"I hope so," said Charnock, modestly. "Looks as if I needed all the smartness I've got. We're up against the weather and a big awkward job, and then you come along and worry us! However, what are you going to do about it if we can't put the rails down as soon as you want?"
"We'll make the bosses break your contract."
Charnock pondered, keeping his hand on Festing's arm, because he thought he could handle the matter better than his comrade. Festing was too blunt and sometimes got angry. He saw that the men were determined, but while they had, no doubt, been worked upon, he thought they had no personal grudge against him or his partner.
"There's only one way you could put the screw to the bosses, and that way's dangerous. The _Colonist_ states that they have a number of men unemployed in the coast towns. If Kerr wrote to a labor agent, he'd send him up a crowd."
"It would cost him high to bring the men here, and take some time."
"That is so," Charnock agreed. He saw the others had made their plans and calculated the pressure they could put upon the engineers. Time was important, and he thought the foreman had helped them to estimate the expense the company would incur by the delay before they could get new men.
"Putting down your tools would cost you something," he resumed. "How long do you imagine it would take to persuade Kerr?"
"I guess a week would fix him; he wouldn't stand for a fortnight."
"Very well! I don't suppose your object is to put us off the road; you want what you're entitled to. So do we all, and though it's often troublesome to get, there's no use in taking the hardest way. If you stop, you lose a fortnight's wages and somebody will get fired. Not now, of course, but afterwards; the bosses know their job. Well, give us ten days, and the time you miss won't run to many dollars. If we can't put the rails down then, we'll quit."
There was silence for a moment, and then somebody said, "We'll let it go at that. It's a deal!"
The others growled consent and Charnock waited until they moved away, after which he shut the door and sat down wearily.
"I hesitated about fixing the time, but we can't go on much longer."
"No," said Festing. "Well, we have ten days!"
They said nothing more and soon afterwards went to bed. Next morning there was a marked haziness in the west, but the frost was keener. It looked as if they must be beaten, although they meant to fight until defeat was sure, and Festing was surprised when he glanced at his comrade. This was not the careless lounger he had known. Charnock's face was grim and somewhat pinched; his hands were torn and bruised. He picked the heaviest stones to lift and was the first to take hold of ponderous beams. Festing owned that he had misjudged Charnock, but not more than he had misjudged himself. His farming had been a rash experiment and the contract a reckless gamble; the one threatened to end as badly as the other. Then Bob had somehow kept his wife's love, and he, with senseless obstinacy, had estranged Helen.