"Well?"
"I hear you folks are in a hurry, Mr. Bannon?"
"Yes."
"And that you'll spend anything it costs to get through on time. How'd it suit you to have all your laborers strike about now? Don't that idea make you sick?"
"Pretty near."
"Well, they will strike inside two days."
"What for? Suppose we settle with them direct."
"Just try that," said Grady, with withering sarcasm. "Just try that and see how it works."
"I don't want to. I only wanted to hear you confess that you are a rascal."
"You'll pay dear for giving me that name. But we come to that later. Do you think it would be worth something to the men who hire you for a dirty slave-driver to be protected against a strike? Wouldn't they be willing to pay a round sum to get this work done on time? Take a minute to think about it. Be careful how you tell me they wouldn't. You're not liked here, Mr. Bannon, by anybody—"