BLACK TURNS OTHER COLORS
Through the night Tom Reade managed to get some sound sleep.
Had he been less exhausted physically the excitement caused by
his sudden and dizzying promotion might have interfered with his
rest. As it was, he slept like a log, though, by his own orders,
he was called twice in the night to be informed as to the condition
of the two sick men.
In the morning a male nurse for whom Dr. Gitney had arranged arrived
in camp. Thereafter the physician had a little opportunity for rest.
Mr. Thurston reached the delirium stage in his illness that forenoon.
“Reade, I don’t feel like going out this morning,” announced ’Gene
Black, approaching the young head of the camp after early breakfast.
“What’s the matter?” Tom asked pleasantly.
“I have rather a bad headache,” complained Black.
“That’s a woman’s complaint,” smiled Tom.
“Just the same, I’m not fit for duty,” retorted Black rather testily.
“I hope I’m not going to come down with the fever, but I can’t be
sure.”
“You’d better stay in camp, then,” nodded Reade. “Don’t go out into
the field again until you feel like work.”
“Humph! He takes it easily enough,” grunted Black to himself
as the young chief strode away to confer with Butter. “I wonder
if the cub suspects the game I’m playing here? Oh, pshaw! Of
course he doesn’t suspect. Why should he? The truth is that
Cub Reade doesn’t realize how much every man is needed in the
field. Reade doesn’t understand the big need for hustle here.
Well, that all helps to make my task the easier.”
Within five minutes Rutter and the other engineers had their full
instructions. As they started away Tom called after them:
“Gentlemen, if there is any possible way of putting fifty per cent.
more work into each day, now, I know I can rely upon you all to do
it. The S.B. & L. must run its first train over the completed road
within charter time.”
Now, Tom had opportunity to wonder what had happened to Harry
Hazelton, who should have been back in camp the preceding evening.
“He must have had to go farther for ice than we imagined,”
was the only conclusion Reade could form. “At any rate, Harry
won’t come back until he has it. He won’t bring back merely an
excuse when his commission was for a ton of ice.”
Tom wandered into the new headquarters’ tent, heaved a big sigh
as the weight of his new responsibilities struck him with full
force, and began a systematic examination of all the piles of
papers and maps now under his charge.
By nine o’clock Harry Hazelton and his guide returned, followed
by a four-mule transport wagon.
Tom, hearing the approach, came out and beckoned. Harry rode
up, dismounting.
“Well, I got the ice, you see,” announced Hazelton.
“Did you have to go very far for it?”
“No; but you and I forgot to allow for the time that mules would
need for rest on such a steep, uphill climb. Where is the ice to go?”
“Send the man over to Jake Wren. Jake knows more about such things
than you or I will know within the next ten years.”
Harry carried the order to the driver, then hurried back.
“How are our sick men?” he asked.
“Both alive, but delirious. Doc Gitney has a man nurse to help
him now.”
“Did Mr. Rutter leave any orders for me?” pressed Harry.
“No; Rutter is in charge of the actual field work only.”
“Who gives the main orders?”
“I do---unless New York changes the plan.”
Tom hastily narrated what had taken place in Mr. Thurston’s tent
the day before. Harry listened, his eyes growing larger as he
heard.
“Tom! I’m mighty glad!” he cried delightedly. “You’re going
to do the trick, too! You’re going to put the S.B. & L. through
within the time allowed by the charter!”
“I’m going to do it or wear myself out,” replied Reade, with a
glint of determination in his eyes. “But, Harry, the road isn’t
going to go through on mere wind. We’ve got to work---not talk!
Come into the new headquarters’ tent. Throw the front of your
shirt open, take a few deep breaths, tie down the safety valve
and get ready to make the steam fly. I’m going over the maps
and documents, the field notes, the reports and what not. I want
you to help me untangle them and set all matters straight.”
For two hours the cub engineers worked as they had never toiled
before. Then a horseman drew up before their tent.
“Telegram for Reade, acting chief engineer,” called the man from
saddle. “The czar over at the cook house told me I’d find my
man here.”
“I’m Reade,” admitted Tom, stepping outside and receiving the
envelope. “Do you belong with the telegraph construction crowd?”
“Yes, sir,” replied the young horseman.
“How long before you expect to have the line up with the camp?”
“By tomorrow night, unless you move the camp forward again.”
“That’s good news,” nodded Reade. “Wait until I see whether there
is to be an answer to this message.”
Tom stepped inside, breaking the flap of the envelope. From head
to foot he trembled as his eyes took in the following message:
“Reade, Acting Chief Engineer.
“Relying upon Thurston’s judgment, and from your satisfactory
wire, conclude that Thurston chose right man for post. Assume
all responsibilities. Advise New York offices daily as to condition
of work, also condition Thurston and Blaisdell. Spare no expense
in their care. Shall join you within five days.”
(Signed) “Newnham, President S.B. & L. R.R.”
Having read the telegram, Tom turned to pick up a sheet of paper.
After jotting down the address of President Newnham, he added:
“Shall hustle job through rapidly if there is any way of doing
it. Shall engage extra engineers in this state. Hope to be able
to show you, on arrival, things moving at speed.”
