Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 4, 1922 — page 99: what you’re looking at

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

THE NIGHT SHIFT. abruptly, with the thought that was in the minds of all. ‘“‘ Ah’ll na say for sure,”’ returned Davies earnestly. “ Ah telled wha’ Ah’ve heard— ha more, na less. But Ah’ve heard thot wi’ good authority.” Every man knew that Davies was, in a measure, intimate with William, and Wil- liam was the son of the “ old man.” How wide was the gulf that separated William from the office of the Copper Butte was something that they did not know at all. Davies let them draw their own conclu- sions. ‘“ How about that, Hugh? Tell us what yeu know?” ‘* Davies,’ said Hugh, “ may have some correct information.” ~ From Silent Hugh no windy speech could have been more effective. Comment burst forth from the miners crowded close to Da- vies near the bar. ‘“‘ Stacks up that it “Il cost our jobs to lick them smeltermen.”’ ‘“ Damn set o’ hun- kies—an’ that’s the way they get away with it!” “Just as soon go out an’ beat ’em up—they’ll be tryin’ to burn us out again!” Davies interrupted: “ Happen, then, Ah’ve got an idear.” The idea, it may be said, was Belle’s. If there was to be a fight after all, he wanted that fight finished, and at once. ‘Th’ smeltermen ’ll be ga’en t’ wark to- night. Ah’m a’ for peace myse’n. If they'll ca’ it off, we’ll a’ ga’ peaceable t’ wark again. If soom coom along for a committee, us might argue wi’ the smelter- men.” The idea on the face of it was appealing —and it offered possibilities. There were those who expressed profane doubt as to the final nature of that argument. “Argue with a hunkie—hell! It can’t be done!’’ Davies himself illuminated the general feeling. “Happen,” said Davies, “ after a’ ther might be a fight.” : He could have offered no inducement more attractive. The committee when it started with or without express appoint- ment, was composed of almost every miner who had crowded into the Horseshoe Club saloon. 409 Over the smelter dumps and _ cinder- covered yard the arc lights blazed. Only a thin yellow smoke hovered above the black roofs of the smelter, faint gaspings of the furnaces. Just enough smeltermen had remained at work to keep the giant Bessemers from cooling; only enough ore was fed in at each charge to produce a few rough copper ingots cooling in the runs and a few cars of slag to be run out to the dumps. Lights blazed at all the office windows. Hanley was in conference with Kowalski, who, as the last resort of a puzzled man, had gone to the superintendent, based his plea on the possibility of damage to com- pany property, and asked that Hanley, by virtue of «his authority as the only law in Hobart, should deputize armed neutral guards to keep the peace between miners and smeltermen. : He confessed that he might not be able to control the smeltermen, whom he had inflamed against the miners on that same day and throughout the night before. The demand only added to the worries of Han- ley, who had not believed the trouble to be so serious and who was angered at Ko- walski for his part in the disturbance not less than he was surprised at Kowalski’s sudden change of front. The whole attitude of the smelter boss, apologetic, at the same time defiant, was not soothing to the superintendent of the Copper Butte. , Davies had timed the arrival of his com- mittee to the minute. That committee was. a delegation—had rapidly grown to be two delegations, one of miners, one of smelter- men, the smelter workers of the day shifts following the miners at some distance, pre- pared to assist their fellows of the night shift already gathered at the smelter in case of need. They were very uncertain what. this gathering of miners might intend. Davies's group was, as Limpy declared, truly repre- sentative, every man being represented by himself, with the miners of the night shift most in evidence. They halted near the shaft-house of the mine: the smeltermen, following, swarmed thick about the buildings of the office. Be- COmiClbooks.CGom