“If the people rise against us in a body—­yes, we are ruined.  That is what we must not permit.  It is our one chance.  I have done everything in my power to beat this movement against us down south, and have failed.  Our enemies are completely masked.  They have won popular sentiment through the newspapers.  Their next move is to strike directly at us.  Whatever is to happen will happen soon.  The plan is to attack us, to destroy our property, and the movement is to be advertised as a retaliation for heinous outrages perpetrated by our men.  It is possible that the attack will not be by northerners alone, but by men brought in for the purpose.  The result will be the same—­if it succeeds.  The attack is planned to be a surprise.  Our one chance is to meet it, to completely frustrate it—­to strike an overwhelming blow, and to capture enough of our assailants to give us the evidence we must have.”

Brokaw was excited.  He emphasized his words with angry sweeps of his arms.  He clenched his fists, and his face grew red.  He was not like the old, shrewd, indomitable Brokaw, completely master of himself, never revealing himself beyond the unruffled veil of his self-possession, and Philip was surprised.  He had expected that Brokaw’s wily brain would bring with it half a dozen schemes for the quiet undoing of their enemies.  And now here was Brokaw, the man who always hedged himself in with legal breast-works—­who never revealed himself to the shot of his enemies—­enlisting himself for a fight in the open!  Philip had told Gregson that there would be a fight.  He was firmly convinced that there would be a fight.  But he had never believed that Brokaw would come to join in it.  He leaned toward the financier, his face flushed a little by the warmth of the fire and by the knowledge that Brokaw was relinquishing the situation entirely into his hands.  If it came to fighting, he would win.  He was confident of himself there.  But—­

“What will be the result if we win?” he asked.

“If we secure those who will give the evidence we need—­evidence that the movement against us is a plot to destroy our company, the government will stand by us,” replied Brokaw.  “I have sounded the situation there.  I have filed a formal declaration to the effect that such a movement is on foot, and have received a promise that the commissioner of police will investigate the matter.  But before that happens our enemies will strike.  There is no time for red tape or investigations.  We must achieve our own salvation.  And to achieve that we must fight.”

“And if we lose?”

Brokaw lifted his hands and shoulders with a significant gesture.

“The moral effect will be tremendous,” he said.  “It will be shown that the entire north is inimical to our company, and the government will withdraw our option.  We will be ruined.  Our stockholders will lose every cent invested.”