THE NIGHT IS NOT OVER
Tom winced slightly, as the pistol was discharged, for some of the powder burned his face.
Mr. Prenter, who stood beside him, had knocked up the barrel so that the bullet sped over the heads of the crowd.
In a twinkling Tom had hold of the Italian"s arm. He wrenched the pistol away, spraining the Italian"s arm. Instantly Tom "broke" the weapon, dropping the cartridges out into his pocket. Then he hurled the weapon as far as he could throw it into the shadows of the night.
"You breaka my arm!" snarled the Italian, showing his white teeth.
"Your face is next!" Tom retorted, letting his fist drive. It caught the Italian on the nose, breaking that member.
"Kill him! Kill Reade!" came the hoa.r.s.e yell on the night air.
"You"ll find it a tough job, men!" Tom called, warningly. "I won"t die easily, and I"ll take a few men along with me when I go. Now, stand out of the way! I shall consider any man an enemy who blocks my path!"
Tom hit resolutely out, at first. Soon the men crowding about him began to realize that they had taken a large contract on their hands in attempting to cow this young engineer.
Then, too, another element entered into the fight. While there were some wild and troublesome men in camp, there were also many straightforward, excellent fellows among them. There were church-going negroes there, Italians who were thrifty and law-abiding, and Portuguese who loved nothing better than law and order.
The better element among the men came thronging forward, willing and ready to fight under such excellent generalship as they knew they would find with Tom Reade.
Other men, of both stripes, came pouring forth from shanties and tents.
The yells and the shot had alarmed the foremen, who now came along on the run.
"Dill, Johnson!" Tom called, as he saw some of the foremen trying to push or punch their way through the throng. "Help me to run Evarts and this other trouble-hunter out of the camp!"
The menacing yells grew fewer and fainter as the cheers of loyal laborers rose.
The foremen seized both trouble makers and began to run them along with more skill than gentleness.
Tom ran along, keeping his glance on the enraged men of the camp, many of whom followed on the outskirts of the crowd. Harry Hazelton occupied himself in similar fashion.
"Now, you get out of this---and stay out!" ordered Foreman Dill, giving Evarts a shove that sent him spinning across the boundary line of the company"s property.
"You, too!" growled Foreman Johnson, giving the bootlegger a kick that sent him staggering along in his efforts to keep on his feet.
It was rough treatment, but Tom"s course, all through, had been of the only sort that could break down the threatened riot.
"Now, see if that Italian can be found who fired the shot in my face," Tom called. "I"ll know him if I lay eyes on him."
There was a prompt search, but the Italian could not be found.
"If he has left camp, and keeps away, perhaps he"ll be safe," Tom announced. "But, if I run across him again I"ll seize him, hold him for the officers of the law, and see to it that he"s sent to prison for attempted murder."
"Here are two men we want!" called Hazelton.
Tom ran to his chum, who was holding an American by the arm. Mr. Prenter had hold of another.
"Two more of Evarts"s bootleggers, eh?" muttered Reade. "Let me see."
On one of the men he found a bottle of liquor. On the other no liquor was discovered.
"Did Evarts pay you fellows a salary, or commission?" Tom demanded.
"Commiss---" began one of the bootleggers, then stopped himself with a vocal jerk. "Evarts? I don"t even know who he is."
"Yes, you do," chuckled Tom Reade. "You were on the point, too, of telling us that he paid you a commission on your sales, instead of a weekly wage.
Now, my men, I"ve looked you well over and shall know you again. If I find you in camp, hereafter, you"ll be dealt with in a way that you don"t like.
Savvy? Comprenay? Understand? Now---git!"
"Now, men, get back to your camp," shouted Tom. "To-morrow I"ll try to find time for a good and sociable talk with all of you. Try to enjoy your few leisure hours all you can, but remember that the men who can"t get along without liquor and gambling are the kind of men we don"t want here.
Any man who is dissatisfied can get his pay from Mr. Renshaw tonight or to-morrow morning. For those who stood by us I have every feeling of respect and grat.i.tude. Those who thought to fight us---or some of them---will have better sense by tomorrow. We don"t want to impose on any man here, but there are some things that we shall have to stop doing.
Good night, men!"
Engineers, superintendent and foremen now left the men, going towards their barracks.
"I"ve a little job for you, Peters, if you don"t mind going back into the camp," suggested Tom.
"It"s not to go back and fight, single-handed, is it?" Mr. Peters asked, with a smile.
"Nothing like it," Tom laughed. "Peters, we have plenty of really good men among our laborers, haven"t we?"
"Scores and scores of "em, sir---among all three kinds of the men, negroes, Italians and Portuguese."
"I wish you would go back, then, and pick out two of each race---six men in all. They must be honest, staunch and able to hold their tongues."
"Do you want them for fighting, sir?" asked Peters.
"Not a bit of a fight in it. I want them to use their eyes and report to me."
"Going to employ spotters on the camp?" asked Mr. Prenter, quickly.
"Not a single spot!" Tom declared with emphasis. "I haven"t any use for information turned in by spotters."
"I"m glad to hear you say that, Reade," nodded the treasurer.
"What I want the men for, Peters, is something honest and manly, and with no fighting in it," Tom continued. "I want information, and I"ll pay the man well who can bring it to me. Now, go and get your six men. Bring them up to the house within half an hour."
Nodding, Peters turned and strode back.
When the others gained the house where the engineers and superintendent lived the foremen took leave of their chiefs.
As Tom, Harry and Mr. Prenter went up the steps to the porch the front door opened to let out Mr. Bas...o...b..
"Is that revolting row all over?" demanded the president of the Melliston Company.
"What row?" asked Mr. Prenter, innocently.