By this time the men were fully roused. One of them came forward.
“What do you propose should be done, Doctor?” he inquired.
“Are you going to work, McLean?” shouted Craigin furiously. “If not, go and get your time.”
“We're going to talk this matter over a minute, Mr. Craigin,” said McLean quietly. “It's a serious matter. We are all concerned in it, and we'll decide in a few minutes what is to be done.”
“Every man who is not at work in five minutes will get his time,” said Craigin, and he turned away and passed into the office.
“What do you propose should be done, Doctor?” said McLean, ignoring the foreman.
“Build a camp where the sick men can be placed by themselves and where they can be kept from infecting the rest of the camp. Half a day's work of a dozen men will do it. If we send them out some of them will die. Besides, it is almost certain that some more of you have already been infected.”
At once eager discussion began. Some, in dread terror of the disease, were for sending out the sick immediately, but the majority would not listen to this inhuman proposal. Finally McLean came again to Dr. Bailey.
“The men want to know if you can guarantee that the disease can be stamped out here if you have a separate camp for an hospital?”
“We can guarantee nothing,” replied Dr. Bailey. “But it is altogether the safer way to fight the disease. And I am of the opinion that we can stamp it out.” The doctor's air and tone of quiet confidence, far more than his words, decided the men's action. In a minute more it was agreed that the sick men should stay and that they would all stand together in carrying out the plan of isolation.