“Iamreadyalwaystomeetmyownpeople，butIrefuseutterlytodealwiththiscommittee！“ItwasnotoftenthatMr。Maitlandbecameprofane，butinhisdescriptionofthisparticulargroupofindividualshisordinaryEnglishsufferedacompletecollapse。
“Dad，McGinniswillbehereinafewminutes。Ishouldliketosuggestoneortwothings，ifyouwillallowme。“
“Goon，“saidhisfatherquickly。
“Dad，thisiswar，andIhavelearnedalittleaboutthatgame’overthere。’AndIhavelearnedsomethingaboutitinmyathleticactivities。Thefirstessentialistodeclinetoplaytheenemy’sgame。Let’sdiscoverhisplanofcampaign。AsIreadthisdocument，thethingthathitsmyeyeisthis:dotheyreallywantthethingstheyaskfor，oristhewholethingablind？WhatI
meanis，dotheyreallywantwarorpeace？Isaylet’sfeelthemout。Iftheyareafterpeace，thethingiseasy。Iftheywantwar，thismaycometobeaveryseriousthing。Meantime，Dad，let’snotcommitourselvestoMcGinnis。Let’splayitalone。“
Mr。Maitland’slipshadsetinathin，hardline。Hisfacewaslikeamaskofgreysteel。Hesatthinkingsilently。
“Herehecomes，“saidJack，lookingoutofthewindow。“Dad，youaskedmetocomeintothiswithyou。Let’splaythegametogether。
Ifounditwisetoplacetheweightonthedefenceline。Willyouplaydefenceinthis？“
Thelinesinhisfather’sfacebegantorelax。
“Allright，boy，we’llplayittogether，andmeantimeIshallplaydefence。“
“ByJove，Dad，“criedJack，inatoneofexultantconfidence，“we’llbeat’em。AndnowherecomesthatoldIrishfire-eater。
I’llgo。Noalliance，Dad，remember。“HisfathernoddedasJacklefttheroom，toreturnalmostimmediatelywithMr。McGinnis，evidentlyquiteincoherentwithrage。
IntheouterofficeJackpausedbesidethedeskoftheoldbookkeeper。Frombehindthecloseddoorcamethesoundofhighexplosives。
“Roughstuffinthere，eh，Wickes，“saidJack，withahumoroussmile。Forsomemomentshestoodlistening。“Warisaterriblething，“headdedwithagrin。
“Whatseemstobethematter，Mr。Jack？“
JacklaidbeforehimthedocumentsentoutbytheAlliedUnions。
“Oh，thisisterrible，Mr。Jack！Andjustatthistime。Iamverymuchafraiditwillruinus。“
“Ruinus？Rot。Don’teversaythatwordagain。Wewillpossiblyhaveajollygoodrow。Someonewillbehurtandperhapsallofus，moreorless，butIdon’tmeantobebeaten，ifIknowmyself，“headded，withthesmileonhisfacethathishockeyteamlovedtoseebeforeamatch。“Now，Wickes，“continuedJack，“getthatideaoffailureoutofyourmind。Wearegoingtowin。Andmeantime，letusprepareforourcampaign。Here’sabitofworkIwantyoutodoforme。Getfourthingsforme:thewagesforthelastthreeyears——youhavethesheets？“
“Yes，sir。“
“——ThecostoflivingfromtheLabourGazetteforthelastthreeyears——youhavethemhere——andtheratesofincreaseinwages。
Plotadiagramshowingallthesethings。YouknowwhatImean？“
“Yes，sir，Iunderstand。“
“Andfindoutthewagespaidatourcompetingpoints。“
“Allright，Mr。Jack。Iknowwhatyouwant。Icangiveyouthenecessaryinformationinregardtothefirstthreepointsalmostatonce。Itwilltakesomedays，however，togetthewagesofourcompetingpoints。“
“Allright，oldboy。Carryon！“saidJack，andwiththesamesmileonhisfacehepassedoutoftheofficeintotheshops。
Itamusedhimslightlytoobservethechangeintheattitudeandbearingofhismen。Theywouldnotlookathimfairlyintheface。
EvenSnoopySykesandMacnamaraavoidedhisglance。Buthehadforeveryonehisusualcheeryword。Whyshouldhenot？Thesechapshadnohatredforhim，norheforthem。Hehadcometounderstandunionmethodsofdisciplineandrecognisedfullythedemandsforloyaltyandobedienceimposeduponitsmembersbytheorganisation。
Thesemenofhiswereboundtotheunionbysolemnobligations。Heborethemnoill-willonthatscore。Ratherherespectedthemthemoreforit。Ifafightwasinevitable，hewoulddohisbesttobeatthembuthewouldallownospiritofhatredtochangehismindtowardthemnorcloudhisjudgment。
