offer as that is
going to be refused by my associates and myself. Bring forward your
proposition in writing. We'll come half-way, too, and be glad of the
chance. If men and money can accomplish it, a standard gage road will be
ready for your season's haul next year."

He turned and touched Parker's shoulder.

"This young man," he said, "will be our representative, with full powers
to treat with you. Parker, are you ready for two years more in the
wilderness? It's a big project, and your financial encouragement will be
correspondingly big. I haven't said yet how thoroughly I appreciate
your energy and loyalty and self-reliance in the matter of this little
plaything of the past winter. I do not need to say anything, do I,
except to urge you to take this new responsibility, and to add that your
acceptance will encourage me to go ahead at once?"

Parker reached out his brown hand to meet the one extended to him.

"We also want to say to Mr. Parker," went on Shayne, "that on our part
we'll do more to assist him than we'd do for any other man you could
place here. We have a little explanation to make to him and--"

"No explanations for me--if it's along the lines I apprehend, Mr.
Shayne!" cried the young man, jokingly yet meaningly. He bent a
significant look on the lumber king as he went forward to take his hand.

"Hush!" he murmured. "I keep my own counsels in business matters when I
can do so without betraying the interests of my employers, and when they
don't want to be bothered by my personal affairs."

Shayne gave the engineer a long stare of honest admiration.

"Parker," he gasped, "you never said a word? You're a---- Here, give me
you hand again!"

[Illustration: Parker give me your hand again 254-286]

A half hour later the lumbermen went across the Poquette Carry in a
train made up of the engine and the coach--"the first real special train
over the road," Parker said.

Before the young engineer left for his summer vacation, he made a
long canoe journey up into the Moxie section, ostensibly on a fishing
expedition. He was gone ten days, a longer period than he had predicted
to his assistant manager.

When he came down the West Branch one afternoon he helped Joshua Ward
to lift a crippled man out of their canoe, and he carefully directed the
helpers who carried the unfortunate person to the coach.

"I'm afraid the trip across the carry in a buckboard after the old
manner would have been too rough for yo