"Taught him his A-B-C-was his dear, kind teacher, eh?" hilariously cried
another.
The old man appeared not to hear. "I have known him all the years since.
He has only been in the West a few years, but he has lived in the world
exactly thirty-three years. He never willingly did anybody harm--never.
Since he came West, since he came to the Sagalac, he's brought work to
Lebanon and to Manitou. There are hundreds more workmen in both the
towns than there were when he came. It was he made others come with much
money and build the factories and the mills. Work means money, money
means bread, bread means life--so."
The big river-driver, seeing the effect of the old man's words upon the
crowd, turned to them with an angry gesture and a sneer.
"I s'pose Ingolby has paid this old skeesicks for talking this swash.
We know all right what Ingolby is, and what he's done. He's made war
between the two towns--there's hell to pay now on both sides of the
Sagalac. He took away the railway offices from here, and threw men out
of work. He's done harm to Manitou--he's against Manitou every time."
Murmurs of approval ran through the crowd, though some were silent,
looking curiously at the forceful and confident old man.
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