“That is very likely, sir,” Tom answered. “These missing men, however, have shown their willingness to become our enemies by leaving camp and seeking their pleasures in the strongholds of the scoundrels who are fighting to break us up.”
“That's another way of looking at the matter,” assented the general manager.
“I'd much rather have our enemies outside of camp than inside,” Reade continued. “If we took these absentees back after they've been in the company of rascals, then we wouldn't have any means of knowing how many of the absentees had agreed to do treacherous things within the camp. It would hardly be a wise plan to encourage the breeding of rattlesnakes within the camp limits.”
It was nearly noon when the first batch of laborers, some American and some Mexican, returned to camp. These men started to go by the checker's hut at a distance, but keen-eyed Superintendent Hawkins saw them and ordered them around to the hut.
“You'll have to wait here until your foremen are called,” declared the checker.
“Say, what's the trouble here!” demanded one American belligerently.
CHAPTER VIII. READE MEETS A “KICKER” HALF WAY
“Who's your foreman?” asked the checker, a young fellow named Royal
“Payson—if it's any of your business.” replied the workman roughly.