The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1916-06-10

TpI-pprT ,ro,rI. Mr. PAYNE "
Do, CD. .,l,.,,,,l,. .,.err,d his pre-
L.. .rtf,,.s,r,iIi =, in ~. air Main
-. 80, ,,.,, -, rho moss
-, ,h.,,. ,.,,,.;r., i, all And I'm
,oIIir,, ,,o,, No.. d., there's no saving
,herc i'm load any more than | can
tell whore i'm end Trouble and bad
yrun--tbcv ba.u twins from the begin
wing Of time"
Lee PAYNE tanned the table thought
tpIlv with hi mcneil A Young man,
no was not inclined TO take the mat
fer en- sariou-l, AS the old foreman of
Ira Norroc's oil fields; still there was
no dodpir., rho fact that the men were
IateIv bncorp. srlIoD and apathotic in
their work. and few Of them openly
tnsoIort
And Won think the food at the bot
TON, of tho mems actions?"
Their s.omachs is at the bottom of
it-stomacbs and lack of food" Pat
corrected
But il can easily be remedied"
Then why amt it," Grady did not
wait for an answer. bat pointed out of
the window silently. toward a group of
Jaborers loafing boldly beside the near
est big tank. In the center of the
group broad-shOuldered, swarthy,
beetle-browed fellow was frantically
gesticulating 10 emphasize his re-
marks. remarks which the two men
in the office could not hear but which
caused their brOws TO furrow anX-
iously.
Brown Joe's at it agin," muttered
the foreman. as though 10 himself,
and he's got the right of it this time.
| tell YOU, Mr.. Payne. I'd rather have
RATHER sleeping with me than a
mouthy workman. Get rid OF that Eel
low and do it quick. Look at him.
Payne slowly nodded and turned
back to his desk
He glanced at his watch and felt
little tremOr OF antclpatory rear as
ne noted the noon hOur was upon MIN.
There had been open mutterings this
morning. II the food mad not I'M
proved for dinner, what would those
mutterings become? For a half day
labor In the oil wells is not conducive
TO making ones appetite dainty or
birdlike. The situation must be i'm
proved and that Immediately. II only
ne could gain little time.
As the whistle summoned the men
from their work he waited for them in
he shack, watching them being seated
at the long table. noting the furroweC
brows, the somber eyes, the signiti
lance of their steady scrutiny Of
Brown Joe, seated next himself. THAI
there was something afoOt he could
not doubt.
The cook entered. heavily ladeI
with a couple of steaming platters
There was something savory lookinl
about that steam. but the look wa!
dispelled almost instantly by the ran
lid odor that percolated through it.
As the cook placed a stoaming plat,
before Brown Joe. the young supcrin
tendent strained forward. every mus
Gle fexed to anticipate the trouble h,
knew instinctivcly had reached
crisis. But even as his fists balled
even as hoarse cry of rage brok,
from Pat Grady's throat, the swarthy
evil-eyed fellow looked at the unsay
DRY mess before him, lifted the plat
as though to sniff it's contents, thel
hurled it squarely in the cooks face
AS the fellow staggered back. dis
ging wildly at eyes and ears and nos
TO wipe the stuff away. Brown 10
lunged forward. But not so quickl
that he escaped the heavy riCht-han
swing of the foreman. Grady. quic
TO take advantage of the mans stal
ger back was instantly upon him.
For a second PAYNE felt himseI
glued to the spot. unable to grasp tn
full significance of what had hal
pened. As he threw himself besid
his foreman. swinging with both fist!
the men lunged forward en- masse. |
a second the mess hall was a shan
bles. Chairs, dishes. tables wer
hurled aside like straws before IN
brutal ferocitv of the enraged crew
Wild with the delight of combat. Grad
followed I'D his advantage. innictin
fearful punishment upon Brown 10,
regardless OF the TACT that ne was &c
supporters SUM ore H would UId" make ea s,e work