While other
lads of his age looked upon it as a fine holiday, the heavy
responsibilities he had to face gave him a different outlook, and so the
men seemed to recognize that he was different from the other boys, and
more sober in his view-point.
"This story is set aboot for the purpose o' breakin' oup the men," he
continued. "We hear o' Smillie haein hale rows o' cottages bought, an' a
lot ither rubbish, but I wouldna believe it. It's a' to get the men to
gang back to their work; an' if they do that, it'll no' only break the
strike, but it'll break up the union, an' that's what's wanted mair than
anything else. I've heard Smillie an' my faither talkin' aboot a' thae
things lang syne, an' Smillie says that's what the stories are set aboot
for. We should ha'e sense enough no' to heed them, for I dinna think
Smillie has sell't us at a'."
There was a fine, firm ring in the boy's voice as he spoke which moved
the two older men, and made them feel a little ashamed that they had
been so ready to doubt.
"Ah, weel, Rob," said Tam, "maybe you are richt, but a lot o' men ha'e
gaen back to their work already, an' it'll break up the strike if it
spreads.
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