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Jack's Canyon, the Transcontinental station nearest Copah, was the beginning of a combined pack trail and stage road connecting the Copah district with what had been, before the advent of the Southwestern Extension, its nearest railroad outlet.
"Only it could hardly be that we have an open account at the Bank of Copah for legitimate expenses. No; there's a nigger in the woodpile, somewhere. Penfield is only a clerk; but for some purpose he is given carte blanche to spend money." Adair was absently stirring his black coffee. "All of which points to one conclusion, Mr. Leckhard.
"How are things going?" Ford's rejoinder began with a non-committal shrug. "We're building a railroad, after a fashion." "After a good fashion, I hope?" Another shrug. "We're doing as well as we can with the help we have. But about this right-of-way tangle " and he plunged his guest into a discussion of the Copah situation which ran on unbroken until bedtime.
The Mormon answer was a bid for speed; first come, first served. But Adair was given to understand, indirectly, that on an equal footing, our line would be given the preference as a friendly ally." "Bully for the Mormon! But you say Copah this summer. When we reach Copah we are still one hundred and forty miles short of Green Butte.
"Then I got out my horse and rode up the creek and through some of the camps on the Copah detour. The star-eyed goddess of reform had evidently landed on that coast, too. Donahue's Hungarians were singing war-songs around their camp-fire, as usual, and Contadini's Tuscans were out in full force, guying the night-shift track-layers. But there was no bad blood, and no whisky to breed it.
Why isn't Ford on the ground attending to his railroad building and straightening things out? Have I got to forfeit the money-making chance of a lifetime and go and drag that track into Copah with my own hands?" Adair seemed suddenly to have lost his tongue, which was certainly glib enough ordinarily.
"You won't mind if I say that I beat you to it, this time, will you? I got Orton, a little while ago, on the Copah wire and pumped him. He says there was a code message, and that Dix sent it. But when I asked him to repeat it back here, he said he couldn't that Mr. Leckhard had taken it with him somewhere down the main line." Lidgerwood's exclamation was profane.
For one other day the two Southwestern representatives put up at the Grand Union, Copah's tar-paper-covered simulacrum of a hotel; and during that day Ford contrived to sell his birthright for what he, himself, valued at the moment as a mess of pottage. It was in this wise. At this period of its existence Copah, the future great, was merely a promise; a camp of magnificent prospects.
"He's the man who talked Frisbie into championing the new route?" "Yes. He did it pretty skilfully: made Frisbie think he was finding it out himself, and never let the little man out of his sight while they were in Copah. But I am afraid Merriam himself knows too much." "Get him out of the country before Ford gets back," was the crisp order.
Svenson, the caller, who brought the order from the Copah sub-despatcher's office, unloaded his news upon the circle of R.B.W. engineers, firemen, and roundhouse roustabouts lounging on the benches in the tool-room and speculating morosely upon the probable changes which the new management would bring to pass. "Ve bane got dem new boss, Ay vant to tal you fallers," he drawled.
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