Thedaywasfullofexcursionsandalarms。AhurrycallwassentoutbyMcGinnistoallemployerswhohadreceivedcopiesofthedocumentfromtheAlliedUnions。IntheafternoonameetingwasheldintheBoardofTradeBuilding，butitwasgivenoverchieflytovituperationandthreateningdirectedtowardtheirvariouslydescribedemployees。Withoneheartandvoiceallaffirmedwithsolemn，andinmanycaseswithprofaneoathsthattheywouldnotyieldajottotheinsolentdemandsofthisnewlyorganisedbody。
“Ihavealreadysentmyanswer，“shoutedMr。McGinnis。
“Whatdidyousay，Mac？“
“Told’emtogotohell，andtold’emthatifanyofthesehighlycolouredcommitteemencameonmypremises，Iwouldkick’emintothemiddleofnextweek。“
Jack，whowaspresentatthemeeting，satlisteningwithsilentandamusedpity。Theyseemedtohimsolikeagroupofangrychildrenwhosegamehadsuddenlybeeninterferedwithandwhoseragerenderedthemincapableofcoherentthought。
GrantMaitland，who，throughoutthemeetinghadsatsilent，finallyroseandsaid:“Gentlemen，themereexpressionoffeelingmayaffordasortofsatisfactionbutthequestionis，Whatistobedone？Thatthesituationisgraveforallofusweknowtoowell。
Notmanyofusareinapositiontobeindifferenttoastrike。
Letusgetdowntobusiness。Whatshallwedo？“
“Fightthemtoafinish！Smashtheunions！“werethesuggestionsinvariousformsandwithvariousdescriptiveadjectives。
“Itmaycometoafight，gentlemen，buthowevergratifyingafightmaybetoourfeelings，afightmaybedisastroustoourbusiness。
Astrikemaylastforweeks，perhapsmonths。Areweinapositiontostandthat？Andasforsmashingtheunions，letusonceandforallputsuchathoughtoutofourminds。Theseunionshaveallinternationalaffiliations。ItisabsurdtoimaginethatwehereinBlackwatercouldsmashasingleunion。“
FiercelyMcGinnismadereply。“IwanttotellyourighthereandnowthatIampreparedtoclosedownandgooutofbusinessbutI
willhavenooutsidecommitteetellmehowtorunmyjob。“
Butnoonetookthisthreatseriously，andnoonebutknewthatashut-downforanyofthemmightmeandisaster。Theyallrecalledthoseunfilledorderswhichtheywerestrainingeverynervetocompletebeforethemarketshouldbreak，orcancellationshouldcome。Itaddednotalittletotheirragethattheyknewthemselvestobeheldinthegripofcircumstancesoverwhichtheyhadlittlecontrol。
Aftermuchangrydeliberationitwasfinallyagreedthattheyshouldappointacommitteetoconsiderthewholesituationandtoprepareaplanofaction。Meantimethecommitteewereinstructedtotemporisewiththeenemy。
TheeveningpapersannouncedtheimminenceofastriketheextentandmagnitudeofwhichhadneverbeenexperiencedinthehistoryofBlackwater。Everywherethecitizensoftheindustrialtownwerediscussingthedisturbingnewsanxiously，angrily，indifferently，accordingastheywerevariouslyaffected。Buttherewasageneralagreementamongallclassesofcitizensthatastrikeinthepresentindustrialandfinancialsituationwhichwasalreadyseriousenough，wouldbenothingshortofacalamity，becausenomatterwhattheissuewouldbe，nomatterwhichofthepartieswonintheconflict，afightmeantseriouslossnotonlytothetwopartiesimmediatelyconcerned，buttothewholecommunityaswell。
Withtherankandfileoftheworkingpeopletherewaslittleheartforafight。Moreespecially，menuponwhomlaytheresponsibilityforthesupportofhomesshrankfromthepainandthesuffering，aswellasfromthelosswhichexperiencetaughtthemastrikemustentail。Itissafetosaythatineveryworkingman’shomeinBlackwaterthatnighttherewastobefoundawomanwho，assheputherchildrentobed，prayedthattroublemightbeaverted，forsheknewthatineverywaritisuponthewomenandchildrenthatinthelastanalysisthesorestburdenmustfall。Tothemevenvictorywouldmeanformanymonthsalossofluxuriesforthefamily，itmightbeofcomforts；anddefeat，whichwouldcomenotuntilafterlongconflict，wouldmeannotonlystraitenedmeansbutactualpoverty，withalltheattendanthumiliationandbitternesswhichwouldkillforthemthejoyoflifeandsensiblyaddtoitsalreadyheavyburden。
