"It's
this wretched American trick of joking at everything."
Ogden, to change the subject, asked: "Did you really say 'damn'?"
"Yes."
"But I thought you disapproved of cuss words."
"I do. But the crowd wouldn't believe that I was honest in my intention
to protect the substitutes. They thought I was too much of a politician
to dare to do it. So I swore, thinking they would understand that as
they would not anything else. I hoped it might save actual firing. But
they became so enraged that they didn't care if we did shoot."
Just then one of the crowd shrieked, "Down with the blood-suckers. On to
freedom. Freedom of life, of property, of food, of water, of air, of
land. Destroy the money power!"
"If we ever get to the freedom he wants," said Ray, "we'll utilize that
chap for supplying free gas."
"Splendid raw material for free soap," said Ogden.
"He's not the only one," said Ray. "I haven't had a wash in nine hours,
and salt meats are beginning to pall."
"There are plenty of fellows out there will eat it for you, Ray," said
Peter, "and plenty more who have not washed in weeks.
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