ery week, and Derrick
had reports to make, and the mere mention of the violation of the rules
would be enough.

"Bah!" he said aloud. "It is not pleasant; but it must be done."

The affair had several aspects, rendering it un-pleasant, but Derrick
shut his eyes to them resolutely. It seemed, too, that it was not
destined that he should have reason to remain undecided. That very day
he was confronted with positive proof that the writer of the anonymous
warning was an honest man, with an honest motive.

During the morning, necessity called him away from his men to a side
gallery, and entering this gallery, he found himself behind a man
who stood at one side close to the wall, his Davy lamp open, his pipe
applied to the flame. It was Dan Lowrie, and his stealthy glance over
his shoulder revealing to him that he was discovered, he turned with an
oath.

"Shut that lamp," said Derrick, "and give me your false key."

Lowrie hesitated.

"Give me that key," Derrick repeated, "or I will call the gang in the
next gallery and see what they have to say about the matter."

"Dom yore eyes! does tha think as my toime 'll nivver coom?"

But he gave up the key.

"When it comes," he said, "I hope I shall be ready to help myself. Now
I've got only one thing to do. I gave you fair warning and asked you to
act the man toward your fellows. You have played the scoundrel instead,
and I have done with you. I shall report you. That's the end of it."

He went on his way, and left the man uttering curses under his breath.
If there had not been workers near at hand, Derrick might not have
gotten away so easily. Among the men in the next gallery there were
some who were no friends to Lowrie, and who would have given him rough
handling if they had caught him just at that moment, and the fellow knew
it.

Toward the end of the week, the owners came, and Derrick made his
report. The result was just what he had known it would be. Explosions
had been caused before by transgressions of the rules, and explosions
were expensive and disastrous affairs. Lowrie received his discharge,
and his fellow-workmen a severe warning, to the secret consternation of
some among them.

That the engineer of the new mines was a zealous and really amiable
young man, if rather prone to innovations, became evident to his
employers. But his innovations were not encouraged. So, notwithstanding
his arguments, the blast-furnaces held their own, and "for the present,"