They eyed Darrell furtively and curiously, making way for him as he

entered the building, but still they waited. For a few moments Darrell

watched the scene, then he passed through the office into the room

beyond, where he found Mr. Underwood engaged in sorting and filing

papers. The latter looked up with a grim smile: "Been down to the mill?"

"Oh, yes," Darrell answered, laughing; "I went to work as usual, only to

find the door shut in my face, the same as the rest."

"H'm! What do you think of the 'strike' now?"

"I think you are making them swallow their own medicine, but I don't see

why you need give me a dose of it; I haven't threatened to strike."

Mr. Underwood's eyes twinkled shrewdly as he replied, "You had better go

out there and get your pay along with the rest, and then go to your room

and pack up. You may not be needed at the mill again for the next six

months."

"Will it be as serious as that, do you think?" Darrell inquired.

Before Mr. Underwood could reply the superintendent opened the office

door hastily.

"Mr. Underwood," he said, "will you come out and speak to the men? They

are all waiting outside and I can't drive them away; they say they won't

stir till they've seen you."

With a look of annoyance Mr. Underwood rose and passed out into the

office; Darrell, somewhat interested, followed.

"Well, boys," said Mr. Underwood, as he appeared in the doorway, "what

do you want of me?"

"If you please, sir," said one man, evidently spokesman for the crowd,

and whom Darrell at once recognized as Dan, the engineer,--"if you

please, sir, we would like to know how long this shut-down is going to

last."

"Can't tell," Mr. Underwood replied, shortly; "can't tell anything about

it at present; it's indefinite."

"Well," persisted the man, "there's some of us as thought that mebbe

'twould only be till this 'ere trouble about the meals is settled, one

way or t'other; and there's some as thought mebbe it hadn't nothing to

do with that."

"Well?" said Mr. Underwood, impatiently.

"Well, sir," said Dan, lowering his voice a little and edging nearer Mr.

Underwood, "you know as how the most of us was satisfied with things as

they was, and didn't want no change and wouldn't have made no kick,

only, you see, we had to, and we felt kinder anxious to know whether if

this thing got settled some way and the camp opened up again, whether we

could get back in our old places?"

"Dan," said Mr. Underwood, impressively, and speaking loudly enough for

every man to hear, "there can be no settlement of this question except

to have things go on under precisely the same terms and conditions as

they've always gone; so none of your leaders need come to me for terms,

for they won't get 'em. And as to opening up the mines and mill, I'll

open them up whenever I get ready, not a day sooner or later; and when I

do start up again, if you men have come to your senses by that time and

are ready to come back on the same terms, all right; if not," he paused

an instant, then added with emphasis, "just remember there'll be others,

and plenty of 'em, too."




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