Argosy All-Story Weekly, 4 February 1922 — page 100: what you’re looking at

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

ry - al D1 Ads y : ¥,' a wy. ‘ : : iy ris Sy \ ru WAV — LR LD of va Noi ve ey, h : “a int { : ALS my Oe \y 4 te , . ts - —e 4 ote - ‘ ' “oe —_ : — >. he a. as - ee _ “410 tween the two groups extended the yard with its steel spider-web of tramway tracks. Having learned that Kowalski was in the office, Davies sent in word that the miners would like to have him come outside. Kowalski: came, uncertain of his recep- tion, followed at a nod by several of his retainers. From the doorway behind them, revealed by the interior lights, Hanley looked out, thin and worried, but prepared for any eventuality that might arise. Both miners and smeltermen suspected the pres- ence of a picked gang of boilermakers and firemen armed for the protection of com- _pany property somewhere in the offices be- “hind, for these men were a secretive and clannish folk who had no sympathy with either miners or smeltermen. | The few miners who had been timbering on day shift began coming from the mine. Hasty remarks made them acquainted with -the situation, The whistle over the power- houses blew promptly at eight o’clock, but _ the smeltermen made no move toward the smelter; the night-shift miners showed no disposition to hurry underground. Hugh and William stood together at a far edge of the miners’ grouping nearest to the dumps, Hugh with eyes fixed on the entrance to the office, William trying to see everything at once, losing no detail of the scene, which he found delightfully ex- citing. Kowalski with his men, Davies, his arm in a sling, with the committee which he had appointed, drew away from the masses of which each was a part; approached each other across the neutral ground of cinder- land. It was as though two knights rode out beyond the forefront of their respective armies—knights of toil, in cinder-burned denims and muddy overalls, their weapons words, and horny fists to follow after that. “ Well?” growled Kowalski, ominous, threatening, at the same time fearful, not indeed of personal injury, but of the conse- quences this movement might involve. Davies sensed at once that truce between himself and Kowalski was impossible. But truce among the men—that might be re- alized. “ Ah coomed,” said Davies, “t’ ask ye ~. gin ye ha’ed ma word?” «> tn Eee ae ee ee — ih ne 4 ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. “Yes,” said Kowalski, with no change of tone. “Well?” tion now. There was a drawing together among the groups, a feeling of tenseness electric in the air. The two groups were like dogs strain- ing at the leash awaiting only a word of command. “T fight no cripple,”’ said Kowalski sul- lenly. “ An’ I don’ want no trouble wit’ the men. [I tol’ my fellers we all quit it, eh?” ‘Ah coomed t’ say thot myse’n,” said Davies abruptly. ‘‘ But Ah’m na creeple gin Ah ha’ a crackit arm—an’ gin Ah am, ye’ve changed soom since las’ night.” The Cornishman was determined to press his moment of advantage. “ Creeple or na, Ah’ll fight ye noo wi’ pleasure—then hap- pen th’ men ’I] ga’ back peaceable.” Kowalski, trapped in the network of Belle’s secret weaving, saw again her face before his eyes; heard again her ultimatum in his ears. Yet this was more than man could easily endure; each moment of hesi- tation was increasingly destructive of his leadership. And he had never been a pa- tient man. But once more he tried, rudely as might be, to break away from the enclosure of that silk and iron mesh into which he found himself betrayed. He spoke lowly that his men might not hear. ‘““Mebbe I don’t fight—tha’s my busi- ness, eh? I fight damn soon w’en you got good arm.” ‘Ye fight me noo!” repeated Davies, and his voice was loud enough for all men to hear. Kowalski, trembling, his clenched fists aching with the withheld blow, gulped, turned contemptuously halfway. But, be- cause he was an immoderate man and sore- ly tried he could not resist the impulse natural to his kind. “The hall you say!” he cried, goaded beyond endurance. From out the corner of his twisted mouth he hurled at Davies the one supreme insult that no man will bear. And having spoken he spoke once again, flinging his arms wildly in the air. “ Da’s for you all—I don’t give a damn!” It was Davies's turn to ques- > ~ - @ . a, —_ aa __. ieee eo - comicbooks.co - - = - —. - -—- ° FP ee OPO ee ey