or brawl with foreigners. As I stated to you this morning, we are
conservative and until you get matters adjusted amicably with your
competitors, we do not care to go into your proposition further."

He rose at once, showing the interview was at an end. Gregory followed
him to the door. In the outside office he found his friend waiting.
Hawkins, clad in outing clothes, was smiling broadly. The smile,
however, quickly disappeared as he caught sight of his friend's face.

"Anything the matter?" he asked.

Gregory walked with him to the street before replying. Then he bought a
copy of _The Times_ and the two men read the account of the fight with
the aliens.

"What of that?" Hawkins queried. "Your men licked them, didn't they?"

"Yes. But it cost me my chance with Winfield & Camby. Mr. Dupont called
the whole thing off."

"The devil he did!"

Hawkins' smile returned.

"Why, the old fool," he ejaculated. "Can't he see that this will only be
publicity for your brands. Why, darn his crinkled old hide, I'll show
him. And I'll bet I'll have him eating out of your hand in less than a
week."

He glanced curiously at the paper.

"Regular correspondence," he muttered, as he noticed the date-line of
the news-item. "That means it comes from the little paper down there.
What did you ever do to Tommy Black?"

Gregory shook his head blankly.

"I don't even know who he is," he answered.

Hawkins laughed.

"He seems to know you all right," he answered. Then he explained: "Black
is the editor of _The Legonia Star_. A man by the name of Rock owns
it."

CHAPTER XX

PLANS FOR A SHOW-DOWN

Shall the control of our fisheries pass into foreign
hands?

Riot among Legonia fishermen raises interesting
question. Ex-service men contest forcibly with aliens
for freedom of the seas. Show-down expected in the near
future.

"How does that strike you?" Hawkins grinned and shoved the copy of _The
Times_ forward as "Exhibit A" for publicity. "Notice the date line," he
exclaimed. "From our own correspondent."

Kenneth Gregory read the news item carefully before replying. First came
a true account of the fight with Mascola's men on the beach which had
ended in the decisive victory for the service men. Followed, in
chronological order, a review of past interferences suffered by the
American fishermen at the hands of the foreigners. And lastly, glowingly
outlined, came his plans for meeting the opposi