Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-05-09

What on earth has that girl said 0l done to the men to fetch cheer from them2 2 calculated Will Hallam.
 Reckon Little Missie's' jest done be
 witched 'em," responded Bob as he
 poured batter into his pans.
 A moment later Barbara, with face
 that had not yet relaxed Its look of in tense earnestness, returned to the flre and resumed her work over the pans. Thank you, Mir. Duncan" was all
 she said in recognition of his service I-as a maker of griddlecakes. But she added:
 "The men will stick to work, now, think-or most of them, at any rate. Perhaps you and Mir. Temple can do something to shorten tito lessen the amount"
 Then, turning to Bob, she said:
 Bring the hog, Bob, as quickly as you can. There's barely time to roast it before noon."
 The men had nearly all had their 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 di- rectons as were needed.
 Duncan especially was rendering service. As an old soldier who had had varied experience in the hurried construction of earthworks under difd- 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 filled in. It was thickly surrounded by trees, and Duncan ordered all these felled, 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 embark ment level and let them fall into the unoccupied spaces he presently had that part of the crib loosely filled 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- posture to water and rain had so far depressed his vitality that he now found chill creeping over him. He hurried to Barbara'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 dressed hog hung before and partly over the fire roasting.
 "Where on earth did you get that?" he asked in astonishment.
 Bob got 1t last night" she answer ed, land dressed it himself" ""Bpt where, and howr
 T don't know yet He laughs when l ask questions. I'm sorely afraid Bob stole the hog from some farmer. I sent him out with some money to buy whatever meat he could find, for I saw that the men must have substan- tial food. He came back about day light and told me he had a dressed hog out dar in de bushes.' He gave me back the money. I'll make him tell me all about 1t this afternoon. If he stole the hog we can pay for 1t, And meanwhile the men shall have their dinner. How is the work getting onT'
 Rapidly, but not rapidly enough. fear. 1 must hurry back now"
 "Tll go with you." said the girl. Bob can watch the roasting" for Bob had reappeared at the fire
 But you can't go with me-" replied Duncan. "The waters knee deep and more between here and the crib"
 Tt can't make me any wetter than I am now," replied the resolute girl as she set of in puncan's company.
 At the crib she studied the situation She knew nothing of engi- neering. of course, but she had an abundance of practical common sense.
 What time is it nowf" she asked after she had watched the slow prog ress of the work long enough to esti- mate the prospect.
 Half past 10"
 Then we've only an hour and half more. It isn't enough. You can never i'll that hole in time"
 I'm afraid we can't. I'm afraid we've lost ia the struggle"
 "Oh, 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.
 "Is the end of the crib at the county l llnev she asked.
 "Yes, or. rather. the line lies a little !, way this side of the end of the crib"
 Again she remained silent for time before saying:
 There are two big tree trunks lying longways there in the crib. They ex- tend across the county line. Why can't you jack them up Into place asd lay your rails along them without filling the mace md xrffhout usfnr anv fiezTf