Part 7 (1/2)
”Say, Berk, you don't want to be seen walking with that 'dinge'”
The sound of rates harshly on my ear I feel the iests a lack of respect, offensive toto look at him
He is short and stocky The thin lips and pointed chin of the elongated face suggest the fox He lass spectacles His voice is husky, his tone unpleasantly confidential It is bad for a white er,” he inforainst h man for the last twenty years, but he was ”born and raised” in the South, in Atlanta They have no use for ”niggers” down there, he assures ood, anyway I had better take his advice, for he is friendly disposed toward me I must be very careful of appearances before the trial My inexperience is quite evident, but he ”knows the ropes” I ainst e in deteret off easy” He knows soht to know: helped to elect one of them; voted three times for him at the last election He closes the left eye, and playfully pokes e” He will, if he is lucky, he assures ot off with three years, though he nearly killed ”his” ot a chew of tobacco about me? Don't use the weed? Well, it'll be easier in the ”pen” What's the pen? Why, don't I know? The penitentiary, of course I should have no fear Frick ain't going to die But what did I want to kill the h man, that he could see plain What did I want to ”nose in”
for? Help the strikers? I must be crazy to talk that way Why, it was none of my ”cheese” Didn't I come from New York? Yes? Well, then, how could the strike concern ainst Frick Ever had dealings with hi But it's different with his case It was his partner in business He knew the skunk meant to cheat hilasses he wears? Well, his eyes are bad He only meant to scare the man But, damn him, he croaked Curse such luck His third offence, too Do I think the judge will have pity on hiet his man”?
Why, just an accidental shot He didn'tintones its deep, full bass
”All in!”
The line breaks There is a siain
IV
Within, on the narrow stool, I find a tin pan filled with a dark-brown mixture It is the noon : the pan is old and rusty; the sreasy surface, dotted here and there with specks of vegetable, resereen slime The first taste nauseates me, and I decide to ”dine” on the remnants of itation over the conversation with my fellow-prisoners Why can't they understand thecondescension is aggravating My attempted explanation they evidently considered a waste of effort
Not a striker le,--the opinion seero and the white nificance,--nothing beyond theif Frick had died, because ”he was bad” But it is ”lucky” forme My remark that the probable consequences to ainst the welfare of the People, they had estive of doubt as toto reflect that neither of those ro is a very inferior type of laborer; and the other--he is a _bourgeois_, ”in business” He is not worth while Besides, he confessed that it is his third offence He is a common criminal, not an honest producer But that tall ro pointed out to me--oh, _he_ will understand: he is of the real People My heart wells up in admiration of the gle of Hoht the Pinkertons, the es and drive those Hessians out of town
He is tall and broad-shouldered, his face strong and determined, his body manly and powerful He is of the true spirit; the erown to his full stature, conscious of his strength Fearless, strong, and proud, he will conquer all obstacles; he will break his chains and liberateexercise hour, I watch with beating heart for an opportunity to converse with the Homestead steel-worker I shall explain to him the motives and purpose of my attehten his fellow-strikers It is very important _they_ should comprehend reat service to hule bears witness I hope the People will not allow the enehts of the Ho class No, the People will never allow such a sacrifice Hoell he carries hinity and strength--
”Cell nulasses leaves the line, and advances in response to the guard's call Quickly I pass along the gallery, and fall into the vacant place, alongside of the steel-worker
”A happy chance,” I address hi important You are one of the Homestead strikers, are you not?”
”Jack Tinford,” he introduces himself ”What's your name?”
He is visibly startled by my answer ”The man who shot Frick?” he asks
An expression of deep anxiety crosses his face His eye wanders to the gate Through the wire network I observe visitors approaching froether,” he says, impatiently ”Fall in back of me Then we'll talk”
Pained at his nificance, I slowly fall back His tall, broad figure completely hides ly At thein an undertone, as if conversing with his neighbor, the Sicilian, who does not understand a syllable of English I strain my ear to catch his words The steel-workers ainst armed invaders, I hear him say They are not on strike: they've been locked out by Frick, because he wants to non-unionize the works That's why he broke the contract with the Aamated, and hired the damned Pinkertons two months before, when all was peace They shot ot after the alive for their unprovoked ht” Soes, and the rest were forced to surrender like whipped curs A grand victory all right, if that coward of a sheriff hadn't got the Governor to send the militia to Homestead
But it was a victory, you bet, for the boys to get the best of three hundred ar to do with the fight He was sick at the tiet the Pinkertons to swear his life away One of the hounds has already made an affidavit that he saw hies, before the Pinkertons landed But never h jury will believe those lying irl and her mother will prove an alibi for hiamated, too They knoasn't on the shore They'll swear to it in court, anyhow--
Abruptly he ceases, a look of fear on his face For alook, and smiles at me As we turn the corner of the walk, he whispers: ”Too bad you didn't kill hi, eh?” he adds, aloud