The road master reached for his day book from under the driver seat. June 13th, 1946, and another day over. As he did every working day he started to write:
June 13. Painted center line from city limits north to mile 86.24. Used 17 gal thinner 80 gal yellow paint 23 gal white. Painted 5.72 miles.
June 14. Painted center and no passing lines on 41-1-2 between milepost 86.24 and 73.80. Skipped 2.70 miles where pavement was too wet. Used 77 gal yellow 22 gal white.
June 15. Painted center line and no passing line on PSH-1. Started at 10.30 A.M. as white paint line was clogged up. Lost more time around 2 p.m. with white paint line. Rained out around 4 p.m.
June 16. Worked on paint equipment. Cady and Olera replaced signs from city limits to Kozy Kamp. Still raining.
June 17. Drilling and shooting boulders at quarry site on 1-S. Bear Creek still rising. Water high at the 1.T. bridge.
In the morning the rain had lightened. The road master groaned as he struggled out of bed. He didn't even eat. Just got in his truck and went straight to the bridge. The shoulder of the north bound lane was gone. The cops must have put up high water signs. That was good. Cady and Olera showed up. They walked below the road to inspect the washout. It was worse than he'd thought. The road bridged a cavern of darkness. The creek still tearing at the road bed.
Olera stepped forward and reached to pick up something light. A bone. More bones. Sheltered by the undermined road the three of them crouched silently among the bones. Could have been Indian. Could have been whites. Could have been anyone.
``We better get some rock in here. Fast.'' He looked at Cady. He looked at Olera.
``Bring in a load with D144 and see if you can get 107 as well.''
When the reporter showed up from the County Week they already had a couple of loads in. The cavern half filled. By afternoon the rain had stopped.
The road master pulled out his day book. He was ready for coffee but first he had to write.
June 18 Filled in washout below South end of bridge at Bear Creek on 1.T.
June 19. Filled in washout on B Creek with more big rock.
June 21. Added more rock at Bear Creek Bridge for rip rap.
June 22. Drilling on quarry site on 1-S. Olera working on paint equipment. Raining all day. All off tomorrow as we worked the weekend.
The road master drove home slowly, following Cady's wavering yellow line on the shining wet road.