Gilpin observer., 1917-10-04


for Channings, Inc, addressed Patria
with manner Of nervous pomposity.
Miss Charming :"
eyes, Mr.. Bertramw
"Permit me to make one last effort
to influence you. There's bound to be
serious trouble as soon as the strike
breakers get here. We can hold them
off till nightfall, with the men we
have-perhaps. After dark almost
anything may happen. That attempt
to blow us up this morning, in broad
daylight, ought to convince you that
we have only the worst to fear"
"And SO you want my permission to
telegraph the governor to call out the
militia?"
"Such is my earnest advice, Miss
Channing.""
The girl shook her head with deter
mination.
II won't permit that. It's wrong. It
means-in one word-war. 1t means
civil war. It means bloodshed, pos
slbly manslaughter, the killing Of men
wholly uninterested in this private
quarrel between Channings and its en-
ployees. We must find some other
way to cope with the situation without
going to such extremes"
Bertram, his countenance dark with
foreboding, gave up the attempt to
persuade the girl as hopeless, and
without more words moved away.
"How can the men be so unreason-
able" Patria complained. "Why won't
they come to us and state their griev-
ances7 We've always treated them
fairly. II they'd only give us
chance"
They're not unreasonable" Donald
answered. They're misled. Unscru-
pulous leaders suborned by Baron Hu-
roh and his lot have blinded them to
their best interests. II we could only
get at the men themselves"
Patria nodded intently. 'Tm sure
I could influence them won
der"
Without warning. the hum Of the
mob in Powder Town rose to a high dis
cordance, a clamOr of angry yells. Not
one of those about the gates but was
startled, though all had been momen-
tarily anticipating something Of the
sort They consulted one another with
anxious eyes.
'Here they come at last I" Parr an
nounced. "Now for the music!"
Over the crest of little hill that
stood between Powder Town and the
Channings' mills appeared a motorcar
running at high speed-a car loaded to
the limit Of Its capacity with strike
breakers and carrying armed guards
on the running boards as well as in
the seat beside the driver.
simultaneously the uproar of the
disaffected drew perceptibly nearer.
Dashing directly for the gates, it
swept through them almost without
slackening speed, then pulled up smart
ly in the yards, and discharged its oc-
cupants.
Following 1t in close succession came
another car similarly laden, and anoth-
er and another-a long procession of
motorcars to the number of something
more than twenty.
The fifth had barely swung up over
the hilltop when the vanguard of the
strikers appeared In pursuit-a disor-
derly cloud of infuriated worklngmen.
running clumsily over the roadside
fields, pauslng only to pick up and hurl
clods Of earth and stones at the speed
Ing automobiles. Few Of these missiles
reached their mark, none did damage,
all were ignored by both guards and
strike breakers. But by the time the
last car was safely within the gates, n
sullen and vengeful multitude had as
sembled In the open spaces before the
factory, mob that wanted only u
leader to incite 1t to storm the build
ings, Its temper patiently demonstrated
by scattering of revolver shots from
Its midst punctuating an almost con-
tlnuous flight of stones that ratified
against the fence or fell inside the
yard.
Long before this Donald and Ber-
tram had hurried Patria into shelter,
and, leaving her us they thought safely
disposed of for the time being had
turned their attention to stationing the
guards on the low platform that ran
around the inside Of the fence-a plat
form Just high enough to permit man
to see and, IL need be. aim and fire
over the barrier.
Re-enforced by the strike breakers,
the guards made quite a respectable
company Of defenders, but still inslg-
nifcant in numbers as compared with
the crowd outside, an inferiority that
was quickly rendered still more en-
phatic by the addition to the strikers
Of considerable number Of men
armed with modern magazine rifles.
Donald greeted the sight Of these
last with groan.
"Huroki's hand !" he commented be-
tween his teeth. II knew he'd show
1t before long. The union never sup
piled those weaponsl"
A small hand tugged at his sleeve
Patria's. His indignation at seeing her
tbny ra,t,Iap .-~1.g~., =. a. ....,