(Signed) Reade, “Acting Chief Engineer.”
Then Tom shoved both despatches under his chum’s eyes. Naturally
Hazelton read the one from New York first.
“Whew! The president seems to trust you,” murmured Harry.
“No; he doesn’t,” Tom retorted. “He doesn’t know anything about
me. His wire shows that he knows and trusts Mr. Thurston, the
man who picked me out for this job.”
Then Tom wrote a second despatch, addressed to the State University.
It ran as follows:
“Have heard that your university has party from engineering school
in field this summer. Can you place me in immediate wire communication
with professor in charge of party? Have practical work to offer
students.”
This also Tom showed briefly to his chum. Then, picking up the
two telegrams, Tom stepped outside, turning them over to the rider.
“Ask your operator to rush both of these, the one to New York
going first.”
As the pony’s hoofs clicked against the gravel, Reade stepped
inside the tent.
“What are you going to do with the State University students?”
asked Harry curiously.
“Put ’em at work on the smaller jobs here,” Tom answered. “At
least, as many of them as the professor will vouch for.”
Three hours later Tom received an answer to his local despatch.
It was from Professor Coles, sixty miles away, in camp with a
party of thirty engineering students. The professor asked for
further particulars. Tom wired back:
“Can use your entire lot of students in practical railroad work,
if they want experience and can do work. Will you bring them
here with all speed and let us try them out? For yourself, we
offer suitable pay for a man of your attainments. Students engaged
will be paid all they are worth.”
“Gracious, but you’re going in at wholesale! What will President
Newnham say to you for engaging men at such a wholesale rate!”
“By the time he reaches here,” replied Tom in a tone that meant
business, “either he will see results that will force him to
approve---or else he’ll give me my walking papers.”
“Now, what shall we do?” inquired Hazelton.
“Nothing. It’s nearly time for the field force to be back in camp.”
“We’d better work every minute of the time,” urged Harry.
“We’re going to take things more easily after this,” Tom yawned.
“Is that what you mean by hustling?”
“In a way, yes,” Tom nodded. “See here, Harry, in the field we
tried to do the work of a man and a half each, didn’t we? And
here at the drawing tables, too.”
“Of course.”
“Now there is need of hustling, and, if we work too hard, we simply
won’t have time to plan for others, or even to know what they’re
doing. There are a lot of students coming, Harry. Most of them
will be good men, for they’re young, full of enthusiasm, and just
crazy to show what they can do. Some of them will doubtless be
good draughtsmen. You’ll take these men and see to it that the
drawing is pushed forward. But you won’t work too hard yourself.
You’ll see to it that the force under you is working, and in
that way you’ll be three times as useful as if you merely ground
and dug hard by yourself. I shall go light on real work, just
in order that I may have my eyes and brains where they will do
the most good every minute of the time.”
Someone was approaching. Tom threw open the flap of the tent,
thus discovering that the man was Black.
“Howdy, Reade,” was the greeting of the idle engineer. “I’m glad
to say that my headache is better. I’m not going to have the
fever, after all. Tomorrow I’ll be out on the leveling job.”
Tom shook his head.
“I want you to rest up tomorrow, Black.”
“I won’t do it,” retorted the other flatly. “Tomorrow I go out
and continue running my levels.”
“Then I may as well tell you,” Tom continued, “what I would have
preferred to break to you more easily later on.”
“What do you mean?” questioned the other sharply, an uneasy look
creeping into his face.
“You’re not going to do any more work for us, Black,” replied the
young chief coolly.
“Not do any more work, What do you mean, Reade? Am I discharged
from this corps?”
“Not yet, Black, for I haven’t the money at hand to pay you to
date. So you may stay here until the paymaster comes. Then, when
you have your full amount of pay, you can leave us.”
“What does this mean?” demanded ’Gene Black angrily, as he stepped
closer, his eyes blazing.
Some young men would have shrunk back before Black’s menacing
manner. Tom had never yet met the man who could make him really
afraid.
“I’ve already told you the whole story, Black.”
“Why am I discharged?”
“I am not obliged to give you my reasons.”
“You’ll find you’ll have to do so!” stormed ’Gene Black.
“Well, then,” Tom answered, “you get through here because you kicked
one of the tripod legs of your leveling instrument the other day, and
left a mark on the wood.”
“Don’t you try to be funny with me, you young hound!” hissed Black,
stepping so close that Tom gently pushed him back. “You young
idiot! Do you think you can fire me---and get away with it?”
“We won’t talk about it any more,” Tom answered. “Your time will
be all your own until the paymaster arrives. After you’ve received
your money you will leave camp.”
“Are any of the others going?”
“No.”
“Then you’re discharging me for personal reasons!” snarled ’Gene
Black. “However, you can’t do it! I’ll wire the president of
the road, at New York.”
“He won’t receive your wire,” Tom assured the irate one. “President
Newnham is on his way here. Probably he’ll arrive here before
the paymaster does. You may take your case to President Newnham
in person if you wish.”
“That’s what I’ll do, then!” breathed ’Gene Black fiercely.
“And I’ll take your place in charge here, cub! If I don’t, _you_
shall never finish the S.B. & L!”