There was a bit of applause at this. That was the way to talk! Hal tasted the joys of his leadership. But then his fine self-confidence met with a sudden check--a “lick in the nose” of his pride, so to speak. There came a woman’s voice from the corner, low and grim: “Yes! And get ye’self killed for all your trouble!” He looked towards Mary Burke, and saw her vivid face, flushed and frowning. “What do you mean?” he asked. “Would you have us turn and run away?” “I would that!” said she. “Rather than have ye killed, I would! What’ll ye do if he pulls his gun on ye?” “Would he pull his gun on a committee?” Old Mike broke in again. “One time in Barela--ain’t I told you how I lose my cars? I tell weigh-boss somebody steal my cars, and he pull gun on me, and he say, ‘Get the hell off that tipple, you old billy-goat, I shoot you full of holes!’” Among his class-mates at college, Hal had been wont to argue that the proper way to handle a burglar was to call out to him, saying, “Go ahead, old chap, and help yourself; there’s nothing here I’m willing to get shot for.” What was the value of anything a burglar could steal, in comparison with a man’s own life? And surely, one would have thought, this was a good time to apply the plausible theory. But for some reason Hal failed even to remember it. He was going ahead, precisely as if a ton of coal per day was the one thing of consequence in life! “What shall we do?” he asked. “We don’t want to back out.” But even while he asked the question, Hal was realising that Mary was right. His was the attitude of the leisure-class person, used to having his own way; but Mary, though she had a temper too, was pointing the lesson of self-control. It was the second time to-night that she had injured his pride. But now he forgave her in his admiration; he had always known that Mary had a mind and could help him! His admiration was increased by what John Edstrom was saying--they must do nothing that would injure the cause of the “big union,” and so they must resolve to offer no physical resistance, no matter what might be done to them. There was vehement argument on the other side. “We fight! We fight!” declared Old Mike, and cried out suddenly, as if in anticipation of the pain in his injured nose. “You say me stand that?” “If you fight back,” said Edstrom, “we’ll all get the worst of it. The company will say we started the trouble, and put us in the wrong. We’ve got to make up our mind to rely on moral force.” So, after more discussion, it was agreed; every man would keep his temper--that is, if he could! So they shook hands all round, pledging themselves to stand firm. But, when the meeting was declared adjourned, and they stole out one by one into the night, they were a very sober and anxious lot of conspirators. SECTION 10.