The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-05-25

I that the longshoremen did not stnl
our lighter. we will grant that there
may be some mistake here. We re-
ceiVed your letter Of last night and
acted as we saw best. Your chair
man and others here assure us thai
they sent no letter; If this is the case
we will listen to you. Now talk
quickly, state your demands"
Instantly the hall was a bedlam
of noise. Men shouted, trying tc
| make themselves heard. Grant. saw
the men who had been foremost in
spreading agitation among the
groups on the docks now striving
to add to the confusion and clamor
by hurting epithets at the Shipown-
ers committee and urging the men
at their sides to increase their de-
mands.
Disguised, and seeing no solutions
here to the problem that absorbed
their minds, Grant signalled to Cava-
naugh.
Get Steward and sisson and get
out of here. Well get back to the
docks This is likely to last all
night and then not amount to any
thing"
Grant slipped out hurriedly, know
ing that the others would follow him.
Ahead of him slouched two men. AS
he passed, one stopped to scratch a
match against the building. It's
flare lighted face strongly Teuton-
ic, and as the match died down
and was tossed away Grant slowed
up in the darkness and strained his
ear to catch their conversation.
They spoke in German. I'VE did
good work at our dock today" Out
I1v Er-I.&
air the words came clearly, though
gutturally, to Grants ears,
The German Laborer's Talk.
YES? What kind?"
Loading cargo. Dock fourteen.
They passed out Of earshot. A mo-
ment later Grant heard the juick
steps Of Cavanaugh and the other
two operatives, and soon they were
swinging to the dock. That there
had been a note Of pride or at least
boastfuiness in the voice Of the man
he had heard speaking by the wall,
Grant was not slow to discern. TIC
see that many of his type whom
Grant classed with the agitators of
the day on the docks, would not feel
any great pride over the loading of
ships cargo, did not take great
powers of discernment. Grant with
a mind trained to pick up the faint
est clue leaped to the conclusion thai
here was a thread that led to some
thing which could be grasped. Evil
IDENTIFY something had taken place
that day on the dock which the
Criminology club had overlooked.
Dock Fourteen" he announced
briefly to the others and silently
PnIJ hi
of the Arsulus reared itself into the
darkness Of the night above the
brightly lighted dock.
wait here unless 1 CALL" said
Grant. He scrambled aboard and
peered down the hatchway. His
eyes swept the dark interior Of the
hold. Cine side was black, but in the
side toward the water piles upon
piles of packing boxes, baskets and
clean Grated produce showed dimly
A voice at his elbow startled him
Anything wrong here?" To Grant
the figure Of the dock foreman
shock headed, heavy jawed, with
heavy arms swinging loosely, was
typically bestial. With a quick sense
Of distaste he Strengthened.
Wrong? Somewhat! Unless this is
new style of loading a vessel. How
long since they have, been loading
the cargo on the side2 Looks like
Incompetence Or" but the fore
man seemed indisposed to listen to
second later Grant had crumpled un-
der his heavy fist and was sliding
down the steep stairway.
The foreman leaned forward and
surveyed the three figures Of the
Criminology club men on the dock.
Picking UP a bale-hook he laid it
within easy reach, then cupping
his hands about his mouth he called
in a somewhat subdued but clearly
voice, Help, help"
Prisoners On Doomed Ship.
He saw the three men leap for
ward to the ships side. He flattened
himself against a pile of boxes. A
moment more and the men had pass
ed him and were clambering down
the hatch: AS the last one disap-
peared he sprang to the hatchway
and battened it. Grant, Cavanaugh,
Steward and Sisson were prisoners.
The German dock foreman uttered
a shrill whistle. It was answered in
a moment and figure joined him
hurriedly.
wait until I'm off the dock and
safe. Then cut the hawsers!" 1t
was the foreman who spoke and the
other nodded. His huge figure dis
appeared down the length of a ware
house. The man he had left reach
ed for an axe which lay on pile of
boxes. There was no sound except
a straining and creaking as he hack
ed at the hawsers of the Arsulus.
Grant and his men inside the hatch
way were beating at the door in an
effort to break 1t open. Suddenly