Patience Wins: War in the Works

by George Manville Fenn

  CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

  STEVENS HAS A WORD WITH ME.

  Next morning I went down to the works, feeling as if I had grown in onenight a year older, and after giving Piter the bones I always took himdown, and receiving the ram-like butt he always favoured me with to showhis gratitude, I was going round the place, when I heard a familiarclinking and saw a glow out of the little smithy that had for some timebeen cold.

  I ran in, and there, looking rather pale and with a bit or two ofsticking-plaster about his temples, was Pannell hammering away as if hewere trying to make up for lost time.

  "Why, Pannell, old man," I cried, running in with outstretched hand,"back again at work! I am glad to see you."

  He looked up at me with a scowl, and wiped his brow with the arm thatwas terminated by a fist and hammer--a way, I have observed, muchaffected by smiths.

  His was not a pleasant face, and it was made more repulsive by the scarsand sticking-plaster. As our eyes met it almost seemed as if he weregoing to strike me with his hammer; but he threw it down, gave his greathand a rub back and front upon his apron, probably to make it a littleblacker, and then gripped mine as badly as Uncle Jack had on theprevious night. In fact, you see, I suffered for people liking me.

  "Are you glad, mun?" he said at last hoarsely; "are you glad? Wellthat's cheering anyhow, and thank ye."

  He nodded and went on with his work again while I went to mine about thebooks, but with a suspicious feeling of impending trouble on my mind, asI passed two of the men who saw me come out of the smithy, and who musthave seen me shaking hands with Pannell.

  I don't know why they should have minded, for I should have done thesame with either of them had we been on as friendly terms.

  As I entered my little office my eyes lit on the common fishing-rod Ihad used, and that set me thinking about the conversation I had heard asI stood on the ledge.

  I recalled what had been said overnight in a long discussion with myuncles, and the advice they had given.

  "Don't show suspicion," Uncle Dick had said, "but meet every man with afrank fearless look in the eye, as if you asked no favour of him, werenot afraid of him, and as if you wanted to meet him in a straightforwardway."

  I thought a good deal about it all, and how my uncles said they meant tobe just and kind and stern at the same time; and it certainly did seemas if this was the most likely way to win the men's respect.

  "For now that we have concluded to keep you with us, Cob, I must warnthat we mean business, and that we have made up our minds that we shallwin."

  That morning went off quietly enough, and though we all kept a quietsearching look-out, there was nothing to excite suspicion. Then eveningcame, and the watching, in which again that night I had no share, but itwas an understood thing that I was to be at the works at the same timeas the men next day.

  It was a lovely autumn morning with the wind from the country side, andas I hurried up and off to the works there was a feeling in the air thatseemed to tempt me away to the hills and vales, and made me long for achange.

  "I'll see if one of them won't go for a day," I said to myself; andhopeful of getting the holiday, and perhaps a run up to the great dam, Ireached the works before the men.

  "Well done, industrious!" cried Uncle Bob, who opened the gate to me."You are first."

  "That's right," I said. "No, it isn't. Where's Uncle Dick? Why, youlook pale."

  "Uncle Dick isn't awake," he said quickly. "Fact is, Cob, I've had ascare. As you say, I found that they'd been at Piter again. The poordog has been drugged, and that must mean something wrong."

  Sure enough, poor Piter lay fast asleep and breathing heavily; but afterour last experience we did not feel so despondent about bringing him toagain, so, leaving him in his kennel where he had crept, we roused UncleDick and told him.

  "We can't look round now," he said. "The men are coming in to theirwork, but we shall soon hear if there is anything wrong. The bandsagain, I expect."

  Just then we heard the noise made by the drawing of the sluice, thewheel went plashing round, the shaft rumbled, connections were beingmade, and in a very few minutes the first grindstone was sending forthits loud churring noise.

  Then there was more and more, and at last the works were in full swing.

  "There's nothing wrong, then, with the bands," said Uncle Dick; and thenwe waited, wondering what trick had been played, till about an hour hadpassed, during which the same remedies as were tried before were putinto force with poor old Piter, and he recovered sufficiently to wag histail.

  Just about that time Uncle Jack arrived, and was put in possession ofour fresh trouble.

  "And you can find nothing wrong?" he said.

  "Nothing."

  "Have you looked under the desks, and in the cupboards?"

  "We've quietly searched everywhere," replied Uncle Bob earnestly.

