hty Hunter be

uperintendant of the Sunday School, or 'Misery' or 'Nimrod'; as he was named behind his back by the workmen over whom h

TON

SBO

--

ators, and Gene

LS FUR

or General Repair

ork only at M

b-foremen or 'coddies', b

casioned by furious bicycle riding, it was seen that his forehead was high, flat and narrow. His nose was a large, fleshy, hawklike beak, and from the side of each nostril a deep indentation extended downwards until it disappeared in the dropping moustache that concealed his mouth, the vast extent of which was perceived only when he opened it to bellow at the workmen his exhortations to greater exertions. His chin was large and extraordinaril

tenders were accepted it was he who superintended the work and schemed how to scamp it, where possible, using mud where mortar was specified, mortar where there ought to have been cement, sheet zinc where they were supposed to put sheet lead, boiled oil instead of varnish, and three coats of paint where five were paid for. In fact, scamping the work was with this man a kind of mania. It grieved him to see anything done properly. Even when it was more economical to do a thing well, he insisted from force of habit on having it scamped. Then he was almost happy, because he felt that he was doing someone down. If there were an architect superintending the work, Misery would square him or bluff him. If it were not possible to do either, at least he had a try; and in the intervals of watching, driving and bullying the hands, his vulture eye was ever on the look out for

t the workers' wages were cut down to the lowest possible point and their offspring went ill clad, ill shod and ill fed, and we

een

w, after fifteen years, the business that had been so laboriously built up, mainly by Hunter's energy, industry and unscrupulous cunning, belonged to Rushton & Co. Hunter was but an employee, liable to d

een

e him right now he was too old to get a job as a journeyman. Further, in his zeal for Rushton & Co. and his anxiety to earn his commission, he had often done things that had roused the animosity of rival firms to such an extent that it was highly improbable that any of the

unger. Behind Misery was Rushton, ever bullying and goading him on to greater excesses and efforts

e within the house until the instant of his arrival. When he was within about a hundred yards of the gate he dismounted from his bicycle, there being a sharp rise in the road just there, and as he toiled up, pushing the bicycle in front, his breath showing in white clouds in the frosty air, he observed a number of men hanging about. Some of them he knew;

fternoo

ticulate grunt, without s

ce of a j

hout stopping. The man still followe

alling in a d

r replied. 'Can if you

d the man, and turned

altogether. Sometimes a fortnight for one firm; then perhaps a week doing nothing; then three weeks or a month for another firm, then out again, and so on. And now it was November. Last winter they had got into debt; that was nothing unusual, but owing to the bad summer they had not been able, as in other years, to pay off

ped: he was winded by

utation; he had not the breath to spare, but the man

ce of a j

ited for opportunity had come. Just now Rushton & Co. were almost the only firm in Mugsborough who had any work. There were dozens of good workmen out. Yes, this was the time. If this man agreed he would give him a

tful, hesitating kind of way, 'I'm af

omething more. He did not look at the man, but stooped down, f

. 'I've had rather a rough time of it. I would be ver

er raised his eyes to the other's face

job,' and he nodded his head in the direction of the house where the men were working. 'Tomorrow a

ished fact. The man was more likely to agree, if he thou

was not likely to get another in a hurry. He thought of his home and his family. Already they owed five weeks' rent, and last Monday the collector had hinted pretty plainly that the landlord would not wait much longer. Not only that, but if

ere at seven in the morning.' Then as Newman still he

r,' said

ffably. 'I'll tell Crass to

ay to the man, who went o

to meet him. As he approached, Hunter recognized him as one who had started work for Rushton & Co early in the

t the fellow must be very hard pressed to come

ce of a j

peared to

kind of chap. You don't seem to care much whether you work or not. You're too in

made n

,' Hunter added. 'If we were to encourage men o

ed away and again pro

o see if he could detect anyone idling, or talking, or smoking. There was no one in sight except old Jack Linden, who was rubbing down the lobby doors with pumice-stone and water. Hunter noiselessly opened the gate and crept quietly along the grass border of the garden path. His idea was to reach the front door without being seen, so that Linden could not gi

ing been washed off, and there were several thicknesses of paper on the walls. The difficulty of removing these papers was increased by the fact that there was a dado which had been varnished. In order to get this off it had been necessary to soak it several times with strong soda water, and although Joe was as careful as possible he had not been able to avoid getting some of this

spell and a smoke for five minutes. He closed the door and placed a pair of steps against it. There were two windows in the room almost opposite each other; these he opened wide in order that the smoke and smell of his pipe might be carried away. Having taken these precautions against surprise, he ascended to the top of the step ladder

we get some o

one hand, ready for immediate

heel boots. The part of his waistcoat not protected by his apron was covered with spots of dried paint. He wore a coloured shirt and a 'dickey' which was very soiled and covered with splashes of paint, and one side of it was projectin

teps, went on stripping the wall just above. Nimrod looked at him suspiciously, wondering why the door had been closed. He looked all round the room but could see nothing to complain of. He sniffed the air to try if he could detect the odour of tobacco, and

