"What do you mean, you young whelp?" demanded Cavard. "You came here to-night to make trouble. You wanted to break up the meeting, but your plan didn't work, did it?"
"You are mistaken, sir; I wanted to do nothing of the sort."
"You did; you know you did. You had it all fixed to be put in as secretary and——"
"If there was any fixing, Mr. Cavard, it was not on my side of the house," retorted Rush sharply.
"Do you mean to insinuate that I——"
"Oh, no; I am not insinuating. I was merely stating a fact."
The Duke's face was distorted with rage. He was making a great effort to control himself, but was only partially successful. It was not advisable to have an open rupture with Steve, for the latter might do his cause serious harm, considering the boy's influence over the miners, which appeared to be almost equal to that of the walking delegate and president of the union.
"You are a traitor to the union!"
"Be careful, sir," warned the lad.
"See here, Mister Man, don't you go to handing out any loose language around here," spoke up Bob Jarvis in a belligerent tone. "We don't stand for any of that kind of talk, you know."