Part 24 (1/2)

The hope was not denied. Penfield, who was acting as private secretary to Mr. Colbrith, _en route_, appeared in the pa.s.sageway to say that Ford was wanted in the president's state-room.

”Well, Mr. Ford, what are we waiting for?” was the querulous demand which served as Mr. Colbrith's greeting when Ford presented himself at the door of the private compartment.

Ford's reply lacked the deferential note. He had reached a point at which his job was not worth as much as it had been.

”I have just brought Miss Adair back from the top of the pa.s.s, where we met Mr. Frisbie, my chief of construction. I wished to ask him if he thought the track was safe for your car, and he says, most emphatically, that it is not. I can not take the responsibility of sending the Nadia to the end-of-track.”

The president's thin face was working irritably. ”I haven't asked you to a.s.sume any responsibility, Mr. Ford. If the track is safe for your material trains, it is safe enough for my car. But I didn't send for you to argue the point. I desire to have the Nadia taken to the front. Be good enough to give the necessary orders.”

Ford tried again. In addition to the precarious track there were few or no unoccupied sidings, especially near the front. Moreover, there was no telegraph service which might suffice for the safe despatching of the special train. There might be entire sections over which the Nadia would have to be flagged by a man on foot, and--

The president cut him off with almost childish impatience.

”I don't know what your object is in putting so many stumbling-blocks in the way, Mr. Ford,” he rasped. ”A suspicious person might say that you have been doing something which you do not wish to have found out.”

Ford was a fair-skinned man, and the blood burned hotly in his face.

But, as once before under the president's nagging, he found his self-control rising with the provocation.

”My work is open to inspection or investigation, now or at any time, and I think we need not discuss that point,” he said, when he could force himself to say it calmly. ”We were speaking of the advisability of taking the Nadia and a pleasure party over a piece of raw construction line, and into an environment which, to put it mildly, could hardly be congenial to--to the ladies of the party. You know, or ought to know, the MacMorroghs: their camps are not exactly models of propriety, Mr.

Colbrith.”

This was merely waving a red flag at an already exasperated bull. The president got upon his feet, and his shrill falsetto cut the air like a knife.

”Mr. Ford, when I wish to be told what is or is not proper for me to do, I'll ask you for an opinion, sir. But this is quite beside the mark.

Will you order this car out, or shall I?”

Ford looked at his watch imperturbably. Now that the president was thoroughly angry, he could afford to be cool.

”It is now five o'clock; and our end-of-track is fully one hundred and ten miles beyond the summit of the pa.s.s. Do I understand that you wish to take the added risk of a night run, Mr. Colbrith? If so, I'll give the order and we'll pull out.”

”I desire to go _now_!” was the irascible reply. ”Is that sufficiently explicit?”

”It is,” said Ford; and he left the presence to go forward to the cab of the waiting engine.

”You are to take the car over the mountain, Hector,” he said briefly, to the beetle-browed giant in blue denim, when he had climbed to the foot-plate. ”I'll pilot for you.”

”How far?” inquired the engineer.

”Something like a hundred and ten miles.”

”Holy smoke! Over a construction track--in the night?”

”It's the president's order--none of mine. Let's get a move.”

The big man got down from his box and made room for Ford. ”I'll be pilin' 'em in the ditch somewhere, as sure as my name's Bill Hector,” he said. ”But we'll go, all the same, if he says so. I've pulled Mr.

Colbrith before. Down with you, Jimmy Shovel, and set the switch for us.”

The fireman swung off and stood by the switch, and Hector backed his one-car train from the siding. When he had picked up the fireman and was ready to a.s.sault the mountain, Ford thrust a query in between.

”Hold on a minute; how is the water?” he asked.