Adventure Magazine, Mid-September 1917 — page 93: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Gaston Olaf and Big Business curtly and drew two chairs to a corner and sat down. When MacLean came limping in his superior was smoking furiously and scowling blackly at the floor. “Sit down.” It was a curt command. The foreman obeyed, easing himself pain- fully into the chair by the boss’s side and silently awaiting the discharge he felt sure was coming. : Gaston continued to smoke in silence. With a sigh MacLean produced his own pipe and lighted up. Together the two puffed away then, each waiting for the other to begin. “It’s a darn shame,” blurted Gaston finally. ‘The men at the nearest card-table had stopped their game and were listening. MacLean nodded mournfully. “Tt is. I knew you’d change your mind, boss. Well, gimme my walking papers and let’s have it over with.” Thorson stopped smoking and looked at his foreman in apparent surprise. ‘“‘Walking papers? What are you talking about?” MacLean became confused. “Why, I suppose——” “Huh! If it was only a little thing like the jam!’’ They resumed their smoking. The men behind them were craning forward to listen. Foreman and employer smoked on. “It’s the laugh the miners are giving our gang in town,” exploded Gaston and was silent again. Sandy MacLean slowly took his pipe from his mouth, swallowed something, and drew his thick brows down over his eyes. “The laugh?” he said, faintly. ‘‘Did I hear you aright, boss?” The boss nodded. “The miners—in town—are giving us the laugh?”?’ MacLean’s voice was trembling. Another nod. “The gang that works for the Syndicate.” There was a long, long silence. The fore- man essayed to speak several times but desisted. “Hmph!” said he at last, and bit his pipe. ‘““They asked me—”’ Gaston leaned over to speak confidentially, but the men behind him heard—“‘if I didn’t want to hire some ment” : He heard a man at the card-table suck in his breath. “‘They’re going to make us the jokes of the district, Mac. The boys won’t be able to OI show their facesin town. They’ll laugh ’em out of camp. ‘The crew will be quitting us and going out to get away from the laugh.” Foreman MacLean tamped his pipe shrewdly. At last he spoke, softly— “I don’t think they will, boss.” “‘They’ll be joining the other gang then. They’ll turn miners so they can’t be laughed at for belonging to our crew.” Again Sandy spoke, more softly this time— “TI don’t think they will.” “It isn’t the jam that I care about. Accidents will happen. But it gave those Syndicate miners a chance——”’ “A lot of sniveling cousin-jacks!”’ “To ask if we couldn’t ride a little raft down the river, and were we afraid of get- ting our feet wet. You know 2 “T know them. ‘They aren’t men; they’re moles. They’d rather work down in the dirt than face the sun. Do I know them? A-ah!”’ “You know how they talk. The shift bosses will be offering the boys jobs wheel- ing rock—so they won’t fall in the river.” MacLean spat carefully. | ‘*I’d like,” he said slowly, “even bunged up as I am, I’d like to have just one psalm- singing cousin-jack or Welsh shift-boss offer me such words.” _ Gaston checked his recital. “Hold on, Mac. We don’t want any trouble.” “Of course we don’t.” ‘““We’ve got to make the best of it.” “Meek and humble,” agreed MacLean. “Meek and humble.” “Tf the boys will only stay in camp Satur- day nights, and stay away from town, there won’t be any chance for them to get the laugh. Of course I leave all that to you.” ‘(Leave it to me, boss, leave it to me. Meek and humble is the word.” SO ON Saturday night it came about that the camp of Thorson & Pine was deserted, save for the cookee, the chore-boy and the stableman. The rest of the men were in Wolverene. They came by threes and fours, soberly, in- conspicuously, some going to the eating- houses for a variation from camp cookery; Others apparently bent on shopping at clothiers and furnishers; some dissipating mildly in the tent saloons. They mingled unnoticed in the crowd of miners that flooded the town. COMmicloo C©