He was glad when the dinner was over at Thorne's, and with the going of the mail sledge and the senior engineer there came over him a still deeper sense of joy.

Now _he_ was in charge, it was _his_ road from that hour on.

He crushed MacDonald's hand in a grip that meant more than words when they parted.

In his own cabin he threw off his coat and hat, lighted his pipe, and tried to realize just what this all meant for him.

He was in charge--in charge of the greatest railroad building job on earth--_he_, Jack Howland, who less than twenty years ago was a barefooted, half-starved urchin peddling papers in the streets where he was now famous! And now what was this black thing that had come up to threaten his chances just as he had about won his great fight?
He clenched his hands as he thought again of what had already happened--the cowardly attempt on his life, the warnings, and his blood boiled to fever heat.