"I have found out," he said, "that there is trouble on foot. I began to suspect it a week ago. Some rough fellows from Manchester and Molton have been holding secret meetings at a low place here. Some of the hands have been attending them. Last night a worse and larger gang came and remained in the town. They are here now. They mean mischief at least, and there are reports afloat that strikes are breaking out on all sides." Haworth turned abruptly to Floxham. "Where do you stand?" he asked roughly. The old fellow laid his grimy hand upon his engine. "I stand here, my lad," he answered. "That's wheer-an' I'll stick to it, unions or no unions." [Illustration: "I STAND HERE, MY LAD," HE ANSWERED.] "That's the worst side of the trouble," said Murdoch. "Those who would hold themselves aloof from the rest will be afraid of the trades unions. If worst comes to worst, their very lives will be in danger. They know that, and so do we." "Aye, lad," said Floxham, "an' tha'rt reet theer." Haworth ground his teeth and swore under his breath. Then he spoke to Murdoch. "How is it going on here?" he asked. "Badly enough, in a quiet way. You had better go and see for yourself." He went out, walking from room to room, through the yards and wherever men were at work. Here and there a place was vacant. Where the work went on, it went on dully; he saw dogged faces and subdued ones; those who looked up as he passed wore an almost deprecatory air; those who did not look up at all, bent over their tasks with an expression which was at least negatively defiant. His keen eye discovered favorable symptoms, however; those who were in evil mood were his worst workmen--men who had their off days of drunken stupor and idleness, and the heads of departments were plainly making an effort to stir briskly and ignore the presence of any cloud upon their labor. By the time he had made the rounds he had grasped the situation fully. The strait was desperate, but not as bad as it might have been. "I _may_ hold 'em," he said to himself, between his teeth. "And by the Lord Harry I'll try hard for it." He went over to the bank and found Ffrench in his private room, pale and out of all courage. "There will be a run on us by this time to-morrow," he said. "I see signs of it already." "Will there?" said Haworth. "We'll see about that. Wait a bit, my lad!" He went into the town and spent an hour or so taking a sharp lookout. Nothing escaped him. There were more idlers than usual about the ale houses, and more than once he passed two or three women talking together with anxious faces and in undertones. As he was passing one such group one of the women saw him and started. "Theer he is!" she said, and her companion turned with her and they both stopped talking to look after him.