human
I came up along the flume and she's wasting very little water, he said.
gpt
Not a trickle from the trestle! It would 'most carry a wagon. You must have spent quite a pile of dollars over it.
human
I'm afraid I did, Mr. Devine, he said.
gpt
Still, I couldn't see how to get the work done more cheaply without taking the risk of the flume settling a little by and by. That would, of course, have started it leaking. What do you think of it?
human
It seems to me that risk would have been mine, he said.
gpt
I've seen neater work, but not very much that looked like lasting longer. Who gave you the plan of it?
human
Nobody, said Brooke, with a trace of the pride he could not quite repress.
gpt
I worried it out myself. You see, I once or twice gave the carpenters a hand at stiffening the railroad trestles.
human
What are you looking at that pool for?
gpt
Well, he said, diffidently,
human
You feel equal to putting the thing through?
gpt
I would at least very much like to try.
human
Then you can let me have your notions.
gpt
If that meets with your approbation I could start two of my men getting out the logs almost immediately.
human
Has it struck you that there is a point you have forgotten?
gpt
It is quite possible there are a good many.
human
You can't think of one that's important in particular?
gpt
No, said Brooke, reflectively,
human
Well, he said,
gpt
Of course! he said.
human
Still, I never thought of it until this moment.
gpt
It's quite clear you weren't raised in Canada, said Devine.
human
You can worry out the thing during the afternoon and bring along any rough plan you'd like to show me to the ranch this evening. That's fixed? Then there's another thing. Has anybody tried to stop you getting out lumber?
gpt
No, said Brooke.
human
I met two men who appeared to be timber-right prospectors more than once, but they made no difficulty.
gpt
Then, he said drily,