“Young man, you don’t appear to understand that I am president and head of the Melliston Company.”

“I quite understand it, sir,” Reade answered.  “At the same time I am chief engineer here, and I am committed to building the breakwater and dredging out the enclosed bay or harbor, all within a certain fixed appropriation.  In order to keep my part of the bargain I must have men with me on whom I can depend to the fullest limit.  Evarts isn’t such a man and I won’t have him on the work again.”

“He’ll go on the pay-roll, anyway,” snorted Mr. Bascomb.

“I can’t help what you may see fit to pay him, Mr. Bascomb, provided you pay him somewhere else.  But the fellow can’t go on the pay-roll here for the simple reason that he wouldn’t be allowed to visit this construction camp for the purpose of getting his money.  Mr. Bascomb, I am not trying to ride a high horse.  I recognize that you are president of the company, and that I must take all reasonable orders from you and carry them out to the letter.  Yet I can’t take any orders that would simply hinder my work and damage my reputation as an engineer.  Evarts can’t come back into this camp as long as I am in charge here.”

“We’ll take that up again presently,” returned Mr. Bascomb, with an air of ruffled dignity.  “Now, there’s another matter that we must discuss.  I know what has been done in the way of great damage to the retaining wall.  I also know that this damage came through enmity that you stirred up by drumming certain parties out of this camp.”

“You refer, sir, I take it, to my act in having Blixton police officers come in here and chase out some gamblers who had come here for the purpose of winning the money of the workmen?”

“That’s it,” nodded Bascomb.  “In that matter you went too far—–­altogether too far!”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand you, sir.”

“You mean, Reade, that you don’t want to understand me,” snapped the president.  “You admit having chased out the gamblers, don’t you?”

“Of course, I admit it, sir.”

“That was a bad move.  In the future, Reade, you will not interfere with any forms of amusement that the men may select for themselves in their evening hours.”

Tom stared at the speaker in undisguised amazement.

“But, Mr. Bascomb, the men are shamelessly robbed by the sharpers who come here to gamble with them.”

“That’s the men’s own affair,” scoffed the president.  “Anyway, they have a right to pitch away their wages if they want to.  Reade, when you’re as old as I am you will understand that workmen who throw away their money make the best workmen.  They never have any savings, hence they must make every effort to keep their jobs.  A workman with savings becomes too independent.”