“Well, chaps,” said Payne, when Erb, in one long, ornate sentence had given the information, “this is a little bit of all right. I think I’m speaking the general opinion when I say we’re very much indebted to Erb for all the trouble he’s took.” “Hear, hear!” said the men cheerfully. “I could see from the first,” remarked the eldest carman, “that he meant to pull it off for us.” “The occasion being special,” said Payne, bunching his short, red beard in one hand, “I think we might all of us treat ourselves to a tonic.” “Not me,” said Erb. “I’ve got to get back just to say a few words to the gov’nor. But don’t let me stop you chaps from ’aving one.” “You won’t!” remarked Payne with candour. The conversation at the telephone was still going on when Erb returned to the Chief’s office; some time having been occupied, apparently, with the usual preliminaries of one party begging the other to speak up, and the other urging on the first the advisability of seeking some remedy for increasing deafness. The Chief rang off presently, and came to the door and opened it. “Sorry to keep you waiting, Barnes.” “Was there anything else you wanted to say, sir?” “Only this. I told you there was one exception in this scheme of increases.” “Everitt is a bit too fond of the glass, sir, but p’raps a word of warning from you—” “Everitt drinks, but Everitt does his work quietly, and he doesn’t disturb the other men. The one exception, Barnes, is yourself.” “Me?” exclaimed Erb. “It’s like this,” said the Chief, going on with the work of plucking a quill pen. “You’re a restless organiser, and no doubt somewhere in the world there is a place for you. But not here, Barnes, not here! Of course, we don’t want to sack you, but if you don’t mind looking out for another berth—No hurry, you know, next week will do—why—” The Chief threw down the stark quill pen; intimation that the conference was at an end. “I’m not the first martyr that’s suffered in the cause of right and justice,” said Erb, his face white, “and I’m probably not the last. I take this as a distinct encouragement, sir, to go on in the path that Fate has mapped out for me, ever striving, I trust, not so much to improve my own personal position, as to better—” “Shut the door after you,” said the Chief, “and close it quietly, there’s a good chap.” CHAPTER III