Nathaniel did not say anything but mulled his friend’s advice, even though he knew he could never follow it. His mind leapt from thought to thought, but there was a direction to its apparent randomness: It led him back two years, to the last day of the Black Island quarry strike. The quarrymen, in retaliation for Cyrus’s importation of scab workers from Boston, had armed themselves with clubs and stones and marched on the company wharf, where a drogher was being loaded with paving blocks cut by the scabs. The mob dragged the teamsters off the wagons parked alongside the ship, cut the traces to the horses, overturned the wagons, tossed the blocks into the water, and stoned the handful of company men—six engineers and blacksmiths—who tried to stop them. Cyrus, who was in the office with his manager, the big Swede named Pedersen, ran outside and told the strikers to return to their homes, promising he would discuss their grievances with their leaders when order was restored. One of those leaders, a tall Finn, said the time for talking was over. Brandishing three-foot cudgels, throwing stones, the men advanced on Cyrus and Pedersen, forcing them to retreat closer and closer toward the end of the wharf. When his heels bumped against the railroad tie used as an edge timber, Nathaniel’s father pointed at the tall Finn and asked if he could swim. The man, taken aback by the question, shook his head.

“Neither can I,” Cyrus said. “And if I go in, you’re going with me. We’ll drown together. I’m willing to drown for what I stand for—how about you? Are you willing to drown for time and a half?”

The strikers’ advance stopped instantly; so did the shouting and shoving. The clubs were lowered, along with the fists that held the stones.

“Come ahead,” Cyrus challenged the Finn. “C’mon ahead, and so help me God, you’re going into that cold water and down to the bottom with me.” Still, no one moved. “If that’s as far as you’re going, then turn around and go back to your homes, cool off, and we’ll talk things over in the morning, like reasonable men.”