Your
wages will go on just the same, and we will simply consider this week's
lay-off as a sort of a vacation. That will be all for now. You will
get notice when it is time for you to return to work."

There was a wild cheer then. A week's wages meant a great deal to most
of the boys and clerks employed in and about the factory, and the
revulsion of feeling when they learned that they were not to lose their
pay was enough to justify even a louder cheer than they gave.

"Danby and Stubbs," said Mr. Carew next, "I wish you'd wait when the
others go, and come into my office. I want to talk to you."

They waited accordingly, and when they went into Mr. Carew's room they
found Mr. Simms, the president of the company, waiting there with the
manager.

"This is very serious business, boys," said Mr. Simms, gravely. "A
strike is one thing, and if the men stopped at a strike they would be
entirely within their rights. Unfortunately, some of them, bad
workers, who had been threatened with dismissal, and others who were
discontented, for one reason or another, have succeeded in stirring up
a lot of hard feeling. And there is no telling what may happen."

"Do you think they'll try to put the place on the bum, sir?" cried
Pete, the irrepressible, his eyes flashing.

Both the men laughed, though their faces showed that they were too
worried to do much laughing.

"I certainly hope they won't attempt anything of the sort, for their
sake, as well as ours, Pete," said Mr. Simms. "If they were let alone,
our old men, even if they were to go on strike, wouldn't make a move
against the company's property. But these rascals who are leading them
want to make it impossible for them to back down and come back to work.
And I am afraid that there are no lengths at which they would stop in
the effort to injure us."

"Here is the point, boys," said Mr. Carew. "We know, from past
experience with you, that you are trustworthy, and loyal to us. Now,
what we want to do is to get through this strike with as little trouble
as possible. We don't want any shooting, as there might be if we
brought in armed men to guard the property. What we want is to prevent
any attempt to destroy the place by getting ample warning of anything
that is tried."

"And you're going to let us look out for them?" cried Pete. "Gee,
that's great, Jack! We can do it, too, can't we?"

"The idea we had," said Carew, "was that you boys, and perhaps some of
yo