to
himself. "He put this upon me, to see how I'd get over an obstacle
like an unfordable pond. Well, it's going to take a lot of time
but I'll show Mr. Jack Rutter!"

Accordingly, Reade allowed his chainmen to proceed measuring until
they were fairly close to the pond. Then he went forward to the
metal stake that had just been driven. From this stake he laid
out a new course to the north and at exact right angles with the
proper course, sending his chainmen forward with markers. When
he had thus passed the end of the pond Reade took another course
at exactly right angles to the northerly course, but now going
westerly. This he extended until it passed the pond by a few
feet. Once more Reade laid out a course, southerly, at exact
right angles with the westerly course, the southerly line being
exactly four chains in length, as the northerly line had been.
Now, the young engineer was able to resume his surveying toward
the seventh stake. The extra route that he had followed made
three sides of a square. Tom was now in line again, with the
pond passed, and the exact distance between the sixth and seventh
stakes.

"I guess that was where Rutter was sure he'd have me," chuckled
Tom quietly. "He's probe ably waiting ahead to see me come hot-footing
over the trail to ask for orders."

At the tenth stake Tom found "Hazelton" written thereon.

"Men," said the young engineer, "I guess this is where we go forward
and look for the crowd. Get up the stuff and we'll trot along."

Nearly an hour of solid tramping over the trail followed before
Tom and his party, guided by the rodman, came upon Harry Hazelton.
Jack Rutter, chewing a blade of grass, sat under a tree at a
little distance from where Harry was watching and signaling to
two chainmen who were getting a distance.

"Is your own work all done?" asked Rutter.

"Yes, sir," Tom answered.

"Let me see your field notes."

Reade passed over the book containing them. From an inner pocket
Rutter drew out his own field note book. Before another minute
had passed Tom had opened his eyes very wide.

"Your field notes are all straight, my boy. If you've made any
errors, then I've made the same."

"You've already been over this work that we've been doing?" demanded
Tom, feeling somewhat abashed.

"Of course," nodded the older and more experienced engineer.
"You don't for a moment suppose we'd trust you with original work
until we had tried you out, do you? We