MR. NEWNHAM DROPS A BOMB
The field work was done. Yet the field engineers were not dismissed.
Instead, they were sent back along the line. The construction
gang was still twelve miles out of Lineville, and the time allowed
by the charter was growing short.
At Denver certain politicians seemed to have very definite information
that the S.B. & L. R.R., was not going to finish the building of
the road and the operating of the first through train within charter
time.
Where these politicians had obtained their news they did not take the
trouble to state.
However, they seemed positive that, under the terms of the charter,
the state would take over as much of the railroad as was finished,
pay an appraisal price for it, and then turn the road over to
the W.C. & A. promoters to finish and use as part of their own
railway system.
These same politicians, by the way, were a handful of keen,
unscrupulous men who derived their whole income from politics, and
who had always been identified with movements that the better
people of the state usually opposed.
Mr. Thurston and his assistant, Blaisdell, were now able to be
up and to move about a little, but were not yet able to travel
forward to the point that the construction force had now reached.
Neither Thurston nor Blaisdell was in fit shape to work, and
would not be for some weeks to come.
Mr. Newnham, who had learned in these weeks to ride a horse, came
along in saddle as Tom and Harry stood watching the field camp
that was now being rapidly taken down by the few men left behind.
“Idling, as usual, Reade?” smiled the president of the road.
“This time I seem to have a real excuse, sir,” chuckled Tom.
“My work is finished. There isn’t a blessed thing that I could
do, if I wanted to. By tomorrow I suppose you will be paying
me off and letting me go.”
“Let you go---before the road is running?” demanded Mr. Newnham,
in astonishment. “Reade, have you noted any signs of my mind
failing lately?”
“I haven’t, sir.”
“Then why should you imagine that I am going to let my chief engineer
go before the road is in operations”
“But I was acting chief, sir, only of the field work.”
“Reade,” continued Mr. Newnham, “I have something to tell you.
Thurston has left our employ. So has Blaisdell. They are not
dissatisfied in any way, but neither man is yet fit to work.
Besides, both are tired of the mountains, and want to go east
together as soon as possible and take up some other line of
engineering work. So---well, Reade, if you want it, you are
now chief engineer of the S.B. & L. in earnest.”
“Don’t trifle with me, sir!” begged Tom incredulously. “I’m too
far from home.”
“No one has ever accused me of being a humorist,” replied Mr.
Newnham dryly. “Now tell me, Reade, whether you want the post I
have offered you?”
“Want it?” echoed Tom. “Of course I do. Yet doesn’t it seem
too ‘fresh’ in a cub like myself to take such a post?”
“You’ve won it,” replied the president. “It’s also true that
you’re only a cub engineer in years, and there are many greater
engineers than yourself in the country. You have executive ability,
however, Reade. You are able to start a thing, and then put it
through on time---or before. The executive is the type of man who
is most needed in this or any other country.”
“Is an executive a lazy fellow who can make others work!” asked
Reade.
“No; an executive is a man who can choose other men, and can wisely
direct them to big achievements. An executive is a director of
fine team play. That describes you, Reade. However---you haven’t
yet accepted the position as chief engineer of the S.B. & L.”
“I’ll end your suspense then, sir,” smiled the cub. “I _do_ accept,
and with a big capital ‘A’.”
“As to your salary,” continued Mr. Newnham, “nothing has been
said about that, and nothing need be said until we see whether
the road is operating in season to save its charter. If we save
our charter and the road, your salary will be in line with the
size of the achievement.”
“If we should lose the charter, sir,” Tom retorted, his face clouding,
“I don’t believe I’d take any interest in the salary question.
Money is a fine thing, but the game---the battle---is twenty
times more interesting. However, I’m going to predict, Mr. Newnham,
that the road WILL operate on time.”
“I believe you’re going to make good, Reade, no matter what a
small coterie of politicians at Denver may think. I never met
a man who had success stamped more plainly on his face than you
have. By the way, I shall ask you to keep Mr. Howe as an assistant.
You still have the appointment of one other assistant, in place
of Mr. Blaisdell.”
“I know the fellow I’d like to appoint,” cried Tom eagerly.
“If you’re sure about him, then go ahead and appoint him,” responded
the president of the S.B. & L. railway.
“Hazelton!” proclaimed Tom. “Good, old dependable Harry Hazelton!”
“Hazelton would be a wise choice,” nodded Mr. Newnham.
“Harry!” called Reade, as his chum appeared in the distance.
“Come here hustle!”
Mr. Newnham turned away as Hazelton came forward. Tom quickly
told his chum the news.
“I? Assistant chief engineer?” gasped Harry, turning red. “Whew,
but that’s great! However, I’m not afraid of falling down, Tom,
with you to steer me. What’s the pay of the new job!”
“Not decided,” rejoined Tom. “Wait until we get the road through
and the charter is safe.”
“Never mind the wages. The job’s the thing, after all!” cried
Harry, his face aglow. “Whew! I’ll send a letter home tonight
with the news.”
“Make it a small post card, then, concealed under a postage stamp,”
counseled Reade dryly. “We’ve work ahead of us---not writing.”
“What’s the first thing you’re going to do?” inquired Hazelton.
“The first thing will be to get on the job.”
“You’re going back to the construction force?”
“I am.”
“When?”
“Well, we start within five minutes.”
“Whew!”
