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"You cubs better clear out of here now," suggested one of the rodmen. "I know better how to take care of men with mountain fever." "I hope you do know more about nursing than I do, Carter," replied Tom very quietly. "In the future, however, don't forget that, though I may be a cub, I am an engineer, and you are a rodman. When you speak to me address me as Mr. Reade.
"Yes; and I'm mighty glad that the chief will be here before daylight tomorrow," returned Jack. "I may be a fair sort of engineer, but I'm not cut out for a chief engineer." Later, one of the rodmen was sent to guide Harry to the nearest small town, twenty-eight miles away, for ice. If they succeeded in obtaining it they might be back by dark of the following day.
"Reade really ought to have two rodmen," broke in Harry eagerly. "May I go along, sir, to serve as the other rodman?" "Run along," assented Mr. Thurston. "Remember, boys, I can't go any further until this tangle is settled. Come back as speedily as you can." Tom and Harry snatched up their sombreros, hurrying forth. Trotter was found readily, and was ordered to saddle three ponies.
Temple found it exceedingly difficult to secure the assistant surveyors, rodmen, chainmen, and the rest, whose services were absolutely necessary, but by dint of hard work, he at last completed the organization of his several engineering corps, and set to work surveying the line, locating it, establishing grades, and the like.
Thurston had gone, "unless he knew that to be the best thing for you." So, after the engineers, their chainmen and rodmen had left camp Tom wandered about disconsolately. He tried to talk to the cook, but Jake and his helper were both rushed in getting the meal that was to be taken out over the trail by burro train. "Lonely, Reade?" called the chief from his tent. "Yes, sir," Tom nodded.
"It's very likely he has been thinking of it all along," Tom rejoined. "The main point, however, is that we seem to have a bully field force." Four of the students had been selected to serve as map-making force under Harry Hazelton. The rest were going out into the field, some of them as engineers in embryo, the rest as chainmen and rodmen.
"There is no use, sir, in my going ahead with this profile drawing, if there's a chance that the sights turned in by Black are wrong. Until we know, my time at this drawing board may all be wasted. Trotter, one of the rodmen, is in camp today. I might take him, and a level along, and go over the foresights and backsights myself. All of the stakes will be in place.
"Neither you nor Hazelton are to let a word cross your lips regarding the disagreement over Section Nineteen." "You'll never have any trouble, sir, over our talking when we ought not to do it," promised Reade. Two minutes later the assistant engineer rode out with a pair of rodmen whom he picked up on the way to Nineteen. "What happened?" asked Harry, coming into the big tent.
By dint of great hustling, and backed by recommendations from the local civil engineer, Reade and Hazelton had secured a chance, beginning in the coming July, to join as rodmen the engineering party that was laying a new railroad over the Rockies, in Colorado. Just before the first of March, Dick Prescott and Greg Holmes slipped quietly away, and reported at West Point.
"Men," called Tom striding over to the little party of rodmen, "tell me where the nearest physician is to be found." "Doe Jitney, at Bear's Cave," replied one of the men. "How far is that?" "Fourteen miles, by the trail." "Get on to a pony, then, and go after Dr. Gitney. Bring him here and tell him we'll want him here for the present.
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