ts. And it was not so much that he had failed to be of service
to the company, as that he had failed to push himself forward, that
caused Caldwell to regard him with easy contempt.

On his side, Roddy considered Caldwell the bribe-giver and keeper of
the corruption fund for the company, and, as such, beneath his royal
notice. It therefore followed that in his present position of brief
authority over Roddy, Caldwell found a certain enjoyment. This he
concealed beneath the busy air of a man of affairs.

"I have a cable here from your father, Roddy," he began briskly.
"Translated, the part that refers to you reads, 'Tell Forrester take
orders from you or leave service company. If refuses, furnish return
passage, month's wages.'"

After a pause, Roddy said: "I take it that is in answer to a cable
from you."

"Exactly," assented Caldwell. "I informed your father you were
insubordinate to my authority, and that I had been reliably informed
you were hostile to our interests. What you do as an individual
doesn't count for much, but as the son of your father, apparently down
here at least, it does. Why you made that play at me last night I
don't know, and I haven't time to find out. I am not here to teach you
manners. But when you butt in and interfere with the business of the
company I must take notice. You've either got to stop working against
us, or go home. Which do you want to do? And before you answer,"
Caldwell added, "you ought to know that, as it is, you don't stand
very high at headquarters. When your father got word you'd been
fighting Vega, our friend, in defense of Alvarez, the man that's
robbing us, that's giving us all this trouble, he was naturally pretty
hot. He said to me: 'Roddy isn't down there to mix up in politics, but
if he does, he must mix up on our side. I can't take money from the
company to support my son, or any one else, who is against it.' That's
what your father said to me. Now, as I understand it, although it is
none of my business, you are dependent on him, and I advise----"

"As you say," interrupted Roddy, "it's none of your business. The
other proposition," he went on, "that I can't take money from the
company and work _against_ it, is fair enough. What you call my work
against it was begun before I knew it was in any way opposed to the
company's interests. Now that I do know, I quite agree that either I
must give up my outside job or quit working for you." Roddy reached to
the shoulder