Beadle's Dime Library No. 412 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

= Cr mg an eee <* on 2K eS eee Fe ee) TSE od a te %.% : 4.4) e ¢ 7 . : : . > ¢ ia . : a} reply, as he backed away, and Larry finally 2 turned on his heel, remarking: ; ‘* Well, my friend, I reckon it’s lucky you're a ; coward. It has saved your bones to-day.” Hargous drew in his breath with a hissing _ sound. The man was not a coward, after all, i and the word stung him as nothing else would or | could have done. | Without another word he came up to Larry, bo and growled: ‘*V ll wrastle ye, darn ye.” . CHAPTER XX, an LARRY’S NEXT FIGHT. ao LARRY might not have taunted Hargous so keenly but for the fact that he felt very angry ae at being turned out of the works in which he . had served his apprenticeship. y The unexpected dignity of the watchman— for there is dignity in the acceptance by a man of a contest in which he knows he will probably be beaten—compelled .a certain amount of ro- | ee spect, and Larry in his turn began to feel that 1 a he had gone too far in bullying a man who, MS after all, was only doing his duty with extra rudeness. However, there was no help for it now, so he _ only said, as he stretched out his arms: *“You said you’d break my back. gee ye do it.” The next moment the men grappled, and Hargous was thrown with a violence that knocked all the breath out of his body for sev- eral seconds, when Larry helped him up, saying - A Now let’s idly: ; OND malice, I hope, friend. You and me ain’t a fair match. Besides, why should we ‘ae fight, when we’re both workingmen? Our kind | _—s ought to stick together against the bosses.” ee argous could not speak for a moment, but ha when he could he said slowly: -“Yowre a darned good man. I ain’t no » slouch at the square-holt myself, but you’re as 1 ae strong as a steam-engine. No, there ain’t no /) malice. I ain’t a hog, to want more’n’s good Pet g He _ “Then you won’t make no more fuss if I come i TE pe the works vo see my friends?” said Larry, _ inguiringly. _ #¥ *WNoté unless the boss tells me to put ye out. If he does, I’m going to do it.” 6 oh Bess)! Larry looked at him with some surprise. ey D’ye think ye’re able?” he asked. {a _ _Hargous nodded. ) —-—s*** Tf the boss tells me, I am. I ain’t able for '—s- you in a fight; but if the boss gives the order I’m am (Fy ‘weed going to do it, if I have to go under.” Then he went away, and Larry took his de- parture into the streets, _—He kept a keen lookout as he walked, and ‘presently spied Marcellus Skinner coming to- + - ward the works, in a buggy. | hailed him from As the owner passed the walk, and Marcellus, not at first recognizing | Larry was able to get to Le lled up, so that the pre's head. _ ‘When Marcellus saw who it was his brows ; p contracted, and he hg out: Pc oing? How dare you stop > ee. at OORT Ein ae — — a ~ —~. <I _ ©What are you _ ~“T wanted to say a word to you,” said Larry 5are = hepaly as himself, and, as he spoke, he seized the bridle in his strong grasp. ‘Immediately Marcellus raised his whip and i ‘- ned A cut at the man holding his horse, vo- : Wrage et eo my horse, you scoundrel, or ['ll have Se See a ck easing WREED Cited |. Larry saw the cut coming yp Ws, With his arm, and at the same time managed to fie rae rrasp the whip, which he held like a Vise say- tae "Keep your temper, you old fool. Do you } want me to pull you out of that buggy and | thrash you with your own whip before the re Keep still. I’ve got a word to ee gi a > = = 9 wate. 7 f ipé , Ts? ae 4 ha? - ;. ae - i oe say to you and I’m going to say it.. Do you un- , derstand?” ; /—-: Marcellus, livid with fury, tugged at the whip ¢ in vain, while Larry proceeded: f _. “You've bought the mortgage on my place, ‘~; and maybe you think you're going to turn me eee Let go that whip |” a He had become irritated at last, and, as he spoke, with a sudden twitch he snatched the whip away from Skinner and threw it down on the pavement, pecreria “Answer me, quick! Do you intend to turn sme out or not?” Marcellus ground his teeth. _ —- -«* Yes, curse you, yes! You’re strong, and --youw’re young; I know all that; but Pll be even ‘with you for this. I’lldtive you away from ; here; you see if I don’t!” we a a Sa “a --- *'That’s all I wanted to know,” returned Larry, coolly. Now I’ve got_a word to say. You can’t driye me out of Holesburg. I’ve -—s- gone away all I mean to go, and now I’ve come i aa eck to ag ee yas neg that? ya other thin wan ou. m going a -work in tbe Skinner Mills clone I’m +e weeks older, and I’m going to have my house, too.” ss Skinner curled his lip. He saw it was no use Qe fe SeR ed BY _ tryin anger on Larry Locke. 