“But how will you get the law enforced, except by a union? No individual man can do it--it’s ‘down the canyon’ with him if he mentions the law. In Western City our union people go to the state officials, but they never do anything--and why? They know we haven’t got the men behind us! It’s the same with the politicians as it is with the bosses--the union is the thing that counts!” Hal found this an entirely new argument. “People don’t realise that idea--that men have to be organised to get their _legal_ rights.” And the other threw up his hands with a comical gesture. “My God! If you want to make a list of the things that people don’t realise about us miners!” SECTION 29. Olson was eager to win Hal, and went on to tell all the secrets of his work. He sought men who believed in unions, and were willing to take the risk of trying to convert others. In each place he visited he would get a group together, and would arrange some way to communicate with them after he left, smuggling in propaganda literature for distribution. So there would be the nucleus of an organisation. In a year or two they would have such a nucleus in every camp, and then they would be ready to come into the open, calling meetings in the towns, and in places in the canyons to which the miners would flock. So the flame of revolt would leap up; men would join the movement faster than the companies could get rid of them, and they would make a demand for their rights, backed with the threat of a strike throughout the entire district. “You understand,” added Olson, “we have a legal right to organise--even though the bosses disapprove. You need not stand back on that score.” “Yes,” said Hal; “but it occurs to me that as a matter of tactics, it would be better here in North Valley if you chose some issue there’s less controversy about; if, for instance, you’d concentrate on getting a check-weighman.” The other smiled. “We’d have to have a union to back the demand; so what’s the difference?” “Well,” argued Hal, “there are prejudices to be reckoned with. Some people don’t like the idea of a union--they think it means tyranny and violence--” The organiser laughed. “You aren’t convinced but that it does yourself, are you! Well, all I can tell you is, if you want to tackle the job of getting a check-weighman in North Valley, I’ll not stand in your way!” Here was an idea--a real idea! Life had grown dull for Hal since he had become a buddy, working in a place five feet high. This would promise livelier times!