“Come, you must show me that identical shack, Billy,” he announced.
“But hold on, Hugh,” hoarsely whispered the other, “if some of those men saw us go in there they’d believe we were connected with the detective squad, and trying to get them sent to prison. Why, they’d be furious enough to murder us.”
Hugh realized that there was indeed need of caution. These ignorant and explosive foreigners could not be reasoned with by one who was unacquainted with their language. There may be times when signs will not answer to cool the heated blood of men driven to extremes by what they feel to be a gross injustice.
“Billy, you’re right, and we must first of all get the old padrone to accompany us. If, as you seem to fear, those things turn out to be real bombs, then his are the hands that must put them in water so as to forever destroy their destructive properties. Come along with me, Billy.”
It was not difficult to find the padrone, for he was hovering near where the men were groaning, with Arthur and an assistant doing all they could to ease their sufferings.
Hugh managed to explain, partly through signs, that he wanted the padrone to go with him. After that Billy led the way straight to the rude shack he had by accident entered, and in which he had found such suspicious things being made.
As soon as Hugh set his eyes on the three-foot sections of old gaspipe he knew Billy had sensed the truth. One of the bombs was apparently ready for use. It had a short fuse at one end, and looked terribly suggestive.
“You see what some of your men have been thinking of doing,” Hugh said to the old padrone, as he held up this iron bomb.
The other showed all the signs of being both astonished and angry. Billy wondered if such an enterprise could have been going on all this time in the settlement and one so wise as the padrone not know it.
“It is bad biz!” the padrone said in a husky voice, as he, too, picked up one of the metal tubes and examined it; “some of my men they be near crazy with mad. When they see the children cry for be hungry they no care what they do to get what you call even. It is the strike-breaker they hate, you understan’.”