to tell you that
much."

"Well, I'm worrying, too," said Parker. He tried to speak jestingly,
but the heaviness of the night's foreboding was still upon him and the
foreman detected the nervousness in his voice. The man now showed his
own depression plainly.

"I was in hopes I could tell the men that you could see your way all
free and clear" he said.

"Then the men are worrying?"

"That they are, sir. A good many of us own houses here in Sunkhaze and
there's more than one way for Colonel Gideon Ward to get back at
us. Several of the boys came to me last night and wanted to quit. I
understand that the postmaster has been talking to you and he must
have told you some of the things that the old man done and hasn't been
troubled about, either by his conscience or the law. You see what kind
of a position that puts us in."

"You don't mean that the crew is going to strike, or rather slip out
from under, do you, Mank?" asked Parker, struck by the man's demeanor.

"Well, I'd hardly like to say that. I ain't commissioned to put it that
strong. But we've got to remember the fact that we'll probably want
to live here a number of years yet, and railroad building won't last
forever. Still, it's hardly about future jobs that we're thinking now.
It's what is liable to happen to us in the next few days. It will be
tough times for Sunkhaze settlement if the Gideonites swoop down on us,
Mr. Parker."

The engineer threw out his arms impetuously.

"But I'm in no position, Mank, to guarantee safety to the men who
are working for the company," he cried. "It looks to me as tho I were
standing here pretty nigh single-handed. If I understand your meaning,
I can't depend on my crew to back me up if it comes to a clinch with the
old bear?"

"The boys here are not cowards," replied the foreman with some spirit.
"They're good, rugged chaps with grit in 'em. Turn 'em loose in a woods
clearing a hundred miles from home and I'd match 'em man for man with
any crowd that Gid Ward could herd together. I don't say they wouldn't
fight here in their own door yards, Mr. Parker. They'd fight before
they'd see their houses pulled down or their families troubled. But as
to fighting for the property of this railroad company and then taking
chances with the Gideonites afterward--well, I don't know about that!
It's too near home!" Again the foreman shook his head dubiously. "As
long as you can reckon safely that the old one is goin' to do something,