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forbid any trifling with loose management in any department of his
plant。 He was； moreover； too just a man to allow any of his
workmen to suffer for failures not their own。 His first step was
to get at the facts。 His preliminary move was characteristic of
him。 He sent for McNish。
〃McNish；〃 he said； 〃your figures I have examined。 They tell me
nothing I did not know； but they are cleverly set down。 The matter
of wages I shall deal with as I have always dealt with it in my
business。 The other matter〃 Mr。 Maitland paused； then proceeded
with grave deliberation； 〃I must deal with in my own way。 It will
take a little time。 I shall not delay unnecessarily； but I shall
accept dictation from no man as to my methods。〃
McNish stood silently searching his face with steady eyes。
〃You are a new man here； and I find you are a good workman；〃
continued Mr。 Maitland。 〃I don抰 know you nor your aims and
purposes in this Grievance Committee business of yours。 If you
want a steady job with a chance to get on； you will get both； if
you want trouble； you can get that too； but not for long； here。〃
Still the Scot held him with grave steady gaze； but speaking no
word。
〃You understand me； McNish？〃 said Maitland； nettled at the man抯
silence。
〃Aye； A抳e got a heid；〃 he said in an impassive voice。
〃Well； then； I hope you will govern yourself accordingly。 Good…
day；〃 said Maitland； closing the interview。
McNish still stood immovable。
〃That抯 all I have to say；〃 said Maitland； glancing impatiently at
the man。
〃But it抯 no all A have to say； if ye will pairmit me；〃 answered
McNish in a voice quiet and respectful and apparently； except for
its Doric flavour； quite untouched by emotion of any kind soever。
〃Go on；〃 said Maitland shortly； as the Scot stood waiting。
〃Maister Maitland；〃 said McNish； rolling out a deeper Doric； 〃ye
have made a promise and a threat。 Yere threat is naething tae me。
As tae yere job； A want it and A want tae get on； but A抦 a free
man the noo an？a free man A shall ever be。 Good…day tae ye。〃 He
bowed respectfully to his employer and strode from the room。
Mr。 Maitland sat looking at the closed door。
〃He is a man； that chap； at any rate；〃 he said to himself； 〃but
what抯 his game； I wonder。 He will bear watching。〃
The very next day Maitland made a close inspection of his plant；
beginning with the sawmill。 He found McNish running one of the
larger circular saws； and none too deftly。 He stood observing the
man for some moments in silence。 Then stepping to the workman抯
side he said；
〃You will save time； I think； if you do it this way。〃 He seized
the levers and； eliminating an unnecessary movement； ran the log。
McNish stood calmly observing。
〃Aye； yere r…right；〃 he said。 〃Ye抣l have done yon before。〃
〃You just bet I have；〃 said Maitland； not a little pleased with
himself。
〃A抦 no saw man；〃 said McNish； a little sullenly。 〃A dinna kenI
don't know saws of this sort。 I'm a joiner。 He put me off the
bench。〃
〃Who？〃 said Maitland quickly。
〃Yon manny；〃 replied McNish with unmistakable disgust。
〃You were on the bench； eh？ What sort of work were you on？〃
〃A was daein' a bit counter work。 A wasna fast enough for him。〃
Mr。 Maitland called the head sawyer。
〃Put a man on here for a while； Powell； will you？ You come with
me； McNish。〃
Together they went into the planing mill。 Asking for the foreman
he found that he was nowhere to be seen； that indeed he had not
been in the mill that morning。
〃Show me your work； McNish；〃 he said。
McNish led him to a corner of the mill where some fine counter work
was in process。
〃That's my work；〃 he said； pointing to a piece of oak railing。
Maitland； turning the work over in his hands； ran his finger along
a joint somewhat clumsily fitted。
〃Not that；〃 said McNish hastily。 〃Ma work stops here。〃
Again Maitland examined the rail。 His experienced eye detected
easily the difference in the workmanship。
〃Is there anything else of yours about here？〃 he asked。 McNish
went to a pile of finished work and from it selected a small swing
door beautifully panelled。 Maitland's eye gleamed。
〃Ah； that's better；〃 he said。 〃Yes； that's better。〃
He turned to one of the workmen at the bench near by。
〃What job is this； Gibbon？〃 he asked。
〃It's the Bank job； I think；〃 said Gibbon。
〃What？ The Merchants' Bank job？ Surely that can't be。 That job
was due two weeks ago。〃 Maitland turned impatiently toward an
older man。 〃Ellis；〃 he said sharply； 〃do you know what job this
is？〃
