“There'll be trouble if you let your lumber loose on me, and I want the skip soon,” said the other. “A stranger asked for you a few minutes ago and I sent him up the hill.”
He went away and Festing's men came up.
“Pretty rough luck, boss!” one remarked. “What are we going to do about it?”
“We'll grade up the gravel dump to begin with, and then make a new derrick,” Festing answered gloomily. “It doesn't look as if I'd get much profit on the first week's work.”
He moved off, and as he scrambled up the bank met a man coming down. Both stopped abruptly and Festing frowned.
“What in thunder has brought you, Bob?” he asked.
“They told me you were up the hill,” Charnock said, smiling. “I came in on the last construction train.”
“But why did you come?”
“I suppose you mean—Why did I come to bother you again? Well, the explanation will take some time, and it's confoundedly muddy and raining hard. When are you likely to be unoccupied?”
Festing tried to control his annoyance. The accident had disturbed him and he was not pleased to see Charnock, whom he did not wish to make free of his shack.