for ice. If they succeeded
in obtaining it they might be back by dark of the following day.

Supper in camp was a gloomy meal. No one felt light-hearted.

"Mr. Rutter," asked Tom, approaching the temporary chief, soon
after the evening meal, "what do you want Hazelton and myself
to do this evening?"

"Don't ask me," returned Jack, with a shrug of his shoulders.
"What have you been doing? Drawing?"

"Yes."

"Why don't you go on with it?"

"We're at a point where we need orders, for we've had to lay down
one part of the work while waiting for further instructions."

"I can't help you any, then," replied Rutter. "Sorry, but before
I could give any orders I'd need a few myself."

At eleven o'clock that night Dr. Gitney arrived, with saddle-bags
full of medicines and other necessaries. He saw Blaisdell, and
pronounced the assistant engineer a very sick man.

Shortly after midnight Mr. Thurston rode into camp. He tottered
from saddle and reeled until Tom, on the lookout for him, ran
forward and supported the chief engineer to his tent.

Then Dr. Gitney was sent for and came.

"Your chief has mountain fever, too," said the