and held himself in with difficulty, but he had taken their
measure and meant to bring on a crisis, which would settle their status
and his own, once and for all time.

"What are you doing here?" he began shortly, eying Flynn.

The Irishman stuck his hands into his pockets and shrugged impudently.

"That's my business," he muttered.

"H-m. You two men were discharged because you were incompetent, because
you were getting money you didn't earn and because you were trying to
persuade others to be as worthless and useless as yourselves. You were
ordered off the property----"

"Ye can't keep us off----"

"I'll come to that in a moment. What I want to say to you now is this,"
said Peter, planting his barbs with the coolness of a matador baiting
his bull. "Some men go wrong because they've been badly advised, some
because they can't think straight, others because they'd rather go
wrong than right. Some of you 'Reds' believe in what you preach, that
the world can be made over and all the money and the land divided up in
a new deal. You two don't. You don't believe in anything except getting
a living without working for it--and trying to make honest men do the
same. You, Jacobi, are only a fool--a cowardly fool at that--who hides
behind the coat-tails of a man stronger than you----"

"Look-a here, Mister----"

"Yes, Flynn's your master, but he isn't mine. And he isn't the master of
any man on this job while I'm superintendent----"

"We'll see about that," said Flynn with a chuckle.

"Yes, we will. Very soon. _Now_, as a matter of fact----"

"How?"

"By proving which is the better man--you or me----"

"Oh, it's a fight ye mean?"

"Exactly."

The Irishman leered at him cunningly.

"I'm too old a bird to be caught wit' that stuff--puttin' you wit' the
right on yer side. We're afther sheddin' no blood here, Misther Nichols.
We're on this job for peace an' justice fer all."

"Then you're afraid to fight?"

"No. But I'm not a-goin' to----"

"Not if I tell you you're a sneak, a liar and a coward----"

Flynn's jaw worked and his glance passed from Jacobi to Wells.

"I'll make ye eat them names backwards one day, Misther Nichols--but not
now--I'm here for a bigger cause. Stand away from the door."

"In a moment. But first let me tell you this, and Shad Wells too.
You're going out of this door and out of this camp,--all three of you.
And if any one of you shows himself inside the limits of this property
he'll