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Updated: May 24, 2025
And when Hal remarked that that did not sound so frightfully aged, she answered that one seldom heard of a man being able to work in a coal-mine at that age; in fact, there were not many who managed to live to that age. Edstrom's wife was dying now, and he was having a hard time. "'Twould not be fair to let such an old gentleman lose his job," said Mary.
He was looking ahead, to where the alley debouched onto the street. It was the street behind MacKellar's house, and only a block from the railroad-track. He dared not look behind, but he was straining his ears. Suddenly he heard a shout, in John Edstrom's voice. "Run! Run!" In a flash, Hal dropped the two crutches, and started down the alley, Keating at his heels.
But instead of doing it, Hal thought about Edstrom's ants, and wondered at the power which made them stay in line. When morning came, he went up into the mountains, where a man may wander and renew his moral force. When the sun had descended behind the mountain-tops, he descended also, and met Edstrom and Sikoria in front of the company office.
"That's what I mean." "But there aren't more than twelve or fifteen thousand men in the district!" "I know that." "Then how can you ever keep an organisation?" The other answered, quietly, "They treat the new men the same as they treated the old." Hal thought suddenly of John Edstrom's ants! Here they were building their bridge, building it again and again, as often as floods might destroy it!
For some time it was impossible for Hal to force himself to think about anything else; but finally he overcame this weakness, telling himself that this was a war, and that a man must be ready for the hospital as well as for the parade-ground. He looked about, and saw that the cracks of Edstrom's cabin were stopped with rags, and the broken windowpanes mended with brown paper.
Hal was still wearing the miner's clothes he had worn on the night of his arrest in Edstrom's cabin. But he declined MacKellar's offer to lend him a business-suit; the old Scotchman's clothes would not fit him, he knew, and it would be better to make his appeal as a real miner than as a misfit gentleman.
In spite of Hal's protest, Mary accepted this offer; he saw what was in her mind she would take some of his money, because of old Edstrom's need, but she would take just as little as she possibly could. John Edstrom of course knew nothing of events since his injury, so Hal told him the story briefly though without mentioning the transformation which had taken place in the miner's buddy.
The camp-marshal frowned. "Really!" Then, after a pause, "You did have that money on you! I thought that lousy Greek had got away with it!" "No. Your knave was honest. But so was I. I knew Edstrom had been getting short weight for years, so he was the one person with any right to the money." This story was untrue, of course; the money was still buried in Edstrom's cabin.
"Yes," replied the other. "I suppose so." He realised that Edward would not be concerned about Edstrom's broken arm. "Then, for God's sake, get some clothes on and let's have some food." "All right," said Hal. But his answer was listless, and the other looked at him sharply. Even by the moonlight Edward could see the lines in the face of his younger brother, and the hollows around his eyes.
He left the train, followed by Pete Hanun; after some inquiry, he came upon the undertaker who had buried Edstrom's wife, and who told him where the old Swede was staying, in the home of a labouring-man nearby. Edstrom greeted him with eager questions: Who had been killed? What was the situation? Hal told in brief sentences what had happened.
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