  "Then we must go on as usual," said Uncle Jack. "There, you two gohome: Cob and I will chance the risks."

  "It may have been an attempt to get rid of the dog," I said, "andnothing more."

  "That's what I've been thinking," said Uncle Jack; and soon after wewere left alone.

  Towards mid-day I went down to have a chat with Pannell, and to ask himhow he had got on during his long illness.

  "Tidy," he said sourly. "There was the club helped me, but the mestersdid most."

  "What! My uncles?"

  "Ay, didn't you know?" he cried, busying himself about lighting asmaller forge at the back of the first.

  I shook my head.

  "Paid me pound a-week all the time I was badly, my lad."

  "And very kind of them too," I said warmly.

  "Ay, 'twas. Felt at times, lad, as if I warn't worth the money, that Idid."

  Just then Stevens made his appearance, crossing from the grinders' shopto one of the smithies at the end; and as he went along at some distanceI saw him look curiously over at where I was standing talking toPannell.

  "Theer it is again," said the latter. "You mean well, lad, and it'svery kind on you; but I shall hev it 'fore long on account o' talking tothee."

  "Oh, surely not!" I cried angrily. "The men will never be such cowardsas to attack you for that."

  "Men weant, but trade will," said Pannell. "Mates can't do as they likeabout it. Look ye yonder; what did I say?"

  He nodded in the direction of Stevens, who had returned directly,stopped opposite the smithy, but at some distance, and as soon as Ilooked up he began to signal to me to go to him.

  I never liked the man, for he always seemed to dislike me, and I gavehim the credit of being one of the active parties in the outrages thathad been committed upon us. But I remembered what our plans were tobe--frank, straightforward, and fearless--and I walked right up toStevens, whose brow was lowering and full of menace.

  "Here, I want a word with you," he said fiercely.

  "All right, Stevens!" I said. "What is it?"

  "Come over here," he replied, "and I'll tell ye."

  He led the way along the yard to the other side of the great coal heap,which lay there massive and square, through its sides being carefullybuilt up with big blocks of coal.

  We were quite out of sight there, and, as I thought, how easy it wouldbe for him to knock me down with one of the lumps.

  I was perfectly cool though, till he suddenly seized me by the jacket.

  I struck up at his hand, but he held on tightly, and there was a curioussmile on his face as he said:

  "Nay, you don't, lad; I'm stronger than thou."

  "What do you want?" I cried, making a virtue of necessity and standingfirm.

  "What do I want, eh?" he said slowly. "Oh, just a word or two wi' thee,my lad. There, you needn't call thee uncle."

  "I was not going to call him," I retorted. "Why should I?"

  "Because you're scarred about what I'm going to do to thee."

  "No, I'm not," I replied boldly; "because you daren't do anything unlessit's in the dark,
when you can attack a man behind his back."

  He winced at this and scowled, but turned it off with a laugh.

  "'Tack a what?" he said.

  "A boy, then," I cried. "I know I'm a boy; but I meant peoplegenerally."

  "Nivver you mind that," he said. "You don't understand trade. Butjoost you look there. Yow've been saying I did some'at to the dog."

  "That I have not," I cried.

  "Ay, but you did say it," he repeated fiercely.

  "I did not say so," I cried almost as angrily; "but if I had said it, Idon't suppose I should have been far wrong."

  "Nay, lad, I did nowt to the dog. I did nowt--I--"

  He let his hand fall, and a feeling of relief from some expectation cameover his face. He had been talking to me, but it was in a curious way,and all the time he talked he seemed to be looking over my shoulder morethan in my face.

  But now he drew a long breath and seemed satisfied with the explanation;and just then I uttered a cry of horror, for there was a loud report,and the yard seemed to be filled with flying cinders and smoke.

  Stevens gave me a grim look and laid his hand on my shoulder.

  "Lucky yow weern't theer," he said. "Might have been hurt. Come andsee."

  We joined the men who were hurrying in the direction of the smoke thatobscured one end of the yard.

  "What is it, Uncle Jack?" I cried, as I ran to his side.

  "I don't know yet," he said.

  "It was somewhere by the smithies."

  "Yes; that's plain enough," said my uncle, and we pressed on in front ofthe men, to come upon Pannell, tending down and rubbing his eyes.

  "Pannell!" I cried; "you are not hurt?"

  "Nay, not much," he said sourly. "Got the cinder and stuff in my eyes,but they missed me this time."

