"I do not think there is any mistake, sir. I know a bad boy or a bad man when I see him. These boys are the limit. Why, sir, I hear they made an attack on Kalinski on the street last night, beating him nearly to death." Mr. Keating looked grave. "Lies!" muttered Ignatz. "Young man, do you know where Rush and Jarvis are?" Ignatz nodded. "Boys go work in Stevens' mills by Monday," volunteered the Pole. "Can you fetch them here at once?" "Yes." "Then do so. You need not say what I want of them. Simply that they are wanted at the office of the superintendent immediately." Ignatz was out of the office on the run. He burst into the house, waving his arms. "Come by superintendent, quick!" he shouted, dancing about excitedly. CHAPTER XIII FACING THEIR ACCUSERS "What--what for?" demanded Rush. "Yes, what does he want with us?" questioned Jarvis, gazing with suspicion upon the boy. "Him want to see Iron Boys. Come quick." "Are you sure, Ignatz?" asked Rush. "Yes, superintendent him wait by the office." "But why does he wish to see us?" "I not tell. Him say I mustn't." The Iron Boys laughed at this. "I guess it is all right, Bob. Our friend has given himself away. I shouldn't be surprised, however, if Mr. Keating were sending for us to express his disappointment at our failure to make good. When did he return from his trip, Ignatz?" "Last night." "You seem pretty well posted," laughed Rush, bending a keen glance on the excited face of the boy. "Very well; we will go with you, although I rather dislike to do it. It seems as though we were begging to be taken back, whereas we know that such is not the case." On the way to the office of the mining company Steve sought to draw out Brodsky as to the causes that had led up to Mr. Keating's sending for them, but Ignatz was as uncommunicative as a Chinaman. He appeared almost idiotic in his ignorance. This brought a smile to the face of Steve. He knew the Pole had had some hand in the affair, and Steve shrewdly suspected that the boy was directly responsible for the summons they had just received. However, he pressed his inquiry no further. They would soon know, for they were ascending the steps to the office building. Rush entered the reception office, sent in his name and was bidden to enter. This he did, followed by Jarvis, and, bringing up the rear, was Ignatz Brodsky. "How do you do, lads?" greeted the superintendent cordially. "Will you be seated?" Mr. McNaughton, at the first glance, was somewhat taken aback. Here were two well-dressed, gentlemanly young men. The boys whom he had discharged had been clad in their rough working clothes, hair unkempt and faces streaked with the soot of the mills. There was honesty and manliness in both faces now, though the face of Bob Jarvis was considerably the worse for wear, between his late accident and his battle with Kalinski. The lads seated themselves as requested by the superintendent.