ch, you're ridiculously illogical;
got no proper sense of relative values. Your business is to carry out
your contract, and not risk your life for a rusty bucket."

"You risked yours!"

"I didn't. The only risk I ran was knocking your head off with my heavy
boots. But if you hadn't begun the folly, I wouldn't have jumped, if the
river had been full of the company's skips."

Then the door opened and the head contractor's engineer came in.

"You did a plucky thing to-day, Festing," he began; but Charnock
interrupted.

"Don't spoil my argument, Mr. Norton. I've been proving he made a fool
of himself."

"Then there were two of you," Norton rejoined. "The trolley was running
fast, and if you had dropped a few yards farther out, you wouldn't have
got back." He turned to Festing. "I was rather mad about it when you
broke the wire, and of course wanted the skip. Still I didn't mean you
to take a risk like that. We could have fixed the thing."

"A matter of bookkeeping?" Charnock suggested. "Much depends on how you
charge up your costs, and one understands that doing it cleverly leads
to promotion. The worst is when you come to the total--"

"I'll talk to you later. You're up against a big proposition, Festing;
but if you find yourself in a tight place and I've a man or two to
spare, or can help---"

"Thanks; I may take advantage of your promise," Festing replied, and
Norton turned to Charnock.

"You are doing better than I expected when Dalton sent you along."

"I imagine my recent activity would surprise my friends, and you're a
stranger. However, I suppose I've got to keep it up so long as I work on
the road."

"That's sure," said the other dryly. "Well, I didn't think it prudent to
give you much at first, and now I'll mark you up an extra fifty cents."

He stopped a few minutes, and when he went out Charnock laughed. "Not
a bad sort, but I'm puzzled by my satisfaction at getting three dollars
more a week. If I wanted a check not long since, I'd only to look
penitent and go to Sadie."

After this, they sat smoking quietly for a time, and then Charnock drew
up his legs and frowned.

"What's the matter?" Festing asked.

"Nothing much," said Charnock. "I've got a bit of a weakness I don't
think you know about. Neuralgic, I imagine; it grips me here." He
indicated the region between his belt and chest. "Comes and goes when
I'm not quite up to my proper form."

"Then I expect jumping into the river and standi