His face still aglow with happiness, Harry Hazelton bounded off
to his tent. Tom called to one of the men to saddle two horses,
and then followed.
“You’re going back to the construction camp?” inquired Mr. Newnham,
looking in at the doorway.
“As fast as horses can take us, sir,” Tom replied, as he whipped
out a clean flannel shirt and drew it over his head.
“I’m going with you,” replied Mr. Newnham.
“You’ll ride fast, if you go with us, sir,” called Tom.
“I can stand it, if you can, Reade. Your enthusiasm and speed
are ‘catching,’” replied the president, with a laugh, as he started
off to give orders about his horse.
“If the president is going with us, then we’ll have to take two
of Dave Fulsbee’s men with us,” mused Tom aloud to his chum.
“It would never do to have our president captured just before
we’re ready to open the road to traffic.”
The orders were accordingly given. Tom then appointed one of
the chainmen to command the camp until the construction gang came up.
Just seven minutes after he had given the first order, Tom Reade
was in saddle. Hazelton was seated on another horse some thirty
seconds afterward. The two railroad detectives rode forward,
halting near by, and all waited for Mr. Newnham.
Nor did the president of the S.B. & L. delay them long. During
his weeks in camp in the Rockies the man from Broadway had learned
something of the meaning of the word “hustle.”
As the party started Tom ordered one of the detectives to ride
two hundred yards in advance of the party, the other the same
distance to the rear.
“Set a good pace, and keep it,” called Tom along the trail.
Shortly after dark the party reached the construction camp, which
now numbered about five hundred men.
Assistant Chief Engineer Howe appeared more than a little astonished
when he learned that Tom Reade was the actual chief engineer of
the road. However, the man who had been in charge so far of the
construction work made no fuss about being supplanted.
“Show me what part of the work you want me to handle,” offered
Howe, “and you’ll find me right with you, Mr. Reade.”
“Thank you,” responded Tom, holding out his hand. “I’m glad you
feel no jealousy or resentment. There’s just one thing in life
for all of us, now, and that is to win the fight.”
Howe produced the plans and reports, and the three---for Hazelton
was of their number---sat up until long after midnight laying out
plans for pushing the work faster and harder.
At four in the morning, while it was still dark, Tom was up again.
He sat at the desk, going over the work once more until half
past five o’clock. Then he called Harry and Howe, and the trio
of chiefs had a hurried breakfast together.
At six in the morning Mr. Newnham appeared, just in time to find
Tom and Harry getting into saddle.
“Not going to stay behind and sit in an easy chair this morning,
Reade?” called the president.
“Not this, or any other morning, sir,” Tom replied.
“You amaze me!”
“This construction work requires more personal attention, sir.
I may have twenty minutes to dream, in the afternoon, but my
mornings are mortgaged each day, from four o’clock on.”
An hour later Mr. Howe joined Reade and Hazelton in the field.
Tom had already prodded three or four foremen, showing them how
their gangs were losing time.
“If we get the road through on time, and save the charter,” Tom
called, on leaving each working party, “every laborer and foreman
is to have an extra week’s pay for his loyalty to us.”
In every instance that statement brought forth a cheer.
“Did Mr. Newnham tell you that you could promise that?” inquired
Harry.
“No,” said Tom shortly.
“Then aren’t you going a bit far, perhaps!”
“I don’t care,” retorted Tom. “Victory is the winning of millions;
defeat is the loss of millions. Do you imagine Mr. Newnham will
care about a little thing such as I’ve promised the men? Harry,
our president is a badly worried man, though he doesn’t allow
himself to show it. Once the road is finished, operating and
safe, he won’t care what money he has to spend in rewards. He-----”
Tom did not finish his words. Instead he dug his heels into his
pony, bringing his left hand down hard on that animal’s flank.
“Yi, yi, yi! Git!” called Tom, bending low over his mount’s neck.
He drove straight ahead. Hazelton looked astonished for a space
of five seconds, then started in pursuit of his chum and chief.
It was not long ere Tom reined in, holding up a hand as a signal
to Harry to do the same thing.
“Here, hold my horse, and stay right here,” ordered the young chief.
“Tom, what on earth-----”
Tom Reade was already a hundred yards away, running in amid the
brush. At last he halted, studying the ground earnestly. Then
Reade disappeared.
“One thing I know, anyway,” muttered the puzzled Hazelton, “Tom
is not crazy, and he doesn’t dash off like that unless he has
something real on his mind.” The minutes passed. At last Tom
came back, walking energetically. He took his horse’s bridle
and leaded into saddle.
“Harry, ride back, hard, and send me two or three of the railroad
detectives, unless you happen to meet some of them this side of
the camp. I want the men on the rush. Don’t fail to tell ’em
that.”
“Any---er---explanations” queried Hazelton.
“For you---yes---but don’t take the time to pass the explanation
on to the men. Just hustle ’em here. When I started my horse
forward it was because I caught sight of ’Gene Black’s head over
the bush tops. I found a few of his footprints, then lost the
trail. Send Dave Fulsbee along, too, if you have the luck to
see him. I want ’Gene Black hunted down before he does some big
mischief. Now---ride!”
Harry Hazelton went back over the trail at a gallop.
Not until he reached camp did he come upon Fulsbee’s men. These
he hustled out to find Tom.
Two hours later Reade came back over the trail, at a slow jog.
The young chief engineer looked more worried than Hazelton had
ever seen his chum look before.