“Let us trust that Shadow has a new batch of stories to tell,” responded Dave. “We haven’t seen him in such a while he has had plenty of time to gather in a new crop.”
Several days went by, and the young civil engineers were kept so busy that they had little time to think about the coming of Phil Lawrence and Shadow Hamilton. Once or twice they thought of Nick Jasniff and asked Mr. Obray if that individual had shown himself.
“Not yet,” was the manager’s reply. “Maybe he got wind that you were here and that is keeping him away.”
On the afternoon of the fourth day following the killing of the rattlesnake, Dave and Roger were hard at work in Section Five when one of the general utility men around the camp came riding up on horseback and leading another steed by the halter.
“Mr. Obray sent me for you,” he announced to the chums. “You are to take these two horses and ride down to the office as fast as you can. Some young man is there that you wanted to see—the fellow who came here some days ago looking for a job.”
“It must be Nick Jasniff!” exclaimed Dave, and lost no time in leaping into the saddle. He was followed by Roger; and both hurried off along the trail leading to the construction camp.
“Let us sneak up to the office by the back way and listen to what Nick Jasniff has to say,” suggested Dave while they were on the way.
This suited Roger, and coming into view of the camp they left the horses at the shed and hurried along past the bunk-houses to the rear of the office. Here a window was wide open, and, looking through this, they saw Mr. Obray at a desk, and sitting near him was his visitor, hat in hand.
“There is no mistake about him. It’s Nick Jasniff,” whispered the senator’s son.
He was right, it was indeed the former bully of Oak Hall, the rascal who had been sent to prison for the robbery of Mr. Wadsworth’s jewelry works. Jasniff was talking very earnestly to the manager of the construction camp.