“Well,” said Mr. Schofield, “it looks a good deal like we were going to have one.”
“Let’s have the story,” said Mr. Round, settling back in his chair, and he listened with half-closed eyes while Mr. Schofield told the story of the trouble with Bassett and the interview with Nixon.
“And you really think there’ll be a strike?” he asked, when Mr. Schofield had finished.
“Of course Nixon may have been bluffing,” answered the latter slowly, “but I don’t believe it. I think there’ll be a strike, unless—”
“Unless what?” asked Mr. Round, as the superintendent paused.
“Well, we can reinstate Bassett.”
“No, we can’t,” said Mr. Round. “We can’t reinstate Bassett and preserve any discipline on this division. So count that out.”
“I agree with you, of course,” said Mr. Schofield. “There’s a second course open.”
“What is it?”
“We can bribe Nixon.”