“Well, he put a mighty poor head into one beer-barrel,” said Ready, jerking his thumb significantly toward Greg.
This caused a burst of laughter, but Carker pretended that he had not heard it.
“The poor man of America is ambitious when he starts out in life,” the young socialist continued. “It is only after he has labored for years, and seen how fruitless is the result of his toil, that ambition is crushed from his soul. But the place of ambition is taken by a terrible thing—a feeling of hatred toward the rich. This feeling is growing day by day all over our land, and it causes the murmur that we hear growing louder and louder. If we pause to listen, we may hear it distinctly; we may even feel the ground shake a little beneath our feet.”
“By heavens! the earthquake is coming, after all!” sobbed Ready, dropping limply on a chair.
“The rich man in his carriage does not feel the slight tremor,” Greg spouted; “or, if he does, he smiles and says it means nothing. He may have noticed something of the kind before. If so, it lulled, and the threatened shock did not come, which leads him to think it will never come. Poor fool! Often in earthquake countries, before the coming of the mighty shock, there are slight warning tremors of the earth. These little quivers may do no harm, or they may simply crack a few buildings, just to show what they can do when they get into action. At last comes the great shock, and the earth opens to swallow up whole cities, the sea rolls in upon the land, buildings topple and fall, flames burst forth, and the scene is the most awful mortal man can behold.”
All were silent now, their eyes closed, their positions seeming to indicate resignation.
“Thus it will be in the terrible hour when the earthquake shall shake our mighty land. The downtrodden masses shall upheave like the rising waves of the tidal sea! The temples of the rich shall come toppling down with crashing thunder! Havoc and ruin shall spread from ocean to ocean! The sky shall be darkened by an ascending cloud of black smoke rising from the palacelike homes of millionaires! That day shall be even more terrible than those of the Commune. The cries of the victims shall be drowned by——”
At this point Browning snored loudly from the couch, Ready followed suit from his chair, and the sound seemed to echo all round the room. Carker paused and looked about, seeing that every one but himself seemed to be sound asleep. His face became still more flushed than before, and he sat down suddenly on his chair, muttering to himself.
Jack Ready stirred a little, opened his eyes, yawned, sat up, and called:
“Wake up, fellows! The earthquake is over.”