“I have not before had the opportunity,” he said, “to thank you for your attitude toward me on your Independence Day. I wish that I do so now.”
Hal took the man’s hand; he could do no less.
“Oh,” he replied, “that was nothing. I thought they weren’t giving you a square deal, and I said so, that was all.”
“I know; but it demanded the courage to say so. You were very brave. Me, I shall not soon forget it.”
“Well,” replied Hal, smiling, “I always did sympathize with the under dog in a fight, and you were the under dog that day all right.”
“Yes. The—the under dog.” He was a little doubtful about the meaning of the phrase. The simile was not familiar to him. But he continued: “They thought to punish me. It is the—what you call—boomerang. The incident is known and deprecated by workers everywhere. It has roused their resentment. They do not like that a capitalist flag be made one excuse for abuse and oppression of a member of the proletariat. The ruling class, they are to suffer for that outrage.”
His voice rose at the finish, and his eyes flashed. It was plain that the resentment he harbored was deep and bitter.
“I’ve told you already,” said Hal, “that I didn’t think they treated you right. But I don’t know that it was the ruling class that was to blame for it.”
“Yes. The capitalistic system. That is it which is to blame for all outrages on society. When the workers come into control, it is then that there will be justice for everybody.”
He opened his arms as if to take into his embrace all men everywhere.