They pressed on, however, and when further progress was impossible,
they found standing room on the very front close to the car-track.
It had been a noisy, blustering crowd as it surged along the street,
but now that it had come to a standstill, a sudden breathless silence
fell upon it, and all eyes turned in one direction, gazing eagerly,
intently up the track. Suddenly, a low, hoarse cry broke from a
hundred throats.
"It's comin'! It's comin'!" and far up the street a car appeared.
The faces of the men grew more hard and determined. Those of the
women became pale and terrified. The two boys peered eagerly forward,
their hearts beating quickly, with dread mingled with a sort of wild
excitement.
"Look, Theo--Look!" whispered Jimmy, pointing to some men who were
hastily digging up cobble-stones from the street. "There's Carrots,
too," he added.
"Wonder who that little chap is--the one that seems to have so much to
say to the car men," Theo replied, thoughtfully.
"That's Tom Steel. You've heard of him, hain't ye?" A man at Theo's
elbow was speaking. "He's responsible for this strike, I think, an' I
hope he'll get his pay for it too," he added, grimly.
Theodore glanced up into the grave face of the speaker and recognised
him as a motorman. Evidently, he was more bitter against the strikers
than against the company.
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