"I was just looking over the boards as a matter of curiosity." "Oh, you were, eh?" "Yes." "Well, folks' curiosity sometimes gits them into trouble," sneered the tally-man. "There is no harm in my looking at the boards, is there?" demanded Steve, raising his voice ever so little. "Git out of here! Git out, I say! If ever I catch you fooling around these boards I'll trim you so you won't forget it," growled Marvin. Steve stepped back. Perhaps he had no business there, but he resented the manner in which the information was delivered to him. "I do not think it will be well for you to lay hands on me," he retorted. "What's that?" "If you don't hear well, I'll shout. I don't think it will be well for you to lay hands on me." The tally-man strode across the planking and stood threateningly over the lad, who had reseated himself on the bench. "Git off this platform!" "Oh, no, you don't. I have as much right here as you have. You can't drive me away from here, my friend. I'll stand on my rights here. This is the place where I'm going to stick until the whistle blows to go to work. If you think I am not going to do so, just try to put me off." Rush's jaw assumed a stubborn set. The man and the boy eyed each other for a moment; then Marvin turned on his heel and walked away. Steve grinned appreciatively. "I guess I had better look out for him. He surely has it in for me now." The whistle blew soon after, and work was resumed. Steve, during the afternoon, was too busy to pay much attention to the tally-boards, for the cars were coming fast, additional motors having been sent out to take care of the rush. But every time the lad glanced toward the boards he found Marvin watching him narrowly. Once the lad observed something that set him to thinking harder than ever. After that he paid no further attention to Marvin, nor to Marvin's work. When the whistle blew at six o'clock Rush picked up his dinner pail and made his way to the shaft, and a few minutes later had been hoisted to the surface by the cage. He waited at the mouth of the shaft until Jarvis came up, when the two boys started for home together. "How did you get along on the Spooner contract?" questioned Rush, with a quizzical smile. "Never did such a day's work in my life! That fellow is a slave driver." "He is all of that," agreed Steve. "Have any words with him?" "Nothing of consequence. I threatened to break his head with a shovel once--that's all." "I should think once would be enough," replied Steve, laughing softly. "Don't let him run over you, but keep your hands off him. It's a pretty serious thing to have an argument with one's superior, even if he _is_ a brutal contract boss." "I'm surprised that they have a fellow like that in the mines." "He gets out the ore, that's why," answered Rush. "And, by the way, I want to talk over something with you after supper to-night." "You have something on your mind, eh?"