Ninth Street. Can you remember that?" Orde nodded. "And now any
other questions the prisoner can reply to without incriminating
herself, she is willing to answer." She folded her hands demurely
in her lap.

Two days later Orde saw the train carry her away. He watched the
rear car disappear between the downward slopes of two hills, and
then finally the last smoke from the locomotive dissipate in the
clear blue.

Declining Jane's kindly meant offer of a lift, he walked back to
town.



XV


The new firm plunged busily into its more pressing activities. Orde
especially had an infinitude of details on his hands. The fat note-
book in his side pocket filled rapidly with rough sketches, lists,
and estimates. Constantly he interviewed men of all kinds--
rivermen, mill men, contractors, boat builders, hardware dealers,
pile-driver captains, builders, wholesale grocery men, cooks, axe-
men, chore boys--all a little world in itself.

The signs of progress soon manifested themselves. Below Big Bend
the pile-drivers were at work, the square masses of their hammers
rising rapidly to the tops of the derricks, there to pause a moment
before dropping swiftly to a dull THUMP! They were placing a long,