The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-01-15

over him. He wanted TO wave his
arms and yell and shrek curses on the
world. The rumble OF trains, tie clan
sor Of bells, the frigheful roar of ex-
hausting steam. we're peace and quiet
10 the turmoil that RACED in his soul,
where ten thousand claimant tongues,
each with q voice OF thunder. we're
crying out the protest OF his nature
against the state in which he found
himself. His veins we're fun OF Ere.
His muscles swelied with = strength
that seemed to him cosmic and eter-
nal, but 1t was chaos and not cosmos
that was liquid in his soul.
As he strolled moodily out Of the
depot for a turn in the air the crowd
jossled him rudeiy- He awoke to his
surroundings when he noticed that
those about him seemed TO be me
chanics. that there we're fifteen or
twenty of them, and that the superin-
tendent. his superintendent, OF the
Rockport Foundry and Machine Com
pany. was In charge. and hurrying
them into two or three automobiles
that we're waiting at the curb. He
was keenly alert in an instant With
a bound he Ieaped to the footboard
OF the first car, which had already
filed with men.
Did you boys know there was q
strike on.' Martin asked abruptly.
Some of the men shook their heads.
Some nodded affrmatively. Some SIM
PLY stared at him coolly with what
business-is-it-of-yours air.
Well" affirmed John, there is.
We've held out for three months
twelve hundred of US. and you men
are comm here to break the strike, to
force us back to old conditions, and
you'll have to come to them. too, your
self. as soon as we're beat You'll help
starve US into submission, and then
we'll turn around and in our own
helplessness be used as a weapon
against you. Don't you see that!
You're working against yourselves
when you come here and take our
jobs. The only thing for you boys to
do is to keep clean away from here"
In sixty seconds John had said all
Of this, and in that same sixty sec
onds the superintendent had come
hurrying up.
Here, you!" he said. addressing
Martin. You get away from here.
This is none of your affair Don't In
terfere with these men"
"Oh, yes. It's my affair" said John
coolly. throwing OF as if 1t had been
gnat on an elephant the hand the
superintendent had laid upon his arm.
I'm talk to these men now, and tell
them what's what"
Start the machine" the superin-
tendent commanded Of the chauffeur.
But John had laid hand upon the
chauffeur's shoulder, a hand that was
very, very heavy.
Don't start it," he said, and the
chauffeur obeyed him.
The superintendent gripped the re-
straining hand and sought to raise It,
Johns great right arm crooked at
the elbow and his fist frightened into
a mass Of bony knuckles that were like
hammers for hardness.
will hit your" he asked. You
were a good foreman to me when I
was an apprentice boy. have no
quarrel with you now"
Yes. hit me- said the superintend-
ent holly. For If you don't get of
this car I'm going to hit yoa."
Two men on the back seat had
climbed down to the ground.
I'VE amt looking for trouble, mis-
ter" one said. 81 guess well call our
selves on
law, let's get away from here"
growied huge, bull-necked fellow who
ISlHdlueu III Tie iGiuCle seat. OSI OIL
of the car, you big stiff, or I'll knock
you of. don't give a damn whether
you're strikin' or not. come here
10 work and I'm goin' to work, and
I'd like to see the man that'll stop
me. Do you get that, you lobster?" he
added, leaning forward, until his impu-
dent, leering face was close to Martins
Roman nose.
Martins bloodshot eyes almost closed
in the blind passion of his sudden
rage.
Yes" he roared. "Do you get that"
And he hooked his already clenched
fist full into the Ugly face before him,
and az the mans head went back with
the force Of the blow. Martin grabbed
By the collar two other men from the
sea. with the big fellow and hurled
them TO the sidewalk. There was an
other man In the back seat, but he
leaped over the wheel and was gone