The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1908-03-21
CHAPTER w.

CHAPTER w.
The Whip Of the Blast.
Deep in small gulch, the red earth
bleeding through its torn mantle.
crouched raw little railroad town.
Cabins, tents, huts, lean-tos propped
against trees, scraps of shops, false.
fronted stores and "ginmills" huddled
new and painless between the clasp.
ing hills.
1t was an hour before noon when q
slender little engine, with spidery
wheels and huge, overlapping smoke
stack puffed into the rude shed that
was hung up on the mountain side
above the town and called by courtesy
depot.
A man paced the boards nervcusly,
/ impatient at the sacrifice of time re-
quired to meet SO indefinite a person
age as a tclegram-introduced young
man in our employ who wishes to see
your work" The restless man was
George Gregory, superintendent of con-
struction, the human engine that exc.
cuted the commands of the officers at
Sacramento. Alfred presented letter
from the governor, a magic bit of pa
per that arrested even George Greg
ory's lurid thoughts at the sight of
this "dandified ballroom cublet."
The atmosphere was decidedly clear
er when the superintendent looked up
from the letter. when will you be
ready to go over the grading, Mr.. Vim
cent? I'll have your horse sent any
time you say after dinner"
after dinner, sir? The train leaves
at two o'clock. doesn't it?"
Yes; but you'll not go back to-day,
will you?''
Cant get to the Front and back
by two?"
mo, not to the Front; yet you can
see nearly all of the completed grade
If you start at once. Yo'll miss your
dinner. though"
Could not some other person conduct
me? Dinner is unimportant. must
return to-day If possible
A shade of appreciation crept into
the superintendent keen glance.
every we'll. Mr.. Vincent. I'll have
your horse in ten minutes. You ride?
Our stock is cantankerous at times"
Il ride little; If not we'll enough,
I'll have to walk"
"Plucky!" thought the older man, as
he dispatched messenger for Alfred's
horse and employed the wait in send
ing kilograms to the Sacramento office.
Meantime Alfred wrote short note
to Stella explaining his haste and tell
ing her that he would be at the hotel
for a moment before he left in the
afternoon, II possible. He had slipped
the note with coin into the stable
boys hand and was in the saddle when
the superintendent came out of the hot
little box that did duty as telegraph
Office, and the two were quickly out
on the grade.
$50 this is the railroad Mr.. McI4ane
claims is standing on end and leading
up to heaven instead of across the
Sierras over Judah's route?" Alfred
stopped his horse and looked back
through the deep cut, across the deep
err ravfne where the bridge-builders
were at work. THAT spider web looks
wickedly frail," he added.
Its strong enough to hold our fly
till we meet our time limit. Plenty Of
time for stiffening up and filling in
afterward."
The horses hoofbeats we're now
ringing clear on bare granite. Where
do you get earth for your fills? The
trees here don't seem to have root
hold against summer zephyr"
That's one of my small troubles.
Sometimes we have to go half a mile
afield for soil. And carts-they can't
make 'em fast enough. I've got $500
men and 300 carts; but we'll have to
double that at once II we make on.
so miles on time. And where under
the canopy the men are to come from
can't see. Talk Of bricks without
straw; Pharaoh's Job was easy COM
pared to mine"
They had pushed on as far as the
finished grading and were returning.
From the story of the pierced noun
tains and from George Gregory Alfred
had proved Gov. Stanford's prediction
about the record Of the road" It had
told him more than words or pages of
written details.
Gregory looked at his watch and I'D
and down the line of the grading
sharply. The noon hour had almost
passed. II guess you can find your
way back alone. I'm needed here"
Aren't you going back-going
somewhere for dinner, Mr.. Gregory ?"
mo. / guess my stomach's as fast
proof as yours" Already his alert
eye was elsewhere, and Alfred knew
himself dismissed.
! The superintendent snapped to his