"Oh, it all depends on the office," he said. "They're bound to keep me busy at something. I'll just stay until they tell me to go somewhere else. They ain't happy except when they've just put me in a hole and told me to climb out. Generally before I'm out they pick me up and chuck me down another one. Old MacBride wouldn't think the Company was prosperous if I wasn't working nights and Sundays." "You won't be doing that down here." "I don't know about that. Why, when I first went to work for 'em, they hired me by the day. My time cards for the first years figured up four hundred and thirty-six days." Peterson laughed. "Oh, that's straight," said Bannon. "Next time you're at the office, ask Brown about it. Since then they've paid me a salary. They seem to think they'd have to go out of business if I ever took a vacation. I've been with 'em twelve years and they've never given me one yet. They made a bluff at it once. I was down at Newport News, been doing a job for the C.&O., and Fred Brown was down that way on business. He--" "What does Brown look like?" interrupted Peterson. "I never saw him." "You didn't! Oh, he's a good-looking young chap. Dresses kind of sporty. He's a great jollier. You have to know him a while to find out that he means business. Well, he came 'round and saw I was feeling pretty tired, so he asked me to knock off for a week and go fishing with him. I did, and it was the hardest work I ever tackled." "Did you get any fish?" "Fish? Whales! You'd no sooner threw your line over than another one'd grab it--great, big, heavy fish, and they never gave us a minute's rest. I worked like a horse for about half a day and then I gave up. Told Brown I'd take a duplex car-puller along next time I tackled that kind of a job, and I went back to the elevator." "I'd like to see Brown. I get letters from him right along, of course. He's been jollying me about that cribbing for the last two weeks. I can't make it grow, and I've written him right along that we was expecting it, but that don't seem to satisfy him." "I suppose not," said Bannon. "They're mostly out for results up at the office. Let's see the bill for it." Vogel handed him a thin typewritten sheet and Bannon looked it over thoughtfully. "Big lot of stuff, ain't it? Have you tried to get any of it here in Chicago?" "Course not. It's all ordered and cut out up to Ledyard." "Cut out? Then why don't they send it?" "They can't get the cars." "That'll do to tell. 'Can't get the cars!' What sort of a railroad have they got up there?" "Max, here, can tell you about that, I guess," said Peterson. "It's the G.&M.," said the lumber checker. "That's enough for any one who's lived in Michigan. It ain't much good." "How long have they kept 'em waiting for the cars?" "How long is it, Max?" asked Peterson. "Let's see. It was two weeks ago come Tuesday." "Sure?"