graven image, or walked about like a dumb
animal--a pig, as the men used to say. This individual had a very
exalted idea of his own importance and dignity. One man got the sack
for presuming to stop him in the street to ask some questions about
some work that was being done.

Misery went round to all the jobs the next day and told all the
'coddies' to tell all the hands that they were never to speak to Mr
Rushton if they met him in the street, and the following Saturday the
man who had so offended was given his back day, ostensibly because
there was nothing for him to do, but really for the reason stated above.

There was one job, the outside of a large house that stood on elevated
ground overlooking the town. The men who were working there were even
more than usually uncomfortable, for it was said that Rushton used to
sit in his office and watch them through a telescope.

Sometimes, when it was really necessary to get a job done by a certain
time, they had to work late, perhaps till eight or nine o'clock. No
time was allowed for tea, but some of them brought sufficient food with
them in the morning to enable them to have a little about six o'clock
in the evening. Others arranged for their children to bring them some
tea from home. As a rule, they partook of this without stopping work:
they had it on the floor beside them and ate and drank and worked at
the same time--a paint-brushful of white lead in one hand, and a piece
of bread and margarine in the other. On some jobs, if the 'coddy'
happened to be a decent sort, they posted a sentry to look out for
Hunter or Rushton while the others knocked off for a few minutes to
snatch a mouthful of grub; but it was not safe always to do this, for
there was often some crawling sneak with an ambition to become a
'coddy' who would not scruple to curry favour with Misery by reporting
the crime.

As an additional precaution against the possibility of any of the men
idling or wasting their time, each one was given a time-sheet on which
he was required to account for every minute of the day. The form of
these sheets vary slightly with different firms: that of Rushton & Co.,
was as shown.

TIME SHEET
OF WORK DONE BY IN THE EMPLOY OF
RUSHTON & CO
BUILDERS & DECORATORS : MUGSBOROUGH

NO SMOKING OR INTOXICANTS ALLOWED DURING WORK