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Early in June it was rumored that Bluemud would soon be bringing in more men and that
O'Grady had been instructed to nominate eight men for foremen of the third shift and to
include the Dentonsville men in his search for candidates. One day after the meal O'Grady took Carl amicably aside, leading him out of the barracks, and walking together with him down towards the Station. As he himself observed it was first time Carl, or any of the men had been outside the barracks except to work since they arrived. The tone of O'Grady's voice was kind. Despite his bluster with the men in general he was not the sort to willingly do harm to anyone, though he had a decent fear of authority and would carry out any order. 'That's right, young Carl, Mr. Bluemud doesn't want his men traipsing around in his valley where he doesn't know where they are or what they might be up to. Not even the Marshals can do that. It's only Foremen like us that are trusted to do what they want around here. Yes, we're lucky men, Carl, I wouldn't deny it. Once we were poor like you, sniveling curs creeping through the woods. I was just a second rate metal seeker myself. Can you believe that? But now, well, I'm not rich but Mr. Bluemud has made me secure. He has given me a future. I eat good food and I've a wife and a cottage of my own. Yes, there's advantages to being made a foreman.' O'Grady patted his somewhat rotund belly and beamed at Carl. 'You'll be wondering, I suppose why I'm speaking to you like this? When Carl did not respond, O'Grady was not surprised. He was not looking for a response and he continued, 'Well, I'll tell you, I hear you might have the makings of a foreman. There's several say it: how you were a Shopkeeper's son; it's good training, they say. And I'm thinking that, soon after our parade on July 4th and Mr. Bluemud's speech we'll be making up some more.' Although he gave no indication of his feelings, O'Grady's words were no surprise to Carl. In fact he thought they were long overdue. After all Pastor Bluemud had reason to be grateful to him. He had been expecting since he arrived that the Pastor would send for him to personally express his gratitude and correct the error his people had made in consigning Carl to be a simple miner. On the afternoon of July 4th the miners marched in a pouring rain before a podium constructed from a wagon in the Station yard. The podium and the Station building were decked with the Stars and Stripes and an ancient recording of the Star Spangled Banner blared from a loudspeaker that had been setup. As he sloshed by Carl looked up and recognized Pastor Bluemud's face at once. The Pastor looked different, grimmer and his clothes, while not a pastor's vestments were still quite different to the peasant garb he was wearing when Carl first saw him. The speech was cancelled at the last minute, which Carl ascribed to the rain: he wasn't to know that he was angry with his daughter. The miners tramped back to the mine to await Bluemud's inspection and, waiting at the coal face, Carl wondered what Pastor Bluemud's services would be like. Naturally, being in the position of just an ordinary miner now Carl would not have expected to have been invited to attend a Pastor's service but then, he expected that his situation would be changing very soon. 'You seem worried, Relyt' said Johnson, his foreman. 'What wrong?' 'I was regretting, Mr. Johnson, that I had not heard the Pastor speak. I think he would do well.' 'He gets worked up, that's for sure. I've heard him speak twice though I never understand a word he says. But why do you call Mr. Bluemud a Pastor, Relyt? He's no Pastor. Just the boss. One of them, what they call a City Man. Can't you tell?' O'Grady came up. The imminent presence of Bluemud in his inspection mode invariably filled O'Grady with dread and his nervousness was apparent to all. 'Mr. Bluemud'll be here soon and he's in a bad mood so keep yourselves to yourselves and try to act smart, y'hear? You, man, stand to attention! Don't you know how? Must I learn you everything? Johnson, show that man, for goodness sakes! Hold that pick up straight and don't speak unless you're spoken to!' Bluemud appeared and the foremen held their lamps for him to peer at the men's faces and at the coal. 'Where's all this water coming from, O'Grady? Has the pump broken down again?' 'Yes, sir, Mr. Bluemud. We've only the small electric one working. You said you was going to get us a coal-fired one like the generators.' Bluemud dismissed O'Grady irritably. 'We need some more light bulbs too.' He was thinking: Damn Elizabeth! Going off like that and leaving me! 'Hello, Mr. Bluemud, remember me?' Bluemud was tired, the light was bad, his mood was worse. Why did he continue with this farce? It was all a waste of time! He stared at the man, not remembering him from Adam. 'Name?' 'Carl Relyt, Mr. Bluemud.' 'This one a troublemaker or something, O'Grady?' O'Grady said nothing and looked extremely uncomfortable. 'Take his name,' said Bluemud. Which was how Carl came to be in the stockade while Bluemud was eating roast beef with Mrs. Passareil. |
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