“Strike talk,” said the train-master.  “Every man on both divisions wants to know what’s doing.  Got your newspaper string tied up all right?”

Kent made a sign of assent.

“We are waiting for Mr. Patrick Callahan.  Any news from him?”

“Plenty of it.  Patsy would have a story to tell, all right, if he could stop to put it on the wires.  Durgan ought to have caught that blamed right-of-way man and chloroformed him.”

“I found him messing, as I ’phoned you.  Anything come of it?”

“Nothing fatal, I guess, since Patsy is still humping along.  But Hawk’s next biff was more to the purpose.  He came down here with Halkett’s chief clerk, whom he had hauled out of bed, and two policemen.  The plan was to fire Donohue and me, and put Bicknell in charge.  It might have worked if Bicknell’d had the sand.  But he weakened at the last minute; admitted that he wasn’t big enough to handle the despatcher’s trick.  The way Hawk cursed him out was a caution to sinners.”

“When was this?” Kent asked.

“Just a few minutes ago.  Hawk went off ripping; swore he would find somebody who wasn’t afraid to take the wires.  And, between us three, I’m scared stiff for fear he will.”

“Can it be done?”

“Dead easy, if he knows how to go about it—­and Bicknell will tell him.  The Overland people don’t love us any too well, and if they did, the lease deal would make them side with Guilford and the governor.  If Hawk asks them to lend him a train despatcher for a few minutes, they’ll do it.”

“But the union?” Kent objected.

“They have three or four non-union men.”

“Still, Hawk has no right to discharge you.”

“Bicknell has.  He is Halkett’s representative, and——­”

The door opened suddenly and Hawk danced in, followed by a man bareheaded and in his shirt-sleeves, the superintendent’s chief clerk, and the two officers.

“Now, then, we’ll trouble you and your man to get out of here, Mr. M’Tosh,” said the captain of the junto forces, vindictively.

But the train-master was of those who die hard.  He protested vigorously, addressing himself to Bicknell and ignoring the ex-district attorney as if he were not.  He, McTosh, was willing to surrender the office on an official order in writing over the chief clerk’s signature.  But did Bicknell fully understand what it might mean in loss of life and property to put a new man on the wires at a moment’s notice?

Bicknell would have weakened again, but Hawk was not to be frustrated a second time.

“Don’t you see he is only sparring to gain time?” he snapped at Bicknell.  Then to M’Tosh:  “Get out of here, and do it quick!  And you can go, too,” wheeling suddenly upon Kent.

Donohue had taken no part in the conflict of authority.  But now he threw down his pen and clicked his key to cut in with the “G.S.,” which claims the wire instantly.  Then distinctly, and a word at a time so that the slowest operator on the line could get it, he spelled out the message:  “All Agents:  Stop and hold all trains except first and second fast mail, west-bound.  M’Tosh fired, and office in hands of police——­”