After some two hours, with frequent ascents to the surface, the young chief engineer had satisfied himself that the foundations were secure.

Then he did some rapid figuring.
"The loss will not exceed eight thousand dollars---the cost of rebuilding the missing parts of the walls," Reade informed Superintendent Renshaw.
"Only eight thousand dollars!" whistled the superintendent.
"Well, that figure isn't anywhere nearly as high as I feared it might be," Tom pursued.
"But it will strike the directors of the Melliston Company as being pretty big for an extra bill," muttered Renshaw.

"Especially, since---" The superintendent paused.
"You were going to say," smiled Tom, wanly, "since the loss wouldn't have happened if I hadn't kicked the gamblers out of camp." "That's about the size of it, Mr.Reade," nodded Renshaw.

"Directors of big companies are less interested in moral reforms than in dividends.
They're likely to make a big kick over what your crusade has cost them already, even if it costs them no more." "We'll see to it that it doesn't cost them any more," Tom retorted.
"Every night we'll watch that sea wall the way a mother does a sick baby.
There'll be no more explosions.

As to the directors kicking over the present expense, they'll have a prompt chance to do it.