"Throw him out, I say, and send word to your railroad people to put a man here in his place." The murmurs increased, especially from the Mexicans, for the Mexican peon, or laborer, is often a furious gambler who will stake even the shirt on his back.
Foreman Mendoza, who understood his own people, started forward, but Tom, with a signal, caused him to halt.
"Throw him out, I say!" yelled Duff shrilly.

"Duff, I'm afraid you're making a fool of yourself," remarked Tom, stepping forward, smiling cheerfully.
Yet another murmur, now growing to a yell, rose from some of the men--a few of the men, too, who were not Mexicans, and a half-hearted rush was made in the young engineer's direction.
"Throw him out! Hustle the boy out!" Duff urged.
"Stop! Stop right in your tracks!" thundered Tom Reade, taking still another step toward the now angrier crowd.

"Men, listen to me, and you'll get a proper understanding of this affair.

Jim Duff wants me thrown out of here--" "Yes! And out you'll go!" roared a voice from the rear of the crowd.
"That's a question that the next few minutes will settle," Tom rejoined, with a smile.

"If Jim Duff wants me thrown out of here, why don't you men tell him to do it himself ?" The force of this suggestion, with the memory of what they had recently seen, struck home with many of the men.