The captain took Danny into his private office and talked to him. The captain did not wish to lock up the boy, so he sent for Danny's father and also for the manager of the branch messenger-office. Meanwhile he tried to explain the matter to Danny, but Danny was obtuse. Why should not he do as his father and his father's friends did? When they had a disagreement with the boss, they picketed the plant, and ensuing incidents sent many people to the hospitals. Why was it worse for one boy to do this than it was for some hundreds or thousands of men? Danny was confident that he was within his rights.
"Dad knows," he said in conclusion. "Dad'll say I'm right. You got no business mixin' in."
The manager came first. "The boy ought to be punished," said he. "He hit me with a rock."
"I wish you'd seen him," said the beaming Danny to the captain, for the recollection of that victory made all else seem trivial. "Say! he doubled up like a clown droppin' into a barrel."
"If he isn't punished," asserted the glowering manager, "he'll get worse and worse and end by going to the devil."
"Perhaps," replied the captain. "But just stand beside him a moment, please. Don't dodge, Danny. He'll go behind the bars if he touches you. Stand side by side."
"Now," said the captain to the manager, "how do you think you'll look, standing beside him in the police court and accusing him of assault and battery?"
"Like a fool," replied the manager promptly, forced to laugh in spite of himself.
"And what kind of a story--illustrated story--will it be for the papers?" persisted the captain.
"Let him go," said the manager; "but he ought to be whaled."
It was at this point that Dan arrived, accompanied by his wife.
"F'r why sh'u'd he be whaled?" demanded the latter aggressively.
"Well, I'd like to see anny wan outside the fam'ly whale ye," she said, with a defiant look at the manager, "but I'll do it mesilf."
Danny was astounded. In this quarter at least he had expected support. He glanced at his father.
"I'll take a lick or two at ye mesilf," said Dan. "The idee of breakin' the law an' makin' all this throuble."
"Shut up!" commanded Dan. "Ye don't know what ye're talkin' about. A sthrike's wan thing an' disordherly conduct's another."