“What!”
“Do it.”
“Say, am I hearing right?” Atkinson swung fully about to stare at the new chief. Then he went on, “They’d quit to a man if made to do a man’s work; I supposed that Magney had told you that. A dozen times I’ve been ready to throw up my job from self-respect; I’m ashamed to boss work where men can loaf and I must keep my tongue between my teeth. I was considering just now the matter of leaving.”
“No need, Atkinson. From this time these men will work or get their dismissal.”
The other pushed his hat atilt and rubbed his head in surprise.
“What about that ‘company policy’ of hiring nothing but local labor to keep the community friendly which Magney was always kicking about?” he asked. “That was what made him sorer than anything else, and beat him. He said the directors had tied his hands by promising that no workmen should be imported. If they 15 promised that, they sure bunkoed themselves. Friendly, huh.”
“The people haven’t been friendly, eh?” Weir said.
“Does it look like it when these Mexicans won’t work enough to earn their salt? They openly boast that we dare neither make them work nor fire them. They say Sorenson and his bunch will pull every man off the works if we lift a finger; and they all know about that fool promise of the directors. Friendly? Just about as friendly as a bunch of wildcats. This whole section, white men and Mexicans, are putting a knife into this project whenever they can. Do you think they want all that mesa fenced up and farmed? This is a range country; they propose to keep it range; they don’t want any more people coming here––farmers, store-keepers, and white people generally.”
“That’s always the case in a range country before it’s opened up,” Weir said. “But they have to swallow the pill.”
“Let me tell you something; they don’t intend to swallow it here. They figure on keeping this county just as it is, for only themselves and their cattle and woolies, and everybody else keep out. The few big sheep and cattle men, white and Mex, have their minds made up to that, and they’re the only ones who count; all the rest are poor Mexicans with nothing but fleas, children, goats and votes to keep Sorenson and his gang in control. They’ve set out to bust this company, or tire it out till it throws up the sponge. They’ve spiked Magney, and they’ll try to spike you next, and every manager who comes. That’s plain talk I’m giving you, Mr. Weir, but it’s fact; and if it doesn’t sound nice to your ears, you can have my resignation any minute.”