"

"No. I never even saw one of your crowd until I came to work this
morning."

"What of that?"

"It shows there can be no account between us."

"You're makin' a big mistake, young feller. Ain't this your first day in
the breaker?"

"Of course it is."

"Then what about payin' your footing?"

"My footing?"

"Every feller who comes here has got to make things square with us by
standin' treat."

"Well I'm one who can't do it."

"Oh, yes you can," and here the bully looked at his companions, who
echoed his words, crowding yet closer around Fred, until it was
literally impossible for him to make the slightest movement.

"I haven't got a penny, and what I earn is for mother."

"You can get an advance at the store."

"Do you suppose I'll run in debt for the purpose of treating you?"

"That's about the size of it."

"Then you're making a big mistake, for I won't do anything of the kind,"
and Fred made one desperate attempt to force his way through the crowd.

"Look out for him!" the leader shouted, as he struck Fred a blow on the
cheek which would have sent him headlong but for the others who acted as
a sort of brace.

The new breaker boy was not disposed to submit tamely, and struck out
blindly but vigorously drawing blood from more than one nose before
borne to the earth by press of numbers.

While he was thus helpless every fellow who could get near enough dealt
him one or more blows, and not until they were tired of the sport did
the young ruffians cease.

"Now let up," the leader cried, in a tone of authority. "He's had a dose
that shows what we can do, an' will git it ten times as bad to-morrer,
if he don't come down with the treat."

The disciplining party ran swiftly toward the settlement when these
words had been spoken, probably because a dozen or more miners were
approaching, and Fred was left to make his way home as best he could.

He had just staggered to his feet when the men arrived upon the scene;
but no one paid any particular attention to him, save as one miner
remarked with a laugh:

"I reckon here's a lad who didn't know the rules; but it won't take him
long to find them out."

Fred was too sore both in mind and body to make any retort, and he
limped down the road believing this first attempt to earn a living was
already a dismal failure.

He would have kept the story of the attack a secret from his mother, but
for the marks of the conflict which could not be hidden, and when