"Half a mile from the mouth. Right where Mr. Ellingworth Locke's land begins, sir."
"Right on President Locke's land! Will you hear that, Hallowell? And he's the biggest grumbler in the whole district! And the most powerful grumbler, too. Of all the hard luck!"
"I do hear. And I'm going to get busy." Rod pulled himself together with a grim little chuckle. "It's an all-night job, Burford. Or else we can add one more calamity to our head-quarters report. 'One bad cave-in, on lateral draining land owned by H. R. H., the acting president of the Central Mississippi Association.' Do you see us putting in that cheery news?"
"No, I don't. Not just yet." Burford wiped the last soot-streak from his chin and jumped into the launch. "Here we go!"
"Wait a jiffy, Burford. You'd better stay by the dredge an hour or so. Keep the men at work flooding her deck. We can't be certain-sure that the fire is completely out. There's always a risk."
"That's a fact. You go up to the cave-in and set the levee crews to work. I'll follow in an hour."
Rod started his engine, but Marian stopped him.
"Wait, Rod. Take me up to the lateral, too."
"Take you up to the cave-in, you mean? Why on earth should you go? At this time of night——"
"Because I want to see just what you have to do. I'm getting very much interested in the work, truly. Please, brother."