"I will talk with you while I look over my mail and telegrams. Rush, you look as if you had been pretty roughly handled."
Rush colored.
"I guess I must have been."
"But we gave them something to remember us by," retorted Jarvis. "There are some sore heads in that crowd to-day. I saw a few of them on our way here this morning."
"Rush, I want to thank you for your efforts in our behalf. It was a brave thing to do, in the face of the excitement of the men. The company will not forget what both of you have done. It is unnecessary for me to ask whether you two are going to stand by the company."
"No, sir; it should not be necessary for you to ask. There never was a moment when there was any doubt about it. Are you going to operate the mines just the same, if I may ask?"
"Yes," answered Mr. Carrhart, after brief reflection. "Of course we shall not be able to get out much ore, but we shall do the best we can to show the men that we are independent."
"When do you wish us to go to work?"
"Probably at one this afternoon, though this depends upon whether the superintendent is able to operate the machinery. I hear you have doubts of the honesty of the man Cavard. What do you know about him?"
"Not very much, sir. I know that he did a very crooked thing in mailing most of his notifications for a meeting after the meeting had taken place. Evidently he had privately notified those whom he wished to be present."