“My lads!” he said, trying again.
Not a man turned his head, and it was plain enough that they would not hear.
“Let me speak to him,” said Uncle Bob, catching his brother by the arm, for Uncle Dick was going to address the man on the stone.
Uncle Dick nodded, for he felt that it would be better for someone else to speak; but the man got up, scowled at Uncle Bob, and when he held out a couple of half-crowns to him to buy beer to drink our healths the fellow made a derisive gesture, walked to his stone, and sat down.
“Just as they like,” said Uncle Dick. “We apologised and behaved like gentlemen. If they choose to behave like blackguards, let them. Come along.”
We turned to the door, my fate, as usual, being to come last; and as we passed through not a head was turned, every man pressing down some steel implement upon his whirling stone, and making it shriek, and, in spite of the water in which the wheel revolved, send forth a shower of sparks.
The noise was deafening, but as we passed into the yard on the way to the lane the grinding suddenly ceased, and when we had the gate well open the men had gathered at the door of the works, and gave vent to a savage hooting and yelling which continued after we had passed through, and as we went along by the side of the dam we were saluted by a shower of stones and pieces of iron thrown from the yard.
“Well,” said Uncle Bob, “this is learning something with a vengeance. I didn’t think we had such savages in Christian England.”
By this time we were out of the reach of the men, and going on towards the top of the dam, when Uncle Dick, who had been looking very serious and thoughtful, said:
“I’m sorry, very sorry this has happened. It has set these men against us.”