Part 28 (2/2)
”Any day now, the Reds an' LWW's are goin' to call the Hunkies out on strike They're goin' to try to close down the mills An' it's our job to see that they don't do it”
”Hoe goin' to do that Sergeant?” one of the guards called out ”We don't know nothin' about workin' the foundry”
”Don't be stupid,” the sergeant said sarcastically
”They walk out, there'll be other men to take their place The strikers'U try to keep 'eets in”
”That means we'll be helpin' the strikebreakers,” Daniel said
The sergeant fixed hilare ”It ettin' paid fifteen dollars a week, room and board for? Those Hunkies work twelve hours a day in the foundry fer less'n ten dollars a week Now they think they're entitled to as much money as you're makin' an' lish”
Daniel et the strikebreakers through the picket lines e're inside the gates?”
”You'll have help Lots of it There are over two hundred ates keeping an open passage”
”An' what if that's not enough?”
The sergeant so out an' help 'em” He pulled his billy club from his belt and held it up ”It's amazin' how persuadin' this little friend of ours can be”
Daniel was silent
The sergeant continued to stare at him ”Any further questions?”
Daniel shook his head ”No, sir But ”
”But what?”
”I don't like it I seen what happens in a strike Back home we had trouble In the ot hurt Even soets hurt if they ht of his sister Of Jimuard to protect the mills Not to beat up on people Not to be a strikebreaker”
The sergeant explcxied ''If n you don't like it, git your ass out of here!”
Daniel stood there silently for a moment, then nodded slowly He turned and started, still silent, froeant's voice turned hiun and club here”
Silently Daniel unbuckled his belt, placing the gun and club on a table Then he turned and started again froeant's voice followed him
”I expect you out of the barracks in fifteen oin' to git the livin' shi+t kicked outta you”
Daniel opened the door and stepped out Before the door closed, he heard the sergeant's voice speaking to the others
”I never trusted the bastard We got word that he's a secret Red Now, if there are any it out while you can”
Daniel walked down the haU to the barracks-type room he shared with five other men Quickly he stripped off his uniform, folded it neatly and placed it on his bunk From his locker he took his old arathered up his few other belongings, put the them over his shoulder and walked out
He went down the hall and out of the building Silently he walked to the front gate The guards on duty let hun out without a word They had already got the word
He set the duffel bag squarely on his shoulder, crossed the street and turned the comer They caan to turn, but it was too late A club caught him across the side of his head, and he stuet to his feet, he heard the sergeant's voice ”Git the son of a bitch good”
He lashed out in the direction of the voice, but his fist reached nothing but air His body turned into a sheet of pain under the rain of blows co into a ball to protect hian to kick hiutter He tried toinside hiht back
Finally the blows stopped He lay there half conscious, his head swirling Froain
'That'll teach the Coain”
A voice came from one of the other eant”
He felt the sergeant's foot in his side, rolling hi to see up He could feel the sergeant's breath on his face, but he couldn't focus on hieant said ”But if he coain, he'll wish he was”
There was a sudden sharp, stinging blow on the side of his head as the sergeant kicked Then everything went black It was quiet for a long tian to send hinals of pain After a few roan escaped him He tried to force himself to clear his head He ed to pull hiht he looked down at himself His shi+rt was torn and covered with blood, his pants ripped down one leg Slowly he s were scattered all over the street, the duffel bag opened and ean toexquisite pain shooting through his and stuffing the Then he paused to catch his breath
He looked up at the sky The ht o'clock when he walked out of the gates The s in the houses were all dark He ates
The guards were still there in their s They had known the sergeant aiting out there for hi For atheone He was in no condition to take anything He would be lucky if he et hi and sling it over his shoulder But it was toobehind hih the dark streets to Tony's Bar The lights in the ere out and the door was locked, but through it he could see the little Italian cleaning up behind the bar He knocked on the door
Without looking up, Tony waved his hand indicating that he was closed for the night Daniel knocked at the door again, more heavily this ti there He calassin the door ''We-a closed,” he began to say Then his voice stopped in shock Quickly he took the chain from the door and opened it 'Danny! Wha' happen?”
Daniel stuh the door Tony put out a hand to help hi behind him and slumped into a chair He leaned forward and put his head on his arms on the table
Quickly Tony went behind the bar and calass He filled the glass 'Drink,” he said 'You'll feel-a betta”
Daniel had to hold the glass with both hands The whiskey burned its way down his throat He felt its heat running through hiain He could feel so back into hionna get you''
''It wasn't theht when I found out they 'spected me to act as a strikebreaker They aitin' fer me roun' the comer from the mill”
Tony was silent
”Got a place fer me to clean up?”
”You need a doctor,” Tony said ”I don't need no doctor,” Daniel said ”I got to clean up Then I got things to do” He reached for the bottle of whiskey ”This is all the medicine I need”
”Come with me” Tony led him to the washroom in the back This was the private washroom, not the one used by the custoet soone, Daniel stared at himself in the mirror His nose looked crooked on his face, squashed flat; his cheekbones were split and cut and also his te to develop shi+ners, and his jaas already swollen, and his face was covered with a mask of streaked blood ”Jesus!” Daniel said half aloud
Tony had come back into the room He nodded ”They really work-a you over”