“All right, boys. We are coming back and we are going through. Leave this street clear or take your chances! It's up to you!” So saying, the car was turned about and the party proceeded back to the foundry.
“What are you going to do, Chief?” inquired the Mayor anxiously.
“There are a lot of soldiers in that crowd,” said the Chief. “I don't like the looks of them. They are too steady. I hate to smash through them.”
Arrived at the foundry, the Chief paced up and down, pondering his problem. He called Maitland to his side.
“How many cars have we here, Maitland?” he inquired.
“Some fifteen, I think. And there are five or six more parked down on the street.”
“That would be enough,” said the Chief. “I hate the idea of smashing through that crowd. You see, some of those boys went through hell with me and I hate to hurt them.”
“Why not try a ruse?” suggested Maitland. “Divide your party. You take five or six cars with constables up the hill to that crowd there. Let me take the strikebreakers and the rest of the cars and make a dash to the right. It's a longer way round but with the streets clear, we can arrive at Headquarters in a very few minutes.”
The Chief considered the plan for a few minutes in silence.
“It's a good plan, Maitland,” he said at length. “It's a good plan. And we'll put it through. I'll make the feint on the left; you run them through on the right. I believe we can pull it off. Give me a few minutes to engage their attention before you set out.”