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138 publicity; it is rather likely to make our side of the affair appear … well, ridiculous."

"Tell me," she said again. It isn't a pleasant thing to be made to appear ridiculous … that seemed to be that man Steele's forte … "Three of your men from the Little Giant mine," continued Embry, "through a somewhat distorted sense of loyalty—I have talked with them all—visited Steele at the Goblet. They had learned that he had displeased you, further that he had both defied you and laughed at you. More than that, it seems that he had done some careless talking, using your name in a way that these three men who take your wage could not stand for."

"Go on," said Beatrice in a strangely quiet voice as Embry paused briefly.

"They went to Steele and in the only way such men know, sought to teach him a lesson. The result was … disastrous. He and Wilson were too much for the three of them, getting the drop on them with their rifles, I imagine. At any rate, the three Little Giant men came back into camp last night with their hands tied behind them and hitched to a long pole so that they could not untie one another, and the men at the mine are laughing about it yet."

Beatrice's face was flaming.

"My men have no business doing a thing like that without orders from me!"

"Since they are men," interceded Embry gravely, "are we really to blame them? They look upon you, Miss Corliss, as loyal peasants may look upon their