ill, they
will not have to feed him or provide him with medical care while he is
laid up. He will either go without these things or pay for them
himself. At the same time it must be admitted that the workman scores
over both the horse and the slave, inasmuch as he enjoys the priceless
blessing of Freedom. If he does not like the hirer's conditions he
need not accept them. He can refuse to work, and he can go and starve.
There are no ropes on him. He is a Free man. He is the Heir of all
the Ages. He enjoys perfect Liberty. He has the right to choose
freely which he will do--Submit or Starve. Eat dirt or eat nothing.

The wind blew colder and colder. The sky, which at first had shown
small patches of blue through rifts in the masses of clouds, had now
become uniformly grey. There was every indication of an impending fall
of snow.

The men perceived this with conflicting feelings. If it did commence
to snow, they would not be able to continue this work, and therefore
they found themselves involuntarily wishing that it would snow, or
rain, or hail, or anything that would stop the work. But on the other
hand, if the weather prevented them getting on with the outside, some
of them would have to 'stand off', because the inside was practically
finished. None of them wished to lose any time if they could possibly
help it, because there were only ten days more before Christmas.

The morning slowly wore away and the snow did not fall. The hands
worked on in silence, for they were in no mood for talking, and not
only that, but they were afraid that Hunter or Rushton or Crass might
be watching them from behind some bush or tree, or through some of the
windows. This dread possessed them to such an extent that most of them
were almost afraid even to look round, and kept steadily on at work.
None of them wished to spoil his chance of being kept on to help to do
the other house that it was reported Rushton & Co. were going to 'do
up' for Mr Sweater.

Twelve o'clock came at last, and Crass's whistle had scarcely ceased to
sound before they all assembled in the kitchen before the roaring fire.
Sweater had sent in two tons of coal and had given orders that fires
were to be lit every day in nearly every room to make the house
habitable by Christmas.

'I wonder if it's true as the firm's got another job to do for old
Sweater?' remarked Harlow as he was toasting a bloater on the end of
the pointed stick.

'True? No!' sa