y?" asked Duncan
anxiously.

"Yes--possibly," Temple responded, slowly and hesitatingly. "We might
build a crib across the space still to be filled in, and make it serve
the purposes of a coffer dam in some degree. By doing that, we can keep
the work going, even if the overflow from the rivers comes upon us. But
the building of the crib will take time, and we've no time to waste, you
know."

"Yes, I know that. Still, if it becomes necessary, we must build it.
I'll tell you this evening what is to be done."

For convenience and quickness of communication, Duncan had strung a
telegraph wire from tree to tree through the woods to the point where
the work was in progress. He instantly telegraphed Hallam, saying:

Find out and telegraph flood prospect. How long before the rise in
rivers will drown us out here? Everything depends on early and
accurate information as to that.

The answer came back within half an hour. Hallam telegraphed:

Have already made telegraphic inquiries at all points on all the
rivers. Reports very discouraging. Probability is you'll be flooded
within three days. I'll be with you to-morrow.

The space to be cribbed, so that the work of filling might go on in
spite of floods, was comparatively small, but the task of cribbing it,
even in the rudest fashion, occupied nearly the whole working force
during three precious days and nights. Worse still, in order to hurry
it, Temple made the mistake of working the men overtime. As an
inducement, Hallam promised to increase the double wage per hour, which
the men were already receiving, to triple wages, on condition that they
should work in two, instead of three shifts. As the work was exhausting
in its nature, and must be done under a deluge of bone-chilling rain,
this overtasking of the men quickly showed itself in their loss of
energy and courage. Some of them threw up the employment and made their
way homeward. All of them were suffering and discouraged. But at the end
of the three days, the rude crib was so far finished that even should
the floods come, it would still be possible to continue the work of
filling in by running the dirt cars to the slowly advancing end of the
temporary track and dropping their contents into the crib.

Thus the work went slowly on. The men daily showed, more and more, the
effects of their overwork--for each was working for twelve hours of each
twenty-four now. They grew sullen and moody of