Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-31

The barmah laughed. and reached for an
empty mug, Erasping the beer pump handle.
That dreams good enough for the
Grown, " he said. Better have some bread
and cheese with, It."
Yes. BE quick man"
Standing there, Braunt ATE and drank raw
enously.
a can get YOU a plate OF cold meat" said
the barman, seeing how hungry the man was.
The other nodded. and the plate, with knife
and fork. was placed before him.
80 the strike's of, is it," said the man,
leaning his arms on the bar.
"It'll be off when All get there
We'll, It's not a minute too soon. Our
trades suffered"
More than your trade has suffered, worse
luck. Dom little you'll do for a man, unless
the moneys in Ia pouch
'"Oh. IL It comes to that, neither will other
people. We're not giving outdoor relief, any
more than our neighbors."
Braunt ate his food and drank his beer,
but made no reply. The barmans altitude
was commercially correct; no one could
Justly find fault with 1t. Money was the
master key of the universe; 1t unlocked all
doors. The barnlan did not care now Braunt
came by 1t, so long as he paid for what was
ordered. and the workman now fOunl that
courage was taking the place Of despair,
merely because he had money in his pocket.
He felt that now he had energy enough TO
cope with the strikers, simply because he
had fed while they were hungry. He would
wall lbl Nv ilttNiilB, puA NONih ihi argue 'hN
men on the street, those of them that were
assembled in futile numbers around the
closed gates, and most of them were sure to
be there. If Gibbons opposed, he would SET
tie the question by promptly and conclusiyely
knocking him down-an argument easily
comprehended by all onlookors.
Braunt drew the back OF his hand across
his lips when he had finished his meal and
departed for the works. He found, as he
had expected, the dcspondent mon standing
thers, with hands hepelessly thrust deep in
their empty pockets. Their pipes were as
smokeless as the tall chimneys of the fac
tory, and that of itself showed that their
condition was at its lowest ebb. They were
listening with ~listlesS Indifference to a
heated alteration going on between Gibbons
and Marsten, as If the subject discussed
did not concern them.
You might have played that card last
week. Marsten cried, but 1t is too late
now. You can have no conference with the
owners. / tell YOU they have left the coun-
try and won't return for a fortnight, and by
that time the works will be filled with new
men. The new men are coming In on Mon
day. l demand that the committee call a
meeting now and that a vote be taken
Don't mind him. men," cried Gibbons.
Hes in SartWell's pay"
Tho men didn't mind him and paid no at
tention to Gibbons either. What they wanted
was something to eat and drink, with TO-
bacCo to smoke a~fterward. If Marsten was
in Sartwell's pay, they would gladly have
changed places with him. Braunt made his
way roughly through the crowd, e.bowing
tho men rudeiy aside. None resented tins:
all the fight had gone out OF them. Marsten
seemed on the point of attacking Gibbons
for the slanaarpus remark made, when he
felt Brarr:S a,eayy hand on his shoulder.
The time Is past for meetings, lad" said
the big mani Sand for talk, too. The meet
ing's here; an iIAh,H deal with it. Stop
bothering with that fool, and stand among
the crowd, ready, to back me up if need be"
Marsten att enee did as requested, while
Braunt strohs across the open ppace, in spite
of the waEuing of a, policeman to stand
back. W
Few CT the torce were on the ground:
the authorities saw; there was little to fear
from cowed and beaten men.
You'll lGFe 10 stand back said the
officer, cor 81 thke you in charge
"WilI you sosS; cried Braunt truculently,
rolling up It's sleeves as he turned upon hil
opponent. ''Tiepl L.warn, you send for help.
You haven't men enough here to take me in
charge. Alive had a meal today"
After glazing for a moment Braunt turned
and strodo unmolested to the closed gate.
The officer paid heed to the advice given
him and sent for more men. He saw there
was to be trouble of some sort.
Braunt smote his huge fist against the
panels and roared at the top Of his voice:
''Open the gates"
A slight nutter of listless interest seemed
to pass over the crowd. The man elbowed
closer together, shufiling their feet and
| craning their necks forward. THOSE 10 the
rear pressed toward the front, wondering
what was about to happen. The few police
men looked on without interfering, waiting
for endorsements. Braunt beat with his
fist against the sounding timbers, the rhyth-
mic thuds being the only break in the still
ness except when he repeated his stentorlan
cry: ''Open the gates!"
The porter at the small wicket, fearing an
attack, ran for Sartwell, and met the man
ager coming down the stairs.
Pm afraid there's going to be ~anothe:
| riot, sir" said the porter, breathlessly.
sartwell did not answer, but walked
quickly to the small gate, unbolted, it and
stepped out.
what do you want?" he said.
eve want our work. cried Braunt. open
the gates!'
Sartwell's glance swept swiftly over the
men. who stood with jaws dropped, their
gaunt faces and wolfsh eyes turned toward
the closed barriers. The manager quickly
comprehended that it was no time for dis
cussion or arranging of terms. What was
needed was action, sharp and prompt. He
turned toward the trembling porter and said
peremptorily:
Throw down that bar
Whatever doubts the man may have had
about the wisdom of such an order in the
face of the hostile mob, he preferred to
brave probable danger from the crowd rattle,
thar tho certain wrath of the manager, and
obeyed the command. with haste. The heavy
gates were SLOWLY puSneu open.
Now, men, in with you,' cried Braunt,
with a scythe-like swing of his long arm.
The man that holds back now-ah, God,
Ah'll break his back
Some one stumbled forward, as If pushed
from behind; then it was as il an invisible
rope, holding the crowd back, had suddenly
broken. The men poured through the open
gateway in a steady stream. Gibbons, wav-
ing his hands like a maniac, cried: q
stop. Stop. Listen to me for a moment"
But no one stopped, and no one listened.
Braunt, his face white with anger, struggled
against the incoming tide. shouting:
Let me get at him. Ah'n strangle tho
whelp."
"BrauDt,' said Sartwell sharply, his voice
cutting through the din of shutting boots.
Leave him alone and get Inside yourself.
Gather the men together in the yard. / want
a word with them"
Braunt's ~trncuIence at once disappeared.
He turned with the men and came to where
Sartwell stood lDbking grimly at the moving
throng. No one glanced toward his master.
but each went d9ggedly forward. with head
down, as Though doing something he was
ashamed ofSsy81aunt stopped at sartwell's
side and wht&perSd:,
For Godiae sake. manager, set them at
work and dong talk to them. They're beaten,
and there's ID more to be said. Be easy
with them; there's been talk enough"
II quite agree. With you" said S%artwell, in
a kindly rnanner. Don't be afraid, but
gather them zosether. You have the voice
for ii, L heaTh your first shout at the gates /