Disagreeable as rush orders might be to a man with his family about him of an evening, there was nothing to be said; and within an hour some were starting out for duty on watch, or for a night on one of the steamers, while others dragged the hose-reel out of the town and across the bridge to the yards and put it in order for instant use. When the preparations were completed, toward eleven o'clock, Halloran called the men together and gave them their final instructions.
Crosman and he were left alone for a moment when the last man had gone to his post.
“Well—that's a good job done,” observed the assistant. “I guess there's nothing more, is there?”
“No——- Oh, yes; one thing. I've thought a good deal about the south end. The yard's narrow there for quite a way and there's no fireplug at that end.” They were walking through the gate and toward the bridge. “It's the least likely place to catch first, because there's water on three sides, but if it should there's only one thing we could do. Look here! Under the town end of the bridge—I'll show you when we get there—I've hung a tin pail with matches and fuses in it, where it won't be disturbed and it's likely to keep dry. And about fifty yards down the bank there's some dynamite in another pail under the water. I've put a sign on a post to scare the boys away. There, see that white thing? That's it! I couldn't keep the stuff home or in the yards, and there, I think, is about the safest place. You see, if either of us should be running out here we could just turn off the road a little way and pick up the two pails. It's on Higginson land and I don't believe any one can object.”
They went down together to see that the pails had not been molested. “I've given orders,” said Halloran, “to several of the boys to come down here every time they pass and report if anything's wrong.”
Crosman was aroused by the work of the evening. “Well,” he burst out, as they were climbing the fence and taking the road again, “I must say you've just about covered the ground. I don't know of anything more we could do.”
“I don't know—I feel a little better, anyway. I'll walk along to the house with you, if you're going that way.”
“Well—I'll tell you—I—I'm not, exactly. I kind of said——”
“Going to stop around at the Higginsons', eh?”
“I thought I might, if———”