“You'll have to go up there,” was the reply.
“You say the facts are known to the men. Give me the names of some of them.”
“I have no authority to give their names, Mr. Parker.”
“What authority do you need? They will tell me, won't they?”
“They may, and they may not. One man has already lost his job; not every man cares to lose his job.”
“You expect me to go up there on your bare say-so?”
“I offer you more than my say-so. I offer an affidavit.”
“But what do I know about you?”
“You know that I worked in North Valley—or you can verify the fact by using the telephone. My name is Joe Smith, and I was a miner's helper in Number Two.”
But that was not sufficient, said Mr. Parker; his time was valuable, and before he took a trip to North Valley he must have the names of witnesses who would corroborate these statements.