The Benson signal., 1917-05-19

iSh Mesa another higher trestle had al
ready been replaced by splendid
steel arch. A siding had been built
near the ravine a path made to the
foot of the mesa, and arrangements
were being made to run local train
up from the town when all was COM
pleted to give the people an OppOr-
tunity to ride up the gorge and see the
great pile of rock, on which enterprise
was already planning the desecration
of a summer hotel, the blasphemy Of
an amusement park!
| Up the valley of the Picket Wire one
morning in early fall came a young
man roughly dressed like the average
cOw-puncher from the ranches further
north. He rode well, yet with GER
tain attention to detail and niceness
that betrayed him to the real rough
rider Of the range, just as the clothes
he wore, although they were the Or
binary cattleman's outfit, were worn
in little different way that again be-
trayed him. One look into the face of
the man, albeit his mustache and beard
hid the revealing outlines Of mouth
and chin, sufficed to show that here
was no ordinary cow-puncher. He rode
boldly enough among the rocks of the
trail and along the rough road, which
had been made by the wheels of the
wagons and hoOfs of the horses. There
was about him some of the quiet con-
f1dence begot of achievement, some Of
the power which knowledge brings and
which success emphasizes, yet there
were uncertainty and hesitation, too,
as if all had not been plain sailing on
his course.
To be the resident engineer charged
with the construction of a great earth
dam like that across the Picket Wire,
requires knowledge of a great many
things beside the technicalities of the
profession, chief among them being a
knowledge Of men. AS the newcomer
threw his leg over the saddle-horn,
stepped lightly to the ground, drop
ping the reins of his pony to the soil at
the same time, Vandeventer, the en-
gineer in question, looked at him with
approval. Some subtle recognition of
the mans quality came into his mind.
Here was one who seemed distinctly
worth while, one who stood out above
the ordinary applicant for jobs who
came in contact with Vandeventer, as
the big mesa rose above the fOothill.
However, the chief kept these things
to himself as he stood looking and
waiting for the other man to begin:
"Are you the resident engineer"
asked the newcomer quietly, yet there
was certain nervous note in his voice,
which the alert and observant engineer
found himself wondering at, such a
strain as might come when a man is
about to enter upon course of action,
to take strange or perilous step, such
little shiver in his speech as a naked
man might feel in his body before he
plunged into the icy waters Of the
wintry sea.
81 am"
"rd like job"
"We have no use for cow-punchers
on this DAM"
"Tm not exactly cow-puncher, sir"
"What are your
"LoOk here" said the man, smiling
a little, "I've been out in this country
long enough to learn that all that it is
necessary to know about man is will
he make good? Let us say that am
nothing and let it go at that"
"Out Of nothing, nothing comes,"
laughed the engineer, genuinely
amused.
Some men would have been angry,
but Vandeventer rather enjoyed this.
Il didn't say was good for moth
ing" answered the other man, smiling
in turn, though he was evidently seri-
GUS enough in his application.
"Well, what can you do? Are you an
engineer?"
"We'n pass over the last question,
too, if you please. I think I could
carry rod if had a chance and there
was vacancy"
"Umph," said Vandeventer, "you
think you could?"
eyes, sir. Give me a trial."
Gall right, take that rod over there
and go out on the edge Of the dam
where that stake shows, and I'll take a
sight on it."
Now there are two ways-a hundred
perhaps holding a rod; one right
way and all the others wrong. A new
conner invariably grasps it tightly in
his fist and jams it down, conceiving
that the only way to get it plumb and
hold it steady. The experienced man
strives to balance it erect on it's own
base and holds it with the tips of his
fingers on either side in an upright po-
sition, swaying it very slightly back
ward and forward He does it uncon-
sciOusly, too.
Vandeventer had been standing by
level already set up when the new
conner arrived and the rod was lying
on the ground beside it. The latter
picked it up without word, walked
rapidly to the stake, loosened the tar