Part 25 (1/2)

Jack Bowden rose, spit carefully into the s.h.i.+ny bra.s.s cuspidor, placed there to preserve the long-haired red carpet, and began. ”Men, the strike is won! We've been in consultation with Mr. Judson and Mr. Kane, and the whole thing is to be called off to-morrow morning! They agree to consider every one of our demands, provided only we don't insist on the demand for unionization. We can't win, with this trainload of detectives and workers from up north; I think we're lucky to beat 'em this way.” He turned to Dawson. ”You've done mighty fine work, John Dawson; and the state treasury of the mining union will be glad to foot your bill comin'

here and goin' back.”

Dawson was out of the chair, his throat palpitating, almost too choked to get out a word. ”I've been waiting for you and your kind to show your hands, Bowden. I'm glad you've done it this soon. Did Mr. Judson say he would grant all demands, except unionization?”

Pooley s.h.i.+fted his lame leg, and spoke up. ”Mr. Kane it was we talked to to-night.”

Dawson's clear-thrown tones fired the next question at him. ”Did Mr.

Kane promise to grant every demand, except only unionization?”

”He said they'd consider 'em. It's the best----”

”It's nothing, and you know it! Fire me and the real union men who are making the trouble, and turn the whole thing over to you yellow-livered double-dealers--a fine way to run a strike! With us gone, and the strike broken, _then_ your Mr. Kane, who isn't even a boss, would agree to _consider_ the demands. Are you d.a.m.ned fools, or plain ordinary crooks?”

He paused for a moment. Bowden started to reply, but was checked by fear of injury, as Dawson took one tremendous step toward him. Pelham Judson, seated to the right, caught his eye. ”If that there Judson's son had spilled this soft-soap, I could get it; you might expect it from he and his cla.s.s.” Pelham winced at the scorn. ”But you--a union card dirtied in your pocket, you, a Judas to your kind--you got no place in a room with decent men.”

Pooley tried to bolster up Bowden's pallid protest, bl.u.s.tering, ”You look here, Dawson. The State Federation of Labor----”

”d.a.m.n the State Federation of Labor! If any organization, labor or otherwise, stands in the way of our beatin' a fight, we'll smash it!

We're going to win, do you get me? You keep out. As for you, Bowden----”

He came close to the local agent, bending down from his towering six feet and a half to bring his face near the other's. ”You better get out, before I have the national office down on your neck. This is final: from now on, you stay out. We'll run the strike without any talk from you. Go back and tell your Mr. Kane that there's a bunch here he can't double cross, or buy out! Now git!”

Three times the suave agent started to speak. His fingers wandered uncertainly up and down the s.h.i.+ny b.u.t.tons of his fancy vest, his eyes glanced away from the brutal dominance in the huge face before him. At last he turned to Pooley. ”Goin', John?”

Pooley noted the cringe, and his nostrils lifted slightly. He spoke definitely. ”There's no hard feelin' about this, Dawson? You understand that----”

”Yes, I understand.” The sudden burst of anger had gone; there was a vast patience in every syllable. ”I understand; you needn't explain.” He turned dispa.s.sionately to the others. ”Now, boys, what's the reports for to-day?”

The work was finally done; they started out. At the door they were stopped by half a dozen newspaper men, who had been held up by the doorman until the conference was over. ”Anything special for to-morrow, Mr. Dawson?”

The big miner grinned amicably. ”You might say everything's coming our way. With twenty two hundred men out, and five of the mines stopped, things are lookin' up.”

The reporter for the _Advertiser_ pushed out a question. ”Did you advise violence in stopping these workers from the North?”

”Good G.o.d, no, man! That's the very thing I'm fighting against. You heard me--in every speech. We're law abiding. If there's any lawbreaking to be done, let the companies do it.” He smiled grimly. ”They're itching for us to give 'em an excuse to bring on the militia, as they did in '04, when they ma.s.sacred the miners. They'll fail; we'll fight within the law.”

He scribbled vigorously. ”Is it true you were driven out of Montana and West Virginia, and almost lynched in Michigan?”

Dawson's neck swelled, his eyes smouldered. ”Yes, it's true, every bit of it. And I was driven out of this state in '04. I expect it in my business. You might say things is changing, and it may be Mr. Paul Judson who's driven out next time.”

There was a chorus of appreciation from the committee.

”I guess that's all.”

One reporter--it was Charley Brant, of the _Register_--called Pelham aside. ”Gotten any word from the mountain recently ... to-night?”

”No; why?”

”That trainload of workers is arriving; there's trouble, rioting or something.”