e one of the greatest railroad yards
in the world. It was on the state line, between Kansas and Missouri,
about an hour's drive from the Kaw House, where the surveyors made their
headquarters.

In less than five minutes Glen found himself drinking the most delicious
cup of coffee he had ever tasted; while into his hands were thrust a
couple of sandwiches of hot corn-pones and crisp bacon. These, with two
hard-boiled eggs, furnished a most acceptable meal to the hungry-boy.
Mr. Brackett tossed a quarter to the "Princess," and the wagon rolled
merrily away with Glen eating his breakfast, as best he could, _en
route_.

Chapter X.

AT WORK WITH THE ENGINEER CORPS.

The "Princess" was a character of those early days, and was celebrated
for her _cafe au lait_, which "Billy" Brackett said meant "coffee and
eggs;" but which was really the best of coffee and the richest of goat's
milk. Her husband was steward on one of the steamboats that plied up and
down the Missouri, and her exertions, added to his, enabled them to
accumulate a small property, with which they afterwards made some
successful investments in real estate. The boys of the engineer corps
were quick to discover the "Princess" after their arrival in the place,
and with her they were prime favorites.

Glen had hardly finished his breakfast when the party reached the place
where they were to begin work. Here the boy obtained his first knowledge
of the names and uses of the various objects that had attracted his
curiosity as they lay in the bottom of the wagon.

From their neat wooden boxes were taken two highly polished brass
instruments, each of which was provided with a telescope. One of these
was a transit, for laying off lines, angles, and curves on the surface
of the earth; and the other was a level for measuring the height of
elevations or the depth of depressions on this same surface. As these
instruments were lifted carefully from their boxes they were screwed
firmly to the tops of wooden tripods, that supported them at the height
of a man's eyes.

Then came the long rod, divided into feet and the decimal fractions of a
foot, that was to be used with the level, and two slender flag-poles
painted red and white, so as to be seen at long distances. At their
lower ends these poles were tipped with sharp iron points, and at the
other they bore small flags of red flannel. They went with the transit,
and were to designate the points at which the sight