Mr. Raynor hastened on, beckoning to the boys to follow him.
“What is a test hole?” asked Rob, as the boys trudged along the top of the dam beside him.
“It is a hole blown in the ground so that we can tell what sort of foundation we are working on,” was the reply.
“Blown in the ground?” asked Tubby with round inquiring eyes.
“Yes. Dynamited, perhaps I should have said. Ram Chunda there,” he motioned back at the dark man who was trotting along behind, “is the boss dynamiter. He’s going to shoot the hole.”
“Oh, he’s a Hindoo?” exclaimed Rob as he heard the name of the dark satellite. “We thought he was a negro.”
“Oh, no. We couldn’t trust negroes with dynamite. Almost all the dynamite men on the canal are Hindoos. They are not fit for the heavy work; but we find them reliable and trust-worthy around explosives.”
“What’s that?” asked Merritt presently, indicating a small hut painted a bright red.
“That’s a dynamite hut. See, there are several workmen waiting to have explosives served out to them.”
“Can anybody get the stuff who wants it?” asked Merritt.