"I don't want this job at any price. But the sewers are choked. They have not been cleaned for two years. It must be done. I've named my price. I'll gladly yield to any man who envies my luck. If such a man is here let him speak--or forever hereafter hold his peace." With a grandiloquent gesture the drainman swept the crowd with his eye, but no man responded. The court granted his demand. The Bard leaped once more to his feet and entered his protest. This time old Tom listened with interest. His concluding sentence rang with bitter irony: "Against these absurd decisions I lift my voice once more in solemn protest. We came to this charmed island to abolish all class distinctions. You have destroyed the old classes based on culture, achievement, genius, wealth, and power. You have created a new aristocracy on whose shield is emblazoned--a dish-rag and scrubbing-brush encircled by a sewer pipe! I make my most humble bow to our new king--the drainman! I hail the apotheosis of the scrubwoman!" "Say, you give me a pain--shut up" thundered Tom. The singer collapsed with a sigh and the crowd laughed. The foreman of the farm brought two men before the court and asked for important instructions. "Comrade Judges," he began, "I had two men assigned to me a week ago whom I don't want and won't have at any price. I return them to the Brotherhood with thanks. You can do what you please with them." "What's the matter?" Norman asked, with some irritation. The foreman shoved and kicked a man in front of the judges. "This fool----" "You must not use such language, Mr. Foreman," Barbara interrupted. "I beg your pardon, Comrade Judges," he apologized. "This coyote I put on a mowing-machine yesterday. He said he knew how to run it. He broke it on a smooth piece of ground the first hour. I gave him another and he wrecked it before noon. It will take the labour of five men two days to repair the damage he has done. I don't want him at any price." "What have you to say?" Norman asked the accused. "It wasn't my fault. The thing broke itself." "But how did it happen twice the same day, sonny?" Tom asked. "I dunno. Hit jist happened," was the dogged answer. "I've another scoundrel----" "You must not use such language," Barbara broke in. "Again begging the pardon of Comrade Judges," the foreman continued: "This dog"--he kicked another slovenly looking lout before the judges--"tore to pieces the shoulders of two pairs of horses with careless harnessing before I found him and kicked him out of the stables. Those four horses can't work for a month. We'll have to pay at least $500 for two teams right away to take their places, or lose a crop of hay." Tom glared at the culprit. "What did ye ruin them horses' shoulders fer?" "I didn't know it," was the sulking answer. "He's a liar!" cried the foreman. "He put the same collars on their galled necks three days in succession and beat them unmercifully when they couldn't pull the load."