The Iron Boys in the Steel Mills Part 13

"Eh, what do you mean?"

"Foley and Kalinski."

Jarvis looked thoughtful.

"Say, that's what that fellow meant when he warned me. Why didn't he say what he was warning me about? Look here, he knew I was going to get into trouble, didn't he?"

"I have more than a suspicion that he did," nodded Rush.

"Wait till I get out of this harness," growled Bob. "What happened to you?"

"Nothing much. I was nearly buried under the cinders, but Brodsky ran for some men, who dug me out. If it hadn't been for Ignatz I believe I should have perished in number seven pit."

"He's a good fellow!" muttered Bob, nodding his head faintly. "He doesn't know much, and he wouldn't take a blue ribbon at a beauty show, but he's got the real stuff in him. I hear one man is going to die."

"Yes; so I understand. Too bad, poor fellow."

"And _I_ did it!"

"Don't blame yourself. You were not to blame for what happened. You were led directly into the mistake of putting too much water on the cinders.

When is the doctor going to let you go home?"

"He said perhaps I could go in the morning, but I'm all right. I could go home now, just as well as not. I want to go back to the mill and go to work in the morning."

"No need of that. I don't think either of us will start in to-morrow."

"What? Not start in? What do you mean?"

"Never mind now. We will talk about it when you get home."

"Look here, Steve Rush, something has been going on that I don't know anything about. What is it?"

"Don't bother about asking questions. I shouldn't have excited your curiosity," answered Steve, laughing to cover his chagrin at having let the words slip out. "I'll tell you what we'll do; we will take our lunches and go down the river to-morrow for a picnic, if you are able.

After you have rested up for a day perhaps you will feel able to go to work."

"But you said we weren't going to work."

"Did I?"

"You did, and I want to know why. Come on now; I'm no tenderfoot, and you know it. Why don't we go to work?"

"Because we have both been discharged. There, you have it, now."

"Fired?"

"Yes."

"What for?"

"You ought to be able to guess."

"I'm not much of a guesser."

"Well, then, because we blew up the pit."

Bob gazed at his companion unbelievingly.

"Come now, you're joking. They're not all fools down at the mill. I blew up the pit--you didn't, and I didn't know that I was doing so, of course. I'm no anarchist, and neither are you."

"Nevertheless, they hold us responsible for it."

"I know who's at the bottom of this. It's that wooden Indian, Kalinski, and--and----"

"Foley," added Steve.

"Yes, they're a choice pair. They have had a rod in pickle for both of us ever since you made the report on Foley at the time of that burning accident. Did _they_ fire us?"

"No, not directly. Mr. McNaughton did so, but they were at the bottom of it. They told him lies about us, and he believed them. Think of it, Bob.

He wouldn't believe what I told him. He thought I was the one who was telling the untruths."

"Tell me all about it."

Rush did so, relating all that had occurred during his visit to the division superintendent's office, the injured boy listening with darkening face as the narration continued. He nodded approvingly when Steve related how he had invited the two men out to get their heads punched.

"Didn't go, did they?"

"No."

"I thought not. They've both got a streak of yellow in them that runs all the way from their heads down into their boot-tops. Wait till I get out! I've got a couple of good, swift punches in stock for them! They won't wake up for half an hour, once I unlimber," threatened Jarvis, shaking his bandaged fists threateningly.

"Bob, promise me one thing. Promise me that you will not have any trouble with those men. We can't afford to mix up in any disgraceful fights here. They would like nothing better than to have us do so. We should be arrested. Think of the disgrace of it! We will let them alone as long as they let us alone. We won't stir up any more trouble, but they must let us alone. Will you promise to be guided by me in this matter?"

"I don't know. I am afraid I shall lose my temper when I see them; then, if they say anything to me, it's all off. What are we going to do, now that we are out of a job?"

"I don't know," answered Steve thoughtfully.

"I'll tell you what let's do. Let's go back to the mines. We have fine jobs with good pay waiting for us there. We never should have left. Mr.

Carrhart will be glad to have us."

Rush shook his head.

"We came down here to learn the iron and steel business, and we are going to do exactly that one thing."

"Will you tell me how?"

"There are other mills. We will try to get in one of them. I am going to start out to-morrow to look for work."

"I thought we were going on a picnic to-morrow," grinned Jarvis.