stick to yin anither, they'd damn'd soon put an end to sic gaffers as
you."

"Maybe ye'll be the first to be put an end to," said Walker, rising to
leave. "I might ha'e something to say to--"

"You rotten pestilence o' hell," cried Geordie, now fairly roused, and
jumping over the coals on the "roadhead" after him. "I'll cleave the
rotten heart o' ye if I get my fingers on ye, you an' yer fancy women,
yer gamblin' an' yer shebeens!"

But Walker was off; he did not like to hear these matters of his private
life mentioned, and so Geordie, left to himself, lit his pipe, and sat
down to cool his temper.

A few minutes later Matthew Maitland came round to borrow a shot of
powder, and Geordie unburdened his mind to him.

"He's a dirty brute," said Matthew, "an' it's time we had a union
started. I hear great stories aboot how Bob Smillie's gettin' on wi' the
union that he started doon the west country."

"I ken Bob fine," said Geordie. "He's a fine fellow. I worked next wall
to him doon there a while, an' a better chap ye couldna' get."

"I hear that he's gotten as muckle as tippence on the ton to some o'
the miners who ha'e joined. I'm gaun to join whenever it can be
started."

Geordie agreed that it would be good to have a union, but he knew that