Scarlet Runner

by Lily Ennis

  He watched Sam pass within feet of him, then sneaked around the back of the house. He clutched his jacket tight against the cold and surveyed the yard. It was a good job it was a bleak winter’s day. Emily wouldn’t be outside now, unless she needed firewood or coal. He heard the thump of footsteps in the house and for a minute he felt his heart beating. He warmed his hands with his breath then darted to the end of the section where the house cow was tethered.

  ‘Come on, darlin’,’ he murmured taking hold of her tether.

  He nervously looked toward the house. Still nothing. ‘Come on.’ He gave the cow a light flick of her tail and she allowed herself to be led by him.

  Jack trotted her along the side of the house, out of the yard and down the street. Here, instead of turning right to go back into town, he led the cow straight on, skirting the rough pasture that adjoined the mine land. Soon he stumbled upon the track that wound up the hill to the company’s office. This time there would be witnesses, all of the management with any luck. Wouldn’t Gerald get the surprise of his life to see his cow tethered there.

  Jack scouted around for a stick to use as a stake and tied the cow off before scooting out of sight of the office. He squatted in the long grass until his heart beat softened. It was ages since he’d been up here. He used to come up with Percy. That was before they built the tree hut. No one used the track now, at least he didn’t think so.

  He sucked in a breath of soot laden air. Below him every house had a chimney belching smoke. He sighed. Waihi was all he’d known, mining was his vocation. Jack idly kicked at a tuft of grass. What rotten luck to finally be of an age to go mining, to work alongside his father, and now be stuck in the middle of a stupid strike.

  Jack slowly made his way home, not caring this time who might have seen him. He climbed into the tree hut where he would regale Errol with his adventure.

  * * *

  Mary heard the front gate click on the latch. Immediately her heart leapt. Silly, for she didn’t react so when she first came to work for Archie. Their love had been a gradual awakening, a slow realisation that they were in love. It hadn’t hit like a train, or a bolt out of the blue. Mary felt like a lion’s prey, a gazelle perhaps, aware that within Archie was something magnificent and complex and wonderful. When he held her eyes with his chocolate ones she knew she wanted to leap into him; to explore, to share, to love.

  She straightened her skirt and threaded stray strands of hair behind her ears. Archie entered the room frowning.

  ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ he said.

  ‘What?’

  ‘The cow!’ Archie exclaimed. He leaned in to kiss her.

  Mary melted. ‘Cow,’ she murmured then finally broke off their kiss. ‘I didn’t want to worry you. You have enough to worry about.’

  ‘Yes I do, darling,’ Archie replied. ‘And now I have you to worry about.’ He brushed Mary’s cheek.

  ‘It’s just a prank,’ said Mary. ‘Don’t worry.’

  Archie crept to the door to the hall and listened. ‘Thomas having his nap?’ he whispered.

  Mary nodded. Archie came back to Mary, embraced her and showered her with kisses.

  ‘Mary, Mary, Mary,’ he moaned. ‘How can I be so lucky? How could I have been so blind? Why did I let you go?’

  ‘It wasn’t our time,’ Mary whispered. ‘But it is now.’ She traced his face with her fingers, his straight nose, perfect mouth and strong jaw. ‘Archie?’

  ‘Mm?’

  ‘Would you mind if I accompanied Isabelle on speaking tours?’

  Archie held Mary at arm’s length, drinking in her sea grey eyes. ‘Oh Mary,’ he laughed. ‘You’ll do it whether I say yes or no.’

  ‘Will I?’

  ‘But I’m flattered you asked. You must do as you think fit. Mary, I’m overwhelmed that you should ask me.’

  ‘I don’t want to upset you, that’s all,’ Mary replied.

  ‘You couldn’t,’ he whispered and embraced her, the feel of her soft body awakening his own. ‘You couldn’t upset me.’

  His mouth found hers again but there came the sound of tiny footsteps as Thomas, his fists wiping his eyes, came padding into the room.

  ‘Dada,’ said the boy, holding his arms out to Archie.

  Reluctantly Archie let Mary slide from his embrace. He picked up Thomas and ruffled the boy’s hair. ‘Have you been a good boy for Mary?’

  Thomas nodded and buried his head into his father’s shoulder.

