“I must have a big rest camp ready by this time day after to-morrow,” said, in effect, the American. “So I went out this afternoon with my adjutant and some of my other officers and I found it.”
Briefly he described a suitable tract four or five miles from the town. Then he went on: “How long do you think it would take for your engineers to furnish me with a fairly complete working survey of that stretch, including boundaries and the general topography with particular regards to drainage and elevations?”
The Frenchman thought a minute, making mental calculations.
“From four to six weeks I should say,” he hazarded. “Not sooner than four weeks surely.”
“I think I can beat that,” said the American.
He turned to his desk phone and called up another office in the same building in which this conference was taking place—the office of his chief engineer officer.
“Blank,” he said when he had secured connection, “how long will it take you to give me the survey of that property we went over this afternoon? You were to let me know by this evening.”
Back came the answer:
“By working all night, sir, I can hand it to you at noon to-morrow.”
“Are you sure I'll get it then?”