Ellen shook her head and said she didn’t suppose so. There were thousands of unwanted babies already and most of them should never have been born…. Can I have the fork to have a go at those weeds?

Thank Creeping Jay for the change at last, the six of you turfed out of Furnaces, three to Stores and two to Machines, Alick and Norman the lucky sods, they would be, they gave more lip to old Dallas, they two, than any half-dozen in the whole of Gowans and Gloag’s: and he seemed to like them the better for’t!

Not that Stores was bad, a fine change from the Furnace, your own bench and lists and pigeon-holes, rows on rows of the tools and castings, birns of stuff to unload for the Shops, finished with being a damn kid in the Works, though the older sods that had been there awhile looked gey glum when you got your shift. And they’d something to look glum about, poor muckers, for afore the change had been a week over there were six of the older hands got the sack, on to the Broo, och, hell, you couldn’t help it. It was just the way that things were run.

Ewan Tavendale had been moved to the manager’s office, blue-printing, they liked his prints in the shops, a clever young Bulgar as you’d found out in Furnaces. You didn’t see much of him the first week or so, but syne he came into the Stores one morning and started talking to the foreman chap, wee Eddie Grant, he listened awhile and said Ach to hell, I’ll have nothing to do with it. Look out yourself, you’ll be getting in the faeces. But Ewan, he looked fairly the toff again, clean hands and suit, hair trig and neat, just nodded, All right, if you feel like that. But maybe it’ll be your turn next for the sack. Wee Eddie burbled Me? What the hell! And who’s to take my place I’d like to know? Another of you whoreson apprentice sods?, and Ewan said nothing, just nodded to you, Hello, Bob! and walked out, what the hell was he up to now?

Well, it was soon all over the works what it was, he was trying to stir up the Union men to threaten a strike if Gowans and Gloag carried on with the plan they’d had year in, year out—taking on apprentices and sacking the old ones, they saved a fair sum on the weekly wage.

You knew it was Ewan had started the thing, every body knew, and the story came down to the Stores that the manager had had him on the carpet for’t, Ewan hadn’t denied it and the manager had asked if he knew what would happen to him, stirring up trouble? And Ewan had said Oh yes, he knew well, he’d be sacked when his apprenticeship was done. And the manager had roared Well then, less of it. You’ve had your warning, you won’t get another. And Ewan had said Yes, thanks, I’ve been warned.