Argosy All-Story Weekly, 4 February 1922 — page 98: what you’re looking at

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

> ar a 77 7 ‘ . ‘ 7 - _ for miners was predicted. — 408 had-called off the tag-end program for that day; carnival booths were closed, and the itinerant hucksters had silently gone away. Davies’s calling of the meeting had aroused much curiostiy, for there were many rumors afloat in the town—the smel- termen, it was whispered, were preparing to venture abroad in mass; dire calamity Miners in turn, not willing to become victims of calamity, threatened reprisals of portentous kinds. Here and there in passing men eyed each other sullenly; wandered aimlessly in and out of the saloons; stood about, hands in pockets, discussing the latest rumors, and waiting for the coming of the night. There was powder in the air, attending only the match of a blow to fling the whole mass __ into destructive explosion. - At the Horseshoe Club, Limpy held the men with foolish entertainment. An hour passed before Davies appeared with Hugh McGregor—Davies was playing for delay. Most of the men had heard of the chal- Tenge sent forth to Kowalski; some grum- bling that Davies was trying to deprive them of warfare honorably theirs. Others admired the courage of Davies, with much free comment on the chance he would have against Kowalski, considering that he had only one useful arm. All awaited the word that should be re- turned from Kowalski. That word failed to arrive—Kowalski did not know what word to send. It became certain that no answer from Kowalski would be received. Davies himself. was uneasy about this. It might mean the gathering together of the smeltermen; some new danger or unex- pected treachery. _ -The idea that Kowalski would not ac- cept the challenge did not occur to either Davies or his men, for they did not know all the ramifications of Belle’s strategy. From time to time she looked in at the miners through the door at the rear. Only the popularity and established leadership of Davies and McGregor could have held the impatient men so long. _ Lamps were lighted in the saloon, dimly illuminating the unshaven faces and mud- encrusted hats of the men seen mistily through the fog of rank tobacco. smoke. _ moved behind the bar. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, Logger Shannon, watchful and attentive, Hugh McGregor rose from his usual place at a table in one corner; rapped with his knuckles on the table to establish order. “* Nothing happens,” he said briefly. “TI propose the night shift gets to work again.” There was some muttering; heavy boots scraping on the rough boards of the floor; uneasy movements throughout the mass of men. “ Hell!” said one, and spat disgustedly. ““ Not till somethin’s settled,’”’ another said. There were some who crowded toward the door. -Hugh sat down again. He sensed the futility of argument. But Davies was unwilling to let the gath- | ering terminate this way. Belle’s plan had functioned well so far. But should the miners depart in such unsettled state, it would only be toward trouble of their own seeking. ‘““ Afore ony ga’es aht, Ah ha’ a word t’ say!’’ Movement ceased. “ Ah ca’d this meetin’ t’ tell ye summat ye’d a’ like t’ hear, but happen we’ve na word fra’ Ko- walski. Ah want na trooble wi’ th’ smel- termen o’er me. But like it will be more peaceful for a day or two gin na miner ga’es aboot by hisse’n.” For a moment there was silence; then a voice profanely questioning: “Say that again, Jack. What the hell’s that talk?” “Ah said,” repeated Davies cautiously, “gin we want na trooble, us ’ll stay soom distance fra’ th’ smeltermen.”’ This was immediately answered by an angry voice: “If they get that idea, some o’.them hunkies bétter go an’ climb a tree!” There was general agreement with the sen- timent. ‘“* Ah’ve heard,” continued Davies, “ gin we seek trooble, the company will shut doon the mine. Happen then, us ’ll na be warkin’ for soom whiles. Ah think, my- se’n, ’twill be better t’ ga’ to wark all quiet- like, gin Kowalski’s na prepared t’ fight wi’ me. Happen he’ll na be fightin’ all o’ we.” No one saw the canny twinkle in that Cornish eye; Davies knew that if Kowalski failed to fight, it was more than likely his power was broken for all time. , “Sure o’ tpt, Jack?” some one called com cS (E(0) choo