go look for yourself, Sir Engineer," he shouted; "on the kettle, in
the table all about and you see whatta I feed to those beasts when I try
to satisfy."

The men retorted in shrill chorus leaping about and gesticulating till
their joints snapped.

Parker resolutely pushed through the throng without trying to understand
what they were saying to him and slammed the door in the faces of the
few who attempted to crowd in with him. Those who anxiously peered
through the windows saw him examine the food set out on the table for
the noon meal, lift the covers from the stew pans on the rusty stove and
then pass into the little building behind the main camp. The great stone
ovens for the bread-baking were located there.

When at last he came out he faced them with grim visage, squared the
shoulders that had borne many a football assault and called to Dominick.

"Go inside," he said, "and coax those two helpers of yours out of those
ovens. They couldn't understand my Italian. Tell them that they are
safe. Let the padrone through, men! Do you hear?"

The crowd sullenly parted and Dominick trotted up the lane they left,
hastening with apprehensive shruggings of his shoulders.

"Go about your work," said Parker, clutching his arm a moment as the
padrone hastened past. "I can see it isn't your fault this time."

"Now, men," he cried, turning to the throng, "few words and short so
that you may all understand. Dominick's dinner is good. Good as any
in the line boarding camps. I'm going to eat here. You come in and eat
too."

A mumbling began among them and immediately it swelled into a jabbering
chorus as the few who understood translated his words to the others.

He leaped down off the muddy stoop and strode among them, cuffing this
one and that of those malcontents who were noisiest.

"That young man certainly understands dago nature," muttered Searles to
the other engineer. "A club, good grit and a hard fist will drive them
when a machine gun wouldn't."

"I stood up for you when you were not used right," shouted the young
man. "He has given you what I told him to give you--what you asked for.
Go in there and get it."

He knew who the ring-leaders in the mutiny were and he drove those into
the camp first. The others followed. In five minutes they were all at
their places at table munching quietly. Another man, even with equal
determination, might have not succeeded. But the greediest grumbler
among them understood that