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Therefore in every coal-camp had to be another kind of "fire-boss," whose duty it was to guard against another kind of explosions not of carbon monoxide, but of the human soul. The immediate duties of this office in North Valley devolved upon Jeff Cotton, the camp-marshal.
The old man had evidently made an effort to keep the place neat, and Hal noticed a row of books on a shelf. Because it was cold in these mountain regions at night, even in September, the old man had a fire in the little cast-iron stove, and sat huddled by it. There were only a few hairs left on his head, and his scrubby beard was as white as anything could be in a coal-camp.
It is therefore ordered that the said county, and that the said E. L. Neelley, immediately and upon qualification as required by law, enter and discharge the duties of the said office of sheriff of Huerfano county...." So much for the court opinion upon coal-camp politics. In relation thereto, the writer has only one comment to offer.
He laid Lola over the saddle and mounted behind his dripping burden. When the coal-camp came in sight on the green skirt of the plains, with the Apishapa scrolling the distance in a velvet ribbon, sunset was already forward, and the smoke of many an evening fire veined the late sky. A man coming toward the cañon stopped at sight of Gribble. He was the store clerk going home to supper.
"You're going to meet Peter Harrigan and take his side, and I can't tell what you might conceive it your duty to do." The other exclaimed, with sudden passion, "I'll tell you right now! If you try to go back to that coal-camp, I swear to God I'll apply to the courts and have you shut up in a sanitarium. I don't think I'd have much trouble in persuading a judge that you're insane."
Life had grown dull for Hal since he had become a buddy, working in a place five feet high. This would promise livelier times! But was it a thing he wanted to do? So far he had been an observer of conditions in this coal-camp. He had convinced himself that conditions were cruel, and he had pretty well convinced himself that the cruelty was needless and deliberate.
Some of these people, to be sure, were stunted and dulled to a sordid ugliness of soul and body but on the other hand, some of them were young, and had the light of hope in their hearts, and the spark of rebellion. There was "Andy," a boy of Greek parentage; Androkulos was his right name but it was too much to expect any one to get that straight in a coal-camp.
He thought she was going on, but apparently she changed her mind. Finally he asked, "What happened?" "Oh, 'twould do no good to talk," she answered; and they walked a bit farther in silence. "Tell me about it, won't you?" he said; and the kindness in his tone made its impression. "'Tis not much ye know of a coal-camp, Joe Smith," she said.
When Hal wondered if this were not against the law, "Cut it out, Bo!" said his companion. "When you've had a job for a while, you'll know that the law in a coal-camp is what your boss tells you." The hobo went on to register his conviction that when one man has the giving of jobs, and other men have to scramble for them, the law would never have much to say in the deal.
"Say," said the man, as they walked, "I thought you were going to tell me if you'd heard any talk." "I haven't heard any, sir." "Well," continued Stone, "you want to get busy; there's sure to be kickers in every coal-camp." And deep within, Hal drew a sigh of relief. It was a false alarm! They came to the boss's house, and he took a chair on the piazza and motioned Hal to take another.
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