Boy's Cinema (1935-39)

Every Tuesday the restaurant—a homely, keen-eyed man, and his face looked worried. He drew up a chair at the table. "Hi, 'ya. Brains?" greeted Dutch. "Just haying a little snack before we shove off." "Don't look like we was going, Dutch," answered the man, who had got his nickname because of his powers of leadership. "Things arc pretty tough out there. The men won't listen to me. They don't care whether I'm the head of the union or not." "Don't, let that mob get you. They never do nothing but yap." "I'm worried," muttered Brains. "We ain't got dough enough in the treasury to strike. In a few weeks we'll all be starving in the streets. Nick wants the men to walk out." "You'll never make me believe that," laughed Dutch. "I kinda reckon the boys is right to strike, and I'll bet Nick gives them a raise." "Not on your life." Brains shook his head emphatically. "Nick Bonis wants • lie men to walk out. He wants us to b.cak the five-year agreement we signed so he can bring in cheap labour." "He what?" Dutch put down his cflee-cup. 'It's a fad. but the men don't under- stand, and I can't make 'cm listen. You know Nick and his methods." "Why. the dirty douWff-erosser. He can't get away with this." "He will if the men walk out. I think you ought to talk to them. Dutch. They'll listen to you." "'They'll listen to you all right " "No, you tell 'em, Dutch," piped L' iv. "You can make 'em eat dirt like it." Dutch stood ii]). "If they strike, my name ain't Di 'h Miller. What do you want me to say to 'cm?" "Don't let 'em play into Nick's binds," urged Brains. "Get 'cm to go back to the boats and make 'cm stop listening to Belcher. He's a Red if ever I saw one." "Why, the gas-bag!" Dutch laughed sneeringly. "I'll break him in hall. I'll give him what, for!" "No violence, Dutch," begged the older man. "Just talk to 'em. Ap- peal to their reason." Til and Hal lie were craning their necks to hear and see when they saw a movement in the crowd. Someone was shoving and pushing his way to the love. " You take those boats out to-day, and our cause is lost!" roared Belcher. "Aw, shut up and get off that barrel! Where do you think you are, Russia?" taunted Dutch Miller. "iS T o, I wish 1 was," answered Belcher. "Well, swim over there and see how you like it!" yelled Dutch, and sud- denly gave the barrel a mighty push. Belcher lost, his balance, gave a yell and toppled backwards into the dirty water of the harbour. Police, on the outskirts of the crowd, expected trouble to start. Dutch Miller straightened the barrel and climbed on to it. Some of the crotyrd were laughing at Belcher's downfall, but others were growling threateningly. "Who put you up there?" someone shouted. "Wail a minute," Dutch's mighty voice roared out. "I'll tell you why I'm up here. It's because you won't listen to Brains, but you ain't got the nerve not, to listen to me. When we was kids we used to fight like wild- BOY'S CINEMA rat-, but if an outside gang came in we stuck together and threw 'em out. Brains says that Nick wants us to strike. Do you get that?" There were cries of disbelief. "He wants US to strike. He thinks we're suckers." yelled Dutch. "We ain't gonna fight—and I'll sock the first guy in the puss that says we are." "You ain't gonna sock nobody!" jeered a big man, and one of Belcher's erang. "Is that so?" sneered Dutch, and next second he was off that barrel. Wonk! His fist landed with a thud on an unshaven jaw. One second later a glorious scrap be- tween those for striking and those against was in full progress. Lil, Hattie and Jimmy managed to wriggle out of the scrum as the police charged into the fray. "Come on! Break it up, break it up!" yelled the police. Dutch .Miller was about to leap on another would be striker when a policeman gripped the two men by the shoulders. "Let rne go, bud. I'm trying to establish law and order!" argued Dutch. "All right, wise guy." sneered the cop. "I'm locking you up." Hattie, from the fire-escape of the cannery, had witnessed the scene be- tween the cop and Dutch, and her nimble brain sought to find .some way to save the man she scorned and yet admired, ('.lancing round, she spied a crate of tins, and quickly she seized one, wrapped it up in a piece of paper and tied it with a string from her apron. She dropped it neatly near the cop and the struggling Dutch. "Watih out Im low ! It's a bomb!" she screamed. Policemen and fishermen scattered in all directions, and the officer holding Dutch ran the fastest. The hesitant strikers had had enough and they raced towards their boats. They knew with the meeting broken up the police would not follow. One officer ventured to upwrap the bomb, and his expression when he saw it was "SEA QUEEN TUNA" was a sight. Dutch Miller scurried towards the boats, and there he raised his hands. "Get aboard your boats and let's get some work done." "Nice work. Dutch." Brains was at his side. "Much obliged." "Nothing at all—nothing at all. Any time you get a tough nut to crack just call on me. I'll be glad to oblige." Dutch cried, with pompous conceit. "Only next time you don't have to tell me what to do. I can always get the gang to do anything I want 'em to." Standing at an open window was a swarthy fellow in a loud suit with padded shoulders. A diamond gleamed in the bright tie and another huge diamond glistened on one of the man's fingers. By liis side stood a ferrety- faced person whose upper lip was bared in an unpleasant grin. "He catches my goat, that Dutch Miller." muttered Nick Louis. ".He smart guy. huh? He settles my strike. Maybe some day I settle his hash." Hattie was in the cleansing depart- ment of the cannery, and she should have gone back to work now that the trouble was over, but she told Lil that she was going round to tell the swell- headed Dutch who had saved his skin. Apparently the Press and their cameramen had had wind of trouble among the tuna fishermen, and they had been loitering round the docks for davs on the chance of a story. Hattie found Dutch Miller standing on the side of the wharf with Press in ii interviewing and others taking his picture. A news-reel man was also in action. "Mr. Miller, will you say something for the Metrophone News while we take your picture?" Dutch Miller was about to leap on another would-be striker when a policeman gripped the two men by their shoulders. April 4th, 1936.