  ‘It’s a good time to start public speaking,’ Archie said as he wandered around the room cradling his son. ‘Strike levies are tailing off. Some Auckland Tramwaymen have refused to pay the two shilling a week levy and in fact we should have received one hundred and five pounds total in the first week, but they paid us less than half that.’

  Mary let it sink in. ‘Oh no. Archie. That’s bad. Families will suffer.’ She clenched her fists. ‘Oh why couldn’t you strike in the summer?’

  ‘I heard the engine drivers are guaranteed two pounds per week for the duration of the strike,’ Archie added.

  ‘Easy enough to raise when there are only forty men locked out,’ Mary answered.

  She untied her apron and kissed Archie on the cheek. ‘Would you mind picking Fanny up from school? I’ve got a speech to write.’ She skipped through the house like a whirlwind. ‘Your tea’s on the range,’ she called as she headed out the door.

  * * *

  Garrick drew the carriage to a stop outside Brady’s chemist where Dardar’s seat was empty. He tipped his hat to Mary and Rose. ‘Morning ladies.’

  The girls giggled as they manoeuvred their placards onto the floor of the wagon. Isabelle and Bessie shuffled along.

  ‘Where’s Meg?’ asked Mary.

  ‘We’ll pick her up next,’ Garrick replied. ‘She was still asleep when I left.’

  ‘It’s very kind of you to take us, Mr. Binnie,’ said Mary.

  ‘Pleased to do it, miss. Meg’s keen to help but she can only picket before school.’

  ‘Good,’ said Mary. ‘I didn’t tell Archie where I was going so I do need to head back as soon as possible.’

  ‘Don’t worry, miss,’ said Garrick. ‘Your Archie will just think you slept late.’

  Garrick flicked the reins and they set off for Waikino, stopping to pick up Meg from their house near the outskirts of town on the way. The Waihi Gold Company owned the Victoria Battery at Waikino, the ore crushing facility. The workers mostly lived in the small township on the banks of the Ohinemuri River. Picketers were restricted to demonstrating as the men went to and returned from work, outside the company-owned land. They’d be arrested if they set foot inside the battery.

  The girls were jubilant. It was the first mission they’d embarked on together as Scarlet Runners. As they approached the bridge to the river the sun finally came up behind them. Garrick pulled the carriage to a stop on the other side. Already there were dozens of people, at least a quarter being women, casually assembled.

  When the women disembarked with their signs a cheer went up. ‘Thank you ladies,’ a voice from somewhere said.

  ‘Not at all,’ replied Isabelle. ‘Will these do?’

  She directed the girls to raise their placards and again a cheer went up.

  ‘Here they come!’ called the same voice as the first of the workers crossed the bridge on foot.

  Everyone raised their placards and began echoing the slogans written on them.

  Mary suddenly pitied the workers as they filed past three abreast carrying their lunch in a tin: not for the disturbance she was creating, but for the men’s ignorance. Perhaps if a meeting was held here at Waikino and the facts explained, surely then the men would understand the strikers’ position. It was untenable to her that some employees of the Waihi Gold Company could continue with their work as though nothing was wrong. Did they not think unity was worth fighting for? Why else would she and the others spend nearly an hour’s rough ride to get here. Could they not see?

  �
��You’re a weak snake of a man, Wally Watters,’ yelled Bessie. ‘How dare you go to work. I should spit on you.’ She hoicked on the ground.

  ‘If I wasn’t such a lady I’d piss on the ground you walk,’ shouted the woman next to Bessie and the two of them shrieked with laughter.

  Some of the picketers got so close to the workers they almost touched them waving placards in their faces. It was too intimidating for Mary and she distanced herself from Bessie. Thankfully no one touched the workers. Finally the last of the workers passed and most of the picketers dispersed. Mary and the girls piled back into the carriage, chattering excitedly.

  ‘The rest of the day won’t be as exciting,’ Mary mused. She shook her head. ‘I can’t believe I just did that.’

  Rose put a light hand on Mary’s knee. ‘Me neither,’ she said. ‘But wasn’t it exciting?’

  The girls laughed.

