ience almost gave way when the constable followed as he walked away,
still abusing him.

"You'd better not go too far," warned Ned, turning round.

It suddenly dawned upon the constable that this was not the ordinary
"drunk" and that it was as well to be satisfied with the exhibition of
authority already made. Ned walked off unmolested, chewing the cud of his
thoughts.

This sentence of Geisner's rang in his ears:

"The slaves who 'move on' at the bidding of a policeman."

CHAPTER VII.

"THE WORLD WANTS MASTERS."

"It can't do any good. We have made up our minds that the matter might
just as well be fought out now, no matter what it costs. We've made all
our arrangements. There is nothing to discuss. We are simply going to do
business in our own way."

"It can't do any harm. There is always something to be said on the other
side and I always find workingmen fairly reasonable if they're met
fairly. At any rate, you might as well see how they look at it. The
labour agitation itself can't be stifled. The great point, as I regard
it, is to make the immediate relations of Capital and Labour as peaceable
as possible. The two parties don't see enough of each other."

"I think we see a great deal too much of them. It's a pretty condition of
things when we can't go on with our businesses without being interfered
with by mobs of ignorant fools incited by loud-tongued agitators. The
fools have got to be taught a lesson some day and we might as well teach
it to them now."

"You know I'm no advocate of Communism or Socialism or any such nonsense.
I look at the matter solely from a business standpoint. I am a loser by
disturbances in trade, so I try to prevent disturbances. I've always been
able to prevent them in my own business and I think they can always be
prevented."

"Well, Melsom, you may be right when it's a question of wages, but this
is a question of principle. We're willing to confer if they'll admit
'freedom of contract.' That's all there is to say about it."

"But what is 'freedom of contract?' Besides, if it is questioned, there
can't be much harm in understanding why. For my part, I find it an
interminable point of discussion when it is raised and one of the
questions that settles itself easily when it isn't."

"It is the key of the whole position. If we haven't a right to employ
whoever we like at any terms we may make with any individual we employ
what rights have we?" "Hear what they think of i