e operator couldn't find you. He left me to explain, and
I've been wondering if you'd let me take his place as your host, Mr.
Ford."

Now Ford's attitude toward his opponents was, by reason of his gifts,
openly belligerent; wherefore he fought against it and tried to be as
other men are.

"I am sure Mr. North is quite excusable, and it is good-natured in you
to stand in the breach, Mr. Eckstein," he said. "Of course, I'll be glad
to go with you."

They went to Tortoni's, and to a private room; and the luncheon was an
epicurean triumph. Eckstein talked well, and was evidently a young man
of parts. Not until the cigars were lighted did he suffer the table-talk
to come down to the railroad practicalities; and even then he merely
followed Ford's lead.

"Oh, yes; we have made arrangements to give you a clear deck in the
Denver yards for your material and supplies," he said, in answer to a
question of Ford's about side-track room and yard facilities at the
point which would have to serve as his base. "Following your orders, we
have been forwarding all that your Plug Mountain rolling stock could
handle, but there is considerable more of it side-tracked here. After
the MacMorrogh grading outfit has gone to the front, we shall have more
room, however."

"The MacMorrogh outfit?" queried Ford. "Do they store it in our yards?"

"Oh, no. They have a pretty complete railroad yard of their own at
their headquarters in Pueblo. But they have three train-loads of tools
and machinery here now, waiting for your orders to send them to the
front."

Ford weighed the possibilities thoughtfully and concluded that nothing
could be lost by a frank declaration of principles.

"They have given you folks a wrong impression, Mr. Eckstein," he said
mildly. "The contract for the grading on the Western Extension is not
yet awarded; and if I can compass it, the MacMorrogh Brothers' bid will
be thrown out."

The private secretary tried to look mystified, with just the proper
touch of a subordinate's embarrassment.

"I'm only a clerk, Mr. Ford," he said, "and, of course, I'm not supposed
to know more than I see and hear in the regular way of business. But I
understood that the MacMorroghs were in the saddle; that they were only
waiting for you to provide track-room at Saint's Rest for their tool
cars and outfit."

"No," said Ford. "It hasn't got that far along yet."

Eckstein looked at his watch.

"Don't let me keep you, if there is anyth