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Page 30
Tom looked up from a handful of old letters as the two men entered.
"See here, you!" was Bellas's form of greeting.
"Try it again," smiled Tom pleasantly.
"You're the man I want to talk to," Bellas snarled. "What do you mean
by--"
"What's your name?" asked Reade quickly.
"None of your--"
"We can never do business on that kind of courtesy," smiled Reade. "Mr.
Payson, show the man out and let him come back when he's cooler."
"There isn't anyone here who can show me out!" blustered Bellas,
swinging his big arms and causing the heavy muscles to stand out.
"If you don't care to behave in a businesslike way, and talk like a man,
we'll do our best to show you out," Tom retorted, still with a pleasant
smile. "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.
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