“Mr. Demarest, I’m ashamed of you,” she said. “I’ve always considered you open-minded, ready to listen to anybody, and not too big to take off your hat to a man who can show you something you didn’t know.”
The young engineers looked uncomfortable, for there was not one among them who did not long for the favor of this bronze girl of the mountains. Demarest himself looked at her admiringly, then laid a fatherly hand on her shoulder.
“Kinda peeved, ain’t you, Madge?” he asked. “Too much slide here lately, maybe. But you’re right. I do consider myself an open-minded man, and I do consider that I’m willin’ to learn from others. Maybe I was showin’ off a little? What d’ye think about it?”
“I guess that’s right.”
“An’ I guess you’re all wrong, young lady. Heavens to Betsy!—this fella here is gonta get his chance to lay his plan before us, but if he hadn’t stood a little kiddin’ I’d ’a’ come to the conclusion that he hadn’t it in um to evolve a plan that was worth our time. Cole—is that your name?—le’s hear what you have to say. If it sounds good to the engineers and me, we’ll try it out. And if it works you’ll get the five thousand without the blink of an eyelid. That’s the promise of Philip Demarest, for the firm of Demarest, Spruce and Tillou. And here’s witnesses all about. Want any of it?”
“It sounds good to me,” said Joshua. “May I use that table?”
“Hop to it.”
Joshua went slowly toward a collapsible table used by the engineers and seated himself in a camp chair before it. He produced paper and a pencil.
“If you’ll gather around,” he invited, “I’ll lay the whole works before you in two minutes.”
The men and Madge drew close about him and watched while he drew a rough sketch, which is here reproduced: