enstein except the one way
to swing votes in America and that's with whiskey or dollars. Under the
circumstance we can't use either. I'm going to turn in. I'm at the end
of my rope."

Henderson followed Murphy to the door. Oscar Ames forgot to lower his
voice. He squared his big shoulders and shouted: "You blame quitters! I
ain't ashamed to ask women for ideas if you are. The women got me into
this fight and I'll bet they get me out."

He nodded belligerently at Uncle Denny and strode out into the night.
Uncle Denny, left alone in the living room, stood long on the hearthrug,
talking to himself and now and again shaking his head despondently.

"I mind how after he found himself, he was always making trails in front
of the old fireplace in the brownstone front. I mind how he first heard
of the Reclamation Service. 'How'd you like that, Uncle Denny,' he said,
'James Manning, U.S.R.S.' What'll he do now, poor lad?

"Thank God his father's dead, for if he felt worse than I do he'd kill
himself. No! No! I'll not say that! He'd have felt like meself that
'twas worth all the sorrow to hear Still put his idea ahead of himself
as he did tonight. That's the test of a man's sincerity. And in her
heart, his mother'll be glad. She's always worried lest he get killed on
one of his dams, bless her heart."

Uncle Denny moved about the room, closing the door and putting away the
cigars. He picked Jim's hat off the floor and patted it softly as he
hung it up.

"What'll he do now, poor boy?" he murmured. Then he turned out the light
and went to bed.

Jim received a message the next morning, saying that a certain Herr
Gluck would reach the dam that afternoon.

"And who is he?" asked Uncle Denny.

"He's an engineer the German government is sending over to see some of
the stunts I've been doing on the dam," said Jim. "I'll show him round,
then I'll turn him over to you for the hour before supper. I want to see
old Miguel, who is coming up to the dam."

"I'm itching to lay hands on him. Does he speak English?"

Jim laughed. "Better than I do. He's written me a couple of times."

Jim brought Herr Gluck in over the great road. The German was full of
enthusiasm. "Blasted from solid rock! How not like America! This was
built for the future! How did you come to do it?"

Jim smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

"You belong not to this country," Herr Gluck went on, "you belong to the
old world where they build for their descendants."