The Iron Boys as Foremen; or, Heading the Diamond Drill Shift

by Mrs. Molesworth

  CHAPTER XIII

  STEVE'S SUSPICIONS AROUSED

  "ARE you going to the meeting to-night?" asked a foreman of a shift,pausing at Steve Rush's main drift.

  "Why, yes, of course; aren't you!"

  "I guess so. I hear there will be something doing to-night."

  This conversation took place on the day following the meeting at whichCavard had so successfully outwitted his young opponents and had carriedthe meeting through in accordance with his own ideas. As yet neitherSteve nor Bob had heard of the meeting. They, with others of theirfellows, had received cards that morning saying, "There will be aspecial meeting of the union this evening at the usual time and place."

  The cards were undated and they had not thought to look at the postmark, taking for granted that the meeting was to be held on the eveningof that day.

  "There ain't going to be any meeting to-night," volunteered a miner whohad overheard the conversation.

  "Yes, there is. Here is the card saying that there will be," answeredRush, exhibiting the card he had received that morning.

  "Naw; no such thing. The meeting was _last_ night," continued the miner."Ain't you heard about it?"

  Steve looked at the fellow to see if he were joking. He saw that the manwas in earnest.

  "There was a meeting of the union last night?"

  "Sure there was."

  "How do you know?"

  "Friend of mine was there and told me about it. And you ain't heardabout it?"

  "I certainly have not. What was done?"

  "A lot of things was done."

  "That's queer. My postal notifying me of the meeting did not reach meuntil this morning. When did you get yours?" asked the lad of theforeman with whom he had been talking.

  "I got mine this morning, too."

  "That explains it, then; but it is odd that no one said anything aboutit yesterday."

  "Probably didn't get their cards till after supper last night. Well, Iguess we didn't miss much," added the foreman, with a grin.

  "You haven't told us what was done," said Steve.

  "Well, for one thing, they elected a new secretary. Didn't you knowabout that?"

  Rush peered at the man keenly.

  "See here, Abe, are you joking?"

  "Naw, I ain't joking. They bounced you and elected another man in yourplace."

  Steve could scarcely believe his own ears.

  "Why did they do that?"

  "I don't know. I didn't ask. But they bounced you, all right, allright."

  "May I ask who my successor is?" inquired the lad, with a touch ofsarcasm in his voice.

  "I don't know. I didn't ask that, either."

  "What do you think of that?" demanded the boy, turning to the foreman.

  "I don't believe it. They wouldn't be such fools as to do a thing likethat."

  "I am of the opinion that something was done there, and it seems mightyqueer to me. Have you seen Cavard to-day?"

  "Yes; I passed him when I was coming over here. He must be somewherehereabouts now. We'll walk out, and maybe we shall meet him," said theforeman.

  The two men made their way out of the drift together. Steve was silentand thoughtful. He did not like this thing that he had heard, nor did heknow what to make of it.

  They did not find the Duke at once, but half an hour later Steve cameacross the walking delegate near the ore rise on the twentieth level.

  "Oh, Mr. Cavard," he called.

  "Yes, Rush; what is it?"

  "I hear you had a meeting last night."

  "We did. Why were you not there?"

  "Because I knew nothing about it."

  "But you received a notice, did you not?"

  "This morning, yes. I supposed from the card that the meeting was to beheld to-night. I understand others did not receive theirs until to-day,either."

  "Then that accounts for the small attendance," answered Cavard smoothly."The cards were mailed rather late, but it was quite important to hold ameeting last night. I wondered why so few were present. It was mostunfortunate, for very important business was transacted."

  "So I heard. May I ask what was done?"

  "Several things were attended to," replied the man evasively.

  "Including the election of a new secretary?"

  "Well, yes; I believe so."

  Cavard showed some slight irritation under the sharp questioning of theIron Boy.

  "Why?"

  The question came out with a snap.

  "You should have attended the meeting if you want to know what was done.We are not supposed to talk about it on the outside."

  "Yes; no doubt I should have attended, but I did not for the reason Ihave just given. Why was I deposed and another put in my place?"

  "Well, to be candid with you, since you insist, the members did notthink you were old enough, nor that you had had experience enough towarrant keeping you in such an important position. You see, they choseyou in a moment of intense enthusiasm. After they had thought the matterover more calmly they came to the conclusion that it would be better tohave an older man for the place, so they elected another."

  "Who?"

  "Mr. Caldert."

  "Mike Caldert?"

  "Yes."

  Steve laughed uproariously.

  "Why, that man can barely write his name. I'll wager he cannot writecorrectly the name of the state in which he lives."

  "I think you are mistaken," replied the walking delegate, drawinghimself up frigidly. "At least I have nothing to do with that. It wasthe will of the meeting, and there was nothing for me to do but to putto vote the motions that were offered."

  Steve surveyed the walking delegate with a sarcastic look on his face.

  "Has Caldert the minutes of the meeting, or have you?"

  "I believe he has them."

  "Then I shall demand to see them to-night. I want to know what was doneat that meeting, and I think I have a right to know. I shall bring thematter before the next meeting and find out whether you have the rightto railroad through a piece of business like this. It's not that I carea rap about holding the office, but I don't propose to be done out of itin any such way without finding out what it all means."

