"Of course,
Ingolby is ambitious and he wants power. He tries to do the big things
in the world because there is the big thing to do--for sure. Without
such men the big things are never done, and other men have less work to
do, and less money and poorer homes. They discover and construct and
design and invent and organize and give opportunities. I am a working
man, but I know what Ingolby thinks. I know what men think who try to do
the big things. I have tried to do them."
The crowd were absolutely still now, but the big river-driver shook
himself free of the eloquence, which somehow swayed them all, and said:
"You--you look as if you'd tried to do big things, you do, old skeesicks.
I bet you never earned a hundred dollars in your life." He turned to the
crowd with fierce gestures. "Let's go to Lebanon and make the place
sing," he roared. "Let's get Ingolby out to talk for himself, if he
wants to talk. We know what we want to do, and we're not going to be
bossed. He's for Lebanon and we're for Manitou. Lebanon means to boss
us, Lebanon wants to sit on us because we're Catholics, because we're
French, because we're honest."
Again a wave of revolution swept through the crowd.
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