"Looks as if the fastenings of the brace had slipped," said Jake.
"They oughtn't to slip. The plate and nut on the iron were meant to keep the beam in place."
"I don't think I saw a nut when the boys fixed the thing."
Jim beckoned the smith. Although the fellow was a good workman, he was obstinate and Jim had not bothered him much until he needed some irons for the dam, when he made careful sketches and insisted on the other's working to his plans. This had caused some trouble and Jim now meant to be firm.
"I reckon I told you to screw the ends of the bar and make nuts to turn back against the plates," he said. "Did you screw the ends?"
"I did not," said the other. "There was nae use for nuts. I punched hole for pin that wad stop her pulling oot."
"Pulling out!" Jim exclaimed. "Did you imagine I wanted to hold the frames together?"
"If yon wasn't what you wanted, you should have said."
Jim had meant to be calm, but the men had run some risk from the fellow's obstinacy, and he lost his control.
"I told you to screw the ends. Confound you! The dam's in compression; there's no pull at all. Put a new bar in the vise and I'll stand by while you cut the thread."