to him that hath-第40章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


left　the　room；　to　return　almost　immediately　with　Mr。　McGinnis；
evidently　quite　incoherent　with　rage。

In　the　outer　office　Jack　paused　beside　the　desk　of　the　old
bookkeeper。　　From　behind　the　closed　door　came　the　sound　of　high
explosives。

〃Rough　stuff　in　there；　eh；　Wickes；〃　said　Jack；　with　a　humorous
smile。　　For　some　moments　he　stood　listening。　　〃War　is　a　terrible
thing；〃　he　added　with　a　grin。

〃What　seems　to　be　the　matter；　Mr。　Jack？〃

Jack　laid　before　him　the　document　sent　out　by　the　Allied　Unions。

〃Oh；　this　is　terrible；　Mr。　Jack！　　And　just　at　this　time。　　I　am　very
much　afraid　it　will　ruin　us。〃

〃Ruin　us？　　Rot。　　Don't　ever　say　that　word　again。　　We　will　possibly
have　a　jolly　good　row。　　Someone　will　be　hurt　and　perhaps　all　of　us；
more　or　less；　but　I　don't　mean　to　be　beaten；　if　I　know　myself；〃　he
added；　with　the　smile　on　his　face　that　his　hockey　team　loved　to　see
before　a　match。　　〃Now；　Wickes；〃　continued　Jack；　〃get　that　idea　of
failure　out　of　your　mind。　　We　are　going　to　win。　　And　meantime；　let
us　prepare　for　our　campaign。　　Here's　a　bit　of　work　I　want　you　to　do
for　me。　　Get　four　things　for　me：　the　wages　for　the　last　three
yearsyou　have　the　sheets？〃

〃Yes；　sir。〃

〃The　cost　of　living　from　the　Labour　Gazette　for　the　last　three
yearsyou　have　them　hereand　the　rates　of　increase　in　wages。
Plot　a　diagram　showing　all　these　things。　　You　know　what　I　mean？〃

〃Yes；　sir；　I　understand。〃

〃And　find　out　the　wages　paid　at　our　competing　points。〃

〃All　right；　Mr。　Jack。　　I　know　what　you　want。　　I　can　give　you　the
necessary　information　in　regard　to　the　first　three　points　almost　at
once。　　It　will　take　some　days；　however；　to　get　the　wages　of　our
competing　points。〃

〃All　right；　old　boy。　　Carry　on！〃　said　Jack；　and　with　the　same　smile
on　his　face　he　passed　out　of　the　office　into　the　shops。

It　amused　him　slightly　to　observe　the　change　in　the　attitude　and
bearing　of　his　men。　　They　would　not　look　at　him　fairly　in　the　face。
Even　Snoopy　Sykes　and　Macnamara　avoided　his　glance。　　But　he　had　for
everyone　his　usual　cheery　word。　　Why　should　he　not？　　These　chaps
had　no　hatred　for　him；　nor　he　for　them。　　He　had　come　to　understand
union　methods　of　discipline　and　recognised　fully　the　demands　for
loyalty　and　obedience　imposed　upon　its　members　by　the　organisation。
These　men　of　his　were　bound　to　the　union　by　solemn　obligations。　　He
bore　them　no　ill…will　on　that　score。　　Rather　he　respected　them　the
more　for　it。　　If　a　fight　was　inevitable；　he　would　do　his　best　to
beat　them　but　he　would　allow　no　spirit　of　hatred　to　change　his　mind
toward　them　nor　cloud　his　judgment。

The　day　was　full　of　excursions　and　alarms。　　A　hurry　call　was　sent
out　by　McGinnis　to　all　employers　who　had　received　copies　of　the
document　from　the　Allied　Unions。　　In　the　afternoon　a　meeting　was
held　in　the　Board　of　Trade　Building；　but　it　was　given　over　chiefly
to　vituperation　and　threatening　directed　toward　their　variously
described　employees。　　With　one　heart　and　voice　all　affirmed　with
solemn；　and　in　many　cases　with　profane　oaths　that　they　would　not
yield　a　jot　to　the　insolent　demands　of　this　newly　organised　body。

〃I　have　already　sent　my　answer；〃　shouted　Mr。　McGinnis。

〃What　did　you　say；　Mac？〃

〃Told　'em　to　go　to　hell；　and　told　'em　that　if　any　of　these　highly
coloured　committee　men　came　on　my　premises；　I　would　kick　'em　into
the　middle　of　next　week。〃

Jack；　who　was　present　at　the　meeting；　sat　listening　with　silent　and
amused　pity。　　They　seemed　to　him　so　like　a　group　of　angry　children
whose　game　had　suddenly　been　interfered　with　and　whose　rage
rendered　them　incapable　of　coherent　thought。

Grant　Maitland；　who；　throughout　the　meeting　had　sat　silent；　finally
rose　and　said：　　〃Gentlemen；　the　mere　expression　of　feeling　may
afford　a　sort　of　satisfaction　but　the　question　is；　What　is　to　be
done？　　That　the　situation　is　grave　for　all　of　us　we　know　too　well。
Not　many　of　us　are　in　a　position　to　be　indifferent　to　a　strike。
Let　us　get　down　to　business。　　What　shall　we　do？〃

