the friendly road-第28章

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Many　of　them　found　their　places　taken　by　the　eager　〃black　people；〃　and　many　had　to　go　to　work　at　lower　wages　in　poorer　placespunished　for　the　fight　they　had　made。

But　he　got　along　somehow；　he　said〃the　woman　was　a　good　manager〃　until　one　day　he　had　the　misfortune　to　get　his　hand　caught　in　the　machinery。　It　was　a　place　which　should　have　been　protected　with　guards；　but　was　not。　He　was　laid　up　for　several　weeks；　and　the　company；　claiming　that　the　accident　was　due　to　his　own　stupidity　and　carelessness；　refused　even　to　pay　his　wages　while　he　was　idle。　Well；　the　family　had　to　live　somehow；　and　the　woman　and　the　daughter〃she　was　a　little　thing；〃　he　said；　〃and　frail〃the　woman　and　the　daughter　went　into　the　mill。　But　even　with　this　new　source　of　income　they　began　to　fall　behind。　Money　which　should　have　gone　toward　making　the　last　payments　on　their　home　（already　long　delayed　by　the　strike）　had　now　to　go　to　the　doctor　and　the　grocer。

〃We　had　to　live；〃　said　Bill　Hahn。

Again　and　again　he　used　this　same　phrase；　〃We　had　to　live！〃　as　a　sort　of　bedrock　explanation　for　all　the　woes　of　life。

After　a　time；　with　one　finger　gone　and　a　frightfully　scarred　handhe　held　it　up　for　me　to　seehe　went　back　into　the　mill。

〃But　it　kept　getting　worse　and　worse；〃　said　he；　〃and　finally　I　couldn't　stand　it　any　longer。〃

He　and　a　group　of　friends　got　together　secretly　and　tried　to　organize　a　union；　tried　to　get　the　workmen　together　to　improve　their　own　condition；　but　in　some　way　（〃they　had　spies　everywhere；〃　he　said）　the　manager　learned　of　the　attempt　and　one　morning　when　he　reported　at　the　mill　he　was　handed　a　slip　asking　him　to　call　for　his　wages；　that　his　help　was　no　longer　required。

〃I'd　been　with　that　one　company　for　twenty　years　and　four　months；〃　he　said　bitterly；　〃I'd　helped　in　my　small　way　to　build　it　up；　make　it　a　big　concern　payin'　28　per　cent。　dividends　every　year；　I'd　given　part　of　my　right　hand　in　doin'　itand　they　threw　me　out　like　an　old　shoe。〃

He　said　he　would　have　pulled　up　and　gone　away；　but　he　still　had　the　little　home　and　the　garden；　and　his　wife　and　daughter　were　still　at　work；　so　he　hung　on　grimly；　trying　to　get　some　other　job。　〃But　what　good　is　a　man　for　any　other　sort　of　work；〃　he　said；　〃when　he　has　been　trained　to　the　mills　for　thirty…two　years！〃

It　was　not　very　long　after　that　when　the　〃great　strike〃　beganindeed；　it　grew　out　of　the　organization　which　he　had　tried　to　launchedand　Bill　Hahn　threw　himself　into　it　with　all　his　strength。　He　was　one　of　the　leaders。　I　shall　not　attempt　to　repeat　here　his　description　of　the　bitter　struggle；　the　coming　of　the　soldiery；　the　street　riots；　the　long　lists　of　arrests　（〃some；〃　said　he；　〃got　into　jail　on　purpose；　so　that　they　could　at　least　have　enough　to　eat！〃）；　the　late　meetings　of　strikers；　the　wild　turmoil　and　excitement。

Of　all　this　he　told　me；　and　then　he　stopped　suddenly；　and　after　a　long　pause　he　said　in　a　low　voice：

〃Comrade；　did　ye　ever　see　your　wife　and　your　sickly　daughter　and　your　kids　sufferin'　for　bread　to　eat？〃

He　paused　again　with　a　hard；　dry　sob　in　his　voice。

〃Did　ye　ever　see　that？〃

〃No；〃　said　I；　very　humbly；　〃I　have　never　seen　anything　like　that。〃

He　turned　on　me　suddenly；　and　I　shall　never　forget　the　look　on　his　face；　nor　the　blaze　in　his　eyes：

〃Then　what　can　you　know　about　working…man？〃

What　could　I　answer？

A　moment　passed　and　then　he　said；　as　if　a　little　remorseful　at　having　turned　thus　on　me：

〃Comrade；　I　tell　you；　the　iron　entered　my　soulthem　days。〃

It　seems　that　the　leaders　of　the　strike　were　mostly　old　employees　like　Bill　Hahn；　and　the　company　had　conceived　the　idea　that　if　these　men　could　be　eliminated　the　organization　would　collapse；　and　the　strikers　be　forced　back　to　work。　One　day　Bill　Hahn　found　that　proceedings　had　been　started　to　turn　him　out　of　his　home；　upon　which　he　had　not　been　able　to　keep　up　his　payments；　and　at　the　same　time　the　merchant；　of　whom　he　had　been　a　respected　customer　for　years；　refused　to　give　him　any　further　credit。

〃But　we　lived　somehow；〃　he　said；　〃we　lived　and　we　fought。〃

It　was　then　that　he　began　to　see　clearly　what　it　all　meant。　He　said　he　made　a　great　discovery：　that　the　〃black　people〃　against　whom　they　had　struck　in　1894　were　not　to　blame！