,' he said at length. 'It always gives me the idear that the man's 'avi

pen--got down from the steps and opened the door. Hunter went out again wi

ot. He was at the window, burning off with a paraffin torch-lamp

d the top sash of the window for the purpose of letting in some fresh air, because the atmosphere of the room was foul with the fumes of the lamp and the smell of the burning paint, besides be

ith a large red nose, a drooping moustache and two small, glittering eyes set very close together. For some seconds this apparition regarded Owen intently, then it was silently withdrawn, and he was again alone. He had been so surprised and startled t

there was now no hope of that happening. What was to be done? He would like to get rid of Linden, who was now really too old to be of much use, but as the old man had worked for Rushton on and off for many years, Hunter felt that he could scarcely

wled downs

food and clothing. His life had been passed in the midst of a civilization which he had never been permitted to enjoy the benefits of. But of course he knew nothing about all this. He had never

ft his wife and two children, aged respectively four and five years at that time, in his father's care. After he died they stayed on with the old people. The young woman earned a little occasionally by doing needlework, but was really dependent on he

e manager came downstairs. Misery stood watching him fo

hour after hour with a bit of pumice stone? Get the work done! Or if you don't want to, I'll very soon find someone else who does! I've been noticing your style of doing things for some time past and I want you to u

might have tied him up somewhere and thrashed him. Hunter could not do that; he could only take his food away. Old Jack was frightened

ork down, sir, befo

it!' shouted Hunter. 'And I don't want any back answers or argument abou

rk, his hand trembling to such an extent that

ed all the house. Everyone heard and was a

urther answer, Misery again b

eft hand a severe blow with his hammer. Bundy was also working in the drawing-room putting some white-glazed tiles in the fireplace. Whilst cutting one of these in half in order to fit it into its place, he inflicted a deep gash on one of his fingers. He was afraid to leave off to bind it up while Hunter was there, and cons

r firm. They knew that this man had the power to deprive them of the means of e

s, felt that he would like to take him by the throat

th

is food and that of his family would be taken away. That was why he only ground h

re not f

agination

into his throat, force him up against the wall and then, with his right fist

home? Was it not braver and mo

he wall, white-faced,

d to look at Sawkins' work. This man was painting the woodwork of the back staircase. Although the old paintw

certain extent this destroyed the 'body' of the colour: it did not cover well; it would require two coats. When Hunter perceived this he was furious. He was sur

he had estimate

ra

s,

e he

s,

me hurry

idn't I tell you to make this

' said Crass. 'If it

n't thick enough. Take the paint and put a little more body in it and we'l

ery then seized the brush and prepared to demonstrate the possibility of

Directly his back was turned Crass seized a bottle of oil that was standing near and, tipping about half a pint of it into the paint, stirred it up quickly. Mi

ome time, but could not make it

coats after all,' he said, mournfu

most

ruined if things

ith it,' he said as h

not want them to know that he was gone, so he sneaked out of the back door, c

saw h

the hands as they worked. The musical ringing of Bundy's trowel, the noise of

dared t

d stand it no longer

r of his room open

him to attract his attention. Owen looked round and Philpot began to make signals: he pointed downwards with one hand and jerked the thumb of the other over his shoulder in the direction of t

ped furtively over the banisters, listening br

the trowel in his hand, and looking like a stage murderer. 'Do you thin

' replied Owen

d never do for Hunter to see him with the bottle: h

ving confided this plan to Owen, he crept quietly back to the room in wh

to spare, Frank?' he

Owen. 'I'm n

down and get some. Is there an

ks,' repl

ery, which Crass had utilized as a paint

ng,' Philpot said as he

gorn?' whis

eplied Philpot. '

ide the gate, so's we can

pty bottle and let 'im go to the gate and look to the bikes there. If

immediately: the bike was gone. As the good news spread

Gord!'

rf and breaks 'is bloo

e same; no one ever knew one to

e him. Then they again went on working and now that they were relieved of the embarrassment that Misery'

hen he noticed some of the others smoking he thought he would have a pipe; it might s

d for a moment to whisper to Linden, with the r

cupboard and, taking down the bottle of beer, handed it to Linden with

ept watch on the landing outside in case Hun

e bottle up the chimney, resumed the work of stopping up the holes and cracks in the ceiling and walls.

eartened, sullen way. He

count than on his own, and was oppressed by a

similar more or less humiliating conditions, and with

the past; darker, for there would surely come a time, if he

Was he to be a slave and

tter for the b

prung up within him a feeling of hatred and f

ke so many cattle to the existing state of things, but defen

ing lived in poverty and degradation all their lives considered that what had been good enoug

to hard labour and poverty for life, and deliberately refused to make any

ossible to establish a better system of society under which those who did their fair share of the world's work would be honoured and rewarded. Instead of helping to do this, they abased themse

to himself. What a ver

d was taken away from them and enjoyed by the people who did nothing. And then the workers bowed down and grovelled before

pon them as dirt. They WERE despicable. They

smissed Hunter from their thoughts. They did not take things so seriously as Owen. They flattered themselves that they had more sense than that. I

ng, but his mates just then did not appreciate either one of the other.

for Chri

ugh of that

n. Harlo

Easton presently, address

It must be about half past fou

quarter p

very early now

very dull all day. I think it's g

Easton. 'That means a

Linden, who was still wo

raining

splashed heavily upon the ground. He saw only Hunter, who was standing at the gate, watching him. For a few seconds the two men loo

y str

'Make out your time sheet, take it to the offi

re he had left his tool-bag and coat, removed his apron and white jacket, folded them up and put them into his tool-bag along with the tools

noting what progress had been made by each man during his absence. He then r

t laid on, Crass distributed a number of candles to the men, who worked s

n the tempestuous sky. The gale roared loudly round the old-fashion

ugh going home, but all the same, T