“Allie, do you understand me now?  You—­have something—­to live for! ...  Do you hear?”

When his ear caught the faint “Yes” he suddenly grew glad and strong with what he felt to be a victory over her gloom and despair.

“Listen.  I’m going to my work,” he began, swiftly.  “I’ll be gone weeks—­maybe more.  But I’ll come back! ...  Early in the fall.  I’ll be with you all winter.  I’m to work here on the pass....  Then—­then—­ Well, I’ll be a big man on the U. P. some day.  Chief engineer or superintendent of maintenance of way....  You’re all alone—­maybe you’ll care for me some day.  I’ll work hard.  It’s a great idea—­this railroad.  When it’s done—­and I’ve my big job—­will you—­you’ll marry me then?”

Neale heard her gasp and felt her quiver.  He let go of her and stood up, for fear he might suddenly take her in his arms.  His words had been shock enough.  He felt remorse, anxiety, tenderness, and yet he was glad.  Some delicate and fine consciousness in him told him he had not done wrong, even if he had been dominating.  She was alone in the world; he had saved her life.  His heart beat quick and heavy.

“Good-by, Allie....  I’ll come back.  Never forget!”

She stayed motionless on her knees with the mass of hair hiding her face, and she neither spoke nor made a sign.

Neale went out.  The air seemed to wave in his face, cool and relieving.  Larry was there with the horses.  Slingerland stood by with troubled eyes.  Both men stared at Neale.  He was aware of that, and conscious of his agitation.  And suddenly, as always at a climax of emotion, he swiftly changed and grew cool.

“Red, old pard, congratulate me!  I’m engaged to marry Allie!” he said, with a low laugh that had pride in it.

“Wal, damn me!” ejaculated Larry King.  Then he shot out the hand that was so quick with rope and gun.  “Put her thar!  Shore if you hadn’t made up to her I’d have....  An’, Neale, if you say Pard, I’m yours till I’m daid!”

“Pard!” replied Neale, as he met the outstretched hand.

Slingerland’s hard and wrinkled face softened.

“Strange how we all cottoned to thet girl!  No—­I reckon it ain’t so strange.  Wal, it’s as it oughter be.  You saved her.  May you both be happy, son!”

Neale slipped a ring from his little finger.

“Give Allie this.  Tell her it’s my pledge.  I’ll come back to her.  And she must think of that.”

8

That summer the engineers crossed the Wyoming hills and ran the line on into Utah, where they met the surveying party working in from the Pacific.

The initial step of the great construction work was done, the engineers with hardship and loss of life had proved that a railroad across the Rockies was a possibility.  Only, they had little conception of the titanic labor involved in the building.

For Neale the months were hard, swift, full.  It came to him that love of the open and the wild was incorporated in his ambition for achievement.  He wondered if he would have felt the one without the other.  Camp life and the daily climbing over the ridges made of him a lithe, strong, sure-footed mountaineer.  They made even the horse-riding cowboy a good climber, though nothing, Neale averred, would ever straighten Larry’s bow legs.