reached the temporary wooden fence built by the Government,
shutting off the view of the depot yard, with its coal-docks and
machine-shops, and neared the small door cut through its planking, a
voice rang out clear and strong above the din of the mixers:--

"Hold on, ye wall-eyed macaroni! Do ye want that fall cut? Turn that
snatch-block, Cully, and tighten up the watch-tackle. Here, cap'n; lend
a hand. Lively now, lively, before I straighten out the hull gang of
ye!"

The voice had a ring of unquestioned authority. It was not quarrelsome
or abusive or bullying--only earnest and forceful.

"Ease away on that guy! Ease away, I tell ye!" it continued, rising in
intensity. "So--all gone! Now, haul out, Cully, and let that other team
back up."

Babcock pushed open the door in the fence and stepped in. A loaded scow
lay close beside the string-piece of the government wharf. Alongside its
forward hatch was rigged a derrick with a swinging gaff. The "fall" led
through a snatch-block in the planking of the dock, and operated an iron
bucket that was hoisted by a big gray horse driven by a boy. A gang of
men were filling these buckets, and a number of teams being loaded with
their dumped contents. The captain of the scow was on the dock, holding
the guy.

At the foot of the derrick, within ten feet of Babcock, stood a woman
perhaps thirty-five years of age, with large, clear gray eyes, made
all the more luminous by the deep, rich color of her sunburnt skin. Her
teeth were snow-white, and her light brown hair was neatly parted over a
wide forehead. She wore a long ulster half concealing her well-rounded,
muscular figure, and a black silk hood rolled back from her face, the
strings falling over her broad shoulders, revealing a red silk scarf
loosely wound about her throat, the two ends tucked in her bosom. Her
feet were shod in thick-soled shoes laced around her well-turned ankles,
and her hands were covered by buckskin gauntlets creased with wear.
From the outside breast-pocket of her ulster protruded a time-book,
from which dangled a pencil fastened to a hempen string. Every movement
indicated great physical strength, perfect health, and a thorough
control of herself and her surroundings. Coupled with this was a dignity
and repose unmistakable to those who have watched the handling of large
bodies of workingmen by some one leading spirit, master in every tone of
the voice and every gesture of the body. The woman gave Babcoc