Ellis came and turned over the different parts of the work。
〃That's the Merchants' Bank job； sir；〃 he said。
〃Then what is holding this up？〃 enquired Maitland wrathfully。
〃It's the turned work； I think； sir。 I am not sure； but I think I
heard Mr。 Perrotte asking about that two or three days ago。〃 Mr。
Maitland's lips met in a thin straight line。
〃You can go back to your saw； McNish；〃 he said shortly。
〃Ay； sir；〃 said McNish； his tone indicating quiet satisfaction。
At Gibbon's bench he paused。 〃Ye'll no pit onything past him； a
doot；〃 he said； with a grim smile； and passed out。
In every part of the shop Mr。 Maitland found similar examples of
mismanagement and lack of co…ordination in the various departments
of the work。 It needed no more than a cursory inspection to
convince him that a change of foreman was a simple necessity。
Everywhere he found not only evidence of waste of time but also of
waste of material。 It cut him to the heart to see beautiful wood
mangled and ruined。 All his life he had worked with woods of
different kinds。 He knew them standing in all their matchless
grandeur； in the primeval forest and had followed them step by step
all the way to the finished product。 Never without a heart pang
did he witness a noble white pine； God's handiwork of centuries；
come crashing to earth through the meaner growth beneath the
chopper's axe。 The only thing that redeemed such a deed from
sacrilege； in his mind； was to see the tree fittingly transformed
into articles of beauty and worth suitable for man's use。 Hence；
when he saw lying here and there deformed and disfigured fragments
of the exquisitely grained white spruce； which during the war； he
had with such care selected for his aeroplane parts； his very heart
rose in indignant wrath。 And filled with this wrath he made his
way to the office and straightway summoned Wickes and his son Jack
to conference。
〃Tony will never make a worker in wood。 He cares nothing for it；〃
he said bitterly。
〃Nor in anything else； Dad；〃 said Jack； with a little laugh。
〃You laugh； but it is no laughing matter；〃 said his father
reproachfully。
〃I am sorry； Father； but you know I always thought it was a mistake
to put Tony in charge of anything。 Why； he might have had his
commission if he were not such an irresponsible； downwright lazy
beggar。 What he needs； as my Colonel used to profanely say； is 'a
good old…fashioned Sergeant…Major to knock hell out of him'。 And；
believe me； Tony was a rattling fine soldier if his officer would
regularly； systematically and effectively expel his own special
devil from his system。 He needs that still。〃
〃What can we do with him？ I simply can't and won't dismiss him； as
that infernally efficient and coolheaded Scot demands。 You heard
about the Grievance Committee？〃
〃Oh； the town has the story with embellishments。 Rupert Stillwell
took care to give me a picturesque account。 But I would not
hesitate； Dad。 Kick Tony a good swift kick once a week or so； or；
if that is beneath your dignity； fire him。〃
〃But； Jack； lad； we can't do that；〃 said his father； greatly
distressed； 〃after what〃
〃Why not？ He carried me out of that hell all right； and while I
live I shall remember that。 But he is a selfish beggar。 He hasn't
the instinct for team play。 He hasn't the idea of responsibility
for the team。 He gets so that he can not make himself do what he
just doesn't feel like doing。 He doesn't care a tinker's curse for
the other fellows in the game with him。〃
〃The man that doesn't care for other fellows will never make a
foreman；〃 said Mr。 Maitland decisively。 〃But can't something be
done with him？〃
〃There's only one way to handle Tony；〃 said Jack。 〃I learned that
long ago in school。 He was a prince of half…backs； you know； but I
had regularly to kick him about before every big match。 Oh； Tony
is a fine sort but he nearly broke my heart till I nearly broke his
back。〃
〃That does not help much； Jack。〃 For the first time in his life
Grant Maitland was at a loss as to how he should handle one of his
men。 Were it not for the letter in the desk at his hand he would
have made short work of Tony Perrotte。 But there the letter lay
and in his heart the inerasible picture it set forth。
〃What is the special form that Tony's devilment has taken； may I
ask？〃 enquired Jack。
〃Well； I may say to you； what Wickes knows and has known and has
tried for three months to hide from me and from himself； Tony has
made about as complete a mess of the organization under his care in
the planing mill as can be imagined。 The mill is strewn wi