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Cartwright," said Edstrom, "we'd like your decision, so as to have the check-weighman start in the morning." "What? You're in such a hurry?" "There's no reason for delay, sir. We've selected our man, and we're ready to pay him." "Who are the men who are ready to pay him? Just you two" "I am not at liberty to name the other men, sir." "Oh! So it's a secret movement!" "In a way yes, sir."
The mine had been running for years on its present system, and there had never been any complaint. The idea that a company as big and as responsible as the "G. F. C." would stoop to cheat its workers out of a few tons of coal! And so on, for several minutes. "Mr. Cartwright," said Edstrom, when the other had finished, "you know I've worked all my life in mines, and most of it in this district.
Barrett had come again, but all he could do was to give her morphine. No one could do any more, the doctor declared. "Sure, he'd not know it if they could!" sniffed Mary. "He's not such a bad one, when he's sober," said Edstrom, patiently. "And how often is that?" sniffed Mary again. She added, by way of explanation to Hal, "He's a cousin of the super."
"You say me stand that?" "If you fight back," said Edstrom, "we'll all get the worst of it. The company will say we started the trouble, and put us in the wrong. We've got to make up our mind to rely on moral force." So, after more discussion, it was agreed; every man would keep his temper that is, if he could! So they shook hands all round, pledging themselves to stand firm.
"And who else?" "John Edstrom has gone down to bury his wife. It's not the first time that dough-faced old preacher has made trouble for us, but it'll be the last. You'll find him in Pedro probably in the poor-house." "No," responded Hal, quickly and there came just a touch of elation in his voice "he won't have to go to the poor-house at once. You see, I've just sent twenty-five dollars to him."
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.
Before this task was finished, Billy Keating came in, bringing the twenty-five dollars which Edstrom had got from the post-office. They found a notary public, before whom Hal made oath to each document; and when these had been duly inscribed and stamped with the seal of the state, he gave carbon copies to Keating, who hurried off to catch a mail-train which was just due.
He asked her to go with him to say good-bye to John Edstrom, whom he had not seen since their unceremonious parting at MacKellar's, when Hal had fled to Percy Harrigan's train. Downstairs in the lobby Hal explained his errand to his waiting brother, who made no comment, but merely remarked that he would follow, if Hal had no objection.
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.
Edstrom had shouted a warning to the fugitives, and set out to run after them; when one of the mine-guards, running past him, had fetched him a blow over the eye, knocking him down. He had struck his head upon the pavement, and lain there unconscious for many hours.
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