. "What are you here for, anyway?"

"Why have I been fired?" roared Bellas.

"Can't you guess?" queried Tom.

"Was it for going to town and being away all night?"

"Yes, and also for not being on hand this morning."

"There wasn't any work to do," growled Bellas.

"You expected to be paid for your time, and you should have been in
camp, as your time belonged to the railroad by, right of purchase.
Bellas, you have been drinking over in town, haven't you?"

"If I have, it's my own business. I'm no slave."

"Ben gambling, too?"

"None of your--"

"You're in error," Tom answered pleasantly, though firmly. "The gamblers
over in Paloma are leagued with the dive keepers against us, Bellas. You
know what they did out at the big sink of the Man-killer last night. Any
man who goes away from camp and 'enjoys' himself for hours among those
who are trying to put us out of business shows himself to be a friend to
the enemies of this camp. Therefore the man who does that shows himself
to be one of our enemies, in sympathy if not in fact."

"I'm no lawyer," growled Bellas sullenly, "and I can't follow your flow
of gab."

"You know well enough what I'm saying to you, Bellas, and you know that
I'm right. Since you've been away and joined our enemies we don't want
you here. More, we don't intend to have you here. Mr. Payson has dropped
you from the rolls, and that cuts you off from this camp. Now, I think
you will understand that it is some of our business whether you have
been over in town emptying your pockets, into Jim Duff's hat. If that
is what you have been doing, then we don't want you here, and won't have
you. If you haven't been hob-nobbing with our enemies, and paying all
you had for the privilege, then we'll look into any claims of better
conduct that you may make, and, if satisfied that you've been telling
the truth, we'll reinstate you."

"Oh, you make me tired--you kid!" burst from Bellas's lips.

"This isn't an experience meeting," Tom replied, not losing his smile,
"and I'm not interested in your impressions of me. Do you wish to make
any statement advocating your right to be taken on the pay roll again?"

"No, I don't!" roared the angry fellow. "All I want to do is to show you
my opinion of you, Tommy! I can do that best by rubbing your nose in the
dirt outside."

Foreman Payson flung himself between the big, angry human bull and the
young chief engineer.

"Don't waste any time or heat on him, Mr. Pay