idently.

"Then I'll show you just what's wanted Reade," continued the chief.

After some minutes of explanation Tom picked up the T-square,
placing the top at the side of the drawing surface. Then against
the limb of the "T" Tom laid the base of a right-angled triangle.
Along this edge he drew his perpendicular north-and-south line
in the upper left-hand corner. He crossed this with a shorter
line at right angles, establishing his east-and-west line. Mr.
Thurston, standing at the cub engineer is back, looked on closely.

Tom now settled on his beginning point, and made the dot with
his pencil. From that point he worked rapidly, making all his
measurements and dotting his points. Then he began to draw in.
The chief engineer went back to his table.

After Tom had worked an hour the chief interrupted him.

"Now, Reade, get up and let me sit down there for a little while.
I want to go over your work."

For some minutes Mr. Thurston checked off the lad's work.

"You really know what you are doing, Reade," he said at last.
"Your line measurements are right, and your angles tally faultlessly,
I'm glad I kept you back today. You can help me here even more
than in the field. Tomorrow, however, I shall have to keep Rice
back. He's our ornamental draughtsman, and puts in the fine,
flowery work on our maps. Here's some of his work."

Tom gazed intently at the sheet that Mr. Thurston spread for his
inspection.

"Rice does it well," remarked Reade thoughtfully. "You've one
other man in the corps who can do the pretty draughting about as well."

"Who is he?"

"Hazelton. Harry doesn't do the mathematical part as easily as
I do, but he has a fine talent for fancy drawing, sir."

"Then I'll try Hazelton tonight," decided Mr. Thurston aloud.
"You may go on with your drawing now, Reade. Hello; someone
is coming into camp."

Mr. Thurston stepped over to the doorway in time to see a young
man riding up on a pony.

"Where's the chief engineer?" called the newcomer.

"You're looking at him," replied Mr. Thurston.

The young man, who appeared to be about twenty-eight years of
age, rode his horse to a near-by tree, then dismounted gracefully
and tied his mount.

The young man was well-built, dark-haired and smooth-faced, with
snapping black eyes. There was an easy, half-swaggering grace
about him suggesting one who had seen much of free life in the
open air. For one attired for riding in saddle over mountain