"Why, he's gone, sir - gone with the Jewish gentleman who said that
you had sent him."
"Where to?" Trent asked quickly.
"Why, to England in the Ophir!" the woman answered.
Then Trent began to feel that, after all, the struggle of his life
was only beginning.
CHAPTER XXVIII
It was then perhaps that Trent fought the hardest battle of his
life. The start was made with only a dozen Kru boys, Trent himself,
stripped to the shirt, labouring amongst them spade in hand. In a
week the fishing boats were deserted, every one was working on the
road. The labour was immense, but the wages were magnificent. Real
progress was made and the boy's calculations were faultless. Trent
used the cable freely.
"Have dismissed Cathcart for incompetence - road started - progress
magnificent," he wired one week, and shortly afterwards a message
came back - "Cathcart cables resigned - scheme impossible - shares
dropping - wire reply."
Trent clenched his fist, and his language made the boy, who had
never heard him violent, look up in surprise. Then he put on his
coat and walked out to the cable station.
"Cathcart lies. I dismissed him for cowardice and incompetence.
The road is being made and I pledge my word that it will be finished
in six months.
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