The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-02-22
81 couldn't sleep last night. "
"No?" said Kelley.

In human workerS-joy in toll under
fair conditions. Joy in strife, satisfac-
ton in defeat, if defeat must come
And to those who knew little this meant
victory. Yet the struggle was even now
beginning. 1t began week later when
the tiinbering was complete from end
to end, for only then did the tunnel be-
gin to be audible to gross ears in day
light, when the live world talked. the
world that was made of million in
sects and TO- 600 men strung from the
summit to the Columbia.
Among those who worked with the
lumber We're many rudely learned in
the strength of materials, and some of
them We're very doubtful.
'sHow does it go3' asked Kelley.
''All right for the present. Mr.. Hol-
dredge. said they And at first they
did not add But
Among themselves, in their rude
shacks and tents. they estimated the
weight of the hill
''Pine and fir will never hold We
want hard woods. oak and teak. y
''Steel. said another.
''And steel won't said third
''If she comes. will she come sud
DEM" asked the laborers. ashley work
! ed with sledge and maui
But they were paid to risk it. Some
| left, for their nerves gave way when
| they took to thinking of quick run
out of the pit. Even those who staid
frcwned to hear the timber talk. It
spoke SO loudly of the heavy world
above them-the sinking world in the
bressss..lt air.
Kelley went up to see Ross, and the
big man came down to look at the
work. He walked through from end to
| end, and when he was once more in
daylight he used the same expression
that came to every ones lips.
''Talks good DEAL he said
Kelley nodded and tried to look
| cheerful
''She's settled down, reckon "
II reckon not said Ross. .1but she S
! settling Shall send you down Cor
don =
Gordon was the Scotch engineer who
had ''doots
''For think you'd better double
| timber it, said Ross. He knew what
that meant. and was bit sorry for
| those who had bet their pile against
that pile of gravel
Send Gordon, said Kelley. and a
rough old Scotch tyke came from Lag
/ gan next day.
| ''Meester Holdredge?' he said as lie
| tumbled off his pony.
THAT $50. said Keeley. ''And you
are Mr.. Gordon. Will you walk through
! now or after dinner?''
~ m hungry and in wicked bad
temper the moo, said Gordon, $50 I'll
go through right away and gle you a
hungry mans apeenion. And then I'll
TAX my food and a drink and haze a
smoke and gle you a full mans best
judgment. for with beth | don't often
go wrong, Mr. Holdredge. And till
you know a man s digestion and his
temper you can t trust his word
He sat down on a heavy balk, which
was the step for three uprights, when
he came to the middle of the tunnel II
was then the dinner hour and the mer
We're slowing rough beef and roughel
pie in a big tent. The sound of thei,
laughter and talk came even into the
tunnel.
For five minutes Gordon said moth
ing The air was full of strange sounds
A cracking, weeping, whimpering
went on forever. He laid his ear agains
one upright and listened
'.Gie me the lamp" he said present
| L. n. L l.. 1. 4 4
sitting on. Where one upright stood 0,
it the balk was compressed two inches
On each side splintery fbers stood up
A little damp oozed from the greer
wood. He stood back and looked at tn
upright
"Gie's a straight edge if you ha
one, said he. And Kelley found him
2 by scant'ing lying among the balk
not yet used
is she 'raight?" asked Gordon
pointing to the upright. "A
81 think So said Kelley, almos
sullenly.
But Gordon put the scantling's tw
inch side against the huge balk, and j
only touched it closely on enc place
just in the middle On the other sid
of the balk the two ends of the scan
Ting touched, but the middle was a
inch away
SHE just bucklins, man, said Gcl
T don
5 but to be sure Wen try some MAR
, With three out of five the result WI
5 the same
E She tails a deal too much, sal
| Gordon You've laid too much on til
i wood always said | had my doots
8 But now I've nae doots deevil a doot +
f "Wel1Y' said Kelley
{ She's coming down. man-slow, bil
sure When you hear timbers crack
7 wee oittee. it's naething. for they
2 crack wi beat or wi cold, but it's thi
e talk. talk, talk all the time that feal
/ some, for timber only talks naturall
Q when the strain varies when one rul
e against another And too much talk i
, a wooden ship means a shortening life
and there we know the strains. VIII
knows EN- here? I've nae doots mar
J But let hae dinner.
/, ..lFr Gordon tbinlyc wa,ra oona IN,