ceeded as well as they did. They've destroyed that
film, and it would have been mighty useful as evidence against them,
let me tell you!"

"Is there no duplicate?"

"I'm afraid not. But we'll try, anyway. There's no harm in that."

CHAPTER XIV

A FOOLISH STRIKE

The next morning Jack Danby, arriving at the factory, found Pete Stubbs
already there, for it was his duty that week to arrive a little in
advance of the rest of the boys, and open up. He was wearing a glum
face.

"Gee, Jack, here's a peck of trouble," he said. "I got down here and
found that Mr. Simms, the big boss, and Mr. Carew, the manager, had
been here since five o'clock."

"What's wrong, Pete?"

"I dunno, for sure, Jack, but I heard somethin' bein' said about a
strike. And there ain't a man here yet!"

"Well, we're not on strike, Pete. I guess we'd better get busy and do
our work just as if there wasn't anything wrong. Then _we'll_ be all
right, anyhow."

They were busy for a few minutes, as the other office boys and the
clerks began to appear.

"Keep quiet about anything you know or suspect, Pete," said Jack,
warningly, as the rooms began to fill up. "It's all right to tell me,
but you'd better let the others hear anything there is to be known from
Mr. Carew. He'll tell us all, probably, when he gets ready."

But the morning was well advanced before the conference in Mr. Carew's
room was over. There was an unusual silence about the big factory.
None of the machinery was running, which was sufficiently out of the
ordinary to excite a lot of talk and gossip, although Pete gave out
none of the information with which he was almost bursting. Finally,
however, Mr. Carew came out.

"This company," he said, when everyone had turned in silence to face
him, "has done business for a good many years and has never had any
sort of trouble, until now, with any of the people who have worked for
it. Now, unfortunately, some malcontents among the hands here have
spread their ideas, and a strike has been called. We have tried to
reason with the men, but they have quit work, and this factory will be
closed for at least a week, beginning to-day."

"Gee, Jack, that's just what I was afraid of," said Pete, his face
falling. "That means a week's wages gone!"

Murmurs arose from all over the room. But Carew, a smile on his face,
held up his hand for silence, and went on.

"The company has no intention of making you suffer," he said. "