  "What! Was it not an accident?"

  "Oh, ay!" he replied, "reg'lar accident. Powder got into my littleforge, and when I started her wi' some hot coal from t'other one sheblew up."

  "But you are not hurt?"

  "Nay, lad, I weer stooping down, and were half behind the forge, so Ididn't ketch it that time."

  The smoke was by this time pretty well cleared away, and we walked intothe smithy to see what mischief had befallen us.

  Fortunately no harm had been done to the structure of the building, andthere being no glass in the windows there was of course none to blowout. The coal ashes and cinders had been scattered far and wide, andthe iron funnel-shaped chimney knocked out of place, while some of thesmiths' tools, and the rods of steel upon which Pannell had beenworking, were thrown upon the floor.

  The walls, forge, and pieces of iron about told tales for themselveswithout the odour of the explosive, for everything had been covered witha film of a greyish-white, such as gunpowder gives to iron or brickworkwhen it is fired.

  "Where was the powder?" cried Uncle Jack, after satisfying himself thatPannell had not the slightest burn even upon his beard.

  "In little forge all ready for me when I fired up," growled Pannellsourly, as he scowled round at the little crowd of men; "but they missedme that time."

  Uncle Jack had a good look round the place, and the workmen stared at usas if in full expectation of being taken to task as the cause of theexplosion.

  I watched their faces cautiously in search of a look of regret, but theonly peculiar expression I could see was on the countenance of Stevens,who stood softly rolling up his shirt-sleeves closer and closer to hisshoulders, and there was such a curious smile in his eyes that heinspired me with a thought.

  "Oh, if I have been deceived in him!"

  That was my thought. For I seemed to see at a glance that he had knownthe explosion would take place, and that the talk about the dog was anexcuse to get me away and save me from the consequences.

  Just then Uncle Jack turned round to me and laid his hand on myshoulder.

  "Look here," he said quietly, as if he were showing me a curiosity, butloud enough for all the men to hear--"down in the south of England, myboy, when a workman is disliked it generally comes to a settlement withfists, and there is a fair, honest, stand-up fight. Down here inArrowfield, Jacob, when another workman does something to offend hisfellows--"

  "Traade," shouted a voice.

  "To offend his fellow-workmen," repeated Uncle Jack.

  "Traade," shouted the voice again, and there was a murmur of assent.

  "Well, have it your own way," said Uncle Jack. "To offend the trade,they try to blind him for life by filling his forge with powder, so thatit may explode in his face. Jacob, my lad, next time I go anywhere, andhear people talk about what brave strong manly fellows the Englishmenare, I shall recommend them to come down and stay in Arrowfield for amonth and see what is done."

  There was a low murmur among the men; but we did not stop to listen, andthey all returned to their work except Pannell, who went down to the damand bathed his eyes, after which he went as coolly as could be back tohis smithy, took a shovel and borrowed some glowing fire from the nextforge, lit up his own, and was soon after hammering his funnel chimneyback in its place, and working up rods of steel as if nothing whateverhad been amiss.

  About the middle of the afternoon, though, he came up through theworkshop straight to the office, with his hammer in his hand, and gave aloud thump at the door.

  I opened it and admitted him; for I was in the big office with myuncles, who were talking about this last trouble.

  "Well, my man, what is it?" said Uncle Jack.

  Pannell began to lift up his hammer-head slowly and let it fall backagain into his left hand, staring straight before him with his darkeyes, which were surrounded with the black marks of the gunpowder whichclung still to the skin.

  "What do you want, Pannell?" I said, giving him a touch on the arm; butthe hammer rose and fell still by the contraction of his right hand, andwent on tap--tap--falling into his left.

  "Why don't you speak?" I said again, quite impatiently.

  "I know," he growled. "I want to speak."

  "We are listening," said Uncle Dick. "What have you to say?"

  "Look here," cried Pannell, giving his hammer a flourish round his headas if he were about to attack us. "I'm a man--I am."

  "And a good big one, Pannell," said Uncle Bob smiling.

  "Wish I were twyste as big, mester! Theer!" cried Pannell.

  "I wish you were if it would be any comfort to you," said Uncle Bob tohimself.

  "I've been a-thinking o' this out while I've been hammering yonder, andI want to speak."

  "Yes," said Uncle Jack. "Go on."

