There stood his bridge before him in
the sunlight, lacking only a few weeks' work on the girders of the
three middle piers - his bridge, raw and ugly as original sin, but
pukka - permanent - to endure when all memory of the builder, yea,
even of the splendid Findlayson truss, had perished. Practically,
the thing was done.
Hitchcock, his assistant, cantered along the line on a little
switch-tailed Kabuli pony who through long practice could have
trotted securely over a trestle, and nodded to his chief.
"All but," said he, with a smile.
"I've been thinking about it," the senior answered. "Not half a
bad job for two men, is it?"
"One-and a half. Gad, what a Cooper's Hill cub I was when I came
on the works!" Hitchcock felt very old in the crowded experiences
of the past three years, that had taught him power and responsibility.
"You were rather a colt," said Findlayson. "I wonder how you'll
like going back to office-work when this job's over."
"I shall hate it!" said the young man, and as he went on his eye
followed Findlayson's, and he muttered, "Isn't it damned good?"
"I think we'll go up the service together," Findlayson said to
himself.
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