  Cavard saw possibilities of trouble.

  "Don't be a baby. Take your medicine like a man. You are proving thatyou are not fitted for an office in the union yet. When you get olderand have had more experience, then perhaps you may do."

  There was an implied sneer in the man's tone, which his smiling facefailed to mask.

  "Indeed! I shall bring the subject before the next full meeting of theunion, just the same, and we shall see whether it will stand or not."

  "Look here, young man!"

  The walking delegate dropped his mask of assumed politeness. His chinwas thrust forward and his eyes gleamed with anger.

  "I've been too easy with you--easy because you are a boy. Now I'm donewith this foolishness. This is a man's game, and men are going to playit. You can get out of the union if you want to; we don't need you. Butlet me tell you one thing: you mind your own business after this, if youknow what's good for you! I'm running this union just now, and I'mrunning it in the way that suits me best--that means the right way. Ifyou don't like it, you get out and shut up--that's all."

  Steve laughed in the delegate's face.

  "Now you are beginning to show yourself in your true colors, Mister Man.I don't want your office. I did not care in the first place to haveanything to do with an organization that you were interested in, but Ithought possibly it might be run by honest men, so I joined the union."

  "What's that? You throw that at me--you accuse me of being dishonest,you young whelp?" shouted Cavard in a rage.

  "Take what I said for what it's worth, and I repeat your own words: 'Ifyou don't like it, get out and shut up.' That's my answer."

  Steve snapped his fingers in the face of the walking delegate and turnedon his heel. Cavard was at his side in a f
ew quick, long strides. Hegripped the collar of the Iron Boy and was about to spin him about whenSteve turned on him.

  "Unless you are looking for trouble, I wouldn't put hands on the otherman in this instance, if I were you. If you do that again, you willanswer for it."

  "Indeed! And may I ask you if you are in authority here?" sneeredCavard.

  "Well, all I have to say is, if you want to know who's boss on thisshift, just start something. You'll find out mighty quick, and theknowledge may not be particularly pleasant to you, either. That's all Ihave to say to you to-day. I may have something further to say later.Good afternoon."

  Rush left the walking delegate fuming in the drift as he walked away.The Iron Boy made it his business to ask every man he met whether or nothe had received a notification of the meeting of the previous evening.Some of them had received their notices that morning, others hadreceived no notice whatever. Not one of the miners had gotten his cardon the previous day, so far as the lad could learn.

  Steve was determined to get to the bottom of the matter. He consultedwith Bob Jarvis and the latter proposed looking up the walking delegateat once and giving him a sound thrashing.

  "No, Bob, we don't know that he is to blame in this matter at all,though I have my suspicions. Even if we were sure, we should gainnothing by following that course. There, I forgot to ask him what elsewas done at the meeting. After we get off duty to-night we must find outwhat has been going on. I'll see you and talk it over later."

  As soon as he had finished his work in the mine Rush went directly overto the post-office, where he waited until the postmaster was at leisure,when he called him aside.

  "I received a postal card to-day that I should have had last night,"said the lad, producing the notification of the meeting and handing itto the postmaster.

  "What did you say?" exclaimed the postmaster.

  "I said I should have received this post card last night," repeatedSteve. "You see it is quite important. It is a notification of a meetingand the meeting was held last night."

  "I don't see how you could very well have received this postal lastnight, when it wasn't mailed until this morning."

  "Not mailed until this morning?" demanded the lad, in well-feignedsurprise.

  "No, sir."

  "Are you sure of that?"

  "I ought to be. These postals--there were a lot of them--were stuffed inthrough the slot in the door some time during the night. It must havebeen late, for we didn't close until nearly twelve o'clock. The postalswere all on the floor when I opened up the place this morning."

  "Did you read any of the postals?" asked Steve innocently.

  "Oh, yes, I always read postals. Don't have much of anything else to dopart of the day, you know," replied the postmaster in a matter-of-facttone. "Why, what's in the wind? No trouble about it, is there?"

  "There may be," replied the lad mysteriously. "But if you will state thefacts when called upon to do so, there will be no trouble so far as youare concerned. Will you do that?"

  "Yes; I'll do that, all right. It won't violate any regulation of thedepartment that I know of."

  "Thank you. Say nothing to anyone of what I have asked you to-night,please."

  "I think I have got something on our friend, the walking delegate, now,"muttered the lad triumphantly, as he made his way toward home. He hadgone but a short distance when he met five of the members of the union,all dressed in their best, hurrying along the street.

  Steve halted and peered at them suspiciously.

  "Hello, where are you fellows going?" he demanded.

  "To the superintendent's office."

  "What for?"

  "We are going to present our demands. You know the document we decidedto present to him to-day?"

  Steve did not know, but he did not say so.

  "You are going there now?"

  "Yes; Mr. Cavard is going to meet us there at eight o'clock. We are thecommittee. You lost your secretary job last night. That's what comes ofbeing too fresh," jeered the speaker.

  "So that's the game, is it?" muttered Steve. "I should like to bepresent at that committee meeting. And I'm going to be there, too," headded, after a moment's reflection. "They can do no more than put meout."