The superintendent was a large man, six feet tall, big, broad and powerful, but good nature shone from his round, full face, and his eyes always appeared to be sparkling with laughter. For all of that, Mr. Penton was a strict disciplinarian, as a number of those who had worked under him had reason to know. "Who was the young man with whom I saw you shaking hands in front?" was the superintendent's first question. "Bob Jarvis, sir. He is my roommate." "Oh, is that so?" "Yes, sir." "How long have you been rooming together?" "Since Saturday." "Indeed. This is somewhat surprising. But, Rush, what has happened to you? You look as if you had been through an ore grinder." Steve flushed, then straightened up, eyeing the superintendent steadily. "I have been in a fight, sir. I had a little disagreement, but it is all right now." "My lad, did you not know that it was against the rules of the company to fight?" "I did not at the time." "With whom did you fight?" "Must I answer that question, sir?" "Yes." "I fought with Bob Jarvis," replied the lad, after slight hesitation. "Who started the fight?" "I guess I was the one most to blame." The superintendent already knew all about the matter. He well knew who had started the fight and why, and he knew also of the warm friendship that had sprung up between the two boys since the battle; but Mr. Penton was a shrewd man--one who judged men with almost unerring instinct. He was drawing Steve out to verify his own impressions. "And you two are rooming together now?" "Yes, sir. We are friends now. There will be no more trouble between us. As a matter of fact, our little battle was an entirely friendly one." The superintendent leaned back, laughing heartily. His plump sides shook with merriment, while Steve sat calm and respectful, his eyes fixed on the face of his employer. "You are quite sure that you two will not fight again, are you?" questioned Mr. Penton, after regaining his equanimity. "Oh, yes, sir." "Who won the fight?" "Neither of us, sir, though Bob gave me about all I wanted." "And I understand that you gave him a little more than he wanted. Now, Rush, let me give you a piece of advice. Never indulge in fights, unless in self-defence, in defence of the company's property or to save another person. We have a rough element in the mines. Naturally that cannot be wholly avoided, especially among the foreigners, though many of them are self-respecting citizens. It requires a strong man to cope with them and every executive must be equal to the task, but we cannot tolerate any rows except for the reasons mentioned." "I understand, sir. I think you can trust me." "I am sure of that. I want to see you get ahead. You are both fine boys. You have the making of men worth while--in other words, you are 'live ones,' and this company is always in the market for just that kind of material." "Thank you, sir." Steve's face glowed happily.