Calumet K | Page 9

and that the
timber's piled right. Here today you had a dozen men throwing away
their time moving a lot of timber that ought to have been put in the
right place when it first came in."
Peterson was silent.
"Now tomorrow, Pete, as soon as you've got the work moving along,
you'd better go over to the electric light company and see about having
the whole ground wired for arc lamps,--so we can be ready to put on a

night shift the minute the cribbing comes in. You want to crowd 'em,
too. They ought to have it ready in two days."
Bannon sat for a moment, then he arose and looked at his watch.
"I'm going to leave you, Pete," he said, as he put on his collar.
"Where're you going?"
"I've got to get up to the city to make the ten o'clock train. I'm going up
to Ledyard to get the cribbing. Be back in a couple of days."
He threw his shaving kit into his grip, put on his overcoat, said
good-night, and went out.
CHAPTER III
Next morning at eight o'clock Charlie Bannon walked into the office of
C. H. Dennis, the manager of the Ledyard Salt and Lumber Company.
"I'm Bannon," he said, "of MacBride & Company. Come up to see why
you don't get out our bill of cribbing."
"Told you by letter," retorted Dennis. "We can't get the cars."
"I know you did. That's a good thing to say in a letter. I wanted to find
out how much of it really was cut."
"It's all cut and stacked by the siding, taking up half the yard. Want to
see it?"
Bannon smiled and nodded. "Here's a good cigar for you," he said, "and
you're a good fellow, but I think I'd like to see the cribbing."
"Oh, that's all right," laughed Dennis. "I'd have said the same thing if it
wasn't cut. Come out this way."
Bannon followed him out into the yard. "There it is," said the manager.

There was no need of pointing it out. It made a pile more than three
hundred feet long. It was nothing but rough hemlock, two inches thick,
and from two to ten inches wide, intended to be spiked together
flatwise for the walls of the bins, but its bulk was impressive. Bannon
measured it with his eye and whistled. "I wish that had been down on
our job ten days ago," he said, presently. "I'd be taking a vacation now
if it had."
"Well, it was ready then. You can tell by the color."
"What's the matter with the G.&M. anyway? They don't seem to be
hauling very much. I noticed that last night when I came up. I'm no
good at sleeping on the train."
"Search me," said Dennis. "They've tied us up for these two weeks. I've
kicked for cars, and the old man--that's Sloan--he's kicked, but here we
are yet--can't move hand or foot."
"Who's Sloan?"
"Oh, he's the whole thing. Owns the First National Bank and the trolley
line and the Ledyard Salt and Lumber Company and most of the
downtown real estate."
"Where can I find him? Is he in town?"
"I guess so. He's got an office across the river. Just ask anybody where
the Sloan Building is."
"Likely to be there as early as this?" asked Bannon, looking at his
watch.
"Sure, if he's in town."
Bannon slipped his watch into his pocket. "Much obliged," he said.
"Glad to have met you. Good morning;" and, turning, he walked
rapidly away down the plank wagon road.
In Sloan's office he stated his errand as briefly as on the former

occasion, adding only that he had already seen Dennis.
"I guess he told you all there is to tell," said the magnate. "We can't
make the G.&M. give us cars. I've told Dennis to stir 'em up as hard as
he could. I guess we'll have to wait."
"I can't wait."
"What else can you do? It's every bit as bad for us as it is for you, and
you can rest assured that we'll do all we can." As if the cadence of his
last sentence were not sufficiently recognizable as a formula of
dismissal, he picked up a letter that lay on his desk and began reading
it.
"This isn't an ordinary kick," said Bannon sharply. "It isn't just a case of
us having to pay a big delay forfeit. There's a reason why our job's got
to be done on time. I want to know the reason why the G.&M. won't
give you cars. It ain't because they haven't got them."
"What makes you say that?"
"Because there's three big strings of empties within twenty miles of
here this minute. I saw them when I came