wder and dynamite and a mountain that had
stood a million years and was going to be blown up that night.

"It's the best bit of work I've ever done, Aldous--that and Coyote Number
Twenty-eight. Peggy was going to touch the electric button to Twenty-seven
to-night, but we've decided to let Miss Gray do that, and Peggy'll fire
Twenty-eight to-morrow night. Twenty-eight is almost ready. If you say so,
the bunch of us will go over and see it in the morning. Mebby Miss Gray
would like to see for herself that a coyote isn't only an animal with a
bushy tail, but a cavern dug into rock an' filled with enough explosives to
play high jinks with all the navies in the world if they happened to be on
hand at the time. What do you say?"

"Fine!" said Aldous.

"And Peggy wants me to say that it's a matter of only common, every-day
decency on your part to make yourself our guest while here," added the
contractor, stuffing his pipe. "We've got plenty of room, enough to eat,
and a comfortable bed for you. You're going to be polite enough to accept,
aren't you?"

"With all my heart," exclaimed Aldous, his blood tingling at the thought of
being near Joanne. "I've got some business with MacDonald and as soon as
that's over I'll domicile myself here. It's bully of you, Blackton! You
know----"

"Why, dammit, of course I know!" chuckled Blackton, lighting his pipe.
"Can't I see, Aldous? D'ye think I'm blind? I was just as gone over Peggy
before I married her. Fact is, I haven't got over it yet--and never will. I
come up from the work four times a day regular to see her, and if I don't
come I have to send up word I'm safe. Peggy saw it first. She said it was a
shame to put you off in that cabin with Miss Gray away up here. I don't
want to stick my nose in your business, old man, but--by George!--I
congratulate you! I've only seen one lovelier woman in my life, and that's
Peggy."

He thrust out a hand and pumped his friend's limp arm, and Aldous felt
himself growing suddenly warm under the other's chuckling gaze.

"For goodness sake don't say anything, or act anything, old man," he
pleaded. "I'm--just--hoping."

Blackton nodded with prodigious understanding in his eyes.

"Come along when you get through with MacDonald," he said. "I'm going in
and clean up for to-night's fireworks."

A question was in Aldous' mind, but he did not put it in words. He wanted
to know about Quade and Culver Rann.

"Blackton is such a ridiculously forgetf