9 Td like to know how you mean to do it,” he ‘ a if » « ’ ; a", A e ; * he Larry Locke, the Man of Iron. said, with a sneer. ‘‘ You'll have your house if | you pay me my money, and not without.” ‘* No,” answered Larry, sharply. ‘‘ I shall pay | the money, but not to you.” | Skinner shrugged his shoulders. ‘*As you please. You can pay my lawyer, if | you like; but if you don’t, I take the house as | soon as | get judgment. Andasfor getting work | at the mill you can'tdo it, Iwouldn’t in for half wages.” Larry’s quiet reply. o inued M llus, * for quarte 0,’ continue arcellus, ** nor for quarter wages either. You're a born demagogue, and bound to to make trouble wherever you go.” ‘* But for all that,” retorted Larry, ‘* l’m go- ing to come back there, and on full wages, too.” | ‘* And how are you going to manage that?” asked Marcellus, with another sneer. ‘* You'll find that out in three weeks,” said | Larry, quietly. ‘‘ I want to give you notice that by that time you'll pay all your men the old scale, dating from last pay-day, or you'll never roll another rail. Good-day, sir. Remember what I’ve said. don’t you try to use if on no more men, or you may find you’ve madea little mistaké, as you did once before.” He let go the horse’s head, stepped back and vicked up the whip, which he.handed to Marcel- us, Who drove on without attempting any fur- ther violence, Then Larry betook himself down the street to a certain small hotel in the far outskirts of the city, where he found a man witha grave, rather stern face, waiting for him in the small, dingy office. | At least it seemed as if the man were waiting for him, for as soon as Larry came in the other looked up from his paper, saying: ‘* Well, brother, what luck? Are any of them inclined to join at once? The council won't let me wait long if there’s no chance of an | organization.” . “TT think we'll make one to-morrow,” was Larry’s answer, ‘‘ but you must remember these men are all cowed down and it will take time to rouse them up.” | ‘That’s no affair of mine,” returned the stern man. ‘I’m here to do the muster in, and if you once start a council the rest will follow. We want them all. This is the only place that’s left outside now, and when that’s in line with the others, we can make Monopoly come down.” “ Well,” said Larry ,doubtfully, ‘ I'll try what I can do, Mr. Shaw; but you'll have to do most of the talking. Ill bring Maguire to you to- night, and if we get him and a few others in, the rest will follow. What time will you meet us? ‘* Whenever you say. I think seven will be the best time, because the men will have finished supper and will want something to do.” ‘How would it do if you came to my house and I got the men to meet there?” asked a ‘* A very good place,” returned Shaw. ‘‘ Til come there if you'll tell me where it is. In the mean time how are you going to let the men know?” “Pi saerk Sgt myself,” said Larry, and then he gave his companion directions how to find the cottage and writs Pts He took his way straight back to the La ed te and walked in at the gate without being notic at first. Then he went to Maguire, who was one of the rollermen, and said to him in a Jow voice as he passed: ‘'Gomé to my housd as soon as you've had supper. Mr. Shaw’s come.” asing ‘And who’s Mr. Shaw?” asked Maguire, in a gloomy tone, as he went on with his work. ‘‘Mr. Shaw,” replied Larry, in the same guarded tone, ‘‘is the Master Workman for this district, and he’s come here to get you alla chance to get back the old scale.” Maguire shook his head. ‘** Divil a chance have we, I’m afeard.” ‘* Of course not, if we don’t fight for it,” said Larry, sharply. ‘‘ There’s no harm in hearing what the man has to say, is there?” ‘‘No,” assented Maguire, gloomily. ‘Tl come.” ‘* And will you bring the boys with you?” ask- ed Larry, eagerly. Maguire nodded, ‘‘] will that. But we’re not going on strike, ye understand; it’s no use.” ‘You'll not be asked to go on strike,” re- turned Larry, “ till everything’s ready for suc- cess. Then, if you don’t go on strike, you’re not ncbiglar | of the name of American workmen, People will call you slaves,” CHAPTER XXI. THE SECRET SOCIETY. e you | ) | what, Larry, boy? We’ve noroom for a meet- ‘*And I’m not going in for half wages,” was | ing.” Here’s your whip again, but | -—_— EE Oe ee a? aN oa strength and knowledge, and there was nothing: she deemed him incapable of doing. Presently Larry saw the figure of a man com- ing down the road from Maguire’s house, and several others straggling in from the city, so he got up and said to Molly: ‘* Bring out all the chairs yecan. We're go- in’ to have a meeting.” ‘‘A meeting?’ she echoed. ‘‘A meeting of | e We'll hold it outside,” said Larry. ‘It’s ' only to talk things over; it’s the first step.” Then he went out to meet Maguire, who had 'a furtive look on his face, and said, in a low voice: “TT told the boys, and some of ’em are on the road; but av the boss gits hould of it, he'll | bounce us all.” ‘“*Maybe he will—maybe he won't,” said Larry. ‘‘ We'll see about it when we git to- gether.” ‘‘But it’s no use,” observed Maguire, in a | gloomy way; ‘‘ I tould the boys that.” ‘** Perhaps vou told them wrong,” said Larry, qanebty. ‘Wait till Shaw comes. You men on’t know your own strength. Come in and sit down on the bench.” Ten minutes later there were nearly twenty men gathered in the little front garden of Lar- ry’s cottage, a number sitting on the stone | bench, the rest on logs, rocks and the few chairs the cottage contained, while the buzz of earnest conversation told that they were anxiously dis- cussing the question of subsistence and how to _ better their position, though no one seemed able to tell how it was to be done, and Larry prof- fered no advice. At last he said, in a tone of some relief: ‘‘ Ah! there comes Mr. Shaw at last. boys, we'll see.” n at the front gate walked a quiet-looking man in plain gray clothes, who said, as if he had known them all: ** How are you, men? Are there any foremen here who are Knights?” ‘‘No,”*answered Larry; ‘‘ there are no Knights here, but they all want to join the Knights, Brother Shaw.” ‘No, no,” expostulated Maguire. ‘‘ We don’t want to join nothing till we know what it is. Now, | We've tried strikes before, in 77, and what did we get by it?” Shaw smiled gravely, as he answered: ‘‘ You're just the men we want in the Order —men who don’t strike for nothing. Look here: how much do you make a week, and I'll tell you whether you can afford to strike or not?’ Several men answered him, and he went: on: ‘“That’s just it. I heard before I came that ou Holesburg men were getting just a quarter he than iron-workers were getting in the West. That’s because you haven’t got a Union and don’t belong to the Knights of Labor. You're the only place that doesn’t belong to it, and, you'll never get the old scale back till you do.” | “+ But how will joining the Knights help us?’ asked one man, ‘‘ We'll have to pay dues, won’t | wet" ‘ “Of course we will. ‘‘That settles it, mister. We hain’t got but jist enough to keep the pot b’ilin’, and no mon- ey to spend on dues.” Shaw bent his brows, | **Do any of you drin’& heer?” “Ay, ay,” quoth Maguire. “’Tis the only om we have now, and we won't give it '’ Tndeed! and how much does it cost you to get a good drunk and forget your troubles for a night?” asked Shaw, coolly. ~ | he question seemed to surprise the men. “Reckon I can drink, fifty glasses without caving in,” said one, boastingly. | - How much a glass?” aaied. Shaw, quickly. “Five cents.” “Exactly. Well, that’s nearly a and it only lasts one night, don’t it? “ Av, ay, I see what you're drivin’ at,” said Maguire, rather scornfully, “‘ but we ain’t goin’ to give up our beer and turn temp’rince folks.” “Su you tried it for three months, and’ ot the old svale at the end of the time.. ouldn’t that be a paying investment?” esked haw. A No one seemed to be able to find an answer, and he went on: ‘‘T came here to let you men know what the Knights of Labor have done, and to start an: assembly here. We’re not anxious to have you join. he rest of us have got the old scale, and. if you like to stick to the new one wedon’t want: to hinder you.” , ‘But we don’t want to do no sich thing,” said’ one of the men, in a tone of vexation. ‘‘ We want the old scale, and we want to know how year’s dues,, Tat evening at seven o’clock was sit- | the Knights are going to help us get it.” ting at his cottage door smoking his pipe, while | ‘‘ That’s the way to talk,” said Shaw. ‘‘ Now Molly was washing up the dishes, an ging as | we shall get on better, I think. I'll tell you all. she worked, this time with real enjoyment. The Order has assemblies in ev eth! > where What mattered it to her whether there was a | there’s an iron mill, except this. Any working- mortgage hanging over the place or not, solong | man’s eligible to join, if he can pay his dues, and as Larry was ack? " ~ | we don’t have but very small e We've: To her, Larry was the impersonation of gota big surplus fund, which we use on purpose: | JOOK (E ele) m 4 J. oe a Gf i - a | oul é Js a4 i /) ea aS *Y