An
old engineer, whom I know now--Henney--waved me aside. Just as if a
job was unheard of!"
Neale quickened and warmed as he progressed, aware now of a little
hand tight in his, of an interest that would have made any story-
telling a pleasure.
"Well, I felt sick. Then mad. When I get mad I do things. I yelled
at that bunch: 'Here, you men! I've walked and stole rides to get
here. I'm a surveyor. You're going to build a railroad. I want a job
and I'm going to get it.'
"My voice quieted the hubbub. The old engineer, Henney, looked
queerly at me.
"'Young man, there's not going to be any railroad.'
"Then I blurted out that there WAS going to be a railroad. Some one
spoke up: 'Who said that? Fetch him here.' Pretty soon I was looking
at Major-General Lodge. He was just from the war and he looked it.
Stern and dark, with hard lines and keen eyes. He glanced me over.
"'There is going to be a railroad?' he questioned sharply.
"'Of course there is,' I replied. I felt foolish, disappointed.
"'You're right,' he said, and I'll never forget his eyes.
'I can use a few more young fellows like you.' And that's how I got
on the staff.
"Well, we ran a quick survey west to the Bad Lands--for it was out
here that we must find success or failure. And Allie, it's all been
like the biggest kind of an adventure.
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