“I am not particularly anxious to hold this position, I can assure you; there is very little in it but hard work.”
“Oh, well, well, you stay by us a while longer, and we’ll take you into the company yet.”
“No,” said Houston, “it would be no use taking me into the company, I wouldn’t know my place, or keep it,” and with that parting shot, he turned and left them.
“Blaisdell,” said Rivers, his face relaxing for a moment into a grim smile, “it’s just as I told you, your smart young man is too smart for you. It’s my opinion we’ve caught a tartar;––we’re afraid to keep him, and we don’t dare let him go.”
CHAPTER XL.
As Houston, on the following morning, in the execution of his daily round of duties, happened to be passing the Yankee Boy mine, his attention was arrested by a quantity of powder deposited near the mouth of the shaft, which the workmen were preparing to take below.
“What is the meaning of this?” he inquired sternly. “Who has given any orders for this powder to be brought here?”
“Them was the boss’s orders, sir,” replied one of the men, respectfully.