, and frequently during a large part of the night. He had a way
of appearing at any hour to look at the work and keep it moving. Max,
after hearing the day men repeat what the night men had to tell of the
boss and his work, said to his sister: "Honest, Hilda, I don't see how
he does it. I don't believe he ever takes his clothes off."

CHAPTER IX

The direct result of the episode with the carpenter Reilly was
insignificant. He did not attempt to make good his boast that he would
be back at work next day, and when he did appear, on Wednesday of the
next week, his bleared eyes and dilapidated air made the reason plain
enough. A business agent of his union was with him; Bannon found them in
the office.

He nodded to the delegate. "Sit down," he said. Then he turned to
Reilly. "I don't ask you to do the same. You're not wanted on the
premises. I told you once before that I was through talking."

Reilly started to reply, but his companion checked him. "That's all
right," he said. "I know your side of it. Wait for me up by the car
line."

When Reilly had gone Bannon repeated his invitation to sit down.

"You probably know why I've come," the delegate began. "Mr. Reilly has
charged you with treating him unjustly and with drawing a revolver on
him. Of course, in a case like this, we try to get at both sides before
we take any action. Would you give me your account of it?"

Bannon told in twenty words just how it had happened. The agent said
cautiously: "Reilly told another story."

"I suppose so. Now, I don't ask you to take my word against his. If
you'd like to investigate the business, I'll give you all the
opportunity you want."

"If we find that he did drop the hammer by accident, would you be
willing to take him back?"

Bannon smiled. "There's no use in my telling you what I'll do till you
tell me what you want me to do, is there?"

Bannon held out his hand when the man rose to go.

"Any time you think there's something wrong out here, or anything you
don't understand, come out and we'll talk it over. I treat a man as well
as I can, if he's square with me."

He walked to the door with the agent and closed it after him. As he
turned back to the draughting table, he found Hilda's eyes on him.

"They're very clean chaps, mostly, those walking delegates," he said.
"If you treat 'em half as well as you'd treat a yellow dog, they're
likely to be very reasonable. If one of 'em does happen to be a rascal,