ure of that. Did you know what they were going to do?"

"I had a mighty strong s'picion."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Then I'd got a thumping. I wanted you to hurry out with me?"

By this time the work had begun, and the noise was so great that
conversation could be indulged in only at the expense of considerable
shouting. Fred's hands, sore from the previous day's labor, were cut
anew in many places, and more than one piece of slate was marked with
his blood as he threw it among the refuse.

The "gang," as Fred termed his enemies, gave no sign of carrying the
threat previously made into execution. The watchful eyes of the breaker
boss prevented them from idling, and nothing occurred to arouse the new
boy's suspicions until just before the noon-day whistle sounded, when a
piece of board, thrown while Donovan was not looking, fell at Fred's
feet.

At first he believed the intention was to hit him with the missile; but
when the stream of coal ceased to flow through the chute, Chunky said as
he picked up the board:

"The warnin' has come."

"What do you mean by that?"

For reply Chunky handed his mate the piece of lumber on which was
printed in scrawling characters with red chalk:

"PAy OR SkiP.
WE MEAN BiSNEss.
No SNEAkS LoWED HEAR.
ToNiTE iS THE LASt CHANcE.
THE BREAkER REGulATERs."

"So they call themselves regulators, eh?" Fred said, half to himself, as
he deciphered the message after considerable difficulty.

"That's some of Skip's doings. He's started a reg'lar s'ciety, an'
fellers what don't join have to step round mighty lively sometimes."

"Do you belong?"

Chunkey hesitated an instant as if ashamed of the fact, and then
replied:

"It don't pay to keep out, 'cause they run things to suit therselves,
an' a feller can't hold his job very long when they're down on him."

"According to that I shan't be here a great while unless this command is
obeyed?"

"That's what I'm afraid of. Why not come up with a little treat, an'
settle the whole thing that way? You can't do anything by fightin', for
there are so many."

Fred hesitated an instant as if considering the matter, and then replied
angrily:

"I won't be forced into anything of the kind! If you belong to the gang
tell them that I shall protect myself the best I know how, and somebody
will get hurt when there's another row."

Chunky had an opportunity to repeat the message at once, for Fred had
but just ceased speakin