a foreman. His face was a contrast to that of the other. In
it the expression was good--kindly, reliable, honest--but ability was
not marked. He looked a decent, plodding, stupid man. He also stared
eastward.

"Ay," he said slowly. "She's early."

"Two hours," the first agreed. "Didn't expect her till between ten and
eleven."

The other murmured something about "getting things ready," and
disappeared back into the shed. Presently came the sounds of doors being
opened, and some more empty Decauville trucks were pushed out on to
the wharf. At intervals both men reappeared and looked down-stream,
evidently watching the approach of the ship.

Some half an hour passed, and then an increase of movement seemed to
announce her arrival. The manager walked once more down the wharf,
followed by the foreman and four other men--apparently the whole
staff--among whom was the bovine-looking fellow whom the friends had
tried to pump on their first visit to the locality. Then came a long
delay during which Merriman could catch the sound of a ship's telegraph
and the churning of the screw, and at last the bow of the Girondin
appeared, slowly coming in. Ropes were flung, caught, slipped over
bollards, drawn taut, made fast--and she was berthed.

Captain Beamish was on the bridge, and as soon as he could, the manager
jumped aboard and ran up the steps and joined him there. In a few
seconds both men disappeared into the captain's cabin.

The foreman and his men followed on board and began in a leisurely way
to get the hatches open, but for at least an hour no real activity was
displayed. Then work began in earnest. The clearing of the hatches was
completed, the ship's winches were started, and the unloading of the
props began.

This was simply a reversal of the procedure they had observed at the
clearing. The props were swung out in bundles by the Girondin's crew,
lowered on to the Decauville trucks, and pushed by the depot men back
through the shed, the empty trucks being returned by another road, and
brought by means of the turn-tables to the starting point. The young
manager watched the operations and took a tally of the props.

Merriman kept a close eye on the proceedings, and felt certain he was
witnessing everything that was taking place. Every truckload of props
passed within ten feet of his hiding place, and he was satisfied that
if anything other than props were put ashore he would infallibly see it.
But the close watchi