CHAPTER XI
RUSH SCORES HEAVILY
"I AM glad you have thought better of it, young man," said Cavard,leaning over and shaking Rush by the hand.
Steve did not reply. His face was flushed, his lips compressed. He hadevidently decided upon some course of action that was not whollypleasing to him. He glanced up sharply. Driscold was speaking.
"It is not usual for one man to hold two offices, but you will agreewith me that there is one man among us who is peculiarly fitted for theoffice of walking delegate. He will always work in our interest, if youchoose him to fill the second office. I refer to Mr. Cavard, your newpresident."
The Duke was elected walking delegate with great enthusiasm, Steve Rushand Bob Jarvis being the only men in the room to vote against theproposition. Cavard was smiling to cover his annoyance at the marked wayin which the boys had opposed him. He flashed a malignant glance atthem, which both lads pretended not to observe. But they knew that theyhad made an enemy of the new walking delegate.
Other officers were elected; men in every instance who could be easilyhandled by the one at the head of the new organization. This having beendone, the president asked if any member had anything to say, or asuggestion to make, before they proceeded to the signing of the roll.
No one spoke. Each was waiting for the other. In fact, none of the menin the hall had a very definite idea as to what he did want. They werealready in the hands of their leaders.
Steve Rush rose slowly to his feet. Every eye was instantly fixed uponhim.
"Great Caesar, he's going to spout!" muttered Bob Jarvis. "Well, if thisdoesn't beat anything I ever heard of in my life! A few hours ago Stevewas roasting the union, and now he's a red-hot member of one. I wonderwhat he's got up his sleeve? He's up to something, that's sure."
"My friends," began the lad, with perfect confidence in himself, for hehad been the prize orator of his class in the high school, "I am only aboy----"
"No you ain't; you're a full-grown man!" shouted several voices at once.
"As I said, I am only a boy, but you know I am your friend, and all ofyou are my friends. I had not intended to join this organization, butafter thinking the matter over I decided that it was my duty to do so. Ihad a feeling that I might be able to help you, though perhaps not inthe way that some of your leaders might suggest----"
Cavard rapped loudly with his fist on the table.
"You are out of order, Mr. Secretary. I am sorry, but we have too muchbusiness ahead of us to permit of our wasting time in idle talk. Thehour is getting late, and as it is the first duty of your presidingofficer to look out for your well being, I would suggest that we finishour business so that you may all get home to your needed rest."
Steve was standing, half turned toward Cavard, holding the latter with asteady gaze.
"No, no; let him talk. We want to hear what he has to say. Go on, Rush;we're going to hear you out, even if we don't get home till morning."
"You may speak for two minutes," announced Cavard. There was no smile onhis face now. Matters were taking an unexpected turn, and one that hedid not like at all. This boy was having things too much his own way,and the Duke made a mental resolve to check Steve effectually beforeanother meeting was called.
"Go on, Rush; go on!"
The lad turned facing his audience again, undisturbed by theinterruption.
"As I was saying, I am your friend and you are mine. I have had noexperience with unions. Perhaps others of you have. But I want to warnyou not to be carried away by promises. Use your own best judgment onall matters. Let your union mean your uplifting. Don't use the power ofyour union for any wrong purpose. If you have a grievance at any time,talk it over calmly; look on both sides of every question. Do not letyour leaders influence you against your better judgment----"
"I protest against this line of talk," cried Cavard angrily, rising andpounding on the table. "It is treason, men."
"Men, it is _not_ treason! I am your friend," answered Steve, addressingthe audience. "Hear me out, then I will sit down. I believe that ouremployers have our best interests at heart. That I believe to be true sofar as our own mines are concerned. Of course I am not so familiar withconditions in the independent mines represented here. Those of you whorepresent other mines will have to be the judges of that. You will findyour employers are willing, at all times, to meet you half way anddiscuss any grievance, fancied or real, that you may have. Consult themfreely; take them into your confidence and be guided by their advice andyour own good sense. As for myself, I shall stand shoulder to shoulderwith you when I believe you are in the right, but against you if Ibelieve you are not. I want to thank you for electing me to the officeof secretary. If, at any time, you think I am not the man for the place,I shall take no offence if you select someone else. That is all I haveto say at present."
When he sat down there was silence in the room for a moment; then theminers broke out in a loud cheer.
"You're all right, Steve. You bet we don't want anyone else. You've gota head on your shoulders. You----"
Cavard rapped for order.
"I am afraid you men are being carried away by schoolboy eloquence. Youmust listen to the reason, born of long experience, of your leaders.They will guide you in the right path."
"I move that we proceed to the signing of the roll and adjourn," saidSteve, rising quickly.
