Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-27
J grunt of terror.

cred enough of his breath to expend lungful
OF 1T in one profane below In a flash he
V1Sual1zed the whole scene at the fellaheens'
quarters-Najibs crazy explanation of the strike
system and of the supposed immunity from pun
ishment that would follow sabotage and other
violence, the felaheens' duller brains gradually
selling on the idea until it had become as much
part of their mucilaginous mentality as the
Koran itself, and Najibs friendly desire that
Kirby might share in the golden benefits of the
new scheme.
NAJIB smiled up at him as might dog that
had just performed some pretty new trick
or child who has brought to its father a gift
But the aspect of Kirby's distorted face there
in the dying freight shocked the Syrian into
grunt of terror. Scrambling to his feet, he
sputtered quaveringly.
Tame yourself, howadj enseech you! Why
are you not rejoiceful? Will it not mean much
money for you, and -"
Listen to mel" ordered Kirby fighting hard
for self-control and forcing himself to speak
with unnatural slowness. You've done more
damage than if you had dynamited the whole
mine and then turned river into the Shaft
This kind of news spreads. In week there
won't be worker east of the Jordan who won't
be a strike fan. And these people here will
work the idea step farther. I know them
They'll decide that if one strike is good, two
strikes are better. And they will strike every
week-loafing between times"
This prospect brought grin of pure bliss to
Najibs swarthy face. He looked in new adj
miration upon his far-sghted chief.
Then taking new hold on his self-controI
Kirby began again to talk. AS if addressing
defective child, which, as a matter of fact, he
was doing, he expounded the hideous situation
He explained the disloyalty to the Cabells
OF such move as Najib had planned. He
pointed out the pride he and Najib had taken
IN the new business they had secured from the
nome Office and the fact that this new business
had brought an increase of pay to them both
as well as to the fellaheen. He showed how
great a triumph for the mine was this vast in
crease of business, and the stark necessity of
impressing the new customs by the promptitude
and uniform excellence of all shipments. He
pointed out the utter collapse to this and to all
the rest of the mines connections which a
strike would entail.
Najib listened to this with interest, but with
no great conviction.
Even Kirbys declaration that the ridiculous
strike would be failure and that the govern
ment would assuredly punish any damage to
the Cabell property did not serve to impress
him. Najb was a Syrian. An idea, once firmly
rooted in his mind, loath to let itself be
torn thence by mere words. Kirby waxed des-
perate.
"You have wrecked this whole thing!" he
stormed. You got an idotically wrong slant
on what told you about strikes today, and you
have ruined us all. Even If you should go down
there to the quarters this minute and tell the
men that you were mistaken and that the strike
is of-you know they wouldn't believe you. And
you know they would go straight ahead with the
thing. That's the Oriental of it. They'd re-
fuse to go on working And shipments
wouldn't be delivered. None of the ore for the
next shipments would be mined. The men
would just hang about, peacefully waiting for
the double pay and the half time that you've
promised them"
But soon Cabell Enendi will reply to your
letter" went on Najib. And then the double
paying"