Page:Teeftallow-1926.djvu/356

"She—seemed to like me very well, last night," coloured Mr. Pratt.

From the drug clerk's manner Abner knew that the two had made an emotional scene of their parting. However, notwithstanding the friendly irony of his thoughts, knowledge that Pratt had reached terms of intimacy with his foster-sister had a sobering effect on Abner. He wondered if Beatrice would marry the little town johnny. . . .

"Well," he said at length, "let's fill up these barrels and get back to camp. I want to get strung out scoopin' dirt again." He took one of Pratt's buckets and the two men set to work filling the barrels.

In camp, Abner found the talk mainly about what the striker would do; speculation ran all the way from Indian ambush to moral suasion.

From what Abner gathered, Shallburger had stopped the men about a mile up the road and had harangued them about humanity and the rights of labour.

"That Shallburger's a smart man," confided one of the caterpillar operators to Abner. "He made ever'thing sound mighty nice, but we had the law with us." By this he did not mean any abstract legal right, but the sheriff and deputies in person. These men were the law and what they did was perforce right.

In camp Abner was able even to get back the pair of mules which he had driven before on the plea that they understood his "cussin'," and that he hated to break in another pair. As he put the harness on them in the stable of one of the mules, called Bud, bit at his hand, just as he had always done, and Abner warped Bud over the head with the bridle bits and kicked him in the belly, just as he had always done. It seemed to tone up both man and mule for the work that lay ahead of them.

Within half-a-day's time the new men were broken in and the whole crew were working smoothly. The long red level of the railroad levee began reaching through the last few miles to Lanesburg. However, the men worked in a