The boy nodded.

"What is it?"

"Him fired. Him no get job. Kalinski, Foley--all liars."

"The boys have been discharged, do you mean?"

"Yes."

"What for?"

Ill.u.s.tration: "All Liars!" Exclaimed Ignatz.

"For lies. Mr. McNaughton him fire boys because Kalinski tell lies."

The superintendent s.n.a.t.c.hed the telephone receiver from its hook.

"Give me Mr. McNaughton's office!" he commanded sharply. "h.e.l.lo, McNaughton, is this you? Is it true that the two young men, Rush and Jarvis, have been dismissed?"

"Yes." Brodsky caught the word faintly.

"What for?"

The boy could not hear the reply in the telephone, but he did hear the superintendent's next remark.

"Come to my office at once. I wish to talk with you. Brodsky, I am very much obliged to you. Sit down. I may want to ask you some questions after Mr. McNaughton gets here."

Ignatz, whose face had resumed its ordinary stolidity, dropped into a chair, while his eyes gazed vacantly through the window. Soon the division superintendent came hurrying in.

"What is this you tell me about those boys having been thrown out?"

demanded Mr. Keating, with a slight show of irritation.

"They are a bad lot, sir; a couple of impudent, untrustworthy fellows. I wouldn't have them in my division under any circ.u.mstances."

"Why not?"

"Because, in the first place, they disobeyed orders and blew up the cinder pit after having been warned not to put water on it while the cinders were still hot. Then again, they had several quarrels with the pit boss and the foreman. Even in my office, where I called them to hear their story, they answered me in a most impudent manner."

"Is that all?" demanded Mr. Keating, in a sarcastic tone.

"Well, it is all I can think of just now."

"Hm-m! A desperate pair, eh? McNaughton, I thought you were a better judge of human nature than that."

"What do you mean, sir?"

"I mean, with all due respect to you, that I don't believe a word of this. What did the boys say--what excuse did they offer?"

"Denied it, of course."

"Tell me exactly what Foley and Kalinski said in making their charges."

Mr. McNaughton did so. There was a slight flush on his cheeks, brought there by the sharp answers of the general superintendent.

As he finished, Ignatz suddenly came to life again.

"All lies!" he exclaimed, waving his arms over his head, after which he subsided.

"That will do, Brodsky!" commanded Mr. Keating sternly, while his division superintendent flushed violently. "There is something more to this affair than you seem to have learned. These boys came to me with the highest recommendations from President Carrhart. They held responsible positions in the mines and they came here to learn the steel business after having followed the ore all the way down. There is some mistake; depend upon that."

"I do not think there is any mistake, sir. I know a bad boy or a bad man when I see him. These boys are the limit. Why, sir, I hear they made an attack on Kalinski on the street last night, beating him nearly to death."

Mr. Keating looked grave.

"Lies!" muttered Ignatz.

"Young man, do you know where Rush and Jarvis are?"

Ignatz nodded.

"Boys go work in Stevens' mills by Monday," volunteered the Pole.

"Can you fetch them here at once?"

"Yes."

"Then do so. You need not say what I want of them. Simply that they are wanted at the office of the superintendent immediately."

Ignatz was out of the office on the run. He burst into the house, waving his arms.

"Come by superintendent, quick!" he shouted, dancing about excitedly.

CHAPTER XIII

FACING THEIR ACCUSERS

"What--what for?" demanded Rush.

"Yes, what does he want with us?" questioned Jarvis, gazing with suspicion upon the boy.

"Him want to see Iron Boys. Come quick."

"Are you sure, Ignatz?" asked Rush.