The invaders came down the track in a solid body, armed with cant-dog handles, pick-axes and clubs, and thirsting for battle. At Donald’s quick shout of warning his men dropped their tools and came on the run to form in a compact body behind him.
“Don’t use your guns unless you have to,” he warned, as he noticed several of them flash their revolvers.
Donald climbed quickly to the top of a large stump. In his left hand he held a stick of dynamite with fuse attached; in his right he held a match close to the dangling fuse. “Men,” he cried in a determined tone, “if you move forward one step I will throw this.”
“To hell mit him!” shouted Hand. “He don’t dare do it. Rush him.”
But the mob did not obey their leader’s rash command. Donald’s pale face and burning black eyes were sufficient evidence that he made no idle threat. Donald saw the big hand of his foreman stealing to the butt of the heavy Colts that hung at his side. “Keep cool, Jack,” he begged; “don’t start anything.”
For days Gillis had been without sleep. He turned bloodshot eyes on Donald. “By G——! I would like to take a crack at Hand,” he said in a voice thick with rage.
The hostile crowd did not advance; neither did they leave. Scattered in groups, they lay or sat on the hillside to shout occasionally words of derision at Donald’s faithful crew.
Donald’s nerves were on edge. At any moment there might be a pitched battle with loss of lives. He studied the faces of the strikers to see how many were from his crew, and was surprised to recognize fully forty of his men. He saw “Blackie” in the rear of the crowd of strikers. When his eyes met Donald’s he turned away shamefacedly. All the men from his camp refused to meet his gaze squarely. “Those men are ready to come back right now,” he said to Gillis. “Hand has bullied them into this. Don’t you think so?”
“I don’t know,” answered Gillis. “I never thought Blackie would go back on me. I’ll wring his d——d neck when I catch him in town!” he added bitterly.
Donald heard a slight movement behind him, and turned to see Connie standing with her rifle in the crook of her arm.