The Doctor [84]
McLean?" shouted Craigin furiously. "If not, go and get your time."
"We're going to talk this matter over a minute, Mr. Craigin," said McLean quietly. "It's a serious matter. We are all concerned in it, and we'll decide in a few minutes what is to be done."
"Every man who is not at work in five minutes will get his time," said Craigin, and he turned away and passed into the office.
"What do you propose should be done, Doctor?" said McLean, ignoring the foreman.
"Build a camp where the sick men can be placed by themselves and where they can be kept from infecting the rest of the camp. Half a day's work of a dozen men will do it. If we send them out some of them will die. Besides, it is almost certain that some more of you have already been infected."
At once eager discussion began. Some, in dread terror of the disease, were for sending out the sick immediately, but the majority would not listen to this inhuman proposal. Finally McLean came again to Dr. Bailey.
"The men want to know if you can guarantee that the disease can be stamped out here if you have a separate camp for an hospital?"
"We can guarantee nothing," replied Dr. Bailey. "But it is altogether the safer way to fight the disease. And I am of the opinion that we can stamp it out." The doctor's air and tone of quiet confidence, far more than his words, decided the men's action. In a minute more it was agreed that the sick men should stay and that they would all stand together in carrying out the plan of isolation.
"If he gives any of us time," said Tommy, "we'll all take it, begob."
"No, men," said the doctor, "let's not make trouble. I know Mr. Maclennan slightly, and he's a just man, and he'll do what's fair. Besides, we don't want to interfere with the job. Give me a dozen men--one must be able to cook--and in half a day the work will be finished. I will be personally responsible for everything."
At this point Craigin came out. "Here's your time, McLean," he said, thrusting a time check at him.
McLean took it without a word and went over and stood by Dr. Bailey's side.
"Who are coming?" called out McLean.
"All of us," cried a voice. "Pick out your men, McLean."
"All right," said McLean, looking over the crowd.
"I'm wan," said Tommy, running over to the doctor's side. "I seen him shtand by Scotty whin the lad wus fightin' fer his life, an' if I'm tuk it's him I want beside me."
One by one McLean called his men, each taking his place beside the doctor, while the rest of the men moved off to work.
"Mr. Craigin, I am going to use these men for half a day." said Dr. Bailey.
For answer Craigin, in mad rage, throwing aside all regard for consequences, rushed at him, but half a dozen men were in his path before he had taken the second step.
"Hold on, Mr. Craigin," said McLean, "we want no violence. We're going to do what we think right in this matter, so you may as well make up your mind to it."
"And Mr. Craigin," continued the doctor, "we shall need some things out of your stores."
Craigin stepped back from the crowd and on to the office steps. "Your time is waiting you, men. And listen to me. If any man goes near that there storehouse door, I'll drop him in his tracks. I've got the law and I'll do it, so help me God." He went into the office and returned in a moment with a Winchester, which he loaded in full view of the men.
"Never mind him, boys," said the doctor cheerily, "I'm going to have breakfast. Come, Tommy, I want you."
In fifteen minutes he came out, with the key of the storehouse in his hand, to find the men still waiting his orders and Craigin on guard with his Winchester.
"Don't go just yet," said McLean to the doctor in a low voice, "we'll get round him."
"Oh, he'll not shoot," said Dr. Bailey.
"He will. He will. I knew him in Michigan. He'll shoot and he'll kill, too."
For a single instant the doctor hesitated. His men were about him waiting his lead. Craigin with his rifle held them all in check. A moment's thought and his decision was taken.
"We're going to talk this matter over a minute, Mr. Craigin," said McLean quietly. "It's a serious matter. We are all concerned in it, and we'll decide in a few minutes what is to be done."
"Every man who is not at work in five minutes will get his time," said Craigin, and he turned away and passed into the office.
"What do you propose should be done, Doctor?" said McLean, ignoring the foreman.
"Build a camp where the sick men can be placed by themselves and where they can be kept from infecting the rest of the camp. Half a day's work of a dozen men will do it. If we send them out some of them will die. Besides, it is almost certain that some more of you have already been infected."
At once eager discussion began. Some, in dread terror of the disease, were for sending out the sick immediately, but the majority would not listen to this inhuman proposal. Finally McLean came again to Dr. Bailey.
"The men want to know if you can guarantee that the disease can be stamped out here if you have a separate camp for an hospital?"
"We can guarantee nothing," replied Dr. Bailey. "But it is altogether the safer way to fight the disease. And I am of the opinion that we can stamp it out." The doctor's air and tone of quiet confidence, far more than his words, decided the men's action. In a minute more it was agreed that the sick men should stay and that they would all stand together in carrying out the plan of isolation.
"If he gives any of us time," said Tommy, "we'll all take it, begob."
"No, men," said the doctor, "let's not make trouble. I know Mr. Maclennan slightly, and he's a just man, and he'll do what's fair. Besides, we don't want to interfere with the job. Give me a dozen men--one must be able to cook--and in half a day the work will be finished. I will be personally responsible for everything."
At this point Craigin came out. "Here's your time, McLean," he said, thrusting a time check at him.
McLean took it without a word and went over and stood by Dr. Bailey's side.
"Who are coming?" called out McLean.
"All of us," cried a voice. "Pick out your men, McLean."
"All right," said McLean, looking over the crowd.
"I'm wan," said Tommy, running over to the doctor's side. "I seen him shtand by Scotty whin the lad wus fightin' fer his life, an' if I'm tuk it's him I want beside me."
One by one McLean called his men, each taking his place beside the doctor, while the rest of the men moved off to work.
"Mr. Craigin, I am going to use these men for half a day." said Dr. Bailey.
For answer Craigin, in mad rage, throwing aside all regard for consequences, rushed at him, but half a dozen men were in his path before he had taken the second step.
"Hold on, Mr. Craigin," said McLean, "we want no violence. We're going to do what we think right in this matter, so you may as well make up your mind to it."
"And Mr. Craigin," continued the doctor, "we shall need some things out of your stores."
Craigin stepped back from the crowd and on to the office steps. "Your time is waiting you, men. And listen to me. If any man goes near that there storehouse door, I'll drop him in his tracks. I've got the law and I'll do it, so help me God." He went into the office and returned in a moment with a Winchester, which he loaded in full view of the men.
"Never mind him, boys," said the doctor cheerily, "I'm going to have breakfast. Come, Tommy, I want you."
In fifteen minutes he came out, with the key of the storehouse in his hand, to find the men still waiting his orders and Craigin on guard with his Winchester.
"Don't go just yet," said McLean to the doctor in a low voice, "we'll get round him."
"Oh, he'll not shoot," said Dr. Bailey.
"He will. He will. I knew him in Michigan. He'll shoot and he'll kill, too."
For a single instant the doctor hesitated. His men were about him waiting his lead. Craigin with his rifle held them all in check. A moment's thought and his decision was taken.