Keating's jesting remarks. Steve plucked up courage, gazing straight at the now cold, inquiring eyes of the chief engineer.

"My suggestion is for the utilization of the waste gases from the stoves at the blast furnaces across the river," announced the boy.

"Indeed?"

"Yes, sir."

"Let me hear your ideas on the subject."

Rush began at first haltingly, then warming to his subject as he went on, repeating very nearly in the same words, what he already had told the superintendent. As he progressed real interest began to dawn in the eyes of the chief engineer. Now and then he would halt the boy to ask a question, but the interruptions were of such a nature as not to disturb Steve. At last the Iron Boy came to a conclusion.

"Beyond that, sir, I cannot go just now, not having the requisite technical knowledge. All that I have suggested may not amount to much,"

he added with a smile.

"It will do very well for an apprentice," nodded the engineer, with a significant glance at Mr. Keating. "What do you think about it?"

"Very remarkable."

"You say you would convey this waste gas to the gas engines?"

"Yes, sir."

"Do you know where they are?"

"Yes, sir; on this side of the river."

"How would you get it over here?"

"Through pipes, of course. The gas would lose none of its virtue in transit. It is carried much further than that to the mills already. It strikes me that gas from other parts of the yards might be conveyed to the leader pipe in the same way, and thus give you enough gas to run your engines without having to draw further on the city supply."

"How would you carry these pipes across the river--under water?" asked the engineer.

"No, sir; the pipes would rust through, would they not, and give you a lot of trouble?"

Mr. Phillips nodded.

"Your idea is correct."

"I should elevate them over the river."

"If there are any other intricate problems that you are unable to work out, Phillips, just call on my boys," laughed Mr. Keating.

"Yes; I am inclined to that belief myself. Have you an hour that you can spare, Mr. Keating?"

"Certainly. There is nothing more to be done here this afternoon."

"How about you, Rush?"

"I have to report for duty within the hour."

"What is it you want, Phillips?"

"I was about to suggest that Rush accompany us over to the furnaces, but if he has to report for the night trick there will not be time."

"We will attend to that part of it. You will want to return home, of course, to change your clothes before going to work?"

"Yes, sir," Steve nodded.

The superintendent pushed a b.u.t.ton and one of his clerks responded.

"Send word to the head melter of number four blast that Mr. Rush will not be on duty this evening, on the superintendent's order; that the young man is engaged on another matter for me," directed Mr. Keating.

Steve's eyes glowed, not because he did not have to work, but because there seemed reason to believe that the plan he had so carefully thought out was going to be seriously considered both by the superintendent and the chief engineer of the great steel works.

"That disposes of all your objections, doesn't it, Rush?" asked Mr.

Keating.

"It disposes of the obstacles. I had no objections," smiled the Iron Boy.

"I stand corrected, sir," said Mr. Keating. "We will start if you are ready, Phillips."

"As soon as I get my hat. I will join you on the outside."

A few moments later they were walking briskly along toward the yards, Mr. Keating and the engineer together, Steve a little in advance of them.

"What do you think of my young man?" asked Mr. Keating.

"Rush? He is a very bright young fellow. You say he came down from the iron range?"

"Yes, he and his friend Jarvis, I am told, were forging rapidly toward the front there. They shipped on an ore boat to learn that part of the business and then came down here to enter the mills. From a salary of more than a hundred dollars a month the boys are now receiving the munificent wage of a dollar a day. You do not need to know anything more than that about them, do you?"

"No; that should be sufficient to establish their sincerity of purpose."

"I should say so," emphasized the superintendent. "What do you think of Rush's proposal?"

"I can answer that question better after I have looked over the ground and figured on the proposal a little."

"It is a wonder we never thought of it before."

"It is. Still, many important discoveries have been made by persons unfamiliar with the subject, as against the experiments of years by men trained to that particular profession."

"See here, Phillips, don't you try to throw cold water on the achievements of my boys. I won't have it."

"Not at all, not at all. When I am convinced that the boy has suggested a good thing I shall be just as enthusiastic as you are over it."

"You professional men are a cold-blooded lot, aren't you?"

"Do you wish to cross the metal bridge, or to go around the long way?"

interrupted Steve halting to permit them to catch up with him.