"And I don't intend to. If any of them try to make me it'll go hard with them."
At this point the machinery was started, the stream of coal and slate began to flow through the chute, and the breaker boys were forced to attend to their work.
Several times during the morning Donovan spoke to Fred as he passed, and at twelve o'clock, when all hands were indulging in the forty minutes "nooning," and Chunky had crossed over to speak with Skip, the breaker boss ate his lunch by the new boy's side.
"You didn't come back again last night," he said.
"No, sir. After Brace got away from the mob he and Sam went home with me. We didn't think you'd need us when the trouble was nearly settled."
"Neither did we. As soon as the men found their senses Mr. Wright brought a lot of them up here, an' we soon got rid of Billings' friends."
"Had they begun to dig a tunnel?"
"Bless you, yes, an' were within a dozen feet of Bill Thomas' party when we found them. If the row had lasted two hours longer we couldn't be workin' here to-day, an' some of the boys would be under water."
"Do you think the whole matter is finished?"
"Yes, so far as the majority of the men are concerned; but Billings swears he won't be driven out of town, an' he may manage to do more mischief."