"Well, he wants us to work an hour a day extra." "Yes, you could do that," put in Phebe again in a quick voice, feeling relieved at this easy way out of the difficulty. "Yes; but what is he willing to pay us? We work ten hours a day now, and a long day it is at that heavy work, and to put another hour a day on to it without anything extra is what the lads won't stand." "Do you mean to say he wants you to work that hour for nothing? There must be some mistake!" exclaimed Phebe. "Oh, yes,--don't make a mistake,--he will pay us the usual money, of course, but the lads say that is not fair, if we work extra when we're tired he ought to pay us extra, specially when it's to get him out of a mess, and--my! he'll make a lot of money out of it too! And what I don't like," continued Jim, sinking his voice, "the fellows sneer at him so; they say he's been harder than ever since he's been a bit religious. 'That's what your religion does for a man!--makes him a bigger sneak than ever.' That's how they talk." Phebe was silent. If the men did talk like that, then it _was_ her duty to go and speak to Hugh Black. "And there is something worse still for you to hear," continued Jim. "Mr. Black says if the lads throw the job up, he shall put on a gang of Irishmen, and the fellows say if he does, they will never let them do any work, and there's sure to be bloodshed!" Another silence. Certainly if she could prevent bloodshed it was her duty to do so! And it seemed to her, too, that the men's claim was a just one; if they were willing to help Hugh Black out of his difficulty he ought to be willing to pay them something extra. "Are you willing for me to tell Mr. Black all you have just said?" "Will you go, then?" asked Jim eagerly. "Why, yes; how could I refuse?" The words came but very slowly. "There now!" exclaimed Jim excitedly, slapping his hands vigorously on his knees. "There, I said you would, and the lads bet all manner of things you wouldn't; they even said you wouldn't because you couldn't afford to offend Mr. Black. But I told them to wait and see." Phebe only answered: "Can you tell me exactly what the men would like Mr. Black to do?" "Yes, I could, but I wonder----" "Do not hesitate to speak out anything that is in your heart. But I wonder if I could guess what it is you wish to ask me to do! Is it to go and have a talk to the men first?" "It is!" exclaimed Jim, more excited than ever. "How could you know what was in my mind?" "Oh, very easily," replied Phebe, laughing. "I know what the lads want, and you are welcome to tell Mr. Black all I've said; but it will be a heap better if you will talk to the men theirselves." "Would they be willing for me to be their spokesman to Mr. Black, do you suppose?" "Why, of course I am. They'd only be too proud if you would." "When could I see them?" "They have a meeting to-night----" Again he hesitated, feeling he was asking so much.