Omaha daily bee., 1885-09-19
GERMINAL
Or, the Story Of a Great Miners
Strike.
BY EMILE zoLa.


work, reaches the coal mines Of Montson
France, cold, hungry and foot-sore. The
death Of miner makes q vacancy and he Sc
cures employment in the Vulture mine. Ma
hon, one Of the miners, and his daughter
Catherine, explains the work to him and as
sists him the first day. The terrible condi-
tion Of the mine and the hard work Of the
miners. Men, women and children employed
at barely living wages The mining village
and the occupants described.
CHAPTER v.
Mahon, without consulting the watch
which wss left In his vest, said:
"Almost an hour. Zacharie, Is that
done"
The young man paused, but remained
upon his back, his wandering eyes run
ming over the line of arches which he
had made the Gay before; then he awoke
from his stupor and replied:
"Yes, that'il do till tomorrow.
And he went back to his work In the
drift. Levsqus and Chaval also seized
their picks. There was pause; then,
wiping their faces upon their bare arms,
they looked at the rock above them from
which protruded great masses of elate.
Work was the only topic of conversation.
"Another chance of being buried under
the earth" murmursd Chavsl. 1t don't
make any difference to the company,
though"
"Ihieves" growled L Lsvaque. "They're
always trying TO get the best of us.
Z,chare was laughing. He made fun
Of everything, and 1t amused him to hear
the company abused. In his quiet way
Mahon explained that for sixty feet the
whole nature of the rock was changed.
1t was best to be Just; they could foresee
nothing. Then, when the two others
continued to rail against their chiefs, he
became uneasy, looking around him.
"Hold your tonguesl You've said
enough nowl'
'Y You're right" said Levaque, lower
Ing his voice. 'lt's rlsky to talk like
that"
A fear of spies constantly haunted
them, even in that darkness, as if the
stock holders coal, still In the vein, had
ears.
ssI don't care" added Chsval in loud
voice, with an air Of defiance, 'but If
that pig Dansaert speaks to me the way
he did the other day I'll fling stone at
him. I don't hinder him from making
love to the blonde.
This time Ischarie roared. The love
of the superintendent for the wife of
Peters was continual cause for mirth in
the mine. Even Csthar!ne, at the foot
of the drift, leaned upon her shovel, her
sides shaking with laughter; but Mahon
became angry, filled with fear ne could
no longer conceal.
"Are you going to shut up2 Walt till
you're alone If you want to speak such
things"
He was still speaking when the sound
of feet was heard IN the upper gallery.
Almos: Immediately the mine engineer,
the little niger, as the workmen called
him, appeared at the top of the drift, &C.
companied by Danasert, the superintend-
ent.
"What did ssy2" muttered Mahon.
"Speak of the devil and his imps will
appear.
Paul Megrel, the nephew of M. Hen
nebeau, was a slight, handsome man of
twenty.sIx years, with curly hair and
black mustsche. His pointed nose and
bright eyes reminded one of a sharp fer
ret; but his sffable air WAS changed Into
cne of authority when dealing with the
workmen. In miners dress, like them,
he was covered with coal. al.dust, and to
command their respect he assumed cour-
age, running the risk of breaking his
back In the most difficult part of ths
mine, always the first at caving In, or
In an explosion from fire damp.
"We are here, Dansaert, are we notl"
said he.
The superlntend snt, Belgian, with 8
heavy face and large sensual nose, re-
piled With an exaggerated politenes,:
"Yes, Monsieur Megrel. Here is the
man they engaged this morning."
Then both passed into the drift OPEN
Ing. The engineer, going up to Anton,
raised his lamp and looked at him, with
out saying word.
sits all right" said he at lagt "But
l don't like them to engage unknown
people,"
He would not listen to the explana-
tions given him, the uecsssity of the
work and the company's desire to replace
the women wheeleis with boys. He was
looking intentIy at the ceiling, while the
miners again took up their picks. Sud
denly he cried:
"Say, now, Mahon, have you no
thought for people, You are going to
bury US here like dogs"
"Oh! that's solid, responde d the work.
man, quietly.
"Soi dl Why the rock is already pink-
Ing, and you grudge the time spent in
placing props seven feet apart Ali you
would rick cracking your skulla rather
than leave your vein to attend to the tim
beripg. tell you to prop OTIS; do you
mediately. Double the suppr
hear2"
And at the angry locks of the miners,
who thought themselves good judges of
their own safety, he quickly became
angry.
"Very WE'LL When your heads are
broken, do you have TO bear the con-
sequence.l Not at ell; 1t is the
company who will be obliged to give
pensions either TO you or to your wives.
They know you; to have two more c,rs
In the evening you would give your
lives"
Mahon, In spite of the anger which
filled him, said composedly:
"If we were paid better we would do
more propping."
The engineer shrugged his shoulders
without replying. Then going to the end
Of The drift, he concluded:
"There is an hour left yet; go to work,
every one of you or you shall each be
fined three frincs."