CHAPTER XXVIII

A PAINFUL DUTY

Three months had slipped away since the evening on which Wheeler had discussed the subject of shingle-splitting with his companions. Nasmyth stood outside the shanty in the drenching rain. He was very wet and miry, and his face was lined and worn, for the three months of unremitting effort had left their mark on him. Wheeler had secured the timber rights in question, and that was one difficulty overcome, but Nasmyth had excellent reasons for believing that the men who had cast covetous eyes upon the valley had by no means abandoned the attempt to get possession of at least part of it.

He had had flood and frost against him, and his money was rapidly running out. A wild flood swept through the canon. The heading was filled up, so that no one could even see the mouth of it, and half the rock he had piled upon the shingle had been swept into the rapid, where it had formed a dam among the boulders that could be removed only at a heavy expenditure of time and powder when the water fell. He was worn out in body, and savage from being foiled by the swollen river at each attempt he made, but while the odds against him were rapidly growing heavier he meant to fight.

A Siwash Indian whom he had hired as messenger between the canon and the settlement had just arrived, and Gordon, who stood in the doorway of the shanty, took a newspaper out of the wet packet he had brought. Gordon turned to Nasmyth when he opened it.

Now, provide a numbered list of answers to these questions:

1. what was running out quickly for him?
2. what else had gone badly?
3. what had happened to the stone he'd put on shingle?
4. what was it doing now?
5. was it easy to remove?
6. what type of chemical was going to be needed?
7. could it be done during the high water?
8. not until?
9. was he energized?
10. in good mood?
11. why not?
12. was he ready to give in?
13. how long since the discussion about shingles?
14. who was outdoors?
15. was he looking youthful
16. who got tree rights?
17. was that helpful?
18. what tribe was his messenger from?
19. who came with him?
20. where did he stand?
1. money
2. He had had flood and frost against him
3. it had been swept into the rapid,
4. it had formed a dam
5. No
6. powder
7. No
8. the water fell.
9. No
10. No
11. from being foiled by the swollen river
12. No
13. Three months
14. Nasmyth
15. No
16. Wheeler
17. No
18. Siwash Indian
19. Gordon
20. in the doorway of the shanty,