sed since the invitation had been
given, matters not. Late one afternoon, one of the supply wagons
delivered him at Ralph's tent.

The flaps of the tent were open and Ralph was there explaining some blue
prints to one of his assistants. He looked up at the sound of the wagon.

"Oh, hello, Captain! I'm mighty glad to see you. I had about given you
up."

"Huh!" the old man grunted. "That ain't over complimentary. From what
I've heard, you ain't over quick at givin' up what is worth while."

"Give me a chance, Captain. You don't want to believe all that you
hear."

"I don't. That's what I'm up here for."

"Now we're even on compliments. Let's call it quits."

Uncle Sid looked up shrewdly.

"Figures and doin' things ain't all that you're quick at." He paused,
taking in the assistant. "Don't mind me. You go on stuffin' that young
man. He ain't full yet."

"Just a minute; then I'm yours truly." Ralph devoted a few moments to
the "young man" who, having been "stuffed", departed. "How would you
like to take a little drive up the line!"

"Just how much is your little?"

"It's fifteen miles to the next camp. If you say so, we will drive up
there and stay all night and the next day we can make the dam in the
mountains. I think you'll like it, if it isn't too much." Ralph
purposely touched up Uncle Sid with his last remark.

"I ain't too old to know when I've got enough an' I ain't bashful at
hollerin' about it, either. You just drive on till I holler, unless you
get enough before."

Uncle Sid had little to say on the way, but his keen eyes were taking in
everything along the line. Ralph's explanations were listened to in
silence. Ralph was not slow to note the absorbed interest of his
companion, nor the fact that not a word of his explanations was lost. At
every gang of men, Ralph was halted by alert foremen, and often he left
the team in charge of Uncle Sid while he went forth to untangle some
snarled bit of work or to give further directions in advancing it.

The sun was down when they drew up before the camp and surrendered the
team to a waiting Mexican.

Uncle Sid glanced at Ralph with a look at once appreciative and cynical.

"The next time you tell me about a place, you just say how long it is,
not how far."

"You'll have to excuse me there. You see I know distances, but I can't
always say about the time."

Ralph was up the next morning even before the captain who believed in
early rising.

"Good mo