A HANG-OVER AND A FLAREBACK
"TAKE the monkey trick," ordered the head melter when Steve reported for duty at the usual hour.
This meant standing right in front of the furnace much of the time. It was also the duty of the monkey-man to prod the clay dam with the dolly when all was ready for a cast, as well as occasionally to prod through the shell of the furnace above the metal and just below the bustle pipes, in order to liberate the gases that had formed there.
If anything, it was a worse position than he had yet had. But Steve did not flinch. He was there to learn all there was to be learned, and he proposed to do so, whatever the cost to himself.
"I guess I can stand it if others do," he thought when the new detail was called off. These men were just getting ready to go to work, Steve had stripped off a good portion of his clothes and donned a light rubber coat when Jarvis, who had not yet gone to the charging platform, touched him on the arm.
"What is it?"
"S-h-h! Look out for yourself!" whispered Jarvis.
"I'm going to."
"When you get a chance, without attracting attention, just look behind you and see who's here."