Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1906-11-30
t;6ured botter into his mans.

tense earnestness, returned to the fire
and resumed her work over the pans.
'Thank you, Mr.. Duncan" was all
she said In recognition Of his service
as a maker. Of griddlecakes. But she
added: ~-.<'
"The men will stick to work, now, 4
think-or most of them, at any rate
Perhaps you and Mr.. Temple can do
something to shorten ito lessen the
amount"
Then, turning to Bob, she said:
"Bring the hog. Bob, as quickly as
you can. There's barely time to roast
1t before noon." m -
The men had nearly all had thelr
breakfast now, so that the making Of
griddlecakes had about ceased. Hal
lam, Duncan and the young engineer,
Temple, taking new courage from
Barbara's report, were going about
among the gangs, wading knee deep
in water and mud and giving such d.
rections as were needed.
Duncan especially was rendering
service. AS an old soldier who had
had varied experience in the hurried
construction of earthworks under diff
culties he was able In many ways to
hasten the present work. One thing he
hit upon which went far to make sue
cess possible. That end OF the crib
which reached and crossed the county
line offered cavernous space to be
filed In. 1t was thlckly surrounded Dy
trees, and Duncan ordered all these
relled, directing the chopping so that
the trunks and branches should fall
into the crib. Then setting men to
chop of such Of the branches as pro-
truded above the proposed embank-
ment level and let them fall into the
unoccupied spaces he presently had
that part of the crib loosely filed In
with tangled timber and treetOps.
Gangs Of men were meanwhile push
ing cars along the temporary track and
dumping their loads Of earth among
the felled trees. Duncan, with small
gang, was extending these temporary
tracks along the crib as fast as the
earth dumped In provided bed.
This work Of filling was very slow,
of course. and when Duncan's watch
showed 10 o'clock he was well nigh
ready to despair. Under the strain OF
his anxiety he had forgotten to take
any breakfast, and the prolonged ex-
posure to water and rain had 80 far
depressed. bis vitality that he now
found chill creeping over him. He
hurried to Barl,ara's fire for some cof-
fee and a few mouthfuls Of greatly
needed food. There for the first time
he saw what Barbara's promised din
ner was to be. The two separated
halves of a dressed hog hung before
and partly over the fire roasting.
"Where On earth did you get thatT'
he asked in establishment.
Bob got it last hight" she answer
ed, "and dressed 1t himself"
"But whore, and liowT
AZ don't know yet. He laughs when
.
ask questions. I'm sorely afraid
Bob stole the hog from some farmer
! sent him out with some money to
buy whatever meat he could find. for
saw that tie men must have substan-
tial food. He came back about day
light and told me he had dressed hog
out dar In de bushes He gave me
back tho money. III make him tell
me all about it this afternoon. If he
stole the hog we can pay for II. And
meanwhile the men shall have their
dinner How is the work getting onF'
Rapidly, but not rapidly enough, !
fear. l must hurry back now"
"Ill go with yOu." said the girl.
'Bob can watch the roasting" for Bob
had reappeared at the fire.
"But you can't 90 with me- replied
Duncan. 1.-The waters knee deep and
more between here and the crib"
"Tt can't make me any wetter than
] am now" replied the resOlute girl as
she set of in Duncan's company.
At the crib she studied the sltl alton
critically. She knew nothing OF engi-
neering. of course, but she had an
abundance of practical common sense.
what time Is 1t now?" she asked
after she had watched the slow prog
ress Of the work long enough to esti-
mate the prospect.
Half past TO-"
"Then we've only an hour and half
more. 1t isn't enough. You can never
fill that hole in time"
I'm afraid we can't. I'm afraid
we've lost in the struggle"
ooh, no; you mustn't feel that way.
We simply must win this battle, In one
way or another"
Duncan made no answer. There
seemed to him no answer to be made.
The girl continued to look about her.
as the end of the crib at the county
line?" she asked.
"Yes, or, rather, the line lies little
way this side of the end of the crib"
Again she remained silent for q time
before saying:
"There are two big tree trunks lying
Iongways there I'm the crib. They ex-
tend across the county line. Why can't
you jack them up into place and lay
your rails along them without filling the
space and without using any tiesT
For half minute the young man did
not answer. At last he exclaimed:
That's an inspiration!
Without pauslng to say another word
Duncan started at run through
the water till ne reached the mud en-
bankment Then he ran along that to
the point where Temple was superin-
tending the earth diggers.
"Quit this quick" he cried, "and
hurry the whole force to the crib! l
,oo N ,uoy ouft Ordar nil the lack