〃Fight　them　to　a　finish！　　Smash　the　unions！〃　were　the　suggestions
in　various　forms　and　with　various　descriptive　adjectives。

〃It　may　come　to　a　fight；　gentlemen；　but　however　gratifying　a　fight
may　be　to　our　feelings；　a　fight　may　be　disastrous　to　our　business。
A　strike　may　last　for　weeks；　perhaps　months。　　Are　we　in　a　position
to　stand　that？　　And　as　for　smashing　the　unions；　let　us　once　and　for
all　put　such　a　thought　out　of　our　minds。　　These　unions　have　all
international　affiliations。　　It　is　absurd　to　imagine　that　we　here
in　Blackwater　could　smash　a　single　union。〃

Fiercely　McGinnis　made　reply。　　〃I　want　to　tell　you　right　here　and
now　that　I　am　prepared　to　close　down　and　go　out　of　business　but　I
will　have　no　outside　committee　tell　me　how　to　run　my　job。〃

But　no　one　took　this　threat　seriously；　and　no　one　but　knew　that　a
shut…down　for　any　of　them　might　mean　disaster。　　They　all　recalled
those　unfilled　orders　which　they　were　straining　every　nerve　to
complete　before　the　market　should　break；　or　cancellation　should
come。　　It　added　not　a　little　to　their　rage　that　they　knew
themselves　to　be　held　in　the　grip　of　circumstances　over　which　they
had　little　control。

After　much　angry　deliberation　it　was　finally　agreed　that　they
should　appoint　a　committee　to　consider　the　whole　situation　and　to
prepare　a　plan　of　action。　　Meantime　the　committee　were　instructed
to　temporise　with　the　enemy。

The　evening　papers　announced　the　imminence　of　a　strike　the　extent
and　magnitude　of　which　had　never　been　experienced　in　the　history　of
Blackwater。　　Everywhere　the　citizens　of　the　industrial　town　were
discussing　the　disturbing　news　anxiously；　angrily；　indifferently；
according　as　they　were　variously　affected。　　But　there　was　a　general
agreement　among　all　classes　of　citizens　that　a　strike　in　the
present　industrial　and　financial　situation　which　was　already
serious　enough；　would　be　nothing　short　of　a　calamity；　because　no
matter　what　the　issue　would　be；　no　matter　which　of　the　parties　won
in　the　conflict；　a　fight　meant　serious　loss　not　only　to　the　two
parties　immediately　concerned；　but　to　the　whole　community　as　well。
With　the　rank　and　file　of　the　working　people　there　was　little　heart
for　a　fight。　　More　especially；　men　upon　whom　lay　the　responsibility
for　the　support　of　homes　shrank　from　the　pain　and　the　suffering；　as
well　as　from　the　loss　which　experience　taught　them　a　strike　must
entail。　　It　is　safe　to　say　that　in　every　working　man's　home　in
Blackwater　that　night　there　was　to　be　found　a　woman　who；　as　she　put
her　children　to　bed；　prayed　that　trouble　might　be　averted；　for　she
knew　that　in　every　war　it　is　upon　the　women　and　children　that　in
the　last　analysis　the　sorest　burden　must　fall。　　To　them　even
victory　would　mean　for　many　months　a　loss　of　luxuries　for　the
family；　it　might　be　of　comforts；　and　defeat；　which　would　come　not
until　after　long　conflict；　would　mean　not　only　straitened　means　but
actual　poverty；　with　all　the　attendant　humiliation　and　bitterness
which　would　kill　for　them　the　joy　of　life　and　sensibly　add　to　its
already　heavy　burden。

That　night　Jack　Maitland　felt　that　a　chat　with　the　Reverend　Murdo
Matheson　might　help　to　clear　his　own　mind　as　to　the　demands　of　the
Allied　Unions。　　He　found　the　minister　in　his　study　and　in　great
distress　of　soul。

〃I　am　glad　to　see　you；　Maitland；〃　he　said；　giving　him　a　hearty
greeting。　　〃My　hope　is　largely　placed　in　you　and　you　must　not　fail
me　in　this　crisis。　　What　exactly　are　the　demands　of　the　unions？〃

Maitland　spread　before　him　the　letter　which　his　father　had　received
that　morning。　　The　Reverend　Murdo　read　it　carefully　over；　then；
with　a　sigh　of　relief；　he　said：　　〃Well；　it　might　be　worse。　　There
should　not　be　much　difficulty　in　coming　to　an　agreement　between
people　anxious　for　peace。〃

After　an　hour　spent　in　canvassing　the　subject　from　various　points
of　view；　the　Reverend　Murdo　exclaimed：　　〃Let　us　go　and　see　McNish。〃

〃The　very　thing；〃　said　Maitland。　　〃I　have　been　trying　to　get　in
touch　with　him　for　the　last　month　or　so；　but　he　avoids　me。〃

〃Ay；〃　replied　the　Reverend　Murdo；　〃he　has　a　reason；　no　doubt。〃

To　Maitland's　joy　they　found　McNish　at　home。　　They　were　received
with　none…too…cordial　a　welcome　by　the