talk till you spit feathers. We've had business
dealin's with Parrott, and business is business."

"And every grafter 'twixt here and kingdom come has had the same
excuse," declared the valiant head of the Workers. "Business or no
business, Ferd Parrott is done runnin' this tavern."

"There's a point I reckon you and me can agree on," said Hiram, sadly.
He gazed out to where the tracks of Mr. Parrott led away through the
slush.

"And it's the sense of the women of this place that such a dirty old
ranch sha'n't disgrace Smyrna any longer."

"You mean--"

"I mean shut up these doors--nail 'em--and let decent and respectable
women put up the folks who pass this way--put 'em up in a decent and
respectable place. That's the sense of the women."

"And it's about as much sense as wimmen show when they get out of
their trodden path," cried Hiram, angrily. "You and the rest of ye
think, do ye, that me and Cap'n Sproul is goin' to make a present
of five thousand dollars to have this tavern stand here as a
Double-yer T. Double-yer monnyment? Well, as old Bassett said,
skursely, and not even as much as that!"

"Then I'd like to see the man that can run it," declared the
spokeswoman with fine spirit. "We're going to back Mis' Gifford.
We're going to the train to get custom for her. We're going to warn
every one against this tavern. There isn't a girl or woman in twenty
towns around here who'll work in this hole after we've warned 'em
what it is. Yes, sir, I'd like to see the man that can run it!"

"Well, you look at him!" shouted Hiram, slapping his breast. He noted
a look of alarm on the Cap'n's face, and muttered to him under his
breath: "You ain't goin' to let a pack of wimmen back ye down, be
ye?"

"How be we goin' to work to run it?" whispered the Cap'n.

"That ain't the p'int now," growled Hiram. "The p'int is, we're goin'
to run it. And you've got to back me up."

"Hiram!" called his wife, appealingly, but he had no ears for her.

"You've made your threats," he stormed, addressing the leader of the
Workers. "You haven't talked to us as gents ought to be talked to.
You haven't made any allowances. You haven't shown any charity.
You've just got up and tried to jam us to the wall. Now, seein' that
your business is done here, and that this tavern is under new
management, you'll be excused to go over and start your own place."

He opened the door and bowed, and the women, noting determination
in his eyes, began to