ThatnightJackMaitlandfeltthatachatwiththeReverendMurdoMathesonmighthelptoclearhisownmindastothedemandsoftheAlliedUnions。Hefoundtheministerinhisstudyandingreatdistressofsoul。
“Iamgladtoseeyou，Maitland，“hesaid，givinghimaheartygreeting。“Myhopeislargelyplacedinyouandyoumustnotfailmeinthiscrisis。Whatexactlyarethedemandsoftheunions？“
Maitlandspreadbeforehimtheletterwhichhisfatherhadreceivedthatmorning。TheReverendMurdoreaditcarefullyover，then，withasighofrelief，hesaid:“Well，itmightbeworse。Thereshouldnotbemuchdifficultyincomingtoanagreementbetweenpeopleanxiousforpeace。“
Afteranhourspentincanvassingthesubjectfromvariouspointsofview，theReverendMurdoexclaimed:“LetusgoandseeMcNish。“
“Theverything，“saidMaitland。“Ihavebeentryingtogetintouchwithhimforthelastmonthorso，butheavoidsme。“
“Ay，“repliedtheReverendMurdo，“hehasareason，nodoubt。“
ToMaitland’sjoytheyfoundMcNishathome。Theywerereceivedwithnone-too-cordialawelcomebytheson，withkindly，eveneagergreetingbythemother。
“Comeawain，Minister；comeawa，Mr。Maitland。Youhavecometotalkaboutthe’trouble，’adoot。Malcolmdoes-nawanttotalkaboutittome，abadsign。Hedeclinestoconverseeven，wi’me，Mr。Matheson。Perhapsyemaysucceedbetterwi’him。“
“Mr。Mathesoncanseeforhimself，“saidherson，usinghismostcorrectEnglish，“theimproprietyofmytalkingwithanemployerinthisway。“
“Nonsense，McNish，“saidtheministerbriskly。“YouknowmequitewellandwebothknowMaitland。Itisjustsheernonsensetosaythatyoucannottalkwithus。Everyoneintownistalking。Everymaninyourunionistalking，tryingtojustifytheirpresentposition，which，Iamboundtosay，takessomejustifying。“
“Why？“askedMcNishhotly。
“Becausethedemandsaresomeofthemquiteunsound。SomeotherthanyouhadahandindrawingupyourPetitionofRight，McNish，andsomeofthedemandsareimpossible。“
“Howdoyou——“beganMcNishindignantly，buttheministerhelduphishandandcontinued:
“Andsomeofthemarebothsoundandreasonable。“
“What’swrangwiththedemands？“saidMcNish。
“That’swhatIamabouttoshowyou，“saidtheministerwithgraveconfidence。
“Aye，minister，“saidthemotherwithachuckleofdelight。
“That’syou！That’syou！Haudathim！Haudathim！That’syou！“
Theytookseatsabouttheblazingfirefortheeveningwasstillshrewdenoughtomakethefirewelcome。
“Noo，Mr。Matheson，“saidtheoldlady，leaningtowardhimwithkeenrelishinherface，“readmetheuniondemands。Malcolmwadnareadnortalknoranythingbutglower。“
TheReverendMurdoreadthesixclauses。
“Um！They’renobadnegotiatingpints。“
“Negotiatin’pints！“exclaimedhersonindignantly。“Noo，mither，yemaunplaythegame。A’mnogauntaearguewithyeto-night。
Norwi’anyofye，“headded。
“Nonsense，Malcolm。Youcan’tobjecttotalkoverthesepointswithus。Youmusttalkthemoverbeforeyou’redonewiththem。
Andyou’lltalkthemoverbeforethewholetown，too。“
“Whatdoyoumean，’beforethewholetown’？“saidMalcolm。
“Thisisacommunityquestion。Thiscommunityisinterestedandgreatlyinterested。Itwilldemandafullexpositionoftheattitudeoftheunions。“
“Thecommunity！“snortedMcNishincontempt。
“Aye，thecommunity，“repliedtheminister，“andyouarenottosnortatit。That’sthetroublewithyoulabourfolk。Youthinkyouarethewholething。Youforgetthethirdandmostimportantpartyinanyindustrialstrife，thecommunity。Thecommunityisinterestedfirst，injusticebeingdonetoitscitizens——toallitscitizens，mindyou；second，inthepreservationoftheservicesnecessarytoitscomfortandwell-being；third，inthecontinuanceofthemeansoflivelihoodtowageearners。“
