"Got work on your job for a couple more men?" asked Pete after the first words had been spoken.
"Hello! You haven't been fired?"
"That's it," answered Pete; and Barry nodded.
"Foley's work, I suppose?"
"Sure. Foley put Jake Henderson up to it. Oh, Jake makes a hot foreman! Driscoll ought to pay him ten a day to keep off the job. Jake complained against us an' got us fired. Said we didn't know our business."
"Well, it's only for another week, boys," Tom cheered them.
"If you think that then you've had better luck with the men than me 'n' Barry has," Pete declared in disgust. "They're a bunch o' old maids! Foley's too good for 'em. I don't see why we should try to force 'em to take somethin' better." The whole blankety-blanked outfit had Pete's permission to go where they didn't need a forge to heat their rivets.
"You don't understand 'em, Pete," returned Tom. "They've got to think first of all of how to earn a living for their families. Of course they're going to hesitate to do anything that will endanger their chance to earn a living. And you seem to forget that we've only got to get one man in five to win out."
"An' we've got to get him!" said Barry, almost fiercely.
"D'you think there's much danger of your losin', Tom?" Mrs. Barry queried anxiously.