t.

3. The cannery to agree to pay all fines, state and
federal, for any violation of fishing or navigation
laws.

4. The cannery to agree, under bonds, to hire no men who
are not members of the fishermen's union.

Gregory looked up to meet Mascola's dark eyes regarding him intently.

"That is all," said the Italian boss.

"It's enough," commented Gregory tersely, striving to hold his temper in
check at the impudence of Mascola's proposal. Any one of the four
clauses he realized would be amply sufficient to throw him into
bankruptcy. The first would place him in the hands of his local
competitor, a Slavonian. The last would deliver all that was left to the
fisherman's union, also foreigners. By the second clause his property
would be placed in jeopardy to protect the carelessness or incompetence
of others, aliens all. And the third, Gregory did not clearly
understand. To satisfy his curiosity he asked:

"What do you mean by the cannery agreeing to pay the fines?"

Mascola smiled pityingly, exposing a fine set of even teeth.

"You are a stranger here. I forgot. So you do not know that it is
necessary for fishermen to break the law sometimes to get fish. The
canneries must have them. They ask no questions. If we can get them
without breaking the laws it is so much the better. But sometimes when
you have steam up you want fish very bad. Then you say, Mascola, I must
have fish. Well, I get them for you. There are always fish to be caught
in some way or other. They are worth a good deal to you at such a time.
Why should you not pay for the extra risk we run in getting them?"

It was Gregory's turn to smile.

"Rather ingenious," he commented. "Do you find it necessary to go to
such extremes often?"

Mascola sensed the sarcasm. A faint flush crept to his dark cheeks. He
began to suspect that the young man was not taking either him or his
proposition seriously. Perhaps he had said too much. He answered the
question with one word.

"No."

Gregory studied Mascola's face and his smile faded. His irritation at
the Italian's entrance had at first given place to amusement at the
absurdity of the man's proposal. Now came again the feeling of dislike
which had assailed him on the occasion of his first meeting with
Mascola.

"Mascola," he said, "I'll keep your proposition in mind. That is just
about all I ever will do with it, I guess, though I'll talk it over with
Blair."

The Italian frowned at