St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1892-12-24

Iney ran a HbCie way across the Hab,
and then up the hillside road until COM
ing voices alarmed them, when they
flung themselves downin the shadow Of
a clump of bushes behind little pile of
mine timbers by the road. Gangs of
excited miners rushed by until it seemed
as If all the men in the community must
have gone down to the breaker. Still!
the fugitives did not venture to move.
To return to Mr.. Brattle's house they
would have had to pass through the
crowd of strikers, which in the light of
their recent experience hardly seemed
safe, or go by the mountain path, which
the superintendent did not know.
eH we stay here much longer shall
be frozen stiff, remarked Mr.. Andrews
in whispered growl. .'If we'd had
just little sense we would have staid
in the house and fixed up the children's
Christmas tree"
We'll, this moonlight ramble was not
on my programme, you know.
And was seventy sorts Of a fool for
insisting On it. ] know that now.
should have remembered what / have
often thought-tha you, here on the
ground, understood the situation much
better than we could in New York"
II hope to convince you Of that. You
shall see for yourself
IF | live. Where the mischief dc
you suppose they got the nitroglycerin?
mo telling. Stole it somewhere, ]
suppose
Neither Of the fugitives noticed q man
coming up from the breaker until he.
arriving within sound of their speech,
halted and uttered q sharp Hello
there!o of challenge. It was Hugh on
his way home after learning the little
concerning the explosion that could be
guessed at that night-the Slavs having
had the sense to keep accurate knowl-
edge to themselves. His hasty imagin.
ing, when he heard the voices, was that
the speakers were Slavs in ambush for
the man he meant to save. and it was a
great relief to his mind when Mr.. Brattle
replied, uttering his name in tone of
Enthusiastically gratifed recognition:
A friend and myself have escaped
from some fellows who wanted to kill
us. VIII you help us to get away from
herey'
with all my heart. Jump out here
and go with me. Well not be likely to
meet any one and can keep ahead of the
crowd that will be coming up present
~" He led them straight to his
fathers house, and when they had en-
tered said, as he lighted the candle:
"Here you will be safe until near day
light, when you can try for home.
Everybody will be asleep then, and will
guide you by a road few travel at any
| time.
Mr.. Andrews looked about him with
shudder, and sinking upon stool put
| his frozen feet on the stove hearth te
| warm.
Something ugly has happened in the
incline" remarked Hugh, ''but nobody
seems to know rightly what it is.
II know all about it," replied Mr..
Brattle, and related their adventure
with the Slavs, asking in conclusion
how far their feeling was shared by the
other men. e
Not at all, sir, = answered the young
man warmly. Barring the cattle i'm
ported by the company the time of the
strike, and perhaps one old crank, there's
none would harm a hair Of your head,
and it will go hard with the Slavs who
did that devils job tonight when the
men find them out"
| You feel sure of what you say?s de.
manded Mr.. Andrews sharply.
As that ] am alive"
Then wish you would go at once to
the leaders of the strike-I take it for
granted the men have leaders and ask
them to come here at daylight for con-
ference. This strike can and must be
ended Immediately. know I'm giving
you trouble, but will make 1t worth
your while.
Don't speak of that, sir. I'd do any
thing honest to end the strike"
Go ahead, then, and we will await
here your return.
Hugh went Immediately. When he
was gone the superintendent said:
Look about you, Mr.. Andrews, and
see the home of an honest, sober, indus
trious and skillful miner --as Andrew
Corrigan is. Even the necessaries OF
life are scant. Mere comforts here would
be luxuries. There may be little corn
meal in the cupboard, but no other food,
would wager. Open that dinner can
hanging ON the wall, and ten to one you
will find a block of wood I'M 1t. Do you
know why? That its lightness may not
betray its emptiness when the man car
ries it down into the mine with him cd
a public pretense that he can afford a
midday meal. See that patched gown
and trousers hung on the clotheshorse
to dry for daily use tomorrow. I'm glad
you have a chance to see this for your
self. / have long wanted to get one
director with heart in him to come
here and learn the situation as it really
exists
But" stammered Mr.. Andrews,
"this is during a rather prolonged
strike"
They were only a little better of
when they had work; more cornmeal
and perhaps now and then a bit of salt
pork when there were not too many
shut downs but not much else. Moth
ing has gone to the pawnbrokers..
CHAPTER ~.
Hearing some movement in the next
room, the men noiseIessly stepped into
the shadow Of the clotheshorse. A
r,retty little mite Of a barefoot girl. with