〃I　tell　you；〃　said　he；　〃we　found　when　we　got　started　that　them　black　peoplewe　used　to　call　'em　dagoeswere　just　workin'　people　like　usand　in　hell　with　us。　They　were　good　soldiers；　them　Eyetalians　and　Poles　and　Syrians；　they　fought　with　us　to　the　end。〃

I　shall　not　soon　forget　the　intensely　dramatic　but　perfectly　simple　way　in　which　he　told　me　how　he　came；　as　he　said；　〃to　see　the　true　light。〃　Holding　up　his　maimed　right　hand　（that　trembled　a　little）；　he　pointed　one　finger　upward。

〃I　seen　the　big　hand　in　the　sky；〃　he　said；　〃I　seen　it　as　clear　as　daylight。〃

He　said　he　saw　at　last　what　Socialism　meant。　One　day　he　went　home　from　a　strikers'　meetingone　of　the　last；　for　the　men　were　worn　out　with　their　long　struggle。　It　was　a　bitter　cold　day；　and　he　was　completely　discouraged。　When　he　reached　his　own　street　he　saw　a　pile　of　household　goods　on　the　sidewalk　in　front　of　his　home。　He　saw　his　wife　there　wringing　her　hands　and　crying。　He　said　he　could　not　take　a　step　further；　but　sat　down　on　a　neighbour's　porch　and　looked　and　looked。　〃It　was　curious；〃　he　said；　〃but　the　only　thing　I　could　see　or　think　about　was　our　old　family　clock　which　they　had　stuck　on　top　of　the　pile；　half　tipped　over。　It　looked　odd　and　I　wanted　to　set　it　up　straight。　It　was　the　clock　we　bought　when　we　were　married；　and　we'd　had　it　about　twenty　years　on　the　mantel　in　the　livin'…room。　It　was　a　good　clock；〃　he　said。

He　paused　and　then　smiled　a　little。

〃I　never　have　figured　it　out　why　I　should　have　been　able　to　think　of　nothing　but　that　clock；〃　he　said；　〃but　so　it　was。〃

When　he　got　home；　he　found　his　frail　daughter　just　coming　out　of　the　empty　house；　〃coughing　as　though　she　was　dyin'。〃　Something；　he　said；　seemed　to　stop　inside　him。　Those　were　his　words：　〃Something　seemed　to　stop　inside　'o　me。〃

He　turned　away　without　saying　a　word；　walked　back　to　strike　headquarters；　borrowed　a　revolver　from　a　friend；　and　started　out　along　the　main　road　which　led　into　the　better　part　of　the　town。

〃Did　you　ever　hear　o'　Robert　Winter？〃　he　asked。

〃No；〃　said　I。

〃Well；　Robert　Winter　was　the　biggest　gun　of　'em　all。　He　owned　the　mills　there　and　the　largest　store　and　the　newspaper　he　pretty　nearly　owned　the　town。〃

He　told　me　much　more　about　Robert　Winter　which　betrayed　still　a　curious　sort　of　feudal　admiration　for　him；　and　for　his　great　place　and　power；　but　I　need　not　dwell　on　it　here。　He　told　me　how　he　climbed　through　a　hemlock　hedge　（for　the　stone　gateway　was　guarded）　and　walked　through　the　snow　toward　the　great　house。

〃An'　all　the　time　I　seemed　to　be　seein'　my　daughter　Margy　right　there　before　my　eyes　coughing　as　though　she　was　dyin'。〃

It　was　just　nightfall　and　all　the　windows　were　alight。　He　crept　up　to　a　clump　of　bushes　under　a　window　and　waited　there　a　moment　while　he　drew　out　and　cocked　his　revolver。　Then　he　slowly　reached　upward　until　his　head　cleared　the　sill　and　he　could　look　into　the　room。　〃A　big；　warm　room；〃　he　described　it。

〃Comrade；〃　said　he；　〃I　had　murder　in　my　heart　that　night。〃

So　he　stood　there　looking　in　with　the　revolver　ready　cocked　in　his　hand。

〃And　what　do　you　think　I　seen　there？〃　he　asked。

〃I　cannot　guess；〃　I　said。

〃Well；〃　said　Bill　Hahn；　〃I　seen　the　great　Robert　Winter　that　we　had　been　fighting　for　five　long　monthsand　he　was　down　on　his　hands　and　knees　on　the　carpethe　had　his　little　daughter　on　his　backand　he　was　creepin'　about　with　heran'　she　was　laughin'。〃

Bill　Hahn　paused。

〃I　had　a　bead　on　him；〃　he　said；　〃but　I　couldn't　do　itI　just　couldn't　do　it。〃

He　came　away　all　weak　and　trembling　and　cold；　and；　〃Comrade；〃　he　said；　〃I　was　cryin'　like　a　baby；　and　didn't　know　why。〃

The　next　day　the　strike　collapsed　and　there　was　the　familiar　stampede　for　work　but　Bill　Hahn　did　not　go　back。　He　knew　it　would　be　useless。　A　week　later　his　frail　daughter　died　and　was　buried　in　the　paupers　field。

〃She　was　as　truly　killed；〃　he　said；　〃as　though　some　one　had　fired　a　bullet　at　her　through　a　window。〃

〃And　what　did　you　do　after　that？〃　I　asked；　when　he　had　pa