y should
not be perceptible through the new paper. As far as possible, Misery
and the sub-foreman avoided doing the work the customers paid for, and
even what little they did was hurried over anyhow.

A reign of terror--the terror of the sack--prevailed on all the 'jobs',
which were carried on to the accompaniment of a series of alarums and
excursions: no man felt safe for a moment: at the most unexpected times
Misery would arrive and rush like a whirlwind all over the 'job'. If
he happened to find a man having a spell the culprit was immediately
discharged, but he did not get the opportunity of doing this very often
for everybody was too terrified to leave off working even for a few
minutes' rest.

From the moment of Hunter's arrival until his departure, a state of
panic, hurry, scurry and turmoil reigned. His strident voice rang
through the house as he bellowed out to them to 'Rouse themselves! Get
it done! Smear it on anyhow! Tar it over! We've got another job to
start when you've done this!'

Occasionally, just to keep the others up to concert pitch, he used to
sack one of the men for being too slow. They all trembled before him
and ran about whenever he spoke to or called them, because they knew
that there were always a lot of other men out of work who would be
willing and eager to fill their places if they got the sack.

Although it was now summer, and the Distress Committee and all the
other committees had suspended operations, there was still always a
large number of men hanging about the vicinity of the Fountain on the
Parade--The Wage Slave Market. When men finished up for the firm they
were working for they usually made for that place. Any master in want
of a wage slave for a few hours, days or weeks could always buy one
there. The men knew this and they also knew that if they got the sack
from one firm it was no easy matter to get another job, and that was
why they were terrified.

When Misery was gone--to repeat the same performance at some other
job--the sub-foreman would have a crawl round to see how the chaps were
getting on: to find out if they had used up all their paint yet, or to
bring them some putty so that they should not have to leave their work
to go to get anything themselves: and then very often Rushton himself
would come and stalk quietly about the house or stand silently behind
the men, watching them as they worked. He seldom spoke to anyone, but
just stood there like a