"His intentions were all right," interposed Mr. Blaisdell, "he was over-zealous, that was all." "Intentions be damned!" said Mr. Rivers, angrily, "he was altogether too officious, and I won't have it; people in my employ have to know their place and keep it." "That is all very well," said Houston, in cutting tones, "but I will not ask you, Mr. Rivers, or any one connected with this company, to tell me my place." "What!" exclaimed Rivers in a rage, "let me tell you, young man, it is to your interest to be a little careful." "Is it?" answered Houston scornfully; "Mr. Rivers," he added, advancing toward that gentleman, "why don't you discharge me? Wouldn't that be to your interest?" Mr. Rivers saw he had gone too far; "No," he answered quickly, though sullenly, "we have said nothing about discharging you; you are too efficient a man for us to lose." "No, Houston," added Mr. Blaisdell, "we wouldn't think of discharging you, you're too good a man." "No, I'm not too good a man," replied Houston, facing them both with a look which they understood; "you don't discharge me simply because,--you don't dare to!" and he emphasized the last words with a heavy blow upon a rude desk standing near. Blaisdell and Rivers exchanged glances, and for a moment were speechless. The former was the first to recover himself. "Come, Houston," he said, in a conciliatory tone, "we won't have any more words; we all understand one another pretty well, and there'll be no more complaints or trouble. You go on pretty much as you have done, and it will be all right. It's time we were getting back now, but I'll be out here next week with Barden, and we'll fix things up satisfactory all 'round." "When will he get here?" asked Houston. "The latter part of next week." Houston thought an instant, his party would be there the first or middle of the week. "Very well," he replied, "I tender my resignation now, to take effect when he comes." "Oh, no, Houston, no indeed, why, we couldn't think of such a thing," said Blaisdell, really alarmed, while Rivers maintained a sullen silence. "I am not particularly anxious to hold this position, I can assure you; there is very little in it but hard work." "Oh, well, well, you stay by us a while longer, and we'll take you into the company yet." "No," said Houston, "it would be no use taking me into the company, I wouldn't know my place, or keep it," and with that parting shot, he turned and left them. "Blaisdell," said Rivers, his face relaxing for a moment into a grim smile, "it's just as I told you, your smart young man is too smart for you. It's my opinion we've caught a tartar;--we're afraid to keep him, and we don't dare let him go." CHAPTER XL. As Houston, on the following morning, in the execution of his daily round of duties, happened to be passing the Yankee Boy mine, his attention was arrested by a quantity of powder deposited near the mouth of the shaft, which the workmen were preparing to take below.