"Just how do I go about this?--I mean, what system do you--"

"Jim!" roared Mr. Bates, throwing down his pen, "show this con--show
Mr. Cameron how to file these letters! Just like these blank old-country
chumps!" added Mr. Bates, in a lower voice, but loud enough to be
distinctly heard.

Jim came up with a smile of patronising pity on his face. It was the
smile that touched to life the mass of combustible material that had
been accumulating for the last hour in Cameron's soul. Instead of
following the boy, he turned with a swift movement back to the manager's
desk, laid his sheaf of letters down on Mr. Bates' papers, and, leaning
over the desk, towards that gentleman, said:

"Did you mean that remark to apply to me?" His voice was very quiet.
But Mr. Bates started back with a quick movement from the white face and
burning eyes.

"Here, you get out of this!" he cried.

"Because," continued Cameron, "if you did, I must ask you to apologise
at once."

All smiles vanished from the office staff, even Jimmy's face assumed a
serious aspect. Mr. Bates pushed back his chair.

"A-po-pologise!" he sputtered. "Get out of this office, d'ye hear?"

"Be quick!" said Cameron, his hands gripping Mr. Bates' desk till it
shook.

"Jimmy! Call a policeman!" cried Mr. Bates, rising from his chair.

He was too slow. Cameron reached swiftly for his collar, and with one
fierce wrench swept Mr. Bates clear over the top of his desk, shook him
till his head wobbled dangerously, and flung him crashing across the
desk and upon the prostrate form of the lanky youth sitting behind it.

"Call a policeman! Call a policeman!" shouted Mr. Bates, who was
struggling meantime with the lanky youth to regain an upright position.

Cameron, meanwhile, walked quietly to where his coat and cap hung.

"Hold him, somebody! Hold him!" shouted Mr. Bates, hurrying towards him.

Cameron turned fiercely upon him.

"Did you want me, Sir?" he inquired.

Mr. Bates arrested himself with such violence that his feet slid from
under him, and once more he came sitting upon the floor.

"Get up!" said Cameron, "and listen to me!"

Mr. Bates rose, and stood, white and trembling.

"I may not know much about your Canadian ways of business, but I believe
I can teach you some old-country manners. You have treated me this
morning like the despicable bully that you are. Perhaps you will treat
the next old-country man with the decency that is coming to him, even if