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Updated: May 11, 2025
But Hal stopped where he was. "This is where the check-weighman belongs, Mr. Peters." "But I want to talk to you." "I can hear you, sir." Hal was in sight of the men, and he knew that was his only protection. The tipple-boss went back into the office; and a minute later Hal saw what had been intended. The door opened and Alec Stone came out.
The tipple-boss was a man with a big black moustache, which made him look like the pictures of Nietzsche. He stared at Hal, frankly dumbfounded. "What the devil?" said he. "Some of the men have chosen me check-weighman," explained Hal, in a business-like manner. "When their cars come up, I'll see to their weights." "You keep off this tipple, young fellow!" said Peters.
After which he strolled over towards the scales. A difficulty had occurred to him for the first time that he did not know anything about the working of coal-scales. But he was given no time to learn. The tipple-boss reappeared. "Get out of here, fellow!" said he. "But you invited me in," remarked Hal, mildly. "Well, now I invite you out again."
The law which provided for a check-weighman had failed to provide for a check-weighman's body-guard! Hal had announced his programme in that flash of defiance in Cartwright's office. As soon as work started up, he went to the tipple. "Mr. Peters," he said, to the tipple-boss, "I've come to act as check-weighman."
"Old Rafferty" had once been on the way to high station. He had been made tipple-boss at the San Jose mine, but had given up his job because he had thought that his religion did not permit him to do what he was ordered to do.
Then he gave an account of how he had been selected as check-weighman and been refused access to the scales; and with all the legal phraseology he could rake up, he prayed for the arrest of Enos Cartwright and James Peters, superintendent and tipple-boss at North Valley, for these offences.
There also came a young Mexican labourer, and a Greek miner. The revolution was spreading! Hal felt sure the company would not let this go on. And sure enough, towards the middle of the afternoon, the tipple-boss came out and beckoned to him. "Come here, you!" And Hal went in. The "weigh-room" was a fairly open place; but at one side was a door into an office. "This way," said the man.
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