he steamer won't get in much before tomorrow night,
will it?"

"We aren't doing any banking on that. I've got a notion that the Pages
aren't sending out any six-mile-an-hour scow to do their quick work. That
timber's got to come over here tonight. May as well put it where the
carpenters can get right at it. We'll be on the cupola before long,
anyhow."

"But it's five o'clock already. There's the whistle."

Bannon waited while the long blast sounded through the crisp air. Then he
said:--

"Offer the men double pay, and tell them that any man can go home that
wants to, right now, but if they say they'll stay, they've got to see it
through."

Already the laborers were hurrying toward the tool house in a long,
irregular line. Peterson started toward the office, to give the word to
the men before they could hand in their time checks.

"Mr. Bannon."

The foreman turned; Vogel was approaching.

"I wanted to see about that cribbing bill. How much of it's coming down by
boat?"

"Two hundred thousand. You'd better help Peterson get that timber out of
the way. We're holding the men."

"Yes, I've been waiting for directions about that. We can put a big gang
on it, and snake it across in no time."

"You'll have to open up the fence in half a dozen places, and put on every
man you've got. There's no use in making an all-night job of it."

"I'm afraid we'll have trouble with the railroad."

"No, we won't. If they kick, you send them to me. Are your arc lights in?"

"Yes, all but one or two. They were going to finish it today, but they
ain't very spry about it."

"Tell you what you do, Max; you call them up and tell them we want a man
to come out here and stay for a while. I may want to move the lights
around a little. And, anyhow, they may as well clean up their job and have
it done with."

He was starting back after the returning laborers when Max said:--.

"Mr. Bannon."

"Hello?"

"I heard you speaking about a stenographer the other day."

"Yes--what about it? Haven't you got one yet?"

"No, but I know of one that could do the work first-rate."

"I want a good one--he's got to keep time besides doing the office work."

"Yes, I thought of that. I don't suppose she--"

"She? We can't have any shes on this job."

"Well, it's like this, Mr. Bannon; she's an A 1 stenographer and
bookkeeper; and as for keeping the time, why, I'm out on the job all day
anyhow, and I reckon I could take care of it without cu