"Anyway, the company's officers can't blame us for trying to maintain
proper order in the camp," Hazelton insisted stoutly.

"Not if we can stop the outrages with this one explosion, perhaps," replied
Tom thoughtfully. "Yet, if there are many more tricks like this one played
on the wall you'll find that the company's officers will be blaming us all
the way up to the skies and down again. Big corporations are all right on
enforcing morality until it hits their dividends too hard. Then you'll
find that the directors will be urging us to let gambling go on again if
the laborers insist on having it."

"Well, we won't have gambling in the camp, anyway," Harry retorted
stubbornly. "We're simply looking after the interests of the men
themselves. I wonder why they can't see it, and act like men, not fools."

"We're going to stop the gambling, and keep it stopped," Tom went on, his
jaws setting firmly together. "But, Harry, we're going to have a big row
on our hands, and various attempts against the company's property will be
made."

"If the company's officers order us to let up on the gambling," proposed
Harry, "we can resign and get out of this business altogether."

"We won't resign, and we won't knuckle down to any lot of swindlers either,
Harry!" cried Tom. "Some one is fighting us, and this wreck of a sea-wall
is the first proof. All right! If any one wants to fight us he shall find
that we know how to fight back, and that we can hit hard. Harry, from this
minute on we're after those crooks, and we'll make them realize that
there's some sting to us!"