The Americans Part 20

The boulder thundering down the steep.

I must have slept upon the ground.

Ah, what is this?

(_Gets down on his knees where the boulder lay_)

The Mine! _The Mine!_ THE MINE!

ACT II

THE MILL

_Scene: A street showing, right, the great lumber plant of the Egerton Company. Centre, occupying the greater part of the s.p.a.ce between left and right, a sort of common, overstrewn, as such places usually are, with sawdust and waste sawings of the mill, extends back a hundred yards or so to where the river sweeps in from behind a rising slope on the left and disappears behind the high fence of the mill-yard on the right.

Across the river, right, the same denuded mountains as were seen in the preceding Act, and, centre, the alluvial stretches of the valley widening out into the plains. Left rear, on this side of the river, a sort of hill comes in and upon its rather steep slope are rows of roughly built plank houses which have evidently been standing many years. They are all of one design and rest in the rear upon the ground, the front being propped up on posts, in some cases six or eight feet high. Of two or three of these shacks it would seem that the occupants had tried to have a garden, for here and there are small green patches as of late turnips, also tall stakes with withered bean vines clinging to them. From the numerous footpaths that come down toward the mill-gate it is evident that these shacks are the homes of the employees of the Egerton Company. The mill-yard on the right is surrounded by a high board-fence. New planks have recently been put in here and there, and on top of the fence, apparently just strung, are several rows of bright new barbed wire. Over the top of the fence and through the open gates of the driveway which is in the corner, a portion of the latter having been cut off for this purpose, are seen countless lumber stacks, and beyond these, far back and facing left, a section of an enormous mill. Along the comb of the roof, doubtless running its full length, is a large red sign with white letters of which one sees only: RTON AND CO._

_Before the entrance to the mill-yard two of the State militia with rifles upon their shoulders patrol the property, one of them pacing right and left along the street in the foreground, the other backwards and forwards in the open s.p.a.ce that goes toward the river. About twenty feet from the entrance stands a large red automobile, under which, stretched upon his back, lies the chauffeur, with his hands up fixing something._

_As the Scene opens, the two sentries, one of them rolling a cigarette, the other with his gun behind his head and with his arms hanging over it, stand listening back toward the mill, where a number of voices are singing, 'There'll Be a Hot Time in the Old Town To-night.' When the song is finished a cheer goes up._

_Time: The afternoon of the next day about four o'clock._

FIRST SENTRY.

All I say is, keep your tobacco dry And don't go wiring the folks at home To have your supper warm to-morrow night.

CHAUFFEUR.

They'll be to work, all right, you take my word.

FIRST SENTRY.

There's such a thing as eating words until Your belly cries for something solider.

CHAUFFEUR.

(_Pointing toward the mill_)

You see that smoke back there.

FIRST SENTRY.

That's all right, too.

A kid can start a fire.

CHAUFFEUR.

Wait and see.

A MILITIAMAN.

(_Who, half way back toward the mill, has climbed upon a lumber stack_)

I nominate J. D. for Governor.

A VOICE.

(_Farther back, commandingly_)

Shut up your mouth up there!

SECOND VOICE.

_Will_ you be good?

(_The militiaman gets down from the stack_)

SECOND SENTRY.

How large a force is it they're counting on?

CHAUFFEUR.

It's not the force. It's the effect 'twill have.

You let a dog run for another's bone, You'll see the last dog do some running too.

FIRST SENTRY.

And do some fighting, maybe.

CHAUFFEUR.

That's up to you.

The law protects men in their right to work.

(_The sentries whisper together_)

CHAUFFEUR.

The old man knows his business. All he says Is simply this, 'I'm bringing in the men.

It's up to you to get them to the mill.'

You see you don't know everything, my boy.

FIRST SENTRY.

You work for Egerton, and I don't blame you, But when you come right down to solid facts-- And if you'll clear your eye a bit you'll see it-- He's got his match in this man Williams.