"Damn it, Tommy," he said,
huskily, "I want you to know that I don't enjoy giving you orders. I
want you to know that _I_ know you ought to be doing what I am doing
to-day. You are a better man than I am every day in the week, and I
know it. If it were not--"
"Oh, shut up, Greek!" laughed Garton, frankly. "You're an old liar,
and that's what I know! And," and his voice softened as he put out his
hand for a second time that night, "I love you for it. Now let's cut
out the slush and get to work."
"Then, since it's up to me, here goes: I want your advice at every
jump. I need it, Tommy, need it bad now, and the Lord knows how I'll
need it before the time is up! In about three or four days I'll come
to you or send for you. I don't know which it'll be. To-morrow morning
I am going up into the mountains. Brayley will be in camp some time
to-night. He'll take my place for a few days. No, he doesn't know a
thing about the work, but my foremen do, and Brayley knows men as you
know your multiplication-tables. And I will take a gang of fifty men
with me. I don't like to remove them from the ditch, but I've got to
get that dam started. I won't be able to sleep until I see that
country and get my hands on it. And, Tommy, one thing more: Mr.
Crawford tells me that there will be a telephone line into Valley City
from Crawfordsville within the week.
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