Neale instinctively felt that these men were to crop up
somewhere in his life, and before they did appear he wanted to marry
Allie. She was now little more than sixteen years old.
Neale's plans for the summer could not be wholly known until he had
reported to the general staff, which might be at Fort Fetterman or
North Platte or all the way back in Omaha. But it was probable that
he would be set to work with the advancing troops and trains and
laborers. Engineers had to accompany both the grading gangs and the
rail gangs.
Neale, in his talks with Larry and Slingerland, had dwelt long and
conjecturingly upon what life was going to be in the construction
camps.
To Larry what might happen was of little moment. He lived in the
present. But Neale was different. He had to be anticipating events;
he lived in the future, his mind was centered on future work,
achievement, and what he might go through in attaining his end.
Slingerland was his appreciative listener.
"Wal," he would say, shaking his grizzled head, "I reckon I don't
believe all your General Lodge says is goin' to happen."
"But, man, can't you imagine what it will be?" protested Neale.
"Take thousands of soldiers--the riffraff of the war--and thousands
of laborers of all classes, niggers, greasers, pigtail chinks, and
Irish.
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