Bob seconded the motion and it was carried without waiting for theformality of having it put by the chairman.
Cavard was thoroughly angry. He tried hard to conceal his displeasure,but the threatening expression of his face betrayed his inward rage. Hehad been outdone by a boy. His well-laid plans had been turned untilthey were as a sharp knife against his own throat. He was perfectlywilling that the meeting should be adjourned, for there was no tellingwhat this keen, resourceful lad might propose next.
The moment the meeting was ended the two lads slipped from the room, forthe hour was late and they were anxious to get home and to bed. They hadreached the street when a hand was laid roughly on Steve's shoulder,turning the boy half way about.
"What do you mean, you young whelp?" demanded Cavard. "You came hereto-night to make trouble. You wanted to break up the meeting, but yourplan didn't work, did it?"
"You are mistaken, sir; I wanted to do nothing of the sort."
"You did; you _know_ you did. You had it all fixed to be put in assecretary and----"
"If there was any fixing, Mr. Cavard, it was not on my side of thehouse," retorted Rush sharply.
"Do you mean to insinuate that I----"
"Oh, no; I am not insinuating. I was merely stating a fact."
The Duke's face was distorted with rage. He was making a great effort tocontrol himself, but was only partially successful. It was not advisableto have an open rupture with Steve, for the latter might do his causeserious harm, considering the boy's influence over the miners, whichappeared to be almost equal to that of the walking delegate andpresident of the union.
"You are a traitor to the union!"
"Be careful, sir," warned the lad.
"See here, Mister Man, don't you go to handing out any loose languagearound here," spoke up Bob Jarvis in a belligerent tone. "We don't standfor any of that kind of talk, you know."
"Then be careful that you don't do something that you will be sorryfor," retorted the Duke. "I know a thing or two about what you fellowsare up to, and let me tell you that the union won't stand for it by along shot! First thing you know you will be out in the cold; you'll loseyour jobs and you will find that it will be rather difficult to getothers in these parts."
"Is that a threat?" demanded Rush.
"You may construe it as you wish."
"Very well----"
"Tut, tut; what's this?" demanded the man Driscold, who had come up intime to overhear the last remarks. "This won't do at all. Harmony iswhat we want in the union, and harmony is what we must have. What is thedifficulty here?"
"There is no difficulty so far as we are concerned," replied Rush. "Mr.Cavard is a little excited, that's all. He will feel better to-morrow.Good night."
The boys turned away abruptly and started for home.
"Now, Steve Rush, will you please tell me what all this means?" demandedJarvis after they had reached their room. "What on earth ever possessedyou to join the union after you had been roasting it so hard?"
"I had my reasons, Bob."
"Yes; I suppose you had."
"I joined the union because I believed I could be useful to it, and toour employers as well, and that is the purpose that _you_ must have inview."
"You don't mean that you and I are going to be spies and reporteverything to Mr. Penton, do you? If that's the case, you may count meout."
"Certainly not. You ought to know me better than that. What sort ofspeech did I make?"
"Say, it was a dandy! I didn't think it was in you. You ought to haveseen how those fellows hung on every word. They were sitting forward onthe edges of their seats, every man of them."
"Except Cavard and Driscold," laughed Steve. "I rather think _they_ wereon the anxious seat. Well, we shall see. But be careful that Cavard doesnot draw you into an argument that will cause you to lose your temper. Ihave an idea he will try to do so, unless he thinks better of it andtries some other plan. I believe that man is a crook, Bob Jarvis. I maybe doing him a wrong. If so, time will tell. In the meantime, we shalldo what we can for the union. I hope Mr. Penton will not lose confidencein us. He may misunderstand our motive. If he does, we shall have tostand it; that's all."
"It may be the means of losing our jobs," suggested Jarvis.
Steve was thoughtful.
"I may have done wrong, but I did what I believed to be best. Out of theunion we should not have so much influence with the men. In it we shallbe able to do many things for both sides, being loyal to each."
"We're going to try to please everyone--is that it?" grinned Bob.
"If we are able to do it," replied Steve earnestly.
"How are we going to explain our action to Mr. Penton?"
"I shall not try to do so."
"But if he asks?" persisted Bob.
"I can't answer that beforehand. My answers must depend uponcircumstances."
The boys turned in soon after that, but Steve Rush lay awake for a longtime, thinking over the events of the evening. He was wondering whetherhe had done right; wondering whether the officials of the company, whohad been so kind to him, would misconstrue his motives and no longertake their former keen interest in him.
"I've done the best I know how, and I'm not done yet," muttered the boy,as he turned over, buried his head in the pillow and tried to go tosleep.
The Iron Boys as Foremen; or, Heading the Diamond Drill Shift Page 11
