Put Yourself in His Place [49]
"Sir," said Bayne, "they say old Smitem is in this one. Wherever he is, the master's business is known, or guessed, heaven knows how; and, if there is a hole in his coat, that hole is hit. Just look at the cleverness of it, sir. Here we are, wrong with the forgers and handlers. Yet they come into the works and take their day's wages. But they draw out the grinders, and mutilate the business. They hurt you as much as if they struck, and lost their wages. But no, they want their wages to help pay the grinders on strike. Your only chance was to discharge every man in the works, the moment the grinders gave notice."
"Why didn't you tell me so, then?"
"Because I'm not old Smitem. He can see a thing beforehand. I can see it afterward. I'm like the weatherwise man's pupil; as good as my master, give me time. The master could tell you, at sunrise, whether the day would be wet or dry, and the pupil he could tell you at sunset: and that is just the odds between old Smitem and me."
"Well, if he is old Smitem, I'm old Fightem."
At night, he told Bayne he had private information, that the grinders were grumbling at being made a cat's-paw of by the forgers and the handlers. "Hold on," said he; "they will break up before morning."
At ten o'clock next day he came down to the works, and some peremptory orders had poured in. "They must wait," said he, peevishly.
At twelve he said, "How queer the place seems, and not a grindstone going. It seems as still as the grave. I'm a man; I'm not a mouse."
Mr. Cheetham repeated this last fact in zoology three times, to leave no doubt of it in his own mind, I suppose.
At 1.00, he said he would shut up the works rather than be a slave.
At 1.15 he blustered.
At 1.20 he gave in: collapsed in a moment, like a punctured bladder. "Bayne," said he, with a groan, "go to Jobson, and ask him to come and talk this foolish business over."
"Excuse me, sir," said Bayne. "Don't be offended; but you are vexed and worried, and whoever the Union sends to you will be as cool as marble. I have just heard it is Redcar carries the conditions."
"What, the foreman of my own forgers! Is he to dictate to me?" cried Cheetham, grinding his teeth with indignation.
"Well, sir, what does it matter?" said Bayne, soothingly. "He is no more than a mouthpiece."
"Go for him," said Cheetham, sullenly.
"But, sir, I can't bear that your own workman should see you so agitated."
"Oh, I shall be all right the moment I see my man before me."
Bayne went off, and soon returned with Redcar. The man had his coat on, but had not removed his leathern apron.
Cheetham received him as the representative of the Unions. "Sit down, Redcar, and let us put an end to this little bother. What do you require?"
"Mr. Little's discharge, sir."
"Are you aware he is with me on a month's notice?"
"They make a point of his leaving the works at once, sir; and I was to beg you to put other hands into his room."
"It is taking a great liberty to propose that."
"Nay. They only want to be satisfied. He has given a vast o' trouble."
"I'll give him a month's warning. If I discharge him on the spot, he can sue me."
"That has been thought on. If he sues you, you can talk to the Unions, and they will act with you. But the grinders are not to come in till Little is out."
"Well, so be it, then."
"And his rooms occupied by Union men?"
"If I swallow the bolus, I may as well swallow the pills. Anything more?"
"The grinders are not to lose their time; a day and a half."
"What! am I to pay them for not working?"
"Well, sir, if we had come to you, of course the forgers and handlers would have paid the grinders for lost time; but, as you have come to us, you will have to pay them."
Cheetham made a wry face; but acquiesced.
"And then, sir," said Redcar, "there's another little matter. The incidental expenses of the strike."
"I don't know what you mean."
"The expenses incurred by the secretaries, and a little present to another gentleman, who advised us.