The Young Engineers in Arizona | Page 6

considerable grace.
"How long have you been with the Colthwaite Company?" asked Jim Duff presently.
"I didn't say that I had ever been with the Colthwaite Company," smiled the stranger.
"No," admitted the gambler; "but I took that much for granted."
Again the eyes of the two men met in an exchange of keen looks, Then the stranger laughed.
"Mr. Duff, I realize that it is a waste of time to try to conceal rather evident facts from you. I am Frederick Ransom, a special agent for the Colthwaite Company."
"You are down here to get the contract for filling up the Man-killer quicksand?" Duff continued, with an air of polite curiosity.
"The contract is not to be awarded," Ransom answered. "The A., G. & N. M. has decided to do the work itself, with the assistance of two young engineers who have been retained."'
"Reade and Hazelton," nodded Jim Duff.
"Yes."
"They may fail--are almost sure to do so. Then, of course, Mr. Ransom, you will have a very excellent chance of securing the contract for the Colthwaite Company."
"Why, yes; if the young men do fail."
"Will you pardon a stranger's curiosity, Mr. Ransom? Have you laid your plans yet for the way in which the young men are to fail?"
From most strangers this direct questioning would have been offensive. Jim Duff, however, from long experience in fleecing greenhorns, had acquired a manner and way, of speaking that stood him in good stead.
After a moment's half-embarrassed silence Fred Ransom burst into a laugh that was wholly good-natured.
"Mr. Duff, You are unusually clever at reading other's motives," he replied.
"I went to school as a youngster, and learned how to read the pages of open books," the gambler confessed modestly. "So you have, as yet, no plan for compelling the young engineers to fail and quit at the Man- killer?"
This was such a direct, comprehensive question that Fred Ransom remained silent for some moments before he admitted:
"No; as yet I haven't been able to form a plan."
"Then engage me to help you," spoke Jim Duff slowly, coolly. "I know the country here, and the people. I know where to lay my finger on men who can be trusted to do unusual things. I shall come high, Mr. Ransom, but I am really worth the money. Talk it over with me, and convince me that your company will he sufficiently liberal in return for large favors."
"Oh, the Colthwaite Company would be liberal enough," protested Ransom, "and quick to hand out the cash, at that."
"I took that for granted," smiled Duff, showing his white teeth. "Your people, the Colthwaites, have always been accustomed to paying for favors that require unusual talent, some courage-and perhaps a persistency of the shooting kind."
Then the two rascals, who now thoroughly understood each other, fell to plotting. An hour later the outlook was dark, indeed, for the success of Tom Reade and Harry Hazelton.

CHAPTER II
DUFF ASSERTS HIS "RIGHTS"
"We've a hard afternoon ahead of us, Harry," remarked Tom Reade, as the engineer chums finished the noonday meal in the public dining room of the Mansion House.
"Pshaw! We'll have more real work to do after our material arrives," rejoined young Hazelton. "We're promised the material in four days. If we get it in a fortnight we will be lucky."
"That might be true on some railroads," smiled Tom. "But Mr. Ellsworth, the general manager of the A., G. & N. M., is a hustler, if I ever met one. When we wired to him what we needed, he wired back that enough of the material would be here within four days to keep us busy for some time. I believe Mr. Ellsworth never talks until he knows what he's talking about."
"Well, I hope you can find some work for the men to do this afternoon," murmured Harry, as the two young engineers rose from table. "Hawkins, our superintendent of construction, has about five hundred mechanics and laborers who will soon need work."
"Yes," agreed Tom. "The men took the jobs with the understanding that their pay would run on."
"The day's wages for five hundred workmen is a big item of loss when we're delayed," mused Hazelton.
"There's another consideration that's even worse than the loss," Tom went on in a low voice. "The pay train will be here this afternoon and the men will have a lot of money by evening. This town of Paloma is going to be wide open to-night in the effort to get the money away from our five hundred men."
"We can't stop that," sighed Harry. "We have no control over the way in which the workmen choose to spend their money."
"Want me to tell you a secret?" whispered Tom mysteriously.
"Yes, if it's an interesting one," smiled Harry.
"Very good, then. I know I can't actually interfere with the way the men spend their money. But I'm going to give them