  * * *

  Mary wasn’t the only one in the Bell household to be up and about before dawn. Emily left Gerald asleep as she gathered together a food basket. They had plenty; Gerald was being paid and Sam now had a bit of lockout pay. But there were families where only a meagre amount of strike pay was coming in. They had to choose – rent or food. Emily knew they couldn’t afford both and she didn’t care which side of the strike they were on. As far as Emily was concerned women needed to support women.

  Emily made Mary take Archie food on the proviso that Gerald not find out. It was her way of supporting her daughter in private while publicly rebuking her in favour of Gerald should the need arise.

  Emily put on a dark coloured coat and slipped out of the house before making her way down the main street then up past William’s house to the far side of the mine. Here, several small wooden cottages stood check by jowl. One of these was Daisy Gilliespie’s. Sam often spoke about Bartie’s dilemma.

  Two of his boys worked underground and Bartie was furious with them for striking. There would be no philosophical debate on the subject, just the welt of one of Bartie’s punches if the family didn’t see things his way. The cottage the family rented didn’t have room for a house cow or chickens. They didn’t even have an apple tree. Emily doubted Daisy would have put much away for winter.

  She pulled her hat down over her ears and surveyed the street. All was quiet. Quickly Emily approached the Gilliespie cottage and dropped the basket on the doorstep. The basket would be emptied and left inside the front gate for collection another day. Daisy didn’t know her donor was Emily and Emily was very happy for her not to know.

  Emily broke into a slow trot as she retraced her steps then quietly returned home before the household awoke.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Late that night after everyone had gone to bed there was a disturbance in the back yard. Emily sleepily threw an arm across to Gerald, forgetting that he’d told her he was at a meeting tonight.

  The chickens were unsettled clucking softly into the night. Emily supposed it was a ferret in the coop. She heard Percy get up and go outside then drifted back to sleep.

  Percy crept to the kitchen window and peered out. The thin white light of the half moon was all that illuminated the yard. He thought he saw a shadow running out of the yard. Grabbing a coat off the hook he slipped quietly out the back door. His first instinct was to run to the chickens but he resisted. They weren’t going anywhere in the dead of night. If the wires had been cut or the door opened they’d wait until sun up to escape.

  Instead Percy bolted round the side yard and out to the road hoping to see the intruder fleeing in one of three directions; up the hill to the mine, straight ahead to the least populated part of town or to the right and into the town. He prayed like mad the intruder didn’t scoot in and out of the backyards of the houses that backed onto the town.

  He didn’t. As Percy hid in the bushes a dark shape slid past. Percy’s heart beat fiercely. He let him go by and Percy followed, keeping his distance. As the figure fled through the town Percy realised where they were going. He felt sick as the man turned off Seddon Street and into Moresby. Percy slumped against the corner building and watched Jack run home. He felt sick. It made sense now; the pranks. Childish pranks they were, enough to annoy and upset but not cause harm. Percy wondered if Jack’s father knew and what he should do. He was still Jack’s best friend no matter what the adults had to say about it. They’d be allowed to knock about together again once this was all over. Of that he was certain.

  Percy wandered along the street. As always there was a crowd in and around the Miners’ Union Hall. Jack’s dad was probably in there, unaware of Jack running amok.

  He peered through the window. People seemed in good spirits. This was the meeting place these days. There was always something happening here. He couldn’t see Mr. Strawbridge. He threw his hands deep in his pockets and trudged home.

  As he neared the music academy he saw his father come out from the back of it. He was about to sing out but something about the man’s demeanour prevented him. Instead Percy held back. Gerald furtively checked the street, pulled his collar up and his hat down, then set off towards home at a fast clip.

  Percy froze. Was his father...? No. He shook his head. It just looked like that. There would be a perfectly reasonable explanation. He let Gerald walk on.

  By the time Percy returned home and slipped quietly into bed he’d made a decision on both of tonight’s events: he’d keep his own counsel until he had a reason to do otherwise.

  * * *

  Mary called a meeting at Nell’s. As usual there were as many children in Nell’s parlour as there were women.

  ‘I’m concerned about the food drops,’ Mary explained. ‘It seems to me that some families are missing out because we’re not co-ordinated. I propose some sort of a schedule. Archie has received three baskets in the last week compared to one the previous week.’

  ‘That’s a good idea,’ said Rose.