  "Look ye here, then," cried Pannell, flourishing his hammer round as ifhe were a modern edition or an angry Thor; "does anyone say I telled on'em? Did I tell on 'em, mesters? Answer me that."

  "What! About the outrages?" said Uncle Dick firmly.

  "Outrages, mester!"

  "Well, the attempts to blow us up."

  "Ay!--the trade business. Did I ivver come and say word to anny ofyou?"

  "Never."

  "Or to yow, youngster?"

  "Never, Pannell. You always went against us," I said, "when a word fromyou would--"

  "Theer, that'll do. Tell me this--Did I ivver tell on anny on 'em?"

  "No; you have always been true to your party, Pannell--if that is whatyou mean."

  "And that is what I mean," said the great fellow, throwing his headabout and jerking out his words, each with a menacing flourish of thehammer or a mock blow, as if they were steel words that he wanted tostrike into shape.

  "Nobody accused you of tale-bearing to us," said Uncle Dick.

  "Didn't they, mester?" he roared. "What's this, then, and this, andthis?"

  He touched the scars upon his head and brow, and the sticking-plasterleft on.

  "Don't you call that saying I telled on 'em, wi'out the poother in myforge this morning?"

  "A cowardly brutal thing to have done, my man."

  "Ay, so 'twas. I'd done nowt but be civil to you
ng mester here. Say,"he cried fiercely, "yow telled 'em I forged that trap!" and he turned onme.

  "Oh, Pannell!" I cried, flushing indignantly.

  That was all I said, but it was enough.

  "Beg pardon, young gentleman!--yow didn't, I can see that. Nay, it wasthe altogetherishness o' the whole thing. They set me down--me, a matein the union--as hevvin' telled on 'em and gone agen 'em, and beingfriends wi' the mesters; and yow see what they've done."

  "Indeed we do, Pannell--"

  "Howd hard, mester," said the big smith, flourishing about his hammer."I hevn't had my spell yet. I want to speak."

  Uncle Dick nodded, as much as to say, "Go on."

  "Look here, then, mesters--I've thowt this out. It's cowards' business,ivvery bit on it, 'cept Matt Stivvins this morning coming and fetchingyoung mester out of the way."

  "Yes," I said, "he did."

  "And they'll knobstick 'im for it if they know--see if they don't!"

  "Then they mustn't know," I cried eagerly. "I don't like Stevens, buthe did save me this morning."

  "Ay, he did, 'cause he said once yow weer a trump, my lad; but he didn'tgive me a word. I sha'n't tell on him, but I sha'n't hev nought more todo wi' anny on 'em. I've been union man all these years and paid, andhere's what I've got for it. I says to mysen, I says: If this here'swhat comes o' sticking to union through all their games I've done wi''em, and I'm a master's man--that's all."

  He turned short round to go, but Uncle Dick stopped him.

  "I don't quite understand what you mean, Pannell."

  "What I mean! Why, what I said--that's what I mean."

  "That you have done with the trades-union, Pannell," I cried, "and meanto be on our side?"

  "That's so, mester. Now I mun go or my fire'll be out."

  He strode out of the place and banged the door after him; and as he wentalong the shop I could see him in imagination staring defiantly fromside to side, in answer to the savage murmur that greeted him from themen whom he had made up his mind to defy.

  "What do you think of that?" said Uncle Dick, as soon as we heard thefarther door close with a crash.

  "It's the beginning of the end," said Uncle Jack with an eager look inhis eyes. "Keep firm, boys, and we shall have them all honestly on ourside, and we can laugh at all trades-unions in Arrowfield that fightwith cowardly weapons. The men do not do what their own feelingsprompt, but obey the law of a secret society which forces them to dothese cruel wrongs."

  It must have been intentional on his part, for as I went down into thefurnace house about half an hour after, at my usual time, to take downan account of work done, I met Stevens coming towards me.

  We were in the big empty building, the furnace being cold, and no workgoing on that day, and he slouched towards me as if he were going by,but I stopped him and held out my hand.

  "Thank you, Stevens," I said. "I didn't understand it then, but yousaved me from something terrible to-day."

  He gave a quick glance or two about, and then regularly snatched myhand, gave it a squeeze, and threw it away.

  "All right, my lad!" he said in a hoarse whisper. "You're on'y one o'the mesters, but I couldn't abear to see thee in for it too."

  He went on his away and I went mine, feeling that Uncle Jack was right,and that though it might be a long journey first, it was the beginningof the end.