The council sent the mother and son away with the assurance of immediate action.
The court adjourned and Norman started with Barbara at once to find Tom. Faithful to his new calling he had strolled up the beach with a man who once had been his partner as a prospector and miner. Joe Weatherby had been drinking heavily the week before and Tom had keenly felt the disgrace his old partner had brought on the Brotherhood by his rudeness in the dining-room.
Joe had thrown a plate of soup in the face of a boy who was making facetious remarks about his capacity for strong drink. When rebuked by his neighbours he had accentuated his displeasure by overturning the table and smashing every dish on it. He ended the affair by roundly cursing the Brotherhood for its rules and regulations interfering with his personal liberty, threw his pack on his back, and struck the trail for the mountains to prospect for gold.
He had just returned, after a week's absence, and Tom seized the opportunity to invite Joe to take a walk with him.
Knowing the character of the two men, Norman felt quite sure this walk could not possibly have the usual happy ending that attended so many of these performances.
He quickened his pace.
"Hurry, or we may have a funeral for our next function," he cried, with a laugh.
A quarter of a mile up the beach the sound of loud angry words suddenly struck their ears from behind a pile of huge boulders.
"Quick, we're just in time!" Barbara cried, "they've begun to quarrel."
They cautiously approached the boulders and climbed to the top of the larger one overlooking the scene Tom had evidently chosen for his debate with Joe.