  Clara leaned back in her chair and rested her hands on her belly. ‘Someone left a rabbit on my doorstep,’ she said.

  Mary threw her hands to her mouth. ‘Oh, how awful!’

  ‘In a basket, nicely skinned and presented,’ Clara replied.

  Mary laughed. ‘Oh, that’s all right then. You’re lucky the cat didn’t beat you to it.’

  Mary turned to Nell. ‘I’ve been thinking, Nell, that we might use this place as a food drop. Then we can distribute from here and be coordinated.’

  Nell frowned. It would mean a lot of comings and goings that she’d be hard pressed to explain. She doubted she could maintain neutrality.

  ‘I don’t know,’ she replied. ‘It’s just that, well, I don’t want upset. I need the business when everything gets back to normal.’

  Mary took Nell’s hand. ‘Don’t you upset yourself, Nell. We understand.’

  ‘Perhaps,’ Nell went on, ‘if you come round the back through the house. Yes. That might work. Use the back door.’ She smiled. ‘How are your speeches coming along?’

  Isabelle and Mary exchanged glances. Isabelle spoke. ‘Good. Rearing to go actually.’ She looked questioningly at Mary.

  ‘Yes, me too. I need to practice it on Archie,’ Mary replied.

  ‘Why not practice on us?’ suggested Rose.

  ‘Yes, that’s a good idea,’ Isabelle agreed. ‘Then you girls can point out anything we’ve missed.’

  Isabelle got up to leave. ‘But I have to get back to the children. Ian’s minding them for an hour.’

  ‘Just before we go,’ said Mary. ‘We’re still getting nuisance attacks at home. Is anyone else?’

  No one was. Mary nodded slowly. It was probably right then; it was against Gerald. Nell turned away before Mary could see the anguish on her face.

  ‘Can’t you go to the police?’ asked Rose.

  Mary shrugged. ‘Go to the police because we found dung in the letterbox? It’s a bit weak.’

  ‘I suppose,’ Rose agreed. ‘I’ll have a word with Dardar. He might have heard something.’

  Ma
ry picked up Thomas. ‘Time to fetch your sister from school, young man,’ she said.

  Nell shoved a bag of oranges into Mary’s hand. ‘Give these to your mother,’ she said. ‘She’ll know what to do with them.’

  Rose joined Mary. ‘I’ll walk with you. I have to get back to the shop.’

  ‘I’m surprised you’re allowed out,’ said Isabelle.

  Rose laughed. ‘You don’t think I tell him where I go do you? Anyway, I’m not being paid anymore so even if he did know what I get up to he can’t say anything.’

  Nell pursed her lips. ‘You girls be careful. You don’t want to be kicked out of home.’

  Rose playfully pushed Mary out the door. ‘Good point Nell,’ she called after her. ‘We’ll be careful.’

  * * *

  Mary and Isabelle sat in the guest lounge going over their speech notes. They’d travelled by train to Thames and taken rooms at the Claremont Hotel, at the expense of the union. Ian had reservations about the women addressing Thames miners since they still had not pledged any financial support save their initial miserable twenty pounds.

  Isabelle had shrugged him off explaining that was exactly the reason why Thames should be spoken to. She insisted that he not accompany them. He was quite capable of looking after the children and Clara would always look after them for an hour or two if needed.

  The drone of men in the public bar washed through to the lounge. Soon the talk and laughter grew louder as more men came to drink after a day in the mines. Mary suddenly felt apprehensive.

  ‘We’ll be fine,’ Isabelle reassured her. ‘Have a good dinner to settle your stomach.’

  Mary winced. ‘I don’t think I can eat.’

  At seven thirty the president of the Thames Miners’ Union came to escort the women to the Miners’ Union Hall. Mr. Ashford had a thick Cornish accent and a voice which boomed out beneath his great brush moustache. He had keen eyes and although he was the epitome of hospitality Mary could tell he was suspicious of them.

  ‘It won’t be an easy crowd,’ he said as they walked briskly through the town.

  Isabelle slung her shoulders back. ‘I give you my word, Mr. Ashford, that we are not here to incite a riot or to ask them to stop work. On the contrary, we will urge them to continue working.’ She patted her stomach.