He saw nothing to cause him fresh anxiety, although he once or twice visited the pond at night.  In the daytime his work absorbed his attention, for they were now building a lofty frame on the steepest pitch of the dip.  The foot of the longest timber, which was unusually massive, rested in a socket cut in the rock near the water’s edge, and it cost them a very hard and dangerous day’s work to get the log on end.  Indeed, for a few anxious minutes Charnock imagined that the mass would break the tackles and come down.  When fixed, it was nearly perpendicular, but its top inclined slightly toward the bank, and Festing sent for Norton and Kerr.

“It’s a good post, but I’m not sure we have got spread enough,” he said.  “There’s not much to resist the outward thrust a heavy train might cause.  Still, I don’t see how we could have carried the foot farther back.”

“You’d have to go into the water,” Norton agreed.  “That would have meant a coffer dam, and the Company won’t stand for expensive extras.”

“The ice would have smashed the dam,” said Kerr.  “The job meets the plan, which calls for stays to stop the post canting out.  Put in an extra king-tie half-way up and I’ll pass your bill and find the ironwork.”

Festing was satisfied with this, and the post was stayed with chains while they got the braces fixed.  This took some days, for the men were forced to work on dangerous snowy ledges and boards, hung from the top.  Where there was most risk and difficulty Festing went himself, but he looked anxious.

“It’s the worst part of the job and perhaps the most awkward thing I’ve done,” he said one night.  “If the frame came down with the rockwork filling, it might start the rest and shake some length of road.”

“But there’s no reason it should come down,” Charnock argued.

“Not in a way, but I’m glad Kerr authorized the extra brace.  We’ll use the heaviest stuff we can, and although the fastenings may give some trouble, we haven’t come to them yet.  Perhaps I’m getting nervous.  We’re up to schedule and doing pretty well, but it will be a relief to get the contract finished.”

Charnock told him about Wilkinson, and he looked thoughtful.

“I can’t see his object, particularly since he left the chain alone.  Of course he may have meant some mischief, but gave it up when he found you on his track.”

“Somehow I don’t think that was it,” said Charnock, who went to open the door.

Kerr came in and after a time began to talk about the fastenings for the main tie-beam.

“As the rock is sound and can be thawed, I think we could use a bolt on the Lewis plan.  Give me some paper and I’ll make a sketch you can take to the smith.”

Charnock examined the drawing and noted that the holding part of the bolt was shaped like the letter Y, except that the stalk was split.  A wedge was sketched to fit the split, and would obviously expand the upper arms to fit tightly into a fan-shaped hole with a narrow mouth.