ut nevertheless Firmstone's words were
not without effect. They appealed to his judgment as being justified;
but to accept them and act upon them meant a repudiation of his own
course. For this he was not ready. In addition to his vanity, Hartwell
had an abiding faith in his own shrewdness. He was casting about in his
mind for a plausible delay which would afford him time to retreat from
his position without a confession of defeat. He could find none.
Firmstone had presented a clean-cut ultimatum. He was in an unpleasant
predicament. Some one would have to be sacrificed. He was wholly
determined that it should not be himself. Perhaps after all it would be
better to arrange as best he might with Firmstone, rather than have it
go farther.

"It seems to me, Firmstone, as if you were going altogether too fast.
There's no use jumping. Why not talk this over sensibly?"

"There is only one thing to be considered. If you are going to manage
this place I am going to put it beyond your power even to make me appear
responsible."

"You forget your contract with us," Hartwell interposed.

"I do not forget it. If you discharge me, or force me to resign, I still
demand a hearing."

Hartwell was disturbed, and his manner showed it. Firmstone presented
two alternatives. Forcing a choice of either of them would bring
unpleasant consequences upon himself. Was it necessary to force the
choice?

"Suppose I do neither?" he asked.

"That will not avert the consequences of what you have already done."

"Are you determined to resign?" Hartwell asked, uneasily.

"That is not what I meant."

"What did you mean, then?"

"This. Before you came out, I had things well in hand. In another month
I would have had control of the men, and the property would have been
paying a good dividend. As it is now----" Firmstone waved his hand, as
if to dismiss a useless subject.

"Well, what now?" Hartwell asked, after a pause.

"It has to be done all over again, only under greater difficulties, the
outcome of which I cannot foresee."

"To what difficulties do you refer?" Firmstone's manner disturbed
Hartwell.

"The men were getting settled. Now you have played into the hands of two
of the most unscrupulous rascals in Colorado. Between you, you've got
the men stirred up to a point where a strike is inevitable." For a time,
Hartwell was apparently crushed by Firmstone's unanswerable logic, as
well as by his portentous forecasts. He could not but