Part 5 (2/2)

”What's the reason Hamilton and McNeal can't hit it off, Foley?” I asked one night.

”They'll get along all right after a while,” predicted Foley. ”You know the old man's stubborn as a dun mule, ain't he? The injectors bother Georgie some; they did me. He'll get used to things. But Dad thinks he's green--that's what's the matter. The kid is high-spirited, and seeing the old man's kind of got it in for him he won't ask him anything. Dad's sore about that, too. Georgie won't knuckle to anybody that don't treat him right.”

”You'd better tell McNeal to humor the old crank,” I suggested; and I believe Foley did so, but it didn't do any good. Sometimes those things have to work themselves out without outside help. In the end this thing did, but in a way none of us looked for.

About a week later Foley came into the office one morning very much excited.

”Did you hear about the boy's getting pounded last night--Georgie McNeal? It's a shame the way these fellows act. Three of the strikers piled on him while he was going into the post-office, and thumped the life out of him. The cowardly hounds, to jump on a man's back that way!”

”Foley,” said I, ”that's the first time they've tackled one of Dad Hamilton's engineers.”

”They'd never have done it if they thought there was any danger of Dad's getting after them. They know he doesn't like the boy.”

”It's an outrage; but we can't do anything. You know that. Tell McNeal to keep away from the post-office. We'll get his mail for him.”

”I told him that this morning. He's in bed, and looks pretty hard. But he won't dodge those fellows. He claims it's a free country,” grinned Foley. ”But I told him he'd get over that idea if he stuck out this trouble.”

It was three days before McNeal was able to report for work, though he received full time just the same. Even then he wasn't fit for duty, but he begged Neighbor for his run until he got it. The strikers were jubilant while the boy was laid up; but just what Dad thought no one could find out. I wanted to tell the old growler what I thought of him, but Foley said it wouldn't do any good, and might do harm, so I held my peace.

One might have thought that the injustice and brutality of the thing would have roused him; but men who have repressed themselves till they are gray-headed don't rise in a hurry to resent a wrong. Dad kept as mute as the Sphinx. When McNeal was ready to go out the old fireman had the 244 s.h.i.+ning; but if the pale face of his engineer had any effect on him, he kept it to himself.

As they rattled down the line with a long stock-train that night neither of them referred to the break in their run. Coming back next night the same silence hung over the cab. The only words that pa.s.sed over the boiler-head were ”strickly business,” as Dad would say.

At Oxford they were laid out by a Pullman special. It was three o'clock in the morning and raining hard. Under such circ.u.mstances an hour seems all night. At last Dad himself broke the unsupportable silence.

”He'd have waited a good bit longer if he had waited for me to talk,”

said the boy, telling Foley afterwards.

”Heard you got licked,” growled Dad, after tinkering with the fire for the twentieth time.

”I didn't get licked,” retorted Georgie; ”I got clubbed. I never had a chance to fight.”

”These fellows hate to see a boy come out and take a man's job. Can't blame 'em much, neither.”

”Whose job did I take?” demanded Georgie, angrily. ”Was any one of those cowards that jumped on me in the dark looking for work on this engine?”

There was nothing to say to that. Dad kept still.

”You talk about men,” continued the young fellow. ”If I am not more of a man than to slug a fellow from behind, the way they slugged me, I'll get off this engine and stay off. If that's what you call men out here I don't want to be a man. I'll go back to Pennsylvania.”

”Why didn't you stay there?” growled Dad.

”Why didn't you?”

Without attempting to return the shot, Dad pulled nervously at the chain.

”If I hadn't been fool enough to go out on a strike I might have been running there yet,” continued Georgie.

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