"Why did you ask about the sister?" demanded Jarvis, his eyes narrowing as he squinted suspiciously at his companion.

"You ask too many questions. Hurry up, or we shall be late. It is nearly eight o'clock now, and the meeting is called for eight."

"Which means nine. None of them ever gets there on time, except the fellows who don't spruce up as much as we do."

A few minutes later the Iron Boys were on their way to the meeting place. Before they reached the hall--the meeting this time taking place in the town hall, which was much larger than the place where they had first met--the lads found themselves in a great crowd. Voices were pitched high, and loud conversations were being carried on in many languages.

"This is something like what I imagine the Tower of Babel must have been," laughed Rush. "What a mob! Poor, misled fellows! They believe they have been greatly wronged. If they only knew how well they are treated there would be few to attend a meeting of this sort."

No one appeared to pay any attention to the Iron Boys as they made their way through the crowd and up the stairs into the big room, where a couple of hundred men had already a.s.sembled.

Everyone in the room was talking and gesticulating excitedly. The boys were thankful that they had been able to gain their seats without attracting any marked attention.

Cavard had already taken his place on the platform, where, with his new secretary, he was going over some papers spread out on a table before them.

Inside of twenty minutes after the arrival of the Iron Boys the hall was packed, every seat being taken, while rows of men four or five deep lined the sides of the room and the aisles.

Cavard rose, swept the a.s.semblage with a half-triumphant glance, then rapped for order.

"The meeting will please come to order," he said quietly, standing motionless for a moment after perfect stillness had settled over the big room. The effect of his att.i.tude was not lost on the miners. They were already deeply impressed with the importance of the occasion.

"The secretary will please read the minutes of the last meeting,"

directed the chairman, resuming his seat.

Mike Caldert, the new secretary, rose awkwardly to his feet, and, in a halting voice, read the minutes that, it was evident to many, had not been penned by him. He stumbled over the unfamiliar words, misp.r.o.nouncing, running sentences together, completely ignoring all punctuation marks.

Rush and Jarvis were deeply interested in the reading of these minutes, especially the part that dealt with the deposing of Rush from office and putting another man in his place. This part the chairman read after having taken the book from the hands of the secretary in order to give the reading more emphasis.

During the reading Steve's face was pale but calm, while Bob sat opening and closing his fingers nervously.

"Now look out for happenings," whispered Steve, smiling grimly.

CHAPTER XVI

THE VENGEANCE OF THE MOB

"IT'S an outrage!" exclaimed Jarvis in a loud tone, causing those about him to look sharply in his direction.

Steve gripped his companion's arm.

"Be quiet," he whispered.

Bob subsided, but it was with difficulty that he restrained himself from giving vent to his wrath. Both lads remained silent until the reading of the minutes had been completed.

"If there are no objections to the minutes of the last meeting, as just read, they will stand approved," announced the chairman. "There being no objection, they are ap----"

Steve Rush rose slowly to his feet in an impressive stillness. Every eye in the room was turned in his direction.

"I object to the adoption of the minutes as read," said the Iron Boy in a steady voice which, while not loud, carried to every part of the room.

Cavard's face darkened.

"On what ground?" he demanded sharply.

"On the ground that the last meeting was illegal--that it was no meeting at all. The last meeting was a secret meeting, attended only by those whom certain persons in this organization wished to have present----"

"You are wrong!" said the chairman. "The meeting was perfectly regular, as you and every other man here well knows. You are insinuating that the members of this union have acted dishonestly. You are casting a slur on every man here."

"Sit down!" yelled a chorus of voices.

"Shut up, or get out!"

"Men, I haven't finished yet. I----"

"Yes, you have! _Sit down!_"

Some one jerked the lad back into his seat, but whether it was a hostile or a friendly act Rush was unable to determine. He could not even tell who had done it.

"The minutes stand approved," announced the presiding officer, smiting the table a resounding whack with his gavel. "What is the further pleasure of the meeting?"

There was no reply at once. Finally a man in the rear of the hall spoke.

"What about the company's treatment of our demands for more wages and less work?" he asked.

"That is the matter that we have come here to discuss," said Cavard. "In view of the fact that I acted as the chairman of the committee that called upon Mr. Penton it will be proper for me to speak on the subject before this meeting. We presented our pet.i.tion, which the superintendent agreed to consider after it had been endorsed by a full meeting of the union. Instead of giving it proper consideration, however, we have received notice that our committee will not be welcome; that the company will run its own business. In other words, the company has broken faith with us. The remedy lies with you. I am your servant. But let me ask you, are you going to submit to the tyranny of the bosses? Are you going to let them trample you under their feet?"

"No, no!" roared the miners.

"Then a.s.sert your manhood! Show them that you are men; that you are determined to fight for your liberty and your homes."

In his subtle, unscrupulous manner, Cavard was working up his hearers to a high pitch of excitement.

"This is anarchy!" cried Steve, but his voice was lost in the uproar.

"Your brothers in the independent mines are in the same situation. They are ready to join with you in any action you see fit to take. Their delegates are here with us to-night to tell you so," continued Cavard glibly.

"Yes!" cried a man in the centre of the hall whom Rush remembered to have seen in company with the walking delegate on various occasions. "We are among the downtrodden. We are ready to fight, shoulder to shoulder, with you, for our rights."

"It's a put-up job," whispered Jarvis in his companion's ear.

Steve nodded. "It is a crime," he added. "Those poor, ignorant fellows are being led as if they were dogs at the end of a leash."

"Where are our friends?"

"I am afraid there